Focus: Simon Ploner

HOW MUCH TIME/WEEK DO YOU DEDICATE TO THE SPORT? Ogni secondo del mio tempo libero! O almeno del Week-End :)

HAVE YOU HAD ANY DISCOURAGEMENTS? HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THEM? Fino adesso per fortuna è andato tutto liscio.

WHY IS SKIMO IMPORTANT TO YOU? WHY DO YOU LIKE IT? Per me lo sci alpinismo è uno stile di vita, la fuga dalla vita quotidiana/ lavorativa e il miglior modo per passare il tempo con gli amici. Non ce l farei più senza! DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR NEWBIES? Restare con i piedi a terra e non cominciare subito con tour difficili ecc. Informarsi sulle condizioni, bolettini valanghe è fondamentale, in più e molto importante conoscere il materiale e saperlo usare; p.es l’ arva. Al’ inizio consiglio vivamente anche di andare con delle persone più esperte per evitare brutte sorprese. WHY DID YOU START SKIMO? WHAT OR WHO ATTRACTED YOU TO THE SPORT? Sono sempre stato affascino dallo “sciare fuoripista”; già quando ero piccolo non mi piaceva molto sciare sulle piste e perciò mi spostavo spesso fuori pista. Poi con il passare degli anni ho visto le possibilità che lo sci alpinismo offre; nessune code come sugli impianti o piste affollate, pendii pieni di neve fresca non ancora toccati e semplicemente in senso di libertà! Tramite lo sci alpinismo ho capito che fortuna che abbiamo di vivere in mezzo a queste montagne stupende! DO YOU SKI WITH MOSTLY MEN? IN GENERAL, ARE THERE MORE MALE SKIERS THAN FEMALES? Le persone con cui scio sono generalmente maschi! Ma qualche volta, quando facciamo uscite più semplici ci sono anche qualche femmine! Spero che in futuro questo cambia pero.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SKIMO TRIP? Il più memorabile fino ad ora è stato quando abbiamo sciato un ripido canale sul Conturines, una cima nella Val Badia. Per me è stato molto speciale perchè dietro ci stava molta preparazione, lo abbiamo studiato e osservato per settimane fino a quando le

condizioni ci hanno permesso di imbatterci in questa “avventura”. BESIDES PHYSICAL FITNESS, HOW DOES IT BENEFIT YOU?

Mi libera la mente! E mi dà tanta soddisfazione! NAME: Simon Ploner

BASED IN: Wengen, Southtyrol (Italy)

AGE: 23

ATHLETE IN: skiing, alpinism, climbing, mountaineering

MAIN FIELD: skimountaineering

DARK AND RAINY DAYS

Shooting on these days is highly demanding, and many photographers prefer to wait for sunny weather. Taking pictures of rain and wet subjects challenges photographers to use special gear and settings, compose in difficult conditions, and convey a poetic message. Unlike sunset photography, rain photography works with low light, gray skies, unsaturated colors, and lots of water. Dark processing this is currently trending online and I’m happy about that but for me personally, it’s more than just a trend; it’s a whole different point of view. I think many of us are tired of seeing the same pictures from the same places with the same classical good light. I’m much more fascinated by a foggy valley, a lighthouse during a storm or a popular location during a snowy day. For example, how many pictures of Kirkjufell on Iceland have you seen taken during a foggy day or during a snow storm? I bet it’s not many. Typically, the images shared from these popular places are very similar and it’s rare that you see something different. Photographing these places in bad weather can make the images more cinematic and more dramatic. It’s that kind of pictures that fascinates me and that’s why I try my best to exploit certain conditions and edit the images to be more enjoyable.

Though the common refrain is that old growth rainforests are the only way to stave off global warming and must be preserved at all costs, a new analysis makes the case for logging and takes some hot air out of the environmental balloon. Forests are major carbon sinks and are a “green lung” for because they clean the air, remove dust particles, and produce oxygen. But the notion that old rainforests are vital to the ecosystem has been scientifically suspect. An international team agrees that forests are ecosystems binding large amounts of carbon, thus retarding CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere and the potential for climate change. These sinks are dynamic, their capacity can grow or shrink regionally. So far, it has been assumed that this is driven mainly by increased photosynthesis due to an increase in the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Dense tropical forests near the equator, for instance, take up large amounts of CO2.

But a new analysis of global forests with a combination of data and computer models calculated how much CO2 was taken up by established (at least 140 year-old) forest areas between 2001 and 2010 and compared with those of younger forests regrown on former agricultural or deforested areas. Instead of older being better they saw that age effect accounts for a much higher 25% of the forests’ CO2 uptake. Far more than previously believed. Forests at middle and high latitudes of the eastern US, which were used as farmland by the settlers until the late 19th century, along with forests in Canada, Russia, and Europe that were destroyed by forest fires and then replaced largely contribute to this carbon sink.

When forests reach a certain age, their CO2 uptake decreases and the important carbon sinks disappear unless reforestation occurs. That’s good news for responsible logging, which has largely been phased out of the United States. And it will be good for the environment also.

Special moment shown in this picture. The ongoing sunset in the background illuminates the fog and clouds from behind. I don’t like bright, sunny days. Many people do, but I prefer grey, cloudy and stormy days. Before anyone starts jumping to any conclusions, let me clarify. I am not sad or depressed. I know that these could be the reasons, but they are not the only reasons and it’s definitely not my reason. Even though the numbers are low, I am not alone in liking grey skies, cold weather and thunderstorms. Most people believe that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is triggered by winters or sunless, rainy days due to the lack of sunlight, but in some rare cases, people feel depressed on sunny days and cloudy, dull skies make them happy. The condition is known as reverse SAD. Not everybody likes hot days when all you do is sweat and stink, get exhausted by the smallest of efforts and have your make-up running down your face within 10 minutes of leaving home. I think there is a valid reason here to be depressed.

However, on cloudy days, our minds are less distracted and drawn inward to think more deeply, hence

increasing our focus on the task.

The deep dense forest, where I found myself walking, was the location of my camp. I could hear the tweeting of the birds and insects. My skin felt warm. The trees were as tall as the mountains in the valley. The smell was fresh, but the air was humid. Leaves from trees branches in the trees felt wet from the last nights dewdrops.I kept walking because of my curiosity to discover new things. I suddenly stopped because there was a long river in front of me. I knew walking around it would take too long, but swimming through it would be very dangerous, since I was not sure what was in the rapid water. I decided to cut down several branches from the trees to build a raft and paddle across the river. Finally, I crossed the river on my not so stable raft.

As I continued on my journey, I entered a dark cave. Inside, I found a sleeping bear, so I sneaked back out. It was becoming dark and cold. I felt scared because of the noises the nocturnal animals, insects and birds were making. I used my bright torch to find my way back to camp. Soon the battery of my torch had run out. After a long walk, I could see the light from the campfire my friends had lit. When I reached the river, my friends had cut down a log and placed across the river, so it was easy to cross. As I arrived, we had something to eat, while we told each other spooky stories. It was late, and so it was time to go to sleep.

In the morning, when we woke up, we all brushed our teeth, changed our clothes and packed for the walk home. This was an experience that I will never forget.

BETTER THAN ANY HOTEL

Being out in the endless wonders of the night sky is a highly rewarding experience that gives you a deeper connection to the universe. Though many modern smartphones have night-sky photography modes, a full-blown DSLR camera offers better clarity and the ability to bring out much greater detail than the human eye can see. Timing and planning are as important for astrophotography as they are for everyday photography. Scout your shoot location ahead of time to get a sense of the layout and visualize your compositions. Consider including interesting features of the landscape in the foreground of your image to help tell a story and convey a sense of place. Know the moonrise time in your location, as well as when the objects you’re interested, such as the Milky Way, will rise and the direction they will travel overhead. Photographing the endless wonders of the night sky is a highly rewarding experience that gives you a deeper connection to the universe. Though many modern smartphones have night-sky photography modes, a full-blown DSLR camera offers better clarity and the ability to bring out much greater detail than the human eye can see.

First at all, as always, you have to plan and organise everything. After that all is done the most important thing wich i learned over the years is to bring a can of warm or hot tea and some biscuits or your favourite snack - trust me.

The secret to producing beautiful nightscapes isn’t in a wide-angle lens, a high-end telescope, or a new Nikon or Canon DSLR camera—nor is it in post-processing or photo-editing software. These tools may help, but without technique, composition, and the knowledge to use your camera effectively, you won’t get anywhere. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced photographer, it’s important to focus on the fundamentals of good astrophotography. With these tips from the field, you’ll be ready to tackle your bucket-list dreams and shoot for big things—think auroras, eclipses, the deep sky—the possibilities are limitless. Once you’ve chosen a photography subject, research moon phases and constellations with apps like Star Walk (for iPhone) or the free Google Sky Map (for Android) which show you the sky view from specific places at any time of the night. A full moon is the most popular of the eight moon phases to photograph, but you may want to shoot under a new moon to capture constellations in great detail.

There are advantages and disadvantages to photographing under each moon phase. Independent of your decision, check the weather and air quality for systems and events that would otherwise obscure your objectives and your subject. For the darkest skies, go 60 to 100 miles from the city lights and get to high elevations. Notice the effect the high altitude and thinner atmosphere have on light refraction: Shooting through fewer light-dispersing particles creates crisper, brighter shots, with greater transparency and contrast.

Credits Free University of Bozen-Bolzano Faculty of Design and Art

Bachelor in Design and Art – Major in Design WUP 20/21 | 1st-semester foundation course

Project Modul: Editorial Design

Design by: Lukas Mayrl Magazine | FRAMED - we live in the outdoors

Supervision: Project leader: Prof. Antonino Benincasa Project assistants: Andreas Trenker, Emilio Grazzi

Photography: Lukas Mayrl

Format: 210 x 297 mm

Fonts | Font Sizes & Leading: Body Text Mr Eaves Mod OT 10,25/14 pt

Caption Text Mr Eaves Mod 6/9,75 pt

Title Text Artigo 21/22 pt

Subtitle Text Artigo 14/17,5 pt

Layout Grid: 8 Column Grid

Module proportion: 1 : 1.414

CPL | Character per line - Body Text: 60 characters including spaces

Printed: Bozen-Bolzano, January 2021 Digital Printing