Alpine Exposures: A Photo Gallery

If I think [back] to what really inspires me nowadays, it's still the simple photos that tell a story. Alpinism is meant to be a tough game no matter what level you're operating at, and for me capturing that true grit in an image without needing the "hyper reality" software effect is the holy grail. Take Marko Prezelj—he is without a doubt the world's best alpine photographer as well as one of the most accomplished Himalayan climbers of our generation. What I love about his shots is that they don't need glossy postproduction work to make them stand out from the others. Sometimes there are shadows that are too dark to see and there are highlights that are too blown to make out. But you don't notice that because at the core of his photo is a human being pushing himself to a limit in an environment that few humans have ever been to—and his images speak volumes to that effect. A powerful image needs to have a powerful human touch to it, and thankfully that is something that post-processing can never replicate. Marko's images have a timeless quality to them; they draw me in and make me instantly want to look the route and mountain up online.