A recent little shoot for Marks & Spencer has taken me to a British winery called Ridgeview in East Sussex.
A short story about a long run
I arranged to meet Lizzy Hawker – the 5-time winner of the Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc – in the Everest region to take some pictures of her record-breaking run from Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu. She ran the route non-stop in 63 hours and 8 minutes which is a truly astonishing achievement. We chose to meet on the ridge above Dingboche which has spectacular views of Ama Dablam and the Khumbu valley. We met early in the morning hoping for the best light but cloud was folding in quickly and by the time Lizzy arrived I barely had time to shoot a dozen or so pictures before the mountains disappeared altogether. At the time I was disappointed not to have been able to take more pictures but while the clouds filled the valley I was able to get this shot of Lizzy silhouetted against Ama Dablam. The picture is the now the cover of her recently published book Runner.
"Runner tells Lizzy’s story and in so doing, uncovers the journey of the physical, mental and emotional challenges that runners go through at the edge of human endurance. From the school girl running the streets of London to breaking records on the world’s mountains and toughest races, Lizzy Hawker is an inspiration to anyone who would like to see how far they can go, running or not."
You can buy Lizzy's book Runner on Amazon
Woman from Dolpa
I photographed this woman during a trip to the remote region of Dolpa in Nepal in October 2012. On the last day of trekking we passed this striking looking woman on the trail near Tripurakot in Lower Dolpa. Different images of her have been used in various publications since. This is a spread in the new brochure for Jagged Globe. I often get asked "what is that on her head?" It's actually a bamboo rice pan for winnowing. The fur is from a Yak, but why she has it on the rice pan I'm not sure. Could it be to keep her hands warm while she is winnowing? Or to keep her warm while she carries the rice pan on her head? Or perhaps it's simply for decoration. I wish I'd asked her but I was too busy capturing the moment.
From the archives: Gokyo Ri
My first trek was to Nepal in 2007. I went to the Everest region and climbed Gokyo Ri – which my computer keeps auto-correcting to Tokyo Ri – but it's a world away from Tokyo. It was also my first experience in high altitude and the airlessness was immensely exhausting for a first timer. On that trip I climbed it in thick fog and all alone. I reached the top and could have been anywhere. I was freezing cold but I waited at least an hour hoping for the clouds to sweep away. I was rewarded. Just as I was about to make my way down, the clouds fell into the valley below and I was surrounded by then biggest mountains in the world. Entirely speechless, I was hooked.
Shooting Scooters
Trail shot
Runner's World in Holland recently published a shot of Lizzy Hawker running in the Alps.
The Cover!
Strolling through the streets of Cartagena while on holiday was not the day I thought I would shoot an image which would go on to become a National Geographic cover. I glimpsed this woman on a street corner selling fresh fruit and knew straight away I wanted to photograph her. We spent some time chatting while she cut me some mango. I then asked if she would mind me taking her portrait. I only had the chance to take eight pictures before the genuine smiles faded away. The first shot is the one that was chosen. It was selected for the cover of National Geographic for the whole of Latin America.
UTMR images in 'Like The Wind' magazine
A shoot for Lizzy Hawker's new trail race 'The Ultra Tour Monte Rosa' have been published in 'Like The Wind' magazine.
The Ultra Tour Monte Rosa
At 4,634m Monte Rosa (pink mountain) is the second highest mountain in the Alps (after Mont Blanc).
Endurance athlete Lizzy Hawker who is a 5-time winner of The North Face Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc is about to launch a new 150km ultra marathon around Monte Rosa. At the beginning of September I spent two days on the route near Zermatt to capture the atmosphere of this new race.
A beautiful 150km mountain ultra marathon encircling Monte Rosa. From the village of Grächen high on an alp above the Matter Vispa, a tributary of the Rhone, to Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn, into Italy, and returning on high wild trails, a host of 4000m summits will be your companions. http://www.ultratourmonterosa.com
Featured on Feature Shoot
Land of Lakes
The Lake District
The Last Resort
The Last Resort in Nepal goes into this months 'Himalayas Magazine'. The opening image is also being used on flyers and posters all over Nepal, you can see them all here. The magazine is available in the UK from WHSmith and throughout Nepal and India. You can also download a PDF of this article here.
Classical Nepal
The Inside back cover of this months Himalayas Magazine features a photograph I took of a woman in Dolpa last year. Dolpa is an extremely remote and richly traditional region of Nepal.
17-page Dolpa article in 'Himalayas Magazine'
This month sees a 17-page article from a trip to Dolpa last year go into Himalayas Magazine. Dolpa is an extremely remote and richly traditional region of Nepal. The article follows the trek chronologically starting with a hair-raising flight into Juphal, the trek to Phoksundo lake and then to the remote Kagmara valley over the Kagmara La. The story has been beautifully written by Annie Leeson, who together with Luke Everson were with me for the duration. Huge thanks to you both and also to Jane Poretsis at Himalayas Magazine for giving this feature such extensive coverage. Get yourself a copy in the UK at WHSmith and throughout Nepal and Asia. You can download a PDF of the article here.
SA Mountain Magazine
The Ama Dablam assignment I worked on in Nepal for The North Face last November has been published in South Africa Mountain Magazine this month. See the full series of images here.
Action Asia 'Hot Shot'
This image – which I took in November while on assignment for The North Face in Nepal – has gone into the March/April 'Hot Shots' section of Action Asia.
Making a difference
NSI (Nick Simons Institute) is an organisation working in Nepal with a mission to train and support rural health care workers. They work in direct collaboration with a growing number of hospitals throughout the country. NSI really is making a difference in a country that really does need the help. It’s a compelling story and one that needs to be told with pictures as well as words. They invited me to travel to remote hospitals throughout Nepal to capture some of moments that tell these stories. It's been a fascinating journey for me to work with NSI during the last four years and see first-hand what it means to be a rural healthcare worker in Nepal. NSI are exhibiting a selection of these images in Kathmandu in March. Here's a sample of the exhibition.
Miel de Botton
It was a privilege to be invited to photograph Miel de Botton performing for a fundraising event for Maggie's (Cancer support) which was hosted in the Great Hall at St. Bart's hospital.
Skiing in circles
The Sella Ronda in Italy is a skiable circuit which encompasses four regions within the Dolomites. A network of modern high-speed lifts and groomed pistes encircle the entire Sella Massif, some 5km across, in a loop that totals 40km.
No one to go with? No problem.
Trekking Partners is a fantastic new enterprise in the Himalayas (and beyond) bringing together all those lonely hikers that wish they could be sharing their experience. The concept is simple, join up with someone else's trip or start your own. Now the word is getting out in Kathmandu the website is quickly gathering momentum. It's especially useful if you're looking for similarly intrepid trekkers wanting to explore less beaten paths. It's also promoting safe trekking, as it's never a good idea to go wandering around in the mountains alone. I've been working with them on the design side of things a little and also to bring some of my photography to their advertising and website. Here's a few of the posters. And check out the site trekkingpartners.com