Featured Image: Christoph Johann | Skier: Ben Richards | Intro: Jordy Grant-Krenz
In ‘Behind The Cover,’ we take you into the minds of the photographer and athlete featured on the cover of our latest issue. In FREESKIER Volume 27 Issue 1, or the Buyer’s Guide, we showcased the work of Christoph Johann (photographer) and Ben Richards (skier.)
These are two of our favorite artists in the game right now. Johann’s body of work reflects a surreal, often enigmatic view of the mountains. His masterful placement of skiers leaves you wondering where they came from and where they’re going. By playing with lighting in his photos, he utilizes darkness to emphasize the subject, not detract from it.
Richards complements Johann, with his lively and creative skiing proving to be an asset in front of the lens. He has demonstrated over the last few years that he can ski with incredible technicality while maintaining a creative edge. Richards has showcased his abilities everywhere, from the Freeride World Tour to films with the LINE Skis team and now, on the cover of FREESKIER Magazine.
We see behind-the-scenes segments from films all the time, but rarely do we get to hear about the painstaking effort that goes into bringing a photo to life. That’s why we contacted Richards and Johann to hear their perspectives on how this incredible shot came to be. Check out both of their full answers below.
Photographer Christoph Johann
On how the shot came to be:
We had planned this shoot a few months before. Our main goal was to capture the glacier at Engelberg and play with those ice features. The conditions were a bit sketchy so we had to avoid steep terrain. The snow was still really good. On our way to the gondola, we found a small natural hit with perfect light from the background. Ben went for a stylish hand drag 360 and executed it perfectly.
Honestly, we didn’t brainstorm such a shot. We had some ideas in our mind and a specific style we wanted to archive. Once we were in the field we were searching for features and good light. It was a spontaneous idea and we went for it. It was definitely worth it!
On print media in today’s digital world:
I love print media, especially because more and more magazines are stopping their print productions and that makes it even more special if you score a cover or a great narrative in a magazine. Today with social media the world has become a busy place. Photos get posted and are forgotten after a few days. Not with print.
It is great to hold a magazine in your hand, especially when it feels almost timeless.
Skier Ben Richards
On how the shot came to be:
We had planned this shoot for a long time, but the idea for a hang drag was basically just stumbled upon on our way back to the lift. Avalanche danger was limiting what terrain we were about to get into that day, but with good light and Christoph behind the lens we were still able to get some cool stuff.
We were planning to spend a couple of days in Engelberg. But on our first day of the shoot, I got a message saying I needed to be in Verbier the next morning as the final stop of the [Freeride World Tour] was going to take place earlier than expected. Luckily, we managed to get a lot done in one day.
On print media in today’s digital world:
Print to me is so special. A ton of work goes into getting the right image, so having somewhere they can live, and you can hold them in your hands makes putting in that effort feel so worth it. It’s far better than having them end up on Instagram for everyone to swipe past and never think about again. Honored to be featured on this year’s FREESKIER Buyer’s Guide!