2005 Banff Mountain Photography Competition
Best Photo — Mountain Adventure
Peter Mathis: “Mitch Toelderer on Cliff Drop, Arlberg Area, Austria”
“In early January, Mitch Toelderer and I were sitting on the chairlift going up to the Madloch, in Austria’s Arlberg area. We both saw this cliff and knew that because of recent heavy snowfall there had to be enough snow on the landing spot as well. Mitch checked the drop with binoculars and after a while he was ready to do it. January is the perfect time to take this special picture due to the height of the sun. In February the sun is already too high, so the background is no longer shaded enough. The backlight makes the spray look especially beautiful.”
Peter Mathis is a self-taught photographer born in 1961 who lives in Hohenems/Vorarlberg. Having come to photography through mountaineering, he became an independent sports photographer in 1986. He is involved in every aspect of outdoor photography and specializes in skiing, snowboarding, climbing, alpinism and mountain biking. Today Mathis works for numerous international companies, magazines and agencies. In 1992 the first of his many books, Fascination Snowboarding, appeared. In June 2005 Mathis became the first Austrian photographer to be recognized as a QEP — Qualified European Photographer.