Since his first photo contribution in 2003, Oskar Enander made an immediate impact. Today, his annual photo submission is something I look forward to every year. It’s work such as his that makes my job so enjoyable.
His body of work encompasses many locations around the globe but his relationship with his home resort of Engelberg, Switzerland, is special. Lately, he’s been capturing new angles via drone. Here, we present a selection of his more recent aerial work. – David Reddick, Director of Photography, POWDER Magazine
The first day I brought the drone on the mountain, I got one of my favorite shots and shortly after it crashed due to icing on the rotor blades. I should have known after my years shooting with helicopters.
Drones are a great tool for ski photography but it’s not super easy. I never want to leave my regular camera setup at home, so when I bring the drone, the bag gets quite heavy.
They are quite well built and fly great but I don’t think they are intended to fly in some of the weather conditions I have used them in.
Cold fingers are mandatory with any camera setup, but the drone it’s pretty brutal because of the time you’re out of gloves. (I can’t use any thin liners etc. because I want the best feel when I fly).
The obvious advantage is the camera angles you can get without using a helicopter. One tricky part though, is the framing. The smallest move can make the perspective look totally different and if you are shooting straight down, it can be super tricky to nail your reference point where the rider is entering and exiting the frame.
There is a bit of a lag between the display and when the camera is actually capturing the image. When you see the skier on your phone in that perfect apex, it’s already too late. You need to anticipate and push the shutter early.
If I get usable images a quarter of the time I use the drone I’m happy.
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