Face à face

Face à face is a photographic look at the mythical faces of the Alps, and the landscapes that face them. From 2013 to 2015, photographer Maurice Schobinger and mountain guide Pierre Abramowski criss-crossed the Alps to photograph their most impressive faces. The images are taken from a helicopter, facing the mountain at mid-height, then with their backs to it, to embrace its exact opposite. The photographer always chooses a subdued, white light, veiled by high-altitude clouds, which alone can render all the nuances of the massif. Far from the kind of mountain photography shown in the press or advertising, this is a long-term project, a praise of slowness, an intimate approach imbued with humility in the face of the forces of nature. Maurice Schobinger documents the state of the Alps today, as climate change inexorably transforms the landscape; he also succeeds in expressing the timeless grandeur of the Alpine “lords”.