Snow Shooter: Oskar Enander

For color-blind photographer Oskar Enander, shooting is all about shadows—he loves winter’s contrast of light and dark. Born in Gothenberg Sweden, Enander moved to the Alps in a van to live as a ski bum but picked up photography along the way.

We caught up with him while he was home in Engelberg, Switzerland to learn why he chose photography and what draws him to this itinerant lifestyle.

Backcountry Magazine: What drew you to photography as a profession?

Oskar Enander: It has always been a passion, a hobby of mine—shooting photos—but when I started ski bumming with my friends in the early 2000s, I got more into it and I noticed that I really enjoyed shoots, especially with skiing and snowboarding. I think in 2003 I bought my first pro kit, and I started to try and shoot more professional skiers, but it is hard in the beginning because you don’t have the connections. I was lucky enough to get a few skier photos published, and it gave me the motivation to keep on going.

BCM: What was it about ski photography that called to you over other genres?

OE: It definitely is [my favorite] because I love skiing myself, and I have always been drawn to the mountains. Whatever happens in the mountains, that is kind of what I see as my passion. I also love hiking around in the summer months, so I guess I wanted to do that instead of shooting street life and portraits.

BCM: Was photography your first profession?

OE: I studied engineering, and I quickly understood that it was not for me. I did university, but I didn’t have the motivation for that, and so I dropped out of engineer school after a while and just went down in an RV to the Alps and tried to find the best snow to ski with my friends, and that is how I got into everything.

BCM: Where is your favorite place to work? Why?

OE: I live in Engelberg, Switzerland, and I have to say that Engelberg is one of my favorite places. I have lived there for 14 years, I think. I also love Alaska. If I could choose two places it would be Engelberg and Alaska—Haines probably.

BCM: What is the best part of being an action photographer?

OE: It comes back to what I said before, but it’s to be able to be out in the mountains a lot, getting a lot of skiing in. Obviously shooting sometimes is a lot of waiting, but being able to be up in the mountains, also meeting a lot of really cool, happy people doing the same thing that I love. Also being able to travel around to these exotic places. I am sure I would not have been able to travel to that many ski destinations if I didn’t do this.

BCM: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you while shooting?

OE: Looking back at stuff, it is usually funnier in hindsight—stuff breaking down and fighting to get back to your camp in the glaciers in Alaska when you skis break or your snowmobiles break. It’s not funny at the time, but it is kind of funny because when you make it out you can look back on it. When everything works out fine in the end, that’s when you can laugh at it.

BCM: Do you have any trips planed that you can tell us about?

OE: This time of year I don’t have that many fixed plans. I know I want to go back to Alaska in the spring again. I am not sure why, but I usually time my stuff a little bit closer to winter because I want to make sure conditions are good. I have done a lot of Eastern European trips to weird places, but we usually end up deciding the week before and then we just go. My winter fills up really well, but I try to be spontaneous instead of planning ahead.

BCM: Is there a specific photographic style that you use?

OE: I think my photos usually have a lot of shadows…deep blue shadows. I think you can tell that it looks like one of my photos. But it’s [my style] usually shooting into the light; backlit. I am colorblind so things look blue to me, at least. I also like a smaller person in the frame with patches of light. I think that defines my style.

BCM: Tell me more about how your colorblindness affects you photography.

OE: When it comes to skiing, I don’t think it really affects me in a bad way. The contrast between the white snow and the bluer, dark shadows—I think they are for everyone. I know if I am shooting summer stuff sometimes I have a hard time with green and red, and sometimes I have to ask my girlfriend if the colors look OK, but I do all my own editing. I have learned what looks natural. Hopefully I don’t have to do too much with the file anyway…it looks good right out of the camera.

BCM: Do you like shooting snow landscapes more for that reason?

OE: Yeah, maybe. That is what I have been doing for a long time. I feel really comfortable doing that. Of course in the summer time I do other stuff, but snow is my element.

BCM: Do you have any insights on how to make a career in photography sustainable?

OE: I really suggest people who shoot a lot not take photos sometime and just ski for themselves. That is really, really fun—to be able to just ski a lot. Fortunately, I live on a really good mountain where I can do a lot of freeskiing myself without the camera, and I think that really gives me the motivation to shoot when it is actually good.

Over the years I have been taking more time to ski with friends without shooting, and I think that also that has an effect—when I do shoot, pictures end up in the magazine; they get published a lot more. I would say quality over quantity there. I know this mountain really well and I take the time to ski it. It is also good to know you can keep up with the skiers.

 

Find more of Oskar Enander’s work at oskarenander.com