A quick note about Alpine Dispatches:

As I mentioned in my previous e-mail (a while back), there has been a lot going on.

And after spending some time thinking about where I want to put my creative energy going forward, I’ve decided to wind down Alpine Dispatches.

Not because I’m stepping away from photography or storytelling, but because I’m narrowing my focus.

Alpine Dispatches has always been a mix of things: photography, adventure, reflections, updates from the mountains, and life in between. I’ve loved writing it, and I’m incredibly grateful you’ve been here for that journey.

But over time, one thing has become clear to me:

Photography is the core.

Not just the images, but the thinking behind them.

The editing decisions.

The emotion.

The process.

The intent.

So instead of spreading that across multiple ideas and formats, I’m consolidating everything into one place (also, photography as a creative endeavour can be practiced anywhere, not just in the Swiss Alps).

Going forward, all new writing will live in Photography Dispatches.

This will be a more focused newsletter about photography, centered on:

• Visualising before shooting

• Editing with intention

• Building a personal visual language

• Making images that last longer than the algorithm

If you’ve enjoyed the reflective side of Alpine Dispatches - the “why” behind the work - you’ll feel right at home.

What this means for you:

• Alpine Dispatches will no longer be actively published (no content is being deleted)

• You’ll be automatically transferred / subscribed to Photography Dispatches (you can unsubscribe at any time, no hard feelings)

• New writing will happen exclusively in Photography Dispatches (newsletter only)

As a thank you for being part of Alpine Dispatches, you’ll also receive my new Envision the Edit guide.

It’s a practical guide to pre-visualising your images before you ever press the shutter or start your edit, and it reflects the same approach that will shape Photography Dispatches going forward.

I’ll send it your way tomorrow.

Thank you for reading, and for taking part in this chapter.

A Big Move:

Part of the reflection on Alpine Dispatches has been because we, as a family, are not Alpine based anymore.

After five years of living in Switzerland, we have moved back to South Africa.

Which made me realise that photography has and always will be the central focus, not geographic location. So, if you stick around, expect more content from the Garden Route region of South Africa.

Think oceans.

Forests.

Lakes.

It’s not a bad place to be, and it’s also where I grew up.

My First (Solo) Photography Workshop:

Even though I have led and co-led photography workshops in the past, I have never planned and executed my entirely own one.

Well, that’s changing.

I am beyond excited to announce my very first photography workshop:

Chasing Lines & Light: Ski Touring & Photography Workshop in Switzerland

It combines my love for ski touring and photography into a 4 night / 5 day visual adventure in the upper Simmental Valley in the Swiss Alps (where we lived and our other home, of course).

Check it out here.

Any questions?

Get in touch, I’m happy to help (and more happy to have you come along).

—

See you on the other side ✌🏽.

Cornelius

If you’re new around here (hey to all the recent subscribers!) you probably haven’t heard much from me - let me explain.

Or sort of explain, rather.

A lot has happened, and is still to happen.

Some big life changes.

Some photography news.

There is a lot going, believe me.

But, but, I cannot share much as of yet.

Needless to say, I have been slowly navigating and making my way through everything.

Much like in the above image.

Difficult conditions in the high mountains that require slow, methodical progress so as to stay safe.

And like the weather on that particular day during our ski tour, you’re not sure how you’ll end up where you want to be - all you know is you have to trust the process and to keep going.

That is very much my life situation at the moment.

It’s slow.

It’s uncertain.

It’s methodical.

And in the end I hope to be where I hope to be.

Which is why I haven’t been writing as much as of late.

Lastly, there is some very, very exciting news I hope to share soon.

Think photography.

Think adventure.

Think snow.

I almost cannot wait.

But the wait will be worth it, as it’s something I’ve been thinking about and planning for some time, and want to get just right.

The awesome part?

You’ll be the first to know.

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

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Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

It’s a sad reality that most people don’t realise the impact imagery has on them / us and how it impacts the perception of the world around us.

That in turn leads to the devaluation of photography in general.

Then there’s AI too these days.

But I’m getting sidetracked, where was I?

Ah, yes, the impact of images.

Real ones, ffs.

Take the image up top, for instance.

It’s of my mate Alex, a wine maker, thoughtfully walking through and inspecting one of the vineyards he harvests from.

Made on a whim, that image was.

But that’s the beauty of it.

It oozes authenticity.

Attention to detail.

Hand made quality.

Which is what his winemaking is all about.

That image?

It has been all around the world in various publications.

It’s the hero image of his website.

Wine merchants use it to market their wine tasting events.

Why?

Impact.

Of a simple photograph.

The unfortunate thing is these days there is so much noise out there in terms of imagery that we have become largely desensitised in a way.

Most of it is average.

At best.

But every now and then one stops us in our tracks.

Product-market fit?

No, photograph-purpose fit (I just made that up).

It doesn't happen often, so I enjoy it when it does.

I hope you do the same with whatever you’re passionate about.

—

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

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Join the Crew?

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• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

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• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

So there we were at day break, in a unique location, with thousands of years of desert evolution around us.

And not a unique image to be made.

Or at least that’s what it felt like.

You see, Deadvlei in Namibia is one of the most famous locations for landscape photographers.

Worldwide.

Which is why I was there co-leading a photography workshop.

So you can imagine that just about every angle and trying to find a unique perspective trick has been tried.

But sometimes, just sometimes, you have to take a step back in order to move forward.

Bear with me here.

Remember it was early morning?

Meaning light was still low.

And for some - fortuitous - reason my photography mind thought about playing with slow shutter speeds.

Yes, yes, indeed.

But I can move.

So that’s what I did.

I started to play around with handheld slow exposures, only moving the camera a tiny bit so that the main scene is blurred just enough, but the subject is still recognisable.

And just like that, it felt like a world of new image making opportunities opened up in one of the most photographed locations on earth.

Magic?

Not at all.

It was simply being creative.

Thinking out of the box, as they say.

Was it a success?

I like to think so.

Will the images be to everyone’s liking?

I don’t really care, I had a great time making them rather then the stock standard Deadvlei composition (see below).

And I thought about it this week as I am trying to approach current life challenges from a different, out of the box, perspective - maybe we can all give it a try?

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

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Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

These days, it often feels like people over complicate photography.

To me, at least.

This ISO, that shutter speed, what aperture, etc.

But at the end of the day it doesn't matter.

How can I say that?

Simple, because it doesn’t.

Example:

Have you ever looked at an image that connected with you in some way and thought, hmm, that ISO they used really didn't work out?

Exactly.

And if you go back in time you’ll be surprised at how many famous images that started movements and inspired action were technically terrible images.

Yes, really.

So what matters?

The subject matter and how you frame it up, regardless of tech (fancy DSLR or iPhone). And if you practice seeing, not just looking, you’ll recognise images without having your camera out.

Take the image up top, for example.

Before taking my camera out I was observing the light and landscape when I realised the way the light is hitting the ridge and lone tree up front, with the rest in shadow behind, would make an impactful image.

So, without thinking of ISO, shutter speed or aperture, I just knew it was a good frame to make.

One click.

I also bet you didn’t think any less of the image because it’s ever so slightly out of focus.

Made you look, didn’t I?

But it is.

And, once again, it doesn't matter.

It is mostly technically correct.

But what gives it impact is the subject matter and framing.

What am I trying to say with all this?

Quite simply, in photography, when you know it could be a good image, you know.

Trust your gut.

Goes for other areas in life, too.

But that’s a discussion for another day.

One more photography example before I sign off, below, where I purposefully didn’t focus on the subject, but rather rendered them out of focus.

Technically a terrible image.

But the impact?

It’s there, at least in my humble opinion.

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

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Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

The above image only hit me deep later on.

As in, a few years later.

On both a photographic and philosophical level.

On the surface, technically and photographically, it’s a very simple image to make: balance the camera on something / tripod, set the self timer, line everyone up, click.

But it goes so much deeper than that.

It has profound meaning, actually.

Importance too.

And not only because I finally managed to get our group to stand still long enough for a group pic (the only one of the three day tour, actually).

Then what is it?

I’ll gladly tell you.

What makes this image punch above its (technical and seemingly light) weight is because of the emotion and memory it evokes. I am instantly transported back to those three days of magical ski touring (and struggle) when I look at it.

But the most beautiful thing it reminds me of?

The camaraderie between our group.

That powerful force that binds people together through shared experiences, mutual trust, and a sense of belonging.

Even though we didn't know each other well - or at all - at the start, we were a tightly knit unit by the end of the tour after sharing three days in the high Swiss Alps on ski tour.

And the image up top really embodies that for me.

If we compare that to the image below of the same tour, where one our group leaders was inspecting a potential line choice, it’s just not the same.

Sure, it’s adventure inspiring, but doesn’t tell or invoke such a nostalgic feeling of camaraderie and newly found friendship.

And at the end of the day those human relationships we cultivate on adventure trips like this - where we share the highs and the lows of physical exertion, amazing views and skiing beautiful lines - are what make them so special.

So yes, in my humble opinion, getting out there and making new friends through adventures (big or small) is one of life’s gifts. Ultimately, it’s a testament to the human need for connection, proving that we thrive most when we stand together.

And, of course, remember to make some images too!

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

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Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

Side Note: Even though images are all around us, we rarely delve deeper into how they came to be. As such, in this series, I share the stories behind some of my images. You can read the complete (growing) series here.

Those small in between moments, they’re special.

And they happen when you least expect them, too.

So, when you’re on a photoshoot - like I was in the case of the image above - you always have to be observing. You see, we were creating a series of images for Pieter (in frame up top) for a European campaign of his wine.

Working with natural light only.

In a wine cellar / shed on a very warm Stellenbosch afternoon.

The concept was to create a series of images showing him in his natural environment, making wine (and related processes).

In between the different sets, there was a moment where he cleaned up and re-labeled some of the barrels for a particular image I had in mind.

This is when that little in between moment happened.

It’s strange.

Like time slows down.

And as you observe this moment, you know this is it.

Photographically - for me - it’s when things just magically make sense.

Fortunately, my camera was in my hand (I was also helping move things around) as I half stumbled to frame it up, and I managed to capture him in a moment of “confused looking reflection” for the lack of a better word.

Oh, and the image we were working towards?

See below:

Now, if you know Pieter, you know he is not your normal wine maker.

He is rough around the edges and does things in an unusual way, from making his wine to labelling and selling it.

Some people love it, others hate it.

You can check his wines out here: https://blankbottle.co.za

Anyway, after the photoshoot, during the editing process as I was reviewing the images, I thought to myself that the image up top just had that something special.

It reminded me of one of those classic scenes from those old western movies, where a cowboy walks into a gritty, dimly lit bar / saloon, but captured in a photograph (yes, the hat helped!).

It isn’t a perfect image by any means.

But it is real.

Raw.

It has depth.

And it makes me think.

It really was a beautiful moment.

That’s it for this week, hope you enjoyed a little insight into the story behind the image!

Do you have any interesting stories or thoughts to share?

Love to hear them.

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below.

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

Currently still enjoying the ocean and sun here in South Africa, time to write seems to be hard to come by.

There has been some changes, though.

• New AD Members.

• The Weekly Edit Moves to YouTube.

• The Everyday Awesomeness Podcast goes it alone.

• Seasonal Vagabond merch.

Let’s dive in!

New AD Members

Firstly, welcome to all the new people!

If that’s you, I’m stoked to have you as part of the crew.

And don’t worry, things will go back to normal (eventually).

The steady growth of Alpine Dispatches over the last few weeks hasn’t gone unnoticed, I’ve just been a bit preoccupied with life.

All I can say is I’m humbled by each and every one of you investing your time reading this publication.

Thank you!

The Weekly Edit Has Moved

Many of the long term readers will know about this series.

For the unfamiliar:

It’s a weekly series where I edit one of my images in one the many photo editing programs we use as photographers.

Learning as I go along and sharing the knowledge and stoke.

This used to be part of Alpine Dispatches.

No more.

It has moved to my YouTube channel exclusively, check out the last episode here 👇🏽

The EDA Podcast Goes It Alone

This was something I started just over a year ago.

And as many of you will remember, it was also a part of AD.

But since starting The Everyday Awesomeness Podcast, as it evolved, I realised it’s something I want to stand on its own.

Very much a passion project for me, and as such it’s not that regular.

New episodes drop more when I cross paths with interesting people.

Speaking of, there’s a new episode dropping soon 🤫.

Check out The EDA podcast here or subscribe below:

The Everyday Awesomeness Podcast

Conversations with normal people who pursue everyday awesomeness.

By The EDA Podcast

Seasonal Vagabond Merch

Another personal / passion project.

You may have seen me wear some caps / t-shirts on an EDA podcast or Weekly Edit episode.

That’s from our outdoor inspired casual clothing brand, Seasonal Vagabond.

Why?

Well, you’ll have to visit the website and read about the why, here 😊.

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

The Garden Route, to be precise, if you were wondering where in South Africa.

We’re on a sabbatical from the Northern Hemisphere winter, and am currently enjoying some sun and beach time here.

This is much to my frustration, of course, as you’ll know if you’ve been here a while, because I love my ski touring in the 🇨🇭 winter.

But it’s not all bad, I’ll admit.

In fact, it’s quite brilliant, actually.

I’ve been getting back into my surfing, for one, with the addition of two new boards to the quiver.

Now, living in a first world country - Switzerland - the last five years have made me realise two things (I’ll spare you the other 539):

1. It’s amazing when everything works, but

2. Africa is still an amazing place.

Which brings me to the title of this week’s post (a day late, my apologies).

It’s a saying that goes around between those in the know.

About what?

Well, that Africa - and South Africa in particular - is not as terrible as people in Europe and other parts of the world think due to what they see in the (main stream) media.

So, every once in a while we share some images with each other / online - typically of a beautiful setting or braai (grilling meat) with the saying:

“It was another hard day in Africa”.

Meaning, of course, the exact opposite.

A tongue in cheek way of poking fun at those who think we don’t experience anything good on the big continent.

Anyway, have you been to / anywhere in Africa and, was it a “hard” day 😜?

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

As the saying goes, “Joy shared is joy doubled”.

Right?

Meaning, of course, that sharing something that you find joy in with someone else enhances the experience.

And it’s true.

At least for me.

Especially when I share my knowledge and experience (gained through hard earned effort) with someone who expresses an interest in heading down the same path.

It reminds me of that original stoke of finding something new.

Something I didn’t know.

Yet loved instantly.

Ski touring, for instance.

After learning and gaining experience myself, many colleagues have requested an introduction to the pursuit over the last few years.

Most recently my new friend Aleix.

From Spain.

Ski’s well in resort and off piste terrain, but never ski toured.

Fortunately, our schedules aligned and I could take him on a very safe, beginner friendly tour recently.

But you know what?

I was the one who learned the most.

Not by gaining new skills.

But by seeing things I’ve become accustomed to through new eyes.

His eyes, in this case.

How weird and wonderful it is to be able to walk up snow when you normally glide down it.

Choosing your line upwards to save energy.

Evaluating the terrain for avalanche danger.

Things that have become “normal” to me when heading out on a ski tour, but were completely new to him.

And it was awesome.

I found new joy through doing familiar things through his perspective.

In short, in enhanced the experience, by sharing it.

And the same applies to showing someone your local surf break.

A mountain bike trail they didn’t know about.

That secret coffee place.

In short, by sharing the stoke we create more of it.

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

Ski touring serves two main purposes for me.

What are they?

1. Going outside, moving through the mountains under my own steam and the thrill of skiing down, and

2. Making images to share the awesomeness of the outdoors.

Unfortunately I haven’t had much time for writing about it (some big life changes going on), but I did make a video about it a few weeks back.

You can watch it on my YouTube channel, here:

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

Life never stops surprising me.

Or I should say people, rather.

Both, perhaps.

On a recent ski outing with a friend - in the region here in Switzerland where he grew up - just such a situation occurred, in fact.

Let me explain.

We were out on a ski day, which has been a long time in the making between work, family and children’s schedules, when we crossed paths mid morning with a friend of my friend out for his usual couple of early morning ski runs.

Nothing out of the ordinary, right?

Thing is, he is pushing 90 years old.

88, in fact.

And lives in his (and his wife’s) mountain cottage year round, winter and summer (see top pic).

Summer I can’t speak of, as I haven’t been (to his abode), but in winter it’s a dream like ski in / ski out setup, no cars required.

We were lucky enough to be invited for some drinks later on in the day (after lunch, which is 12pm in Switzerland).

So we did ski a bit more, had lunch, and then worked our way to his mountain cottage one valley over.

Off piste, of course.

Once there, unmounted our skis and proceeded with the customary Swiss coffee / tea with schnapps as an appetizer.

Followed by a beer.

By then the conversation was flowing and since my Swiss German dialect is coming along nicely we were having a good laugh.

As these things go it soon was time to ski on.

But not before a brief tour of his humble abode (and very respectable wine reserve - it’s cold in winter!).

As we made our way down the mountain, I reflected on how these types of serendipitous experiences add so much value and insight to my life.

Crossing paths with everyday people just being amazing.

Very inspirational, at least for me.

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

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Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

This week, for some reason, words are hard to come by.

Instead, I’d like to share a visual story.

My take on street photography here in the Swiss Alps, if you will.

And luckily a picture is worth a thousand words, so technically, I’m “writing” a lot :).

Now as you may know, we’ve had a fair amount of snow in a short period here.

This has led to some interesting image making opportunities for the keen observer.

Below, a few of those made over the last while.

I’m always intrigued by the ample image making opportunities there are wherever we find ourselves.

Whether it’s some exotic location or in our own back yard at home.

It’s just a matter of observing.

Anyway, I hope to have more words by this time next week.

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below.

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

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Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio, trying to be an adult 🤷🏼‍♂️).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

Even though a bit late, winter got off to a strong start here in the Swiss Alps.

We had the first white Christmas in a few years, too.

But the mountains.

Ah yes, the mountains.

Not only beautiful to look at, they hold an endless realm of adventure within them.

Especially in winter.

(Where we live).

If you’re into walking up them, in the snow, with furry strips stuck to the bottom of your skis, that is.

Then removing said strips at the top and skiing down.

Endless fun and adventure.

Plus the time to think, reflect and pull yourself towards yourself.

But you have to be safe.

Which means gaining experience in relevant areas such as snow condition analysis, avalanche report dissection, altitudinal temperature assessment, etc.

Which is never finished.

There is always something to learn.

Or relearn.

Point is:

It’s a busy time here in the Swiss mountains both work and adventure wise.

As I’m sure it is where you are, too.

And with this call of the mountains I find myself with less time to write, yet much more I want to share.

With you.

In the mean time, I wish you a Merry Christmas and an amazing New Year!

Now, let’s drop in and make it happen!

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below.

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio, trying to be an adult 🤷🏼‍♂️).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

I don’t know why, but it has always been something unique to witness.

That first ray of sunlight on a high mountain peak.

Glowing warmly.

While the surrounding area is still untouched.

It draws the eye and makes you look.

Why?

The promise of a new day, maybe.

Hope, perhaps.

Regardless, it never fails to stop people in their tracks and appreciate the moment when it occurs and they are lucky enough to witness it.

It also serves as motivation to get up early to be able to photograph it.

And with winter here in the Swiss Alps it’s even more impressive with the snowy landscape.

In my opinion, at least.

But what do you think?

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below.

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio, trying to be an adult 🤷🏼‍♂️).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

It’s something I enjoy doing whether I have a camera on me or not.

Out on a walk.

On a run.

Driving.

Look at the smaller details from nature that are hidden in plain site.

Patterns.

Repeated things.

We often just pass them by as if they don’t exist.

But if you take the time to slow down and notice them?

Beautiful.

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below.

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio, trying to be an adult 🤷🏼‍♂️).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Grabbing a set of b/w backgrounds for your phone here.

• Contributing to a goal of mine here.

• Or simply just buying me a virtual coffee here.

I don’t know why, but it quite simply does.

Agree?

Disagree?

Take the image above, taken through the car windscreen, with my iPhone, as we were driving back from Italy to Switzerland over the Great St Bernard Mountain Pass.

It is something to behold, and a marvel of road engineering.

But in colour it just didn't have the same impact.

Well, I have some theories.

Mainly it’s the fact that it forces the viewer to look at other aspects of the image.

1. Composition and Form:

There is no distraction of colour.

So the viewer’s focus is drawn to the composition, shapes, textures, and contrasts within the image. So elements like light and shadow, lines, texture and patterns stand out more.

(As is the case - for me - in the picture above).

2. Simplicity and Abstraction:

When colour is not present, we often interpret the scene in a way we wouldn’t when colour is there.

This can lead to deeper engagement with the subject matter.

More emotion.

(Which must be why I can often find myself just staring into a b/w image for minutes on end.)

3. Timelessness:

Classic is classic, am I right?

Black & White Photography can convey a sense of timelessness or nostalgia. It often feels more classic or historical, evoking memories of an era when photography was predominantly monochromatic.

(Who doesn’t like a little reminiscing?)

So, what am I saying?

Well, quite simply that black and white photography strips the image down to its core elements.

Which can lead to a more profound or direct emotional and visual impact.

And the best part?

Each and everyone of us can make b/w images.

Heck, I might even make a print of this image even though it was shot on my iPhone (see below).

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

The previous “Story Behind The Image”:

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Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

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You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio, trying to be an adult 🤷🏼‍♂️).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Grabbing a set of b/w backgrounds for your phone here.

• Contributing to a goal of mine here.

• Or simply just buying me a virtual coffee here.

Side Note: Even though images are all around us, we rarely delve deeper into how an image came to be. As such, in this series, I share the stories behind some of my images. You can read the complete (growing) series here.

It has been a while since I last shared a story behind one of my images.

Last one was in May this year, in fact.

About time again, wouldn’t you say so?

Agreed.

Well, this particular image involved a fair bit of effort to make.

And even though it wasn’t a planned image - I made it while on a hike with friends - it certainly ticked all the boxes:

• late afternoon light

• layered mountain landscape

• clouds letting the light through in selective regions

• etc.

We were underway on a two day hike to cross a glacier and summit a mountain peak that towers over our valley here in Switzerland.

In fact, I wrote about it in the very first post on Alpine Dispatches, here:

On day one, we arrived a bit earlier than expected at the mountain refuge, which meant I had some time to explore the surroundings for some image making opportunities before sunset.

The clouds had been drifting in and out for most of the afternoon.

And light was piercing through gaps between them.

This, combined with the layered landscape of mountain ridges that I could compress with a longer focal length lens, made for a sublime opportunity for making images.

I just had to wait for the right moment.

So, I found a good spot, set myself up (camera, lens, handheld, sitting and leaning against a rock), and waited for the elements to align.

Fortunately they did!

Sometimes the only thing we have to do is be prepared to wait.

And know how to make the image, of course.

In any case, as with many images, at first I didn’t think I had made a good image.

But over time it grew on me.

And finally I came to really appeciate it.

Because I made it?

No.

It is due to the beautiful way the light dances across the alpine landscape for a fleeting moment.

I was just fortunate enought to observe it.

And it’s now available as a limited edition print in my print store, here.

That’s it for this week, hope you enjoyed a little insight into the story behind the image.

Do you have any interesting stories or thoughts to share?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below.

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

The previous “Story Behind The Image”:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio, trying to be an adult 🤷🏼‍♂️).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Grabbing a set of b/w backgrounds for your phone here.

• Contributing to a goal of mine here.

• Or simply just buying me a virtual coffee here.

This is one thing that has always stayed with me.

The healing power of the ocean.

Whether it is in Italy, France, South Africa, Indonesia, Australia or an island in the middle of nowhere.

She always gives back.

Figuratively by answering your questions, lifting your mood or deepening your understanding.

Literally by healing wounds and clearing out sinuses when you let her embrace you by going for a swim.

Also, let’s not forget all the awesome activities she makes possible:

• surfing

• sailing

• diving

• collecting sea shells

• building sand castles

• etc.

And so much more.

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.

Time has been a bit limited this week, not gonna lie.

As such this is going to be just a quick update on things I did manage to get out.

So, like an actual newsletter, you might say?

Let’s do it!

General

We are heading into winter here in the Swiss Alps, and things are cooling down.

Cows are down in the valleys and in the sheds.

Bicycles are being put away and skis are being prepared.

And we’re holding thumbs for a good winter with lots of snow, our region depends on it.

What is “The Weekley Edit”?

After many episodes of my weekly edit series, I thought it was about time I explained a bit more about what it actually is, what it aims to achieve and who is it actually for.

You can check it out here.

Panoramic Images In DxO PhotoLab?!

If you’re into photography, and especially editing programs other than Lightroom, you’ll know they don’t all have the same feature set.

Take DxO PhotoLab, for instance.

Superb RAW decoding, but no panorama image creation option (since forever).

So, I developed my own workflow to create panoramic images with as little round tripping as possible.

You can check it out here.

That’s it for this week!

Any interesting stories or thoughts to add?

Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below (so we can all benefit).

Have a great week!

—

Until next time ✌🏽.

Cornelius

Last week’s post:

Enjoy this newsletter?

Forward it to a friend 👉🏽 sharing is caring 😊.

Join the Crew?

If you’d like to keep sharing the visual stoke together, sign up for Alpine Dispatches.

Looking for more / to connect?

You can find me on Instagram (photography, life, family) and X (photography, discussions, thoughts), as well as my website (portfolio).

Ways to support my work:

• Subscribing (for free 🤠, or paid 😍) and joining the discussion.

• Booking a 60 minute 1-2-1 virtual photography session, here.

• Kitting yourself out in Seasonal Vagabond merch, here.

• Investing in a fine art photographic print here.

• Or simply just buying me a whiskey here.