Around The World With Adventure Expedition Photographer Ace Kvale

Ace Kvale’s photography is a celebration of the human element—a study of rich cultures and extreme climates, a record of first ascents and descents. His images are powerful yet humble, and his passion for storytelling has translated into a remarkable talent for weaving a complete narrative through pictures.

Ace began his relationship with photography working in front of the lens as a ski model in the early eighties. This relationship shifted when he hitchhiked through Africa for five months, carrying a small manual Rollei camera. When he returned and showed his images to the professional photographers he knew, they urged him to make it a career. Ace had witnessed the world in a different way—through a viewfinder—and he’s never looked back since.

Thirty years later, now one of the world’s top adventure photographers, Ace has traveled to more than sixty countries. He’s participated in twenty-five expeditions to Asia and the Himalaya, and he’s worked with many of the world’s best athletes. He’s hung from helicopters in the Alps and skied first descents in Alaska. His images have appeared in dozens of magazines, from National Geographic to The National Enquirer. He’s contributed imagery to dozens of books and movies, and shot portraits of celebrities from Jerry Garcia to Tiger Woods. We are pleased to have the oportunity to interview Ace.

Please tell us how you got started and how long you have been in the business.

I started out as a ski bum. I found myself in Verbier, Switzerland in 1978 and began skiing for Marko Shapiro who went on to become one of Europe’s biggest sports photographers. Together with John Falkiner (now an international ski and mountain guide) the three of us formed a loosely based production company named after the village we lived in – Clambin. Team Clambin changed ski photography in many ways and became hugely successful. Marko became so busy he started giving me his smaller jobs and I eventually moved full time behind the lens in the mid – eighties.

Your career started when you took a solo trip across Africa. That trip obviously changed your life in many ways.

It was during this same period in the early eighties that I went to South Africa as a ski acrobat (that’s another story!) I ended up staying and traveling for 5 months hitchhiking, working, and shooting with a little Rollei 35. I realized that I was a visually oriented person. I showed the images from that trip to Shapiro and he urged me to start shooting. He was my mentor.

I often say that professional photography is a long and winding road where you never know what is around the next corner. It seems your career started as an extreme sports and adventure photographer and has evolved into travel and humanitarian photography.

I started shooting skiing for Powder magazine and Patagonia catalogs. I was always a climber, so rock climbing was a natural fit. Then I got into expedition climbing with John Falkiner in the Himalaya and Russia. We did many trips over two decades. We had many close calls and lost too many friends. The people and the culture became a much bigger draw for me than the pursuit of elusive summits. So I began to ally myself with friends and organizations doing charitable work in those wild places I’d come to love.

Your extreme adventures have taken you too many places. Can you name a few?

Siberia, the Arctic, Tibet, but my favorite place is a small kingdom called Zanskar that’s part of Ladakh in northwest India. Sandwiched between Pakistan to the northwest, India to the south, and China to the northeast; it’s an incredible place of intact Buddhist culture deep in the Greater Himalaya. Those growing super powers are threatening to crush it in the middle. Like the ILCP helping to save the endangered natural world, I’d like to save vanishing cultures. Perhaps with this blog we could form a sister organization dedicated to cultural philanthropic photography? This platform could be the catalyst for something really important.

This type of photography has certain dangers. Can you tell us about one of your more risky or memorable moments?

Besides the inherent risks involved in mountain climbing one of the most dangerous things became flying in helicopters. I’ve lost more friends to helicopter crashes than in car accidents. It used to be so exciting to have the heli for film shoots or skiing peaks in Alaska. I’ll be fine if I never set foot in another helicopter. Other than that, one of the closest calls I ever had was skiing on a frozen river on the way out from a successful expedition in Siberia. The spring thaw was just beginning and the ice I was on broke free, sank and was pulled under the sheet of ice. I was starting to get dragged under with the flowing water under several feet of ice and snow. I managed to cling to the side and was thankfully pulled to safety by my teammates. It was way too close for comfort. They never would have even found me if I had been just one minute farther ahead.

I imagine it depends on the type of expedition you are departing on, but generally how do you handle your gear and are there any favorite pieces of equipment you never leave without?

I travel pretty lightly although I have taken a 600mm lens to basecamps before. The gear has changed so quickly. We used to need 100- 200 rolls of film! Digital sure has made that easier. The one thing I never leave home without is a macro. I prefer a 60mm 2.8. It brings home the details and forces you to look differently at your surroundings. Focus on the details. I always take 2 camera bodies. I’m still a Nikon guy, I own so many lenses that I can’t imagine switching. At the moment I use a D700 and a D200. Standard kit is a 17-35mm, 60 micro, 85 1.4, 70-200, sometimes my 300 2.8 but it’s really heavy. I also have a fixed 180mm 2.8 lens that I love. I like to travel as light as possible.

Some of your expeditions can be quite costly and would require sponsors. You have some sponsors such as MarmotPro. Is there quite a bit of ‘leg work’ required to line up sponsors before an expedition?

Lining up sponsors can be a full time job. It’s great to get help funding a trip, however, it’s a double-edged sword. When you make a lot of promises to sponsors, you can start losing track of who exactly you’re doing the trip for. My best trips have always been on a shoestring.

You have been in the business a long time and in fact I think we were both represented by the same stock photo agency, Adventure Photo and Film. We all have seen what is happening in the stock and assignment world. What is your perception of the current state of the business?

Business is tougher than ever but you see people doing really well. What are they doing to make it happen? It is important to constantly evolve, to keep studying and remain passionate.

If I ask you to predict the future of outdoor photography, what would be your thoughts?

Excuse me while I consult my magic 8 ball. Actually my dog is full of insight when I ask him those kind of questions.

Marketing and self promotion is critical to any business and especially photographers. How does an adventure expedition photographer market them selves?

Adventure expedition photography is a pretty small niche. People like to work with people they like. It’s more important to be prolific and always sending out submissions from your travels wherever they may take you. Pretty soon you’ll know everyone you need to know.

Are there any marketing campaigns that were critical to your career and success?

I’ve never had a marketing campaign. Getting published in Powder, Outside, Patagonia, Black Diamond; that was my only marketing campaign. The great thing is having an incredible circle of friends around the world; friends that love to ski, climb, camp, and help me out with a new sleeping bag or a pair of skis.

What do you think is the biggest obstacle for established professionals to remain successful in today’s markets?

To change with the time and follow the trends. Social media? What the f__k is that and why should it matter to me?

You have been widely published and worked on high profile assignments. Is there any project or campaign that you are especially proud of?

By far my greatest success has been in giving back. Following the Kashmir earthquake of 2005 I gave a fundraiser slide show that brought in close to $25,000 in one night. An anonymous donor in the audience matched it. That and working with Jim Nowak of the dZi Foundation has been a profoundly rewarding experience. My current project of documenting remote eye clinics in Asia and Africa with the incredible Dr. Geoff Tabin has been a life changing experience. Both of these remarkable people came to me through the climbing world.

With your successful career, you certainly are asked by others, how to succeed in the business. What advice would you have for them?

How do you define success? If it’s a bank account your talking about I’m a miserable failure. My success is hard to quantify. An amazing life of travel, adventure, and friendships is my measure of success.

Can we look at some of your most successful photography?

(c) Ace Kvale

Tibetan Refugees in Manali, India 1989

While photographing Heli skiing in India I came across a festival about to begin. I wandered around backstage, poked my head through the curtain and made a few images of the crowd, bored, but patient, waiting for the show to start. This has always been one of my most requested images.

(c) Ace Kvale

The Trango Towers, Karakoram Moutains, Pakistan 1992

I spent many years exploring and climbing the world’s greatest mountains. While on this expedition in 1992 I had to organize a rescue for an injured climber. At an advance camp by myself there was an incredible light show that went on for about fifteen minutes one evening. Images like this helped bring on a wave of bold new routes in the truly awesome Karakoram range.

(c) Ace Kvale

Heli stunt in Zermatt, Switzerland 1993

I shot of lot of production stills for movies and TV commercials. In this shot my good friend and mountain guide John Falkiner is jumping out of the Heli for ‘Action’ Shampoo. I made this image back in the day with a hand held, manual focus 300mm 2.8 lens on my trusty Nikon F3.

(c) Ace Kvale

Skiing in Alaska mid nineties 1995

Skiing in the Chugach Range in the nineties was the place to be. I made many trips up there, had some of the best skiing of my life and was shit scared many times too. I would often get a Heli drop off at a remote peak to create images like this one. There were no rules, we flew and skied where we liked. It was unbelievable.

(c) Ace Kvale

Mountain biking in Scotland 1999

I often say I’m in the business of selling ideas. Some of my best trips have been because I’ve convinced an editor and sponsors of something fun and interesting. Four of us did a three week pub and distillery tour of Scotland for Bike Magazine and Outside. Need I say more?

(c) Ace Kvale

Climbing at Indian creek, Utah 2000

I’ve always loved climbing and the climbing lifestyle. There’s not much money in it but the life, the places, the friendships, have made it all worthwhile.

(c) Ace Kvale

Eye Patient in Nepal 2005

A turning point in my career came when I first photographed eye cataract surgery in India and Nepal. The cultures I had come to love through climbing and exploring had now become the focus of my work. Working with doctors that are performing miracle work. For real.

(c) Ace Kvale

Kashmir Earthquake Survivor 2005

80,000 people had been killed in minutes but this earthquake went largely unnoticed by the rest of the world due to its location. Sandwiched in the disputed border region between Pakistan and India known as the Line of Control news was controlled by the two warring nations not willing to admit they can’t help their own. A group of us was allowed access with a military escort. We handed out supplies and medicine. These hands belong to a woman. She was missing a foot from a land mine and was leading a horse that was missing a hoof from a land mine. One hundred rolls of film and this shot was among the last few frames. I have this image hanging in my house to help remind myself that I’ve never known a moment of real hardship in my life. I get requests for this image weekly.

(c) Ace Kvale

Making tea on the Zanskar River, Ladkah, India, 2007

I still love trekking and exploring. A twenty year dream of mine was realized when four of us did a winter trek on the frozen Zanskar river for The North Face. We spent about twenty days out camping and sleeping in caves at 12,000 ft. in winter. Trekking an ancient route to a kingdom in the Himalaya. This was probably my favorite trip of all time.

(c) Ace Kvale

Team Rwanda rider, Rwanda 2009

While going to Rwanda to document eye clinics I spent a week living with and photographing the incredible Rwandan National Cycling Team. I search out the humanitarian aid projects wherever I go now. There are some good people doing great work out there.

(c) Ace Kvale

While on the same trip in Rwanda I had an opportunity to visit the Mountain Gorillas. One of those things you can’t pass up if you’re in the area. Unforgettable. I was able to do a piece for one of my sponsors; Lowepro camera bags.

(c) Ace Kvale

Peregrine Falcon, Utah 2010

A neighbor of mine is one of a few licensed falconers in the state. I never pass up a chance to photograph him and his magnificent Peregrine. Personal projects close to home are really important to me.

Adventure Photography by Michael Clark

You can learn more about Ace Kvale at his website www.acekvale.com

Ace’s gear list:
Nikon D700
Nikon 600mm lens
Nikon 60mm 2.8
Nikon 17-35mm,
Nikon 60 micro,
Nikon 85 1.4, 70-200,
Nikon 300 2.8
Nikon180mm 2.8

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