THE STRONGEST IMAGES ARE RARELY MADE IN PERFECT CONDITIONS
Photographer and director working across climbing, alpinism and mountain sports. Official photographer for World Climbing since 2020.
Based in Paris, in the mountains most of the season.
Still climbing, always have been: El Capitan, Cho Oyu, Aconcagua, cliffs around France and Spain, boulders in Fontainebleau. It's the reason I'm at ease on a rope, and why I tend to see the moment before it happens.
I'm drawn to people operating at their edge, from the hardest rock climbing grades to explorers and Olympic medalists. The stories worth telling are usually the ones nobody has told yet.
Vertical specialist. I scale the production to the job and quote every project on its own terms.
RED BULL / The North Face / WORLD CLIMBING / Black Diamond / Patagonia / Tenaya / Adidas Terrex / Five Ten / SCARPA / LA SPORTIVA / SIMOND
PARIS 2024 : through the lens
Fun stroll through Paris, my current home town, with Matt Groom. Chatting about sport climbing photography and what it feels like being an Official IFSC Photographer.
FAQ
Do you shoot stills and motion on the same job?
Yes, and most of my work runs that way now. I carry a Canon R5 Mark II and a C400 on the same set of lenses, so I can switch between stills and motion on the wall without slowing anyone down. You get one person on the rope, one look across both, and a smaller crew.
How do you work on the wall?
Safety and efficiency come first. After that, it's all about preparation, and even then you need to be ready for everything to change and still deliver.
I scout before the shoot: the angles, the light, where a static line can go. If there's an easier route nearby, I climb it and rig myself. In Flatanger, where everything is 8c+ and up, that isn't an option, so rigging becomes part of the production plan. Céüse or Saint-Léger give you far more freedom to chase the light.
Two rules I don't break. I never use the bolts or anchors on someone else's project. And the athlete never waits for me. There's nothing worse than a climber ready to send while the photographer is still jugging up a 40 m line. Having your systems dialled is the job.
Where do you work?
I'm based in Paris, with the Alps a few hours away, and I spend most of the season in the mountains. I work worldwide, from Norway to Yosemite to the Himalaya. I scale the production to the job and quote every project on its own terms.
Do you have to be a climber to shoot climbing?
It helps more than anything else. I've climbed for over 15 years: El Capitan, Aconcagua, Cho Oyu, sport crags across France and Spain, boulders in Fontainebleau. That's why I'm comfortable hanging on a rope all day, and why I usually see the moment coming before it happens. You can't fake understanding what someone is going through on their limit.
Why climbing?
I never stuck to one discipline. Alpine climbing taught me to respect mountains, mostly through the epic fails. Big walls taught me efficiency: five minutes lost per belay, times 30 pitches, is the difference between topping out and another cold bivy. The Himalaya taught me patience, and it's where I hit bottom, physically and mentally, more than once. Bouldering is pure pleasure, with the same problems, shared beta and a lot of laughing.
That mix is what I bring to a shoot. And yes, Paris 2024 and seasons of World Cups as World Climbing's official photographer since 2020 were a front row seat to the best in the sport.
What's in your bag?
Canon R5 Mark II and C400, with the RF 15-35 f2.8, RF 28-70 f2 and RF 70-200 f2.8. The 70-200 does most of the work because I love separating the climber from the background. The 15-35 shows the void below. The 28-70 is my lifestyle lens, and the first thing I leave behind when weight matters.
Everything travels in an f-stop Tilopa 50L, which is carry-on size, and anything bigger would be too heavy anyway. On a static line it's my Peak Design Sling, which I've used since day one.
Can I see your work in person?
Nothing replaces a print on a wall. My work has been shown at Arkose in Paris and at the Salon d'Escalade in Grenoble. You can order limited prints at store.janvirt.com, and the newsletter announces new drops and exhibitions first.
Anything else?
Use the Contact page. I read every message.