Chamonix Photographer's Image Selected for Banff Mountain Festival

They held a public competition to find just the right image, but in the end they were so taken with the images by young Chamonix based photographer Soren Rickards that they actually approached him to submit some of his work for consideration. By this point the organisers were down to their 'top ten' and Soren's dramatic photograph of Les Drus in the Chamoninx Valley had clearly caught their eye.

"We chose this mountain image to represent the 40th anniversary of the Festival not only because it is a stunning scenic image, but also because it exudes energy through movement in the clouds, dramatic light, and grand mountain peaks. As an added bonus, this image has a unique and outstanding connection to a long legacy of alpinism as Chamonix celebrates 150 years of mountaineering in 2015."

Soren has been living in and around the Chamonix valley for several years now, photographing the stunning landscapes and the extreme sports that the region has on offer. Moving from his home in London at the tender age of 17, Soren will soon be turning 21 and now feels very much at home in the mountains.

The photo of the Drus was taken during this winter. An iconic image in Chamonix the Drus are probably amongst the most photographed peaks of the valley, But Soren has managed to capture something special, "A lot of people take pictures of the Drus so I love the challenge of waiting for rare magical weather and getting something that stands out."

Taking place in late October the annual Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival is one of the biggest events in the mountain sports calendar for film-makers, authors, adventurers and explorers from around the world.

For more information on Soren Rickards visit his website: www.sorenrickards.com