The man behind the lens is a… snowboarder?

This season, our visual storytelling has been shaped in no small part by the unique eye of Fredi Kalbermatten. And yes, he’s a snowboarder.

But calling him that barely scratches the surface. Fredi is a Swiss-born photographer with deep roots in snowboarding culture, a lifelong mountain rider who now sees the terrain through the frame of a camera. His images hum with raw alpine animation and cinematic softness in equal measure; Vast, moody landscapes balanced by intimate moments of motion and light. It’s a visual language that feels both organic and precise, and it’s become a cornerstone of our identity this season. His creative touch can be seen also across the work of our Truckee, California-based sister brand United Shapes, for which he is also a professional athlete.

For someone who’s carved out a space of his own in mountain sports photography, Fredi approaches his craft with a refreshing sense of humility.

“Well, I think I’m still learning,” he tells us, “I will always be learning. But precision is really important to me.”

That precision isn’t just technical. His work is razor-sharp, but it’s also crazily emotive. His compositions show restraint, clarity, and timing. You feel the wind on a ridgeline, the anticipation in a silent look between athletes before the drop, and even the moments that follow a big day, in a warm eatery or mountain cabin.

Fredi's roots in snowboarding run deep. He’s spent decades exploring alpine terrain — not just as a photographer, but as an athlete and a rider. That foundation continues to influence everything he shoots, even when the subject has skis on their feet. Which then begs the question – how is the experience of shooting freeskiers compared to boarders?

“I think in many ways it’s similar because the terrain is the same,” he explains. “But I don’t always understand what the tricks are called, and the fact that they have poles makes the subject bigger.”

It’s a small but crucial detail, and one he’s learned to adapt to. “At the beginning I used to sometimes cut the poles in my framing, so I’ve had to get used to that”.

But for Fredi, it’s not really about the gear, or even the discipline. It’s about excellence.

“It always is a joy for me to work with people who are really good at what they do,” he says. “Whether that be climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking — action sports in general, really.”

His experience on a board doesn’t just inform how he shoots; it shapes how he connects with the athletes in front of the lens.

“When I’m looking at snowy terrain, I’m thinking about what I would do if it were me — how I would ride it, what features I would hit,” he says. “And then I try to offer that to the athletes as well and see if it’s something they want to grab onto. So in some ways I think my snowboarding also inspires my photography.”

It’s this mix of shared experience and artistic vision that sets his work apart; a kind of silent conversation between snow, sport, and subject.

Mountains Don’t Read Moodboards

When asked about what fuels his vision, Fredi doesn’t hesitate.

“Light and terrain,” he says. “I’m always thinking about when a feature or area will be in the light or in its best light, or best season.”

In a world of fast edits and instant-gratification content, Fredi’s approach is patient. He watches landscapes like they’re old friends, returning to the same zones year after year to see how snow builds, how shadows fall, how the elements shape the terrain.

“In areas I frequent often, I’m watching how the snowfall builds and how the features shape up in a given year,” he explains. “When the variables come together and it’s on, that gets me really inspired.”

Then there’s the human element. It’s the added electricity of riding with talent.

“Working with someone who has a really good style or powerful pop — that’s always very fun to work with,” he says.

This symbiosis between athlete and environment is central to his work. You see it in his framing, often in the way the lines play between snow and shadow. It’s as much about the setting, as it is about the subject’s performance.

As any photographer will agree, behind every iconic photo is a list of logistical hurdles. That’s weather windows, terrain access, safety protocols, creative briefs. For Fredi, preparation is key, but improvisation is essential.

“Before a shoot, I’m usually studying the photo briefing and thinking about what the client wants,” he says. “Like what kind of feel they want in portraits or product shots, etc. Action is usually a priority in my work.”

But the mountains don’t read moodboards.

“When the shoot actually happens it always looks different than the briefing,” he admits. “Depending on weather, light, terrain, location, conditions, etc., we work with what we have each day.”

And that’s where the real creativity kicks in.

“You really have to be flexible,” he says. “The idea in your head is one thing, and then you have to be open to the unexpected thing you haven’t planned for. That often turns out to be where the magic is.”

It’s a surrender to the unknown. Trusting every element; your instincts, your athletes, and being present enough to catch something no one could’ve scripted.

Of all the moments he’s captured this season, one shot stands out. It can be seen on billboards, press releases, magazine ads, brochures and social media posts that prefaced the 2024-25 season.

“It’s the shot of Elisabeth Gerritzen skiing through the ice cave for Faction,” he says. “This was a place I had been looking at for some time and thinking about how it could be shot. I even showed it to a different client first, but the athletes weren’t down.”

Luckily, Elisabeth was game. “When I brought her there, the conditions were so perfect and she totally shredded it.”

Shot in the mind-boggling ice caves around Saas-Fee for the on-mountain shoot of the Portraits episode Unfilitered – An Elisabeth Gerritzen Portrait, this served as a key campaign image which served in many touchpoints for our film and media season.

The Magic Sauce

Many budding outdoor photographers seek to find out which secret elements exist in getting the perfect shot, in challenging environments.

“I love the shots that happen when both the subject and photographer are moving,” he says. “Like lead cam or follow cam shots, because it captures the feeling of being in motion. When you look at that kind of photo, you can feel it in your body. You can be transported right there, into the action.”

And when it happens? You just know.

“Big stoke,” he says. “It’s the same feeling like stomping a great trick in powder — you just know, THAT WAS IT! You want the confirmation by looking at it right away, but when you really get the shot, you just feel it. There’s an elation that comes with it, some outburst of joy or excitement.”

In a world of breakneck changes in formats, trends, and even the headwinds of generative AI, Fredi isn’t in a rush to chase new formats or mediums. At least, not yet. “For now, I just want to do what I do really well,” he says.

“I would like to do a trip to Norway, way up north, in the spring,” he says. “When the sun shines for so long in the day and produces that perfect low golden light for many hours. They have the northernmost civilization in the world, and it’s a combination you really don’t get anywhere else.”

And beyond the Arctic Circle?

“I also would like to do more work in exotic places where the landscape is different.”

Wherever he goes next, we know the result will be unmistakable: thoughtful, bold, rooted in experience and sparked by intuition. A snowboarder’s eye, indeed, but Fredi has proved his craft has seen great success capturing moments that any enjoyer of mountain activities can connect with.