Mountain Pictures by Ian Evans : The Magic of Mountain Light : The Photography of Ian Evans

The Magic of Mountain Light - The Photography of Ian Evans in Audio Visual

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Ian Evans has an international reputation both as a photographer and as a writer on the mountains of Britain and The Himalaya. A regular and frequent visitor to The Himalaya, Ian has, over many years, accumulated one of the finest collections of photographs of the region, in particular the great 8000 metre peaks - the very highest mountains in the world. Ian's images have appeared in many high profile volumes, including 'On Top of the World', 'The Magic of the Munros', The 'Call of the Corbetts', 'Wilderness Walks', 'Wild Walks' and 'Exploring the Far North West of Scotland'. His written work includes articles on the mountains of Scotland, Wales and the Lake District, trekking in the Himalaya and Alpine-style climbing in Nepal.

Born and raised in post-war Liverpool, Ian was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby. During this era travel beyond his native heath was severely limited, so Ian's interests during his formative years centred on rugby and cricket, which he played at both schoolboy and club level. As a teenager in that great city during the early 1960's, at the time of 'Merseybeat', Ian developed the passion for music which would later prove to be invaluable when assembling his superlative audio-visual shows. Always a practical man rather than an academic, Ian chose to go straight to work after leaving school; first as an analytical chemist, and then later in the Customs service.

Surprisingly, Ian had shown no interest whatsoever in mountains until 1972 when some friends took him to Llyn Idwal in Snowdonia. It was a very wet day but as the party drove away Tryfan briefly appeared out of the mist. Ian was so moved by its striking outline that he wanted to return and see more; the hills had made their first impact on a receptive mind.

This new interest led to regular visits to Snowdonia and then to the Lake District and finally The Scottish Highlands. As with so many aspirant hill goers of his generation, he learnt everything as he went along, steadily acquiring the gear he needed with the books of W.A.Poucher, one of the few mountain guidebooks available in those days, acting as guide and mentor. Poucher’s black and white guidebooks were not only a great help in route finding, but were also an inspiration to any aspirant photographer. Indeed, Ian openly admits that the work of Poucher provided a solid foundation for his understanding of mountain form, and the choice of viewpoint and camera angle.

By 1975, Ian’s thoughts had turned to distant horizons, and for many an Alpine apprenticeship would have been the obvious way forward. But this was the beginning of an adventurous era of exploration in the Greater Himalaya and the newly re-opened Karakoram, and Ian’s interest was inextricably drawn to the stunning images that were filling the pages of the mountaineering magazines. Enthused and entranced by what he read, Ian set out on a course which would lead to a chance meeting that was to have a profound effect upon the rest of his life.

In 1977 Ian made his first visit to Nepal - as a paying member of a small trekking group. Although he was thrilled to see Everest for the first time, he recalls that it was not a good trip. However, passing through Thyangboche, Ian had a chance meeting with Dawa Tensing Sherpa, a pivotal member of pre and post war British expeditions to Everest who was honoured by The Queen for his contribution to the team’s success in 1953. The lengthy conversation that the impressionable Ian Evans enjoyed with this visionary Sherpa would, in years to come, provide not only the inspiration for his photography, but also a very different philosophy on life itself. It was the influence of Dawa's words remembered, and images contained within books by the late Galen Rowell that were to inspire Ian to return to the Himalaya time and time again.

Amidst a busy period of Himalayan exploration during which he led or participated in more than 20 expeditions in as many years to Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, India and Pakistan, Ian landed a job in the Highlands and moved base to Fort William in 1981. At the time it seemed a dream come true, but work commitments dictated otherwise and, disappointed at this lost opportunity, he moved to Lochmaben in Dumfriesshire - a location which Ian calculated was within striking distance of all the major mountain areas of the UK.

As a consequence of exposing his material to a wider audience, either at his public lectures or in climbing magazines, Ian was encouraged to publish a print which he called “Ben Nevis in Winter Raiment”. With its creative and imaginative use of light, the image set new standards in outdoor photography. It was an instant success. The first print run of 3000 sold out in 6 months; it has sold more than 40,000 copies and still sells today. In 1983, the success of this and subsequent prints gave birth to Ian’s business Mountain Images and finally, in 1996, the opportunity to work at his photography full time.

A dedication to originality and quality are his guiding principles and one quickly learns that, for Ian, good is not good enough … he is his own harshest critic … it has to be the best. It is not surprising to hear from time to time that he is recently returned from some pre-dawn expedition to a chosen viewpoint in anticipation of good early morning light. But forecasts are not always accurate and many repeat visits involving long overnight journeys may be in prospect before the final image is considered to be to his satisfaction.

The advent of digital photography has improved Ian’s ability to produce new and creative material. But despite the powerful capabilities that digital media has to offer, Ian stubbornly refuses to resort to any kind of image manipulation. He holds firm in the belief that nature creates its own spectacular displays of colour and effect, and it just needs an observant and skilful photographer with a sound knowledge of his subject to convert a good view into a stunning image.

Today, 35 years on from the day he took those first tentative steps into the mountains, Ian’s fascination remains much as it was. There is no ambition simply to “bag” peaks. He is dedicated to seeking out fresh images of the mountains and using them to show others how wonderful yet fragile and vulnerable our areas of wilderness have become.

Ian considers himself very lucky – without that chance meeting all those years ago, things could have been so radically different. He has unreserved affection for his Sherpa friends in Nepal whom he claims have taught him the true value of the mountain experience and who are the motivation for sharing a love of the mountains with others and encouraging them to do the same. The inspirational thoughts of Dawa Tensing, and a lifetime spent within the shadows of the very highest peaks of all, have led Ian to advocate a principle which would no doubt please his illustrious mentor -
“Mountains should be icons of beauty, not objects of conquest”.

I owe my grateful thanks to Irvine Butterfield and to The Mountaineering Council for Scotland for their kind permission to allow the reproduction in this biography several extracts from the article in "Scottish Mountaineer" magazine issue 33.
Ian Evans, Lochmaben, 2007

When Ian Evans returned home from his very first Himalayan adventures, he was frequently asked to recount his experiences and to exhibit the wonderful images that the had obtained travelling amongst the highest mountains in the world. However, Ian immediately realised that this could only be successfully achieved using multiple projection techniques with the accompaniment of evocative and inspirational music. Experimentation with sound and vision resulted in his first production in 1980 entitled "Annapurna to Everest - In Search of Adventure", presented using the simplest of multiple projector dissolve equipment and an accompanying cassette tape recorder.

Progressive improvements in the complexity and quality of equipment followed over the next decade and a half - as did the library of images from which material could be drawn. By 1996, the sizes of the audiences who regularly came to see Ian's audio-visual shows were testament not only to the growing popularity of his subject material but also to the way in which he was now able to present it. Corporate sponsors also became available for Ian's contuining Himalayan explorations based on his abilities to provide entertainment to invited guests upon his return. The culmination of all this work was a show entitled "The Magic of Mountain Light" which contained a superb blend of the very best of Ian's British and Himalayan images.

During a conversation with his projection engineer in 1996, it was proposed that Ian turn his material into 'digital' format. Ian quicky saw the advantages of such a move. Projecting 'scanned' images meant that Ian could introduce some of the high quality material taken in medium format (to which he moved in 1988) which had been omitted thus far; there was the ability to be more creative in the production of sequences, but best of all the whole projection process could be improved and streamlined. The drawback was the infancy and the relative cost of the technology, but even at this early stage Ian saw it as a worthwhile investment.

It took two years' hard work and considerable expense to develop and perfect, but "The Magic of Mountain Light" re-appeared in full digital format in 1998. Ian was one of the very first photographers in the UK to present his material in this format, and the combination of the material itself along with the manner in which it was presented was highly acclaimed by audiences nationwide who enjoyed and were thrilled by the re-designed show.

By coincidence, at this very time, Ian's good friend and well-known outdoor author Irvine Butterfield was compiling material for his forthcoming best-seller "The Magic of the Munros", and during an evening together the two agreed to promote the launch of the book with one of Ian's new audio-visual presentations. The two took the book and the show on the road in autumn 2000; the book was instantly selected and short listed for the British Book of the Year Award, and the show with its expressive accompanying music was described in the most superlative terms.

Ian continues to develop and present up-dated versions of his various shows, but although the images and accompanying music may change, the message which "The Magic of Mountain Light" is intended to convey, and the means by which it is conveyed will always remain the same.

Ian's work and portfolio extends beyond the accepted boundaries of landscape photography. He is a 'mountain man' through and through, never happier than when he is amongst the world's highest mountains - and so his images are taken from that perspective. A sensitive observer of landscape and light, his love for, and his knowledge and understanding of this high mountain environment is reflected in every image.

Between 1975 and 1989, most of Ian's routine material was taken in 35mm format using Olympus OM system cameras and lenses which he chose because they were simple to use, light and compact. Ian moved up to medium format in 1988, originally using a Mamiya 6, but he has since used a variety systems which include the panoramic Fuji GX617. Film stock used in the very early days was Kodak Ektachrome Professional 64, but Ian soon identified the advantages of Fuji Velvia 50 as soon as it was released and has used that medium ever since.

As has been explained in the previous item on "Audio Visual Presentations", Ian quickly identified the benefits of working in digital format. He was inclined towards this medium as soon at the technology had advanced to a stage at which it was suitable and practical for the professional photographer working in the outdoors, often at high altitude. Between 2002 and 2005, Ian experimented with several digital cameras alongside his traditional Fuji GX617 and Mamiya 7, but it was only after extensive trials with the 17 megapixel Canon EOS 1DS Mark II digital camera did he finally decide to shoot and work entirely in the digital format. Ian now uses exclusively Canon cameras. His main camera is the Canon EOS 1DS Mark II with a Canon EOS 5D as back-up. When travelling 'light' Ian relies upon a Canon Powershot G9.

Mountain Images is the marketing outlet for the work of Ian Evans and several other photographers and artists.
It was founded by Ian Evans in 1983 when he published his first mountain print "Ben Nevis in Winter Raiment". With its creative and imaginative use of light, the image set new standards in outdoor photography; it was an instant success and the first print run sold out in just six months. Ian re-invested the income from the sale of "Ben Nevis in Winter Raiment" into more prints and within two years he had vastly expanded the range and established Mountain Images as a highly respected publisher of high quality mountain prints.

Today Mountain Images continues to expand and now publishes nearly 300 prints. Every print is selected with the same care and consideration as "Ben Nevis in Winter Raiment" all those years ago, each exhibiting a similar characteristic use of landscape and light. The main difference today is that, with the introduction of the very latest print technologies, every print is manufactured individually for each customer, making it a genuinely exclusive and hand-crafted product.

At Mountain Images prints are made by mountain people for mountain people. Few other businesses can boast such a detailed knowledge of its product range and affinity with its customers. Your custom is highly valued and they take pride in the personal attention and friendly service that they provide to all their customers.

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Reproduction, in whole or part, of any image or any material contained on this website is strictly prohibited
© Ian Evans/Mountain Images 2007