There’s just so much talent, and so few pages to in our yearly annual. That’s why our underexposed series continues with the an interview with a photographer who has found a way to balance his love for surfing, shaping and the mountains. Meet Mr. David Kurth…
Hi David, can you please introduce yourself?
I’m close to 30 years old and grew up in a small village near Langenthal, in the canton of Bern. Thanks to my family, I was able to spend a lot of time in the mountains in winter. Since 2013, my life consists of a summer job and a winter job. In summer, I work as a carpenter. Thanks to my employer, I can plan my summer in a relatively flexible way. During winter I am responsible for the snowpark in Sörenberg, and teaching the next generation how to snowboard.
How did you get into riding and photography?
My grandparents taught me how to ski. Later I got a snowboard from my uncle who was already an addicted snowboarder of the 90s. At some point, I grabbed my parent’s digital camera and almost always carried it with me. It was more like taking pictures with your phone at that time. But the best camera is always the one you carry with you. With an upgrade to a DSLR, my shots got more professional.
Since then, I like to go snowboarding with my camera and to take breaks to shoot my friends! Sharing those amazing moments together and keeping them on camera is just a perfect feeling!
It is! And it can also have some perks. Did you ever get to travel thanks to photography?
I once won a photo contest (BURN Snowpark Rally) and was able to go to Leogang, in Austria for the finals. At first, I thought it was more about snowboarding, because my friend Carlo had submitted the shot I took of him. But as we arrived there with our team to shoot in the resort on the theme of contrast, I realized that it was more about me and not about the snowboard buddies… All the other photographers had crazy equipment and Lightroom skills.
It was a weird feeling with my crappy laptop, I didn’t know what RAW meant etc… But Alex (Papis) and Lorenz (Holder) gave us some serious tips on how to get the best shot!
In the end, we got 3rd and went home with a crazy hangover from the party.
What’s your worst misadventure when going on a shoot?
No SD card in the Drone…
Ha, what a nightmare! Do you have an all-time favorite photo of yours?
Hard to choose… The day when I shot at Padang-Padang in Bali during the massive swell back in 2015 was just mind-blowing. Everyone was just talking about this insane swell, and what would happen. Fortunately, it was surfable. And the young local, Tenshi Ishi, took the chance to surf Padang for his first(!!!) time… Crazy how relaxed he looked in this wave at the age of 12 years.
Souvenirs from Indonesia
Who are some of your favorite photographers, past or present?
Since my experience in Leogang, I always loved the creative stuff from Lorenz Holder. All of his work for the RedBull ILLUME is just mind-blowing!
I also like to follow Chris Burkard. From his surfing photography to the breathtaking landscapes, and of course his movies!
Yep, Burkard and Lorenz are pretty amazing…
Are there any magazines, clients or people that you haven’t worked with that you would like to?
I really would like to get a print from our ski resort with Christian Bieri. The last few years with his injuries haven’t been very easy.
Sounds like a good mission for this season!
Do you have a favorite mountain for riding and shooting?
I was able to shoot in Heavenly Mountain once on a trip. The view down to Lake Tahoe is just mind-blowing. As long as you ride with your friends and have a good time in perfect conditions, the mountain doesn’t matter. But of course, I like to represent our ski resort Sörenberg.
We told you there'd be some eye candy...
Now imagine you can go on a ski trip wherever you want…
Where do you go and who would you take with you?
I would like to get tons of snow to build a massive Snowpark like the Peace Pipe and shoot with all of my friends in our resort. Moni Melony would be also nice again…. Japan and Alaska for sure, but I would definitely end the trip somewhere in Indonesia for surfing!
Before we’ wrap it up, any last words you’d like to add?
Please send us some snow!
Thank for your time and stories David!
You can find more of David’s work here.
