Updated April 3, 2024 04:53PM
Photographer Reuben Krabbe's Quest to Photograph Skiers During a Solar Eclipse
Reuben Krabbe masterfully captures the beauty of nature and human skill converging in these stunning photographs of skiers during the solar eclipse in Svalbard, Norway.
Editor’s note: The interview with Reuben Krabbe about his solar eclipse photos was first published in Skiing Magazine in 2015. It has been updated for clarity. Here are seven ski areas that fall within the solar eclipse’s path of totality on April 8, 2024.
Photographer Reuben Krabbe embarked on a mission to capture what could arguably be considered the most unique ski photo of all time: a skier in front of a total solar eclipse. Convincing a group of skiers to join him on this extraordinary endeavor was no small feat. Despite the odds stacked against him, Brody Leven, Cody Townsend, and Chris Rubens eagerly joined the adventure. Additionally, Anthony Bonello from Switchback Entertainment signed on to produce a Salomon Freeski TV episode, adding another layer of talent to the team.
In March 2014, this exceptional crew set off for the Arctic to chase Krabbe’s vision. Despite their challenges, Krabbe succeeded in capturing his shot, which later graced the cover of POWDER Magazine. Their journey also resulted in creating a 31-minute film titled “Eclipse.” Notably, the film won Best Snow Film at the Banff Mountain Film Festival this past weekend, further solidifying the team’s achievement. We spoke with Krabbe about this epic accomplishment and his firsthand experience.
SKI: Where did this idea to shoot skiers during a solar eclipse come from?
SKI: Where did this idea to shoot skiers during a solar eclipse come from?
Krabbe: Three years ago, I noted that this was going to happen, and it has been a note on my computer ever since. I pitched the idea to Mike Douglas at Switchback Films but didn’t expect him to jump on it. This was the kind of thing that took a lot of time and money, and we would either completely fail or succeed.
Tell me about the build-up and trip planning—there had to be a ton of pressure on you.
When we got to camp, there was not a stress-free moment for me. I was constantly playing it through my head and thinking about everything that could go wrong. What will happen if it’s cloudy? What if I mess up? What if we don’t find the right spot? I didn’t find a spot I wanted to shoot until 15 minutes before the totality [the max phase of a total solar eclipse].
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Describe setting up for the photo.
There was never any real indication that this was going to work out. There aren’t any photos from the first 45 minutes because we were still on the snowmobiles trying to find the best location to shoot. We didn’t know if the spot we picked out was going to work. There were also some clouds hanging out that I was sure were going to ruin it. But we got set up, the athletes got to the ridgeline where there was soft snow, and I figured out the alignment. I was a kilometer and a half away from them. I started shooting, and every two minutes, both Anthony and I had to move our set-ups and reset our alignment. Once I got going, there was no chance to feel stressed anymore. I didn’t feel anything.
What happened when you realized you got the shot?
At totality, I could see that we had the alignment, and that was an amazing feeling. There was this really surreal moment as all these perfect frames started to come up on my screen. So rarely does a vision come to life in such a real way. I watched my dream come true.
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Is this the best photo you’ve ever taken?
This is the most premeditated photo I’ve ever taken, and so it feels like a real accomplishment. It was not just a happy accident, and pulling it off is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.