Lunar Network Or Snowy Mountain?

This image was made at high altitude, but it could have been taken on the Moon. That’s what initially drew my eye: the surreal minimalism of these snow-covered slopes interrupted by a line of utility poles, stretched tight against the vast emptiness. The illusion of a lunar landscape is heightened by the total absence of sky detail—pure black, a void—and the almost abstract texture of the snow, exaggerated by strong directional sunlight.

The decision to shoot in black and white came naturally. Colour would have been a distraction from the harsh geometry, from the juxtaposition of natural emptiness and imposed structure. Each pole, evenly spaced, is both part of a rhythm and a rupture. They’re functional, unsentimental, and out of place—but so is civilisation itself in wilderness.

From a technical point of view, this was an exercise in precision. Exposure had to be dialled in carefully to retain detail in the snow without losing the deep blacks in the sky. The contrast is strong but controlled; I didn’t want the highlights to blow out nor the shadows to turn into pure ink. Compositionally, the diagonal slope and staggered perspective create a dynamic tension that leads the eye gently, inevitably, from foreground to horizon.

It’s a quiet photo. Not dramatic. But it’s quietly confrontational, inviting reflection on the presence of infrastructure in places where it doesn’t quite belong—and yet must be.