Altitude Adjustment A Book of 'Chairlift' Pictures

It was a couple decades back, on a chilly day at snow-challenged The Wisp resort in far-western Maryland, when I noticed the kernel that sprouted into this book.In my pocket, I carried a small, waterproof Canon film camera. The patterns of the cables and chairs snaking up the hill drew my eye.I made a picture much like the one above.Slowly over the years, I developed a photographic toolkit and visual language to document the inbounds skiing experience: from the chair, under the chair and around it.One reason I focused on the lifts was that I could make pictures when we were in line or on the chair, rather than interrupting my wife's ski day. She lost patience with my pausing for pictures long ago. In the chair, I learned not to jostle her while changing lenses or leaning forward to catch a fleeting moment below.My camera is now part of my skiing experience. And I hope the pictures I've made give you a taste of this wonderful winter sport.