Star photographer from Småland, Sweden

Mattias Fredriksson has collaborated with Hestra for the last ten years. As a photographer he visits a lot of snowy mountain regions every year, from Canada in the west to Japan in the east. However, his childhood ski trips were much closer to home. “My neighbor was a ski instructor. I used to go with him to the local slopes as often as I could. I grew up in Växjö, Sweden and we would often travel to Isaberg an hour and a half away. Isaberg was the first larger ski area I went to. The time I spent there prepared me for bigger mountains”, says Mattias.

Good ski pictures require hard work, both in front of and behind the camera. There are many long hours in sub-zero temperatures, often in rough weather. Mattias must be able to perform fine motor movements with his hand. His profession places big demands on his gloves. “If it is cold, I always wear a mitten model made of leather. I usually use Henrik Windstedt’s Pro Model glove, which keeps my hands really warm. I also bring a couple of liners with me in my pocket. I’ll put them on when I am going to hold cold materials for a long time.”

Mattias says he regularly treats his gloves with glove balm. Another tip is to use the handcuffs that come with many of Hestra’s models. With them, he never risks losing his gloves. “For me as a photographer, they are priceless. I can quickly take off my gloves when the camera comes out, and just as quickly put them back on when I’m done.”