One of the most exciting things about the Image Quest 2019 was the new categories. For the first time, the Moving Image category offered content creators the chance to make the Top 260 with dynamic short videos of any kind. To keep it in the spirit of photography, entrants were allowed only one take!
We caught up with semi-finalist Matteo Mocellin to find out what the main challenges were and how he overcame them!
The ‘Moving Image’ Category was new to the Image Quest 2019; how does it feel to be a semi-finalist?
Moving Images are not far from photography, to me they are like an extended picture. You can describe a moment in a different way, particularly in adventure and action sports. To be a semi-finalist in this new category makes me so enthusiastic. I’m excited to see my take alongside other great images from the world of outdoor creativity!
Your IG feed is all still photography, how do you describe yourself?
Good question. I started my career as a nature photographer, but in working on outdoor productions I began to understand that the relationships with athletes are the most important part of my work. If you want to take a good image, you have to be part of the project, a friend of the athletes and enjoy your work every time.
Where did the idea for your semi-finalist video come from?
The idea of the drone shot come from North3 – the project by Salewa. It followed Simon Gietl and Vittorio Messini climbing three iconic mountains in the Alps connecting them by foot and bicycle in only 47-hours! I took the image on the Cima Piccola di Lavaredo during an epic weather moment :) It was incredible to see them climbing that wall after the rain!
Salewa was decisive in the outcome, supporting the project as main sponsor and organizing the logistics during the transfer of the athletes between the mountains.
Does this increase your motivation to make more videos in the future?
For me not only as a photographer, but also as a climber, following such inspirational athletes makes me super motivated to tell new stories and be part of more projects like that in the future!
Tell us about any future projects we should look out for?
Salewa is growing it’s support for new and young European athletes with really cool climbing projects and with Storyteller-Labs we're going to follow them.
In some mountain festivals around the world our movie ‘Playing with the invisible’ is coming out; a film about flying in the Dolomites with Aaron Durogati. soon also in the Salewa network!
Follow Matteo on Instagram!