SWEEPING alpine landscapes, taken particularly in her beloved Switzerland, are the speciality of Petersfield photographer Fiona Bunn.
And a series of her stunning snowy Alps images, with clouds swirling around the majestic mountains, can be seen until March 9 in Madeleine’s Cafe at One Tree Books in Lavant Street.
A professional photographer for the last four years, Fiona is half Swiss on her mother’s side, and has spent many an idyllic holiday from childhood hiking and climbing.
She also loves, and takes photos of, the Scottish Highlands and Snowdon in Wales.
Fiona admits she has to suffer for her art though, often having to wait for hours in sub zero temperatures for the best shots.
“One day it was incredible windy and cloudy but I persevered and when I got to 3,000 metres, the cloud cleared and I could see for miles around. The distances are huge. On a very, very clear day you can see Mont Blanc from 50 miles away at least. For an artist, it’s perfect,” she said.
Fiona has in recent years taken climbing courses to afford her higher access, over the 4,000 metre mark.
“I have always hiked from childhood, but a couple of years ago I realised that if you wanted to get more interesting footage you had to get further up.
“I got to the top of one mountain though and was so awe-struck that someone had to remind me to get my camera out,” she recalled. “It was amazing, and surprisingly not scary. Never say never with things like that.”
With photos usually taken on her trusty Canon, but sometimes on her iPhone, she has exhibited extensively at galleries, including, in the summer of 2015, at Petersfield’s Flora Twort Gallery.
She has a strong awareness too of climate change and the responsibility of documenting its impact on the ageless grandeur of the Alps and its glaciers.
“I have seen, through my travels to the Alps, the change to the glaciers with their substantial shrinkage over the last 25 years.”
See Fiona’s White Alps at Madeleine’s Cafe is open Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 5pm. Visit www.fiphotos.org