Introducing Salomon Ambassador: Alex Strohl

Since he was a kid, Alex has always spent time outside, wandering through the woods, either walking or on his bike. He would get up early, dash to his friend’s house and then rush in the forest, feeling the breeze in his hair and the morning sun rays on his face. Later, his parents would take him hiking, which he wasn’t so much into. At least at first.

Looking for meaning in those hikes, he found his dad’s old camera with a 32MB memory card and started going outside with more purpose. During high school, he spent a lot of his free time taking pictures in the mountainous landscape of his home Ardèche. This feeling of pointlessness from his younger hikes gave way to a grander appreciation of nature. Which then led to a passion for nature photography, paired with a need to get outside and explore constantly.

This connection to nature only grew when they moved to Madrid: skiing every weekend in the nearby mountains, biking around lake Valmayor, then swimming in it. But things really changed when Alex moved to Québec.

FINDING YOUR FAVORITE PLACES, AND REVISITING THEM

The outdoors in Canada are completely different from the mountains in Madrid or the forests in Ardèche. One can drive for 4 hours without changing scenery or seeing a single living soul. But this is what Alex, who enjoys spending time on his own, contemplating, was looking for. When the dust settles and the tourists leave is when he can be alone in nature, visiting his favorite spots after they’ve been trampled for weeks. Alex loves to come back and revisit his favorite places, watch as they evolve and change, especially over the seasons. Being able to ski on trails you’ve spent your whole summer riding with a mountain bike is quite special.

FROM THE WARM COAST OF ITALY TO THE COLD FJORDS OF ICELAND

Spending all this time outside has given him this unique, universal style of photography, that speaks to everyone. Alex loves to use light to focus attention on the subject of the picture, showing them in their environment, sometimes alone, sometimes in a group, most times outside (and if inside, thinking about going out). This light might come from the warm sun on the Almafi coast of Italy, a cold lighthouse in the North of France, or from a headlamp in the barren Icelandic mountains.

Looking at his Instagram, you might think that Alex has been everywhere and seen everything. But there are still places he’s looking to visit, like the Sandwich Islands, lost in the South Atlantic Ocean, where icy beaches meet snowy mountains. He would also want to document nomads from Mongolia, living in tents and hunting for food. But more than anything, he wants to go back where he has spent so much time. Going back to his home Ardèche, where he has connections to people. Or going to visit Iceland again, even after over 30 trips. When winter sweeps in and days get reduced to just a few hours of sunlight, Alex describes the Icelandic light as something dreamy, even magical.

TAKING INSPIRATION FROM ATHLETES

When asked about his connection to Salomon, Alex immediately speaks about the large roster of athletes, which is a limitless source of inspiration for movies and photos. Growing up only a stone’s throw from the French Alps, and then moving to Montana, he has also been a frequent user of Salomon ski boots, ski bindings, trail shoes and backpacks during his outdoor adventures. He finally mentions being a fan of the engineering and R&D work being done at Salomon, which he can feel in every product he uses.

And when asked about who he would want to work with, Alex doesn’t hesitate and names Candide Thovex, freeski pioneer, international star from La Clusaz, and former Salomon pro athlete.

Check out some of Alex’s work here and follow him on Instagram. And make sure to follow Salomon to not miss any of the upcoming collaborations between Alex and Salomon!

Discover Alex adventures