Rock climber on pinnacle, Mont Blanc, Savoy Alps, France
In this image a lone climber balances atop a rock spire high above France’s Chamonix valley. This region is one of the centers of world mountaineering, with endless challenging, steep granite and limestone rock faces and peaks to scale. I see it as a powerful metaphor for man’s eternal desire to explore Earth’s farthest reaches. I like the composition’s simplicity of form and message. The climber’s classic silhouetted stance nearly goes unnoticed as Mont Blanc, the Alps’ highest point at 4,807 meters (15,771 feet), looms above and beyond. From the top of Mont Blanc, you can see Italy and Switzerland, in addition to France.