Shooting at the summit: creative vision in life-and-death conditions

What have your career journeys looked like so far? 

Devin Whetstone: I’m a film school dropout. I quickly got sucked into the commercial world of photography because it allowed me to learn technical skills without spending my own money. I spent six years putting cameras on robots as a DP for a robotics/post company, Autofuss. 

As my skin grew pale from green screens and studios, I was reminded that was not where I belonged, so I went on the road for a year and a half with Avocados and Coconuts, shooting a surf film called Given. Growing up in the mountains, I’ve always sought projects that take me to remote places in the outdoors. I think that’s part of why Matt and I hit it off. 

 If you are sucked into a story and a world without thinking about the lighting and the camera work, that’s great cinematography.

Matt Irving: I look back on the path that has led me to where I am now, and honestly, it feels pretty seamless. I left fighting wildland fires almost 15 years ago and immediately jumped into adventure filmmaking. It’s been a wonderful career that has taken me to some of the most remote places on the planet. I’ve also worked with amazing people who are experts in their field, which is always humbling. Some years have been busier than others, but most have had their fair share of heinous adventures that I look back on fondly.

Which DPs/ cinematographers have influenced your work and why?

Whetstone: Deakins, Lubezki, Fraser, Delbonnel, and Fricke have all influenced my work in different ways, but mainly their ability to capture the world in a natural way from a unique perspective. Every composition tells a story, and the lighting creates a mood and tells a story without drawing attention to itself. If you are sucked into a story and a world without thinking about the lighting and the camera work, that’s great cinematography. 

Often, when filming at altitude, survival trumps everything, so creative visions get tossed out the window when things go pear-shaped.

What’s the best use of cinematography you’ve seen recently? 

Whetstone: Recently, I loved the look of A Quiet Place: Day One. Patrick Scola did an incredible job, and the lighting was beautiful.

If there was one thing you could change about the industry, what would it be? 

Whetstone: Vertical video. 

Above: Mountain Queen behind the scenes shot. Credits: Matthew Irving. 

How did you balance your time, skills and creative visions when shooting Mountain Queen? 

Whetstone: Hiking from the end of the road to Everest Base Camp for two weeks put a lot of demand on time. We’d trek for 6-10 miles with 2,000 to 4,000’ of elevation a day with a 50-60 lb pack carrying everything you might need to shoot along the way. When we finally arrived at our destination, sometimes we’d have to keep shooting. Whether you had energy or not, the story was unfolding, so you had to push through it. 

It’s hard to exist at that altitude, so using cameras that don’t take much brain power is essential. 

Irving: Often, when filming at altitude, survival trumps everything, so creative visions get tossed out the window when things go pear-shaped. It’s great to have a shot list in the back of your mind, but at the end of the day, you give it 100% and capture what you can. 

Above: Mountain Queen behind the scenes shot. Credits: Christopher Newman. 

How does working as a duo differ from working as a solo DP? 

Irving: Avocados and Coconuts did well by bringing on both Devin and I to cover the different portions of the mountain. The upper section is so demanding, and clearing the lower portion from my plate allowed me to conserve the energy I needed to summit. Devin is a brilliant DP, so it was great not having to think about how any of the lower portions would turn out. I knew they’d be beautiful.

 Filming at altitude isn’t too different from filming in any other snowy environment, except it’s probably colder, and you’re slowly dying. 

Whetstone: We knew we’d need two teams working the mountain. While Lhakpa Sherpa was summiting, her daughter was back at base camp. Seeing her daughter worried for her mom's safety reminded the viewer of what was at stake, so it was crucial to have two teams. I’d been shooting this film for four years solo, but we knew after we arrived at base camp we would need a DP who could get off the couch and shoot everything above 19,000’ with only a few weeks' notice. Matt answered the call and captured some fantastic shots. The film is incredible, but it’s worth watching for his summit morning sequence alone. 

Above: Mountain Queen behind the scenes shot. Credits: Christopher Newman. 

Can you tell us more about the technical side of shooting a documentary in such an extreme climate? 

Irving: Filming at altitude isn’t too different from filming in any other snowy environment, except it’s probably colder, and you’re slowly dying. The freezing temps mean you’re wearing many layers and can’t be as dextrous as normal, so using a camera that doesn’t require a lot of buttons to be pressed is key. 

Finally seeing this film on a big screen and hearing strangers tell me how much they loved the film and love Lhakpa was my highlight.

I shot on the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera because it’s super light, has built-in NDs, and is easy to operate. I planned my kit so that I wouldn’t have too many lens changes, and I used a V-mount with a 12v cable to keep the battery in my down suit to minimise swapping bats. Getting in and out of tents wreaks havoc on the lenses, so I used a GoPro inside the tent to avoid condensation on the main camera. It’s hard to exist at that altitude, so using cameras that don’t take much brain power is essential. 

Above: Mountain Queen behind the scenes shot. Credits: Christopher Newman. 

What were the highlights and challenges of the project? 

Whetstone: Our main goal was to do what we could to get Sherpa’s story out there. It’s incredibly disheartening to see someone who has accomplished so much in their life go unnoticed for so long. Finally seeing this film on a big screen and hearing strangers tell me how much they loved the film and love Sherpa was my highlight, but Sherpa is still cleaning houses and washing dishes, so the real challenge is figuring out how to change that now that the film is out. 

Lhakpa is such an amazing human, and I feel very fortunate to have spent that time with her even if it was spent stuck in a tent feeling miserable. 

Irving: For me, it goes without saying that this project's highlight was being able to summit Mt. Everest with the Mountain Queen herself. Sherpa is such an amazing human, and I feel very fortunate to have spent that time with her even if it was spent stuck in a tent feeling miserable. 

Above: Mountain Queen behind the scenes shot. Credits: Matthew Irving

What do you hope people will take away from the documentary? 

Irving: More than anything, I hope people see how great Sherpa is. She made summiting Mt. Everest much easier than the first time I went up, and I’m not sure I could have done it without her. 

The outdoor industry needs more athletes like Sherpa to create safer, more inclusive spaces, so let’s all help build that future.

Whetstone: I hope people ask themselves, 'what can I do to support?' Whether it’s sharing the film, hiring her to guide, or offering paid brand opportunities, I think it’s important to ask ourselves why Sherpa is still unsponsored and unrecognised. A big part of that falls on company values and their definition of what an athlete looks like – people want to see themselves in these sports, especially those who are underrepresented. The outdoor industry needs more athletes like Sherpa to create safer, more inclusive spaces, so let’s all help build that future.