Joel Hyppönen at The I.C.E. St. Moritz

Set the scene – How would you describe the atmosphere at The I.C.E.?

It’s one of those rare moments. Image you’re standing on a frozen lake at nearly 1,800 meters, surrounded by mountains that look straight from a postcard, and instead of silence you hear historic engines echoing across the valley.

There is an elegant contrast of fur coats next to racing suits, collectors chatting with designers, photographers lying flat on the ice to get the shot, and dogs weaving through the crowd. Sunlight bounces off chrome, the snow softens by the minute, and there’s this shared feeling that you’re witnessing something fleeting and special. 

You’ve attended three years now, what drew you there in the first place?

What drew me in originally was the contrast of aesthetics – extremely rare collector cars that were never designed for ice being properly driven on a frozen lake in one of the most refined places in the world. That tension between elegance and raw mechanical movement really stuck with me. Once you experience that in person, it’s hard not to come back for more.

Are you a car person yourself? What would you dream of driving at I.C.E.?

Very much so – maybe not in a loud way, but in a deep-appreciation kind of way. I’m drawn to cars with intention and story. At The I.C.E. my dream drive would probably be something like a Porsche 906 – legendary racing cars you feel through the steering wheel rather than just admire while standing still.

What makes St. Moritz such a special backdrop for automotive culture?

Automotive culture fits naturally there because of its long history of driving those picture-perfect mountain passes. It’s about heritage, lifestyle and a strong racing culture mixed together. Few places let machines and nature coexist this gracefully.

You’ve photographed some of the most beautiful places in the world. How did your journey begin?

I’ve been blessed to travel the world and do photography for a living for nearly a decade. It was never in my plans, but I quickly realized how much I enjoyed it, to the point where I had to give it a proper shot. I’m still on that path, and I’d be the first to say it’s thanks to the incredible people I’ve met and the opportunities that came through those relationships. Any creative career takes a lot, but it has given even more.

When you’re shooting snow, light, movement – what matters most to you?

I’ve never been very technical with anything, really. At this point, I only care about the feel. At The I.C.E. I rely on intuition and try to capture the elements that create the event’s unique atmosphere. It’s close to street photography – lots of movement, constantly changing conditions and not much time to think or set the shot.

Is there one photograph you still can’t stop thinking about?

Last year, I almost got hit by a drifting Porsche 911S that used to belong to Steve McQueen. Instead of getting knocked out, I got the snow-spray shot I’d been trying so hard to capture. A fleeting moment I’ll remember forever.

A reminder that the best images and experiences often arrive unplanned.