MZ: In your view is the Sierra overwhelmed by hikers and climbers, or are there still places one can find solitude?
All one has to do is to leave the trail. I have hiked for days without seeing a soul within a few miles of the John Muir Trail. In fact, I believe there are fewer hikers on the trails today and there were 30 years ago when I first started hiking

MZ: What has drawn you to mountain photography?
To make the mountains always symbolized wildness and freedom. I use them as a refuge in my youth and still do. I always admired the grand simplicity of Ansel Adams' photographs and wished to emulate them in color.

MZ: Given the difficulty of getting to the places you go, how do you manage to come back with such big, sharp photos?
Sharpness demands high-quality glass and good technique. Grainlessness is attained by using the largest size possible piece of slow film. That's why I use Fuji Velvia, an ISO 40 film officially rated at 50, and shoot with a 6x7cm medium format camera whenever possible. That produces an image many times larger than 35mm, which therefore amplifies the grain less when blown up. The eye sees that as greater sharpness. On the downside, the equipment tends to be heavier than 35mm, but the results are worth it.

MZ: Any tips you can offer to aspiring photographers?
One key to getting dramatic mountain photographs is to shoot wide angles with a lot of depth of field to suggest a sense of scale. Often, the shoot in low light. When you use a small f-stop to increase your depth of field, you end up with very long exposures. Therefore, if you're serious about photography, you must use a tripod. I carry a small carbon fiber model and weight it down with my camera bag if I need more stability.

— Peter Potterfield, MountainZone.com Staff