climbing photography

[nightphotohunter]

I am a avid photographer who infact, love extrem sports, My kind of extream sports are, paintball(of course i play it safley and respect others property), hiking, and the most extream, is, orcoue rock climbing. I know that i would need some pretty nifty exstansion bars to hold me out from the clif to get the kinda of shots. but i would like to start off with lanscapes of cliffs and ledgers and acuall climbing photography.


Check out www.rockclimbing.com and click on photo for amature photographrs photographes. infact the are some GREAT photographers there.

some of the more crazy but cool photography include.......
(i DID NOT take these photos, they are the property of their owners)

this lanscape-Dead Link Removed

this action photo-Dead Link Removed

i would realy like tips on l;anscaps of places from high places (like if i was on a cliff) and reagualr lanscapes and aciton photos like this one with the guy hanging off a .13b cliff (whew, thats tough to climb but dont worry about all this climbers rating for cliffs)

 

[glbeas]

Then you need to read of the life and times of Galen Rowell and try to learn as much of his techniques for shooting while climbing as you can. He was quite good at it. It's plenty easy to find reference with a search.

 

[Jorge]

"i would realy like tips on l;anscaps of places from high places (like if i was on a cliff)"

Be very, very careful and make sure those thingies you guys attach to the rocks are deep enough?...

I would say you need a light, autofocus camera preferably one which allows you to place the focus off center. Obviously you have to be able to use the camera one handed, so pick one that is easy to use and the controls are available on one side.
Obviosly if you are hanging from a rock using filters can be dangerous for your health, but do bring a polarizer and a warming filter (82A) to use when you get to the top (hopefully).

On another subject, please, please if you want to post a photograph that is not yours post the name of the photographer and include the line all rights belong to the photographer. Some people can get very upset if they find their photographs lifted from web sites and seeing their name and their rights acknowledged goes a long way to calm them down.

Oh! one last tip.......dont drop the camera, they dont glide very well!...

Be safe and have fun.....

 

[ian_greant]

I've been taking climbing photos for about three years. I mostly use an old Minolta 35mm slr with a 35-70 zoom. Occasionally I use one of my medium format cameras to when I want to catch something different and I have been planning to take my 4x5 out and get some good bouldering photos one of these days...

I most recommend having a camera you aren't afraid of dropping (yell "rock!" so you don't pelt anyone with it.. or at least they duck and run ) or more likely than dropping, you bash it against the rock every now and then..

Some guys get pretty fancy with all sorts of gear to hold themselves out from the rock etc... I'd be more inclined to have a wide angle lens for the times you are hanging from the same anchor, a good tele and a medium zoom. From that point on it's about doing the work. Sniping shots usually isn't that effective... A friend of mine who has had several covers on Rock and Ice, etc pretty much sets the entire day for a shoot.. picks the wardrobe, the climb, etc.. 6 rolls of film minimum..

But most of all, have fun climbing. If you can capture the moment then you are doing well.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[DrPhil]

While I no longer climb I will offer my insights. The best non photo tools are a static line and jumars. It's also worthwhile to invest in a bigwall harness. Hanging around gets old after a while.

As for photo gear my favorite was a 20-35 zoom. Since then the new 17-35 or 18-35 zooms would be great too. Having a wide angle allows you to concentrate on the climber while still keeping his/her position in perspective.

 

[glbeas]

Oh! one last tip.......dont drop the camera, they dont glide very well!...

Be safe and have fun.....

I can attest to that, seeing one end a 210 foot leap into oblivion while waiting at the bottom of a pit for a companion to rappel down. The camera strap had unclipped itself. It landed upside down on the flash and exploded, scaring me half to death. I thought from the sound of it falling I'd see a human body impact. Oddly enough the lens survived in perfect condition.