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tenn_dawg
Jul 11, 2003, 12:29 AM
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Okay, here are a few shots that I took a couple weeks back. I met these 2 climbers at the crag, by accident really, and they were kind enough to let me photograph them.
Well, In exchange, they made me set up their TR anchors. NBD though because I needed the PP for my rap setup anyway.
I took these with a short zoom from rappel with a grigri and an ascender rig so I could move up and down the rope. These are just a few of the ones I took, and are my favorites.
Hit me with some serious criticism. Feel free to bash away if you like, or offer suggestions. You're not going to hurt my feelings, I have no illusions of being a good photographer, but I'm trying to get there.
#1http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=15560
#2http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=15561
#3http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=15562
#4http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=15563
And a bouldering Pic without a facehttp://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=15565
Bring it on!!
Travis
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calpolyclimber
Jul 11, 2003, 12:36 AM
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They look good to me. It looks like you have the right ideas for camera angles and the quality of the picture looks pretty good as well. I think from here on, what's going to make or break your pictures is what's in them. I'm sure you know these things as well as me, but generally pictures of people on lead are more interesting, and maybe zoom out a little to show some exposure. I like that first one, how it has some background to it. This is coming from a guy who is not a photographer, but I think you really have the right idea. Keep up the good work, and keep posting them.
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coldclimb
Jul 11, 2003, 12:38 AM
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Looks like you've got the idea down, cause the angles are all great. I'd keep taking them like that, and I think you'll wind up with some good ones.
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xanx
Jul 11, 2003, 12:42 AM
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i like the bouldering one the most.
get rid of the top ropes!! no one likes pics of TR, gyms, or but shots (unless u are terribly creative...).
the angle isn't terrible, but it makes it hard to see the moves accurately.
click here to see what makes a top photographer... Jorg is one of the best (other people have higher rated photos, but i doubt anyone else on this site is as consistent with magazine quality shots of people on beautiful and very difficult lines...)
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tenn_dawg
Jul 11, 2003, 12:48 AM
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That's the thing about grabing your camera and some rap/ascending gear and heading to the crag. You don't get to choose how your subjects climb.
These would look better if they were leading though.
Travis
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climbsomething
Jul 11, 2003, 1:00 AM
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#1) seems a twee bit overexposed
EDIT to add: not a slight against the fact that he's TRing, per se- I don't care about the climber's style. However, the length of rope over him draws my eye away from the climber. Perhaps you could have cropped this to make it a strong vertical? Take out some extraneous rope, and also some of the washed out horizon, to include mostly the climber, the foliage and smaller wall behind him?
#2) good. I would have wanted her looking up just a tad more though, but I am only really quibbling. second-best of the bunch.
#3) the best of the bunch. the girl might not think it's a complimentary shot of her, but it shows good emotion/exertion.
#4) what's the streak of blue-ish light? (in the upper portion, mostly over some foliage). Nice use of the rule of 3rds and the natural background, though.
#5) I like this shot. It also seems slightly washed out, and the soft focus may not be for everybody, but the long wavy ponytail provides a point of focus suitable in the place of a face.
I'm just an amateur too 8) I applaud you for asking for criticism. I'm a weenie. I just quietly post mediocre pics and hope nobody bashes me ;)
So what if they're toprope shots? Don't get me started! :x Technically speaking, Travis is doing nicely with his pics.
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tyify
Jul 11, 2003, 1:36 AM
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The first guy looks constipated...Anyways..these arn't bad photos..a wee bit washed out but not to bad...The angles arn't to bad....Get rid of the toprope though....doesn't look near as cool!!
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tenn_dawg
Jul 11, 2003, 1:48 AM
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For anyone who cares to see it, HERE is a link to my portfolio over at www.photo.net. I need to take the negatives down to the camera shop and get them digitized professionally. They're charging 60 cents per slide, and 45 cents per negative though, and I've got about 2 hundred.
The flat top (whatever it's called) scanner at school hurts my exposure, and smears some contrast out. Or mabey someone could buy me a 10D!
http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=296347
Travis
(PS, Hillary, I've seen your pictures that you hid on your website, quite by accident really. You have got a GREAT eye. Your abstract works with colors and light are VERY good, as are your landscapes :) )
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jt512
Jul 11, 2003, 2:09 AM
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In reply to: #3) the best of the bunch. the girl might not think it's a complimentary shot of her, but it shows good emotion/exertion.
Actually, I like #2 better than #3. I think the climber's body position is more aesthetic in #2, and it still looks like she's pulling a move. In #3 her body position and facial expression make her look like she's taking a dump.
-Jay
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tenn_dawg
Jul 11, 2003, 2:29 AM
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:lol: :lol:
Travis
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tenn_dawg
Jul 11, 2003, 2:40 AM
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In reply to: "Taking a dump" will always be one of those great oxymorons, like "cold as hell." You don't exactly TAKE a dump, or for that matter, a piss. You are LEAVING the dump. Expelling it from your colon and abandoning it to your cathole, pit toilet, or city sewage system. The only time you literally TAKE a dump is if you are giving a feces sample to your friendly county health representative. (For all matters of sh*t collection in the name of health and science, I defer to our resident epidemiologist, jt512)
In reply to: In #3 her body position and facial expression make her look like she's taking a dump.
Ahhh, the irony...
Travis
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climbsomething
Jul 11, 2003, 2:49 AM
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/\ /\ /\ /\ not mere coincidence ;) :lol:
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thurgood
Jul 11, 2003, 4:05 AM
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when you say "taking a dump", you are talking about taking the time to do the act. its not an oxymoron, you just dont understand the ifner points of elnglish
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thurgood
Jul 11, 2003, 4:09 AM
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and cold as hell is a sarcastic phrase, also not an oxkyjmoron
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thurgood
Jul 11, 2003, 4:09 AM
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its actaully a simile
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kriso9tails
Jul 11, 2003, 4:14 AM
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The composition doesn't work for me on any of the shots to be truthful.
[edit]Any of the shots except for the second that is.[edit]
#1, 3, and 4 lead my eyes clean through the left side of the shot. #4 is the worst for this, largely because of the fact that the climber is about to climb out of the picture. It's not always true, but often when you place a subject to an extremity (e.g. far left) and they are facing or moving into that same direction then it gives an awkward feel. To top it off you have an overexposed section on the right so it feels like my eyes are trying to move in opposite directions, and it basically gives me a static sensation.
Picture five also feels static to me. My eyes just lock on to the image, but can find no direction. A large part of it is that the subect is dead centre. There are lots of occasions where placing the subject dead centre is appropriate, but I don't see this as one of them. Personally I would move around just a little to the right to catch a little more of the profile of his face and plce the climber lower in the picture (I'd place the chalk bag halfway between where it sits now and the bottom of the image. The other problem is the exposure... but that can be corrected easily in photoshop... unless you have some ethical stand point agains such manipulation (some people think it's cheating).
Picture two is the best in my judgement. I think that this shot has the best composition of the five, and the only thing that subtracts from it is the little patch of green in the bottom left, but for the most part it flows well, and the subject matter is well placed and posed, and generally appealing to the eye.
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tradkelly
Jul 11, 2003, 4:19 AM
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I'd pick #3 over #2 in general, but I'd be more impressed with them with a wider shot and still great focus on the subject. I like seeing the surroundings more, which'll take a wider lens and (if digi) more res capability. But then, I like big pics. For focusing on a climber, I think making certain you have their entire body in the frame is important, as well as capturing some of the terrain features (like the outside edge of the LF dihedral in the BG). Color balance is more difficult with all of those factors, but it's more visually appealing overall. IMHO.
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dymondbak37
Jul 11, 2003, 4:23 AM
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You should take more pictures of the girl, man she's hot.
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sid_rock
Jul 11, 2003, 4:23 AM
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Worst. Pics. Ever.
(You never said you were looking for constructive criticism.)
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jt512
Jul 11, 2003, 4:28 AM
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In reply to: Looking for some criticism...
You worthless excuse for a climbing photographer. Not only can't you photograph, you couldn't climb your way out of a paper bag with a headlamp.
Wait, that's not criticism.
Yes it is.
No it isn't.
Now you're just contradicting.
No, I'm not.
Yes, you are. You just did it again.
-Jay
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krillen
Jul 11, 2003, 1:55 PM
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Three things I get accused of doing in my photographs that I've noticed in yours:
1.) Bullseye-ing (dead-centering) your subjects. It's hard to show movement when you have the subject dead center...bullseye tends to be boring...but not ALL the time, it has it's place too.
2.) Cutting limbs off: in #3 you cut that poor girl's feet off, and it's distracting. You could have zoomed out slighlty, or zoomed in and accentuated the great expression on her face. This would have been my choice. An upper torso and head shot showing how she's working for that next move.
3.) Hot spots: The photos that show a piece of the sky, are more distracting because you have these bright areas in your exposure. This draws your eye away from the subject. If you have an interesting sky that you want to use as another subject within the shot, then you have to expose for it. Right now they are blown out brighter grey spots. (The reverse is also true, i.e. what Kris said about the vegetation being distrating).
I am constantly being constructively criticized because I keep shooting in midday sun. The probelm is, you end up with harsh light and uneven exposure, and very contrasting shadows. If you can pan your camera up and left on these shots, you minimize the distratign features and let the viewer concentrate on your subject.
Lasty, the boulder shot. I don't like it. As Kris said, it's very static, there's no movement to it. Also I'm not a big fan of soft focus (or is it out of focus?). Bouldering is supposed to be this powerful, fast, exciting sport, and soft focus doesnt' say that...to me at least...The last thing is EYES... You need to see the climbers eyes. It helps you connect with the subject. Notice with #3 everyone is talking about her facial expression? Especially when you are that close to your climber and they make up the majority of the shot. This isn't necessary when youa re taking a shot of a beautiful setting and a climber happens to be in it. They aren't the main subject. In your shot he is.
hope these help.
CHeers
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akornylak
Jul 12, 2003, 4:59 AM
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Hi Travis, and everyone else.
First of all, I compliment your willingness to take real criticism. That alone will guarantee improvement.
Nothing stands out from a first glance at all the photos. Thats good and bad, it means there are no glaring problems from an aesthetic or compositional point of view, but it also means there is nothing particularly interesting about any one photo.
Thats the simplest and best test of your photography, if you are interested in getting a positive response from other people - throw a bunch of photos up and glance at them. Try to give it a fresh eye. Does anything stand out? Is that good or bad?
Most people (not only photo editors, but the average viewer of photography) dont go past this step.
Now look at the ones that dont stand out and try to figure out why. For example, #4 and #5 have exposure problems. #3 is split down the middle, which seems to create too much compositional tension. #1 has good action but there is a lot of uninteresting rock in the foreground.
Note all the things you wish were better about each shot. Like, wouldnt it be great if #2 didnt have the bolt there, and if her body was separated a little more from the rock,with her limbs in a more recognizable position, and maybe wearing more color, and with mote of that great great Tennessee foilage on the rock behind her, and fog setting in on the Tennessee Valley below. Now were talking. Get creative with stuff that *isnt* there, because next time youll be looking for those situations. Some of that you can control, some of it you cant.
Also, realize that you are showing climbing photos to climbers who have looked at thousands of climbing images. Climbing is a "mature" subject for this audience, so they will be expecting a lot more. From your web site I can see that you are skilled with a camera and have a good eye for things you see around you in everyday life. I like the tractor. It embodies an old tractor, without showing much. Your brother at Lily is a great one too. Forget about the feet. The red hat, double t-shirt and expression make it, and very natural - a kid brother portait, he also happens to be climbing, in kind light.
- Andrew
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cjcalls
Jul 12, 2003, 5:21 AM
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:roll: :oops: :cry: :lol: :( :o :) :shock: :evil: :!: :!: :!: 1111111111
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thomasribiere
Jul 14, 2003, 10:33 AM
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I'm not sure that on #3 the foot is out of the picture...it's just hidden by the knee I guess...
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kcrag
Jul 14, 2003, 11:58 PM
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Travis,
The climbing pics are just fine. That's great that you had the opportunity to rap down and shoot. Good experience. Your shooting angle is nice. Maybe sometime soon, you can get some bad a$$ climbers to shoot while they are leading. If so, just click the shutter like a madman and perhaps you'll capture the right moment.
As for scanning... buy a scanner and do it yourself. You'll save more money than you can imagine. I'd suggest the Epson Perfection 1280. Although it's a flatbed, it is capable of scanning chromes and negs up to 4x5. I think it's around $350 with the rebate. I did extensive research before buying, and I'm very pleased with all of my scans on it so far.
I checked out your photo website. You MUST photoshop the pic of your cat jumping for the ball to make it look like he/she's buildering. That's a great one!
-kelly.
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