|
verticallaw
Apr 18, 2002, 9:16 PM
Post #1 of 9
(2301 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 21, 2002
Posts: 552
|
O.K. I have been climbing a while and climb mostly sport routes. I have been doing photography for some time as well. Unfortunatly I have never mixed the two. I will be going out this weekend specifically to take pictures of my team.
What we are planning is for me to rap halfway down a route (single pitch) and station. One of my partners will lead the route next to me. From there I should be able to take pictures at will. The question that plauges me is the fact that I will be stationed mid route where there is no station. Any ideas on this would be helpfull also if anyone does climbing photography please send me some ideas so that I can try them out
Thanks in advance
Mike
|
|
|
|
|
jmlangford
Apr 18, 2002, 9:34 PM
Post #2 of 9
(2301 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 2, 2001
Posts: 1569
|
Get a Petzl Shunt or similar device to lock off wherever you want to stop to take pictures. Then it can also be used as an ascender to go up a few feet, etc. if needed.
|
|
|
|
|
saltspringer
Apr 19, 2002, 11:48 AM
Post #3 of 9
(2301 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 12, 2001
Posts: 274
|
A prusik or leg wrap also works but one thing to consider os that when you're on the route on rap you'll be close in to the rock which can limit your perspective severely. You'll get the dramatic bird's eye view perspective but since you're so close to the rock your view will include only very limited points of interest. Try looking around the crag a bit before you commit to an on-rappel setup: they're usually uncomfortable & without a proper rig you need to contort yourself to turn around to face down for the shot!
|
|
|
|
|
verticallaw
Apr 19, 2002, 5:45 PM
Post #4 of 9
(2301 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 21, 2002
Posts: 552
|
great. Will using the leg wrap with a prussik back up be sufficiant? I think that it should be. I checked into the Petzel Shunt but was advised at the store to just invest in some assenders. Any thoughts or are they just trying to get me to buy more gear. Also as far as prespective, I will be taking the majority of pictures horizontally to me as the routes that we have selected have very flat features and will be very close to where I intend to set up. What about different prerspectives ( on angle, shots of foot and hand holds, Black and white etc.) any one done this? And just to clairify what did you mean by "without a proper rig"?
Thanks
Mike
|
|
|
|
|
cook
Apr 19, 2002, 6:48 PM
Post #5 of 9
(2301 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 34
|
Try a mule knot or if you use a muenter, go with the muenter mule...
I have found this to work great when I need to free both hands. Check out this link
wac.icomm.ca/classes/climbingclass/knots/Mule.html
Also, you can attach a prusik above the knot to ascend (if not continuing to rappel).
|
|
|
|
|
saltspringer
Apr 20, 2002, 6:39 AM
Post #6 of 9
(2301 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 12, 2001
Posts: 274
|
most pro climbing photographers use a tripod type system that keeps them anchored out well away from the cliff: sort of like a huge, adjustable tripod that sits horizontally instead of vertically. Because you can vary your distance from the cliff face with these rigs you're able to get a more dramatic effect in a lot of cases and you're also giving yourself more choices as far as composition is concerned (more or less foregrounding of subject; more or less of the entire route visible, etc...)
|
|
|
|
|
tim
Apr 21, 2002, 5:06 PM
Post #7 of 9
(2301 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 4, 2002
Posts: 4861
|
'tis called a boom (see Jeff Achey's book 'Climbing PHotography') and it sucks. Building a boom sucks. Carrying a boom sucks. Working with one... well, we'll find out this season, I'm not looking forward to it, but on the other hand I'm hoping it will give me the out-from-the-wall perspective I want.
Much more ideal is to scout out a vantage point for a specific climb or move or whatever, and rap down to there. Spider out your belay device on a sling girth hitched to your harness, back it up with a klemheist on a locker right at your waist (eg. locked to your belay loop), and back it up with an 8 on a bight to the locker if you're going to be hanging out for a while (oooh, your nuts will just LOOOOVE that... trust me).
Oh, and use a fast lens, a zoom if you can afford it, a prime if you can't... Epperson himself (the Great Master) sings the praises of an 85/1.4, for example, and said that he doesn't much care for long lenses. Oddly enough, his firmest advice to me was 'get a good tripod and use it religiously'. I guess you could kill two birds with one stone by finding one of those monster 9-foot-tall old Gitzos on eBay and carting that around with you at the crag
[ This Message was edited by: jabbeaux on 2002-04-21 10:09 ]
|
|
|
|
|
psych
Apr 21, 2002, 6:13 PM
Post #8 of 9
(2301 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 30, 2002
Posts: 416
|
I don't have a lot to contribute to this thread myself, but maybe some will find this usefull (if not, it's a fantastic site with the some of the best pictures I've seen):
http://www.gdargaud.net/Photo/ClimbingPhotoTips.html
I've dabbled, but I'm still in the 'ass shot' zone, this year I'll be attempting some above the climb shots, and borrowing a nice long telephoto lense for my Minolta (the older metal kind, 80's, before they started to suck). Face shots are where it's at...
Mike...
|
|
|
|
|
jgorris
Apr 21, 2002, 7:47 PM
Post #9 of 9
(2301 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 30, 2002
Posts: 124
|
Boson's chair. Don't forget your jugs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
