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philbox
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Apr 26, 2007, 2:34 AM
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Registered: Jun 27, 2002
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Hit me peeps. The above pic was taken with me suspended about 40 metres above the deck and about 25 metres out from the wall. This location is an outrageously overhung section of Mt. Coolum on the Sunshine Coast of Oz in Queensland.
I want to get even further out from the wall and take a pic in the early morning light which should highlight the wall nicely. I reckon if I centre the pic more closely on the orange rock where the climber is aproaching then the weirdness of the splayed columns will become more stark. The problem is that I also want to gain some perspective of the surrounding countryside which has got some beautiful sugar cane fields and then further around is the wonderful surf beaches of southern Queensland. I want it all in but may have to put up with just the cane fields and a few houses on farms to go along with the climber and belayer in the cave.
We call it a cave but in reality it is merely a very deep overhang of columnar rhyolite weathered by the salt borne winds of the nearby ocean. There is some gobsmackingly beautiful rock in that cave too. On closer inspection the columnar rhyolite is truncated cleanly in the main but exhibits many weird weather worn shapes like huge donkey doodles and boobs and cow udders.
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lhwang
Apr 26, 2007, 2:56 AM
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Looks like an awesome place to climb.
I think you did a great job of capturing the texture and the colours of the rock.
Can you post a link to a bigger version of this photo? I'm having some trouble in terms of the perspective of the shot. ie is the guy in the red shirt on the ground or at a hanging belay?
Aside from that, I feel the climber is not in a particularly exciting pose. But overall, I like the photo!
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philbox
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Apr 26, 2007, 3:04 AM
Post #3 of 10
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Yes the belayer is indeed at a hanging belay on a somewhat slopey ledge. He is aprox 20 metres off the ground to start with. It is really hard to show just how overhung this wall really is. From where some of the climbs start is is about 30 metres out to where a rope hangs from the lip of the cave. You can imagine how that affects the terrain that one has to pass over whilst climbing. It is very very sustained, now how to capture that feeling is what is bothering me. Even from the side it is problematic insofar as many jutting protrusions interfere with ones viewpoint.
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8flood8
Apr 26, 2007, 4:31 PM
Post #4 of 10
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maybe moving more to a profile of the climbing team would emphasize the overhung nature of the route.
i think it would be best above the climbers and farther right of the photogs original position
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coreydacat
Apr 30, 2007, 8:31 PM
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i think 8food8's idea is on the money -- that way you could get the overhangy section to the climber's left to really pop out. also, this is just a personal preference, but i'm not too keen on the frogger position the climber is in... to each their own. thanks for sharing.
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melekzek
Apr 30, 2007, 9:35 PM
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Registered: Nov 16, 2002
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i want a fickin poster from this image !!!!1111
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hrtmnstrfr
May 9, 2007, 3:16 AM
Post #7 of 10
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Registered: Aug 27, 2006
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Everything about this image is perfect. The white balance/color is especially superb.
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sonyhome
May 31, 2007, 8:23 AM
Post #8 of 10
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I feel compelled to throw sand in the philbox, since everybody's just praising...
- it's too small to fully appreciate :(
- I would've liked more focus on the rock structure, aka a lil more on the left and bottom. I almost have a feel of a crater from the geometry but not quite.
- The leader position is indeed not the best. It's your fault as you probbably have shots from other moments. A lot of it is about the right timing with the leader's action.
- Furthermore the leader is too centered. The belayer is pushed to a corner, but I think that kind of extreme shot would benefit from the leader being higher (and also bigger on the pic).
- If possible, a little more contrast at the bottom
- Hanging draw seems out of place.
For the overhang, maybe you're a little too low, and from a few feet upyou'd have more of a plunging view, and with the distortion create more warp that emphasizes distortion. Changing view angles would be a different photo composition altogether and you'd loose the current rock geometry.
You could also shoot when the leader attacks the top overhang.
Recap:
a couple of feet higher, keep the widest lens, wait for the leader to approach and attacks the last overhang, possibly you get a shot of his reddish face suffering on the move while he paws for the next sloppy jug.
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philbox
Moderator
May 31, 2007, 9:59 PM
Post #9 of 10
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Yeah, I have pics from a higher viewpoint but the vanishing point effect is lost. I also have some slightly wider pics that bring in the vegetation out to the left and down but that then distracts from the overall vanishing point effect. Yes, I could have waited until the leader was higher, that is a point I will give you. I do intent to go back and reshoot at some time in the future.
Thanks for all of your constructive criticism. I will also say that I don't think I have ever taken a pic that I am entirely happy with. I am always striving for perfection. I would also suggest that if ever perfection were achieved in my eyes then another viewer would not like what I present. I think that one of the problems with photography is that it is a static image and we see the real world in moving images and on top of that if we do not like what we are seeing we can simply move our point of view to check out something more interesting around the corner or just wait until the view improves.
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deepplaymedia
Jun 2, 2007, 1:27 AM
Post #10 of 10
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Registered: Sep 30, 2005
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which is why im getting into video... :D
i dont think its a problem, just a challenge to capture 'the moment' that encompasses & communicates the vibe
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