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awsclimber
May 11, 2002, 6:13 AM
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How does everybody feel about taking pictures while on a climb? I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority, but I really don't like them too much. Hauling around a camera is kinda of a pian and the only reason you'd really need them is to show other people what you climbed. I climb for myself so don't really see the point, plus pictures rarely provide insight into the true nature of the adventure. I'd like to hear your thoughts. Climb Safe
Adam
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old_school
May 11, 2002, 6:24 AM
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Registered: Oct 17, 2001
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I don't actually carry one while I climb, but I think photography is one of the funest things to do. Nothing better than finding the right angel with the perfect background and subject. Unless your going fast and light, and if you enjoy photography, carry it, it will add to the experience. I love it.
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crackaddict
May 12, 2002, 1:09 AM
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I agree that the shots you get of eachother climbing are'nt the best ie. "butt shots!"
But I am glad to bring it with me to have a lot of good scenic shots and being able to show and tell of my ascents!
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psych
May 12, 2002, 2:42 AM
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Pictures provide that way to look back and remember what you did and how it felt at the time, that's why I go shutter happy when climbing!
I haven't taken a camera up with my on a climb itself yet, but I'll likely be doing that next time (on something I won't fall and smash it into the wall on).
I climb for myself, but I really enjoy showing others how cool it was as well. There's a little ego in everyone, enjoy it! :-)
Mike...
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sharmagod
May 12, 2002, 3:49 AM
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I think its awesome seeing pictures of people doing a route.It shows alot about a place, the climb and the climber.There are a lot of great pictures on RC.com so Im glad climbers do take pictures of other climbers.Keep it up!!!
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nikegirl
May 12, 2002, 5:03 AM
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In the First official Joshua Tree Gathering. I used a digital camera...164 picture card...
brought the laptop computer...downloaded daily.
At the end of two days???
644 shots!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have them all still!
So, what I say is this...
I love to see the pictures, after the climb.
It's nice to see progressive moves.
Bad form, and critique yourself. I think those who see the pictures, I've taken(secretly) love to look at themselves.
When, if ever, do most get to see themselves climb?
To be able to see you're arms, forearms, and backs...
Pictures, that I've seen of myself...
I admit, are like maps of my climbing, and my technique,and finally my physique.
I'll forever take pictures.
I will always love to see them.
I get incredibly melancholy looking at the Gathering at Josh.
Pictures... are gateway into our lives.
My camera will go with me always.
~now~ a romote...rocks, too!!!
I'm getting used to using the remote
muuuuwwwaaahhhhhaaahhhaaaaa!!
T
(oh, and??? I secretly love the chalk imbedded in/and all over my camera...) I'M SICK! hehe!!
[ This Message was edited by: nikegirl on 2002-05-11 22:08 ]
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rrrADAM
May 12, 2002, 12:26 PM
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I disagree...
I carry a beat up old point and shoot, that has taken all the pics I've submitted to the site. Check "photos posted by rrradam" in my profile and you'll see that most come out really well.
I do a lot of road tripping, so I do at least two albums a year. Of 500 pics taken, 150 go into an album, and of that 150, maybe 10 are submitted to the site. For good shots, the angle is the most important, followed closely by taking lots of pics, since the majority will be trash.
BTW... My point and shoot is clipped to my harness with a biner, with a little padded bag to protect it.
rrrADAM
[ This Message was edited by: rrradam on 2002-05-12 05:27 ]
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hoonah
May 12, 2002, 1:07 PM
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I haven't taken any pics (at least until now) but i do believe it's a wonderful way of remembering that special day when u could finally get to the top or that damn day u fell!
Anyway, i think that climbing shots as any other pic, are like a reflection of a moment and whenever u look at that picture again...u have the same feeling as when u were there. It brings u sweet moments...so i say...become a pic-addicted!
Take care,
Laura
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k2exp2010
May 14, 2002, 2:19 PM
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You're right. Photgraphs don't capture the true experience of your climb. They don't show that smear or relay to the viewer just how painful that lean-back on a fist-jam really was. But, they do capture a more abstract idea of what it's about.
You climb for yourself, so pictures of your climbs could remind you of that event. When you're 534 years old, you'll find them stored away in a trunk somewhere and you'll have an easier time reliving that climb. For others, it's a great conversation starter.
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tim
May 14, 2002, 4:26 PM
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Registered: Apr 4, 2002
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It's mildly amusing to bring along a light-weight camera for easier routes, but fundamentally, if you want good pictures, you generally have to concentrate on photography (getting a good angle, making sure the lighting is ok and using fill flash if it isn't, and just being there at the decisive moment to capture it). This precludes climbing at the same time. Grab shots notwithstanding, it's what all the pros do, and it's what I'm moving towards.
For a while I carried my camera with me on all climbs, and that yielded some good shots, but my "vision" of what I want to convey with pictures has changed, and it's just not possible to get good, tight, decisive action shots while climbing, not least because a guy on toprope just isn't very interesting.
I could see alternating bouldering and photography, since there's no real commitment there. And on alpine or ice routes you just climb with another party, or accept that you will get record shots. But for the most part, the effort required to get really good pictures tends to preclude hard or committing climbing. Plus, cameras do weigh a nonzero amount. So lately I'll leave the camera at home if I don't feel like I can commit some time to just photography. I'm trying to obtain one of those marvelous "pancake" lenses for the older SLRs, which will let me carry a fully capable compact SLR at under a pound or so weight penalty (eg. less than a #4 Camalot) and thus I won't have to choose when I go places like the Needles or Looking Glass or Old Rag.
YMMV
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jumaringjeff
May 14, 2002, 5:13 PM
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I just got a Canon digital camera that's small and light enough to take climbing without being a nuisance. Plus you can check out the photo right after you take it to see if it came out well or not.
Tuns of fun...
-jj
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tim
May 14, 2002, 6:19 PM
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I have a Coolpix and I dragged it around for a while (in fact we dragged it up to Charlotte Dome and the Matthes Crest, among other monster humps), but it really aggravated me that it would sometimes take a very long time to fire the shutter, even after autofocusing, metering, etc. That sucked. It also guzzled batteries. I hear that the newer digicams (esp. the Canons) are much more efficient with batteries. But, the ability to do selective focus with fast lenses, and the lag time, have kept me using an old, small Nikon (FA) for most stuff. I tried a pro-model Fuji digital SLR in the Needles one time and it misbehaved, costing my father and I (and some guys we met from Boone) a full day of great shots. That made me really, really leery of digicams.
I will be ecstatic when the digital 35mm SLRs get cheap and compact and reliable enough that I can ditch film entirely. While I have heard glowing reviews of the Canon digicams (G2, Elph-lookalikes) and seen them take some SERIOUS abuse (my friend Jenny dropped hers down the ramp below Ruper and it survived fine, I picked it up, put the memory card back in, and popped off a test shot), my friends with them say that they have the same lag problem. So, I have returned to film, and I am reasonably happy with the compromise. That's just my personal preference; I have taken pictures that I liked with just about everything under the sun (disposable cameras, old Olympus point-and-shoots, pro digital SLRs on rental) and I found that my favorite shots came out of an SLR where I could control things best.
YMMV, of course. As you point out, the key is to take a lot of shots and see what works!
[ This Message was edited by: jabbeaux on 2002-05-14 11:23 ]
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saltspringer
May 16, 2002, 2:55 AM
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Registered: Oct 12, 2001
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OK, alot of the time pics are what inspire other people to go climbing: there's nothing more enjoyable than coming home from s trip & presenting a slide show of shots that make the people who stayed home jealous! I guess I'm in the minority in this thread in that I carry a proper SLR (Nikon F90x or F3) on quite a few climbs so that I can capture slides (no digital, thanks!). I find that most of the time it's worth the effort to drag along at least one body & maybe a couple of lenses. I've carried two bodies & three lenses but found that I didn't have enough time or energy to really use all of the gear that I hauled up with me. Now, I bring one body with either a 20-35mm or 35-105mm depending on how long a route I'm doing. I love seeing photos of other climbers & I love it when people get great shots of me! In the off-season, the photos keep me going
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minjin
May 23, 2002, 12:35 AM
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Registered: Apr 23, 2002
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on the rare events that i take my camera with me, it's to go bouldering. it's a lot easier to get good bouldering pictures. i take the body, a classic Canon AE-1, and my 50mm and 70-210mm lenses, along with a few filters. stash it all in a pack, stuff the pack in the crash pad. the few shots i've taken so far have turned out reasonably well. it's nice to have documentation of the places you've been and the things you've climbed.
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verticallaw
May 24, 2002, 3:45 PM
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Registered: Mar 21, 2002
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I have a old Konica SLR that I take climbing with me always!! It cost me about $160.00 with extra lenses so I'm not to concerned if it gets damadged. But I also go shutter happy while at the crags... For me it is a way to capture a feel of a route or that one beautifull moment when you top the route and turn around to finally look at the view. My climbing pictures mean little to others because I don't take all of them to "capture climbing" I take them to bring myself back to that moment of triumph of defeat. I also have a blast at useing the larger lenses and getting shots of some of the more unknowm things (shitty hand and foot holds in use, expresions, area, approach) I find that this yeilds some exellant pictures and all of us at the end of the day go for beer when they have finished deveolping and mark our notes on the back. This usually yeilds some interesting topics and lets me see where they where in their head when the shot was taken. (my favorite comment was from a partner as he came over the lip that I had rapped to. Said with a hint of confusion " hey man how the hell are you able to just stand there??!?!?!" the picture of his expresion is priceless!!)
Mike
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