10 Comments

1. Austin
   May 25, 2009 at 1:51 am | Permalink

   First of all, congrats on the publication! It’s gotta feel amazing to get a full page in R&I.

   As for a critique I will offer my best, but just to let you know I am signed on to learn with you throughout your ’slave’ labor with Kemple Media.

   I sort of understand the crit of the location…on the other hand…as a climber on the east coast, I never climb/see rock like in your image. Yes, I think a wider lens would show the exposure and would enhance the drama you already captured in the climbers facial expression and body. But the texture and contrast created by the location (that specific rock wall) really adds to your image. The diffused natural lighting is also something I think really works for your image. Harsh light from the sun or a strobe would compete too much with an already complex background.

   I think it’s a good image and it’s awesome you got it published. I hope any part of my crit made sense.

   Maybe you could describe your ideal location for this shot and also explain your process in making this image? Were you hanging on a line? standing on a ledge? shooting for fun? for a client? anything extra you could add would be awesome.

   Like I said before, I am looking forward to learning through your experiences this summer. Keep up the work and have fun, you’re in a really good place.

2. Pat_Bagley
   May 26, 2009 at 12:09 am | Permalink

   Yo Austin,
   Thanks for the comment; it’s rad to think we’re reaching people out there! The story behind in this photo is sort of funny. I was hanging out at Potrero Chico, Mexico last January. This area is good, but not nearly good as El Salto. The problem is that El Salto is a hectic 2-3 hour drive from Potrero, complete with crazy traffic, corrupt cops, and a little 4-wheeling. I didn’t have car, so there was a constant game to convince people to let me join them as they left Potrero for El Salto. This time I told the subject (Ulric), that I would “take pictures” if he let me join his crew. Needless to say, this was far from a professional photo-shoot.
   I did, however, try really hard. This wall gets harsh morning sun, which, as you mentioned, would be undesirable (plus, the sun was too hot to climb in). I had belayed Ulric on the route the evening before the “photo shoot,” so I knew where the crux was and roughly what type of body positions the crux demanded (i.e. was Ulric going to be facing left? Or right? Etc.). With that information I chose a nearby bolted line to drop a fixed line from, so I could ascend the rope and scope out various angles. I don’t know how familiar you are with climbing, however, I will say that bolted sport-climbs make it easy to shoot because you have anchor points at regular intervals to clip into and get comfy in your harness and start snapping photos.
   Without geeking out too much on technical climbing jargon (let me know if you want the spray down), I was able to use the climbing rope I was hanging from to set a up pulley system that ran from my harness to a tree on the ground, and back up to me; this sucked me out from the wall and a little towards the subject and gave me the “in the middle of nowhere” angle. I’ve heard of photographers accomplishing a similar effect by pushing themselves far away from of the wall by strapping silts to their feet, but who knows if that’s true.
   As for Tim’s main criticism about the location: it’s true that limestone (the type of rock pictured here) is foreign to many Eastcoasters, but it is actually really common throughout the climbing world: Utah, Arizona, Mexico, Canada, China, Vietnam, Spain, France, etc. The stuff is everywhere and is often photographed. As you flip through the mags, keep your eyes open for limestone, you’ll be surprised how often you see it. What I am saying is that, an interest texture to the wall is not enough to qualify for interesting scenery. Could I do the shoot again, I would try to show how far away from the ground Ulric was, BUT REALLY, this comes back to the larger topic of location. Tim is really good at this. For a prime example (and an other example of a climbers on tufa’ed limestone) see the award-winning shot of Emily Harrington climbing in China on the front-page of Tim’s main site http://www.kemplemedia.com – that is great scenery, complete with great action and great lighting.
   Thanks for checking out the site and stay current! Tomorrow I’m rolling out to a photo-assistant workshop put on the American Society of Media Photographers in Boston. I should have some good tips to share!
   -Pat.

3. Steve
   May 27, 2009 at 2:23 pm | Permalink

   Pat,

   I think you’ve got a pretty good eye for photography. I looked over your self-critique and couldn’t really think of too much to add, kid.

   I think a more saturated shirt would have helped, for sure, but I kind of like how the white, blue and tan in the climber are the same three colors as in the rock. I understand that the climber blends into the rock as a consequence, but kind of enjoyed the effect.

   In future shots, also, consider framing the climber lower in your shot, to show us more of what’s up ahead and give us a sense not of where your subject was or is, but where your subject will be going. That’ll really hit the “story” home.

   Keep up the good work!

4. Pat_Bagley
   May 27, 2009 at 5:36 pm | Permalink

   Steve,
   Thanks for the C&Cs and staying current with the site! Stay tuned for more!
   -Pat.

5. Austin
   May 28, 2009 at 9:18 pm | Permalink

   Thanks for the response Pat. I am very familiar with climbing, and will try using the bolts like you mentioned.

   Could you give the spray down on the set-up?

   Thanks again, man. I really do appreciate the response.

6. lucas
   May 28, 2009 at 11:44 pm | Permalink

   Pat: Great image and props on landing images in the rags. I all but gave up on the glory, way to go!

   For me, the facial expression is the thing selling the photograph. I know the feeling he’s experiencing and it’s blatant on his mug. I enjoy some the swooping colors, but I could definitely enjoy more of it with a wider angle. The tufa cut off at the bottom bugs me.

   As mentioned above, the zoom/angle choice could be better, but life is on the fly, especially when you are in the moment. Composition is fairly centered, which makes the image somewhat static.
   What did you have mounted here? 24-70 (written as a 30mm lens? Wha?) ? What’s with the fairly high ISO?

   I imagine you were bursting through shots during this moment. I think it’d be nice (and educational to the rest of us) to see the other images directly around this one, i.e. the moment leading up to this and the crux catch directly afterwards. With all the expression in this image, I would think that the trailing images would also be in the hottness. — Or maybe he didn’t make the move? His belay looks pretty tight. He certainly wasn’t going to fall far.

   Any post work via LR ? – Cheers

7. Pat_Bagley
   June 3, 2009 at 9:42 pm | Permalink

   Austin,

   Using a pulley to get far away from the wall is pretty simple, given a reliable anchor on the ground. The basic idea is that this anchor (say a sling around a tree) will re-direct your jugging line, and consequently, your body. This will only work if you are jugging a free-hanging line. Before you start jugging, clip the slack end of the jugging line to the ground anchor (re-directing off biners work fine, but a simple pulley will be smoother); then make sure to the attach the end of the line to your belay loop with a munter-mule or a gri-gri. This will create a closed system around your redirect ground anchor. In other words, after you’ve jugged up the rope, your jugging line will travel from your ascenders to the ground anchor (call this “strand A”), and from the anchor back up to your belay loop (call it “stand B”). Pull Stand B to pull away from the wall. I manipulate stand B with using a locker and a munter-mule attached to my belay loop, but a gri-gri would work as well.

   Make sure to anchor yourself far enough from the wall in order to have an effective pull (consider slinging a high up on a tree). Also, considering extending the anchor as far as possible, because this re-direct system uses 2 meters of rope for every 1 meter you ascend. Feel free to hit me up with questions, and I will try to post a pic of the system.

   Lucas,

   Thanks for the props man. I checked out your website http://www.lucasmarshall.com; it looks good!

   Tech details on the caption: the lens was 18-55mm. I forget the ISO; and to tell you the truth, I forgot to add the caption details when I submitted the pic, so apparently the publisher did their best to interpret the details. I guess that’s just how the sausage is made.

   No post work (LR or adobe) on my end.

   You are right that I was shooting rapid fire. Many images in the moment, and it is difficult to choose from. Previous to the shoot, the subject and I agreed that we weren’t going to pose this shot: I’m glad made this agreement, because the expressions are genuine: this guy is trying to send. I shot Ulric, taking two burns. Each time he was able to pull the crux (pictured), but fell at a redpoint crux a few bolts later. He sent a week later. This brings up an important point: is it “posing” if the subject doesn’t send for the camera?

   I’ll try to get some of the sequence images up… standby for more!

8. Ben
   June 13, 2009 at 8:16 am | Permalink

   Hey Pat,

   Lookin’ good buddy! Nice shot and critique. Might I also mention that your photo shows great texture of the rock and diagonal lines from the top right rock patterns and lower left rope that lead the viewer’s eye into the climber.

   I’m not sure how rowdy El Salto is, but I know El Potrero Chico boasts some of the best crag music with the wonderfully blaring “La Coocaracha” tunes screaming from the local’s pick up trucks. If only you could capture that energy in a photograph. Musical greeting card???

   Looking forward to your future p-graphs.

   -Ben

9. Dan
   June 19, 2009 at 1:05 am | Permalink

   Good job on getting in a mag! Feels great, doesn’t it?

   The only thing that really stands out to me is that’s too centered. I think a wider angle with the climber in the top left-ish area of the frame would have more of an impact.

   But, great timing with his expression!

   As for the climber not sending on the same try as this photo, I think that’s okay. As long as the caption doesn’t lie and say “So-and-So sending X route”.

   I take a lot of skateboarding photos, and it’s pretty common to use a different frame than the one that they landed the trick on. They’re still trying just as hard, but it might look better (timing, etc etc).

   I just recently got into climbing (about a year ago), so I’m not too familiar with all the rigging yet. A how-to post with photos about setting up anchors and pulleys would be awesome (iff you have the time, of course).

10. Jorge
    October 28, 2009 at 8:01 pm | Permalink

    Hi Pat
    I was wondering if you could do a basic draw of the system that you have described.

    thanks.

    keep up the good work.

    ./bras