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Question regarding climbing photography?
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Hi fellow climbers! I've recently gotten into sport climbing, and I've been pretty into photography for the past couple years and I own a DSLR with a few decent lenses. I'm going on a 3 week climbing trip around the country with some friends, and I was wondering about how to best keep my camera gear clean? I'm specifically worried about getting chalk in the camera/lens. How can you avoid that? Tips or tricks, etc? |
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Be thinking much more general than chalk. Dust, sand, moisture, even temperature variations will be problems to solve before they happen. My hubby was a pro for decades, back before digital, hauling around Nikon bodies and tons of lenses. He always had ways to sequester everything individually when headed out. At the least, learn to change lenses, or anything else that opens up the camera, without being able to see, so you can have a bag that functions as a "clean room" for this (dark room, in film days, lol) You'll also want to be thinking how to keep it all secure, in more ways than one, on and off the climbs, and while traveling. Better to not look like you're hauling a small fortune over your shoulder, but, really guard that bag nonetheless. Have fun! This ramps up both activities considerably! Best, OLH |
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It's worth getting UV filters for your lenses. I know, in other genres of photography people are offended by the idea of putting a cheap piece of glass in front of their $2500 L-series, or whatever. But for climbing it's super helpful, you're gonna manage to smack your front element into a rock eventually. |
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If they're nice lenses, they should be relatively weather-sealed. That will help with sand, dust, and chalk. If you're type-A, you can always get a can of compressed air and blast your stuff clean once in a while. Keeping chalk out is easy - clean your hands before using your camera or swapping lenses. And when packing, keep it very separate from the rest of your climbing gear. Again, if you have nice gear, I wouldn't worry about it. It's built to last. Have fun, and just say "no" to buttshots. |
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There are two strategies: 1. Bring your camera and do not climb. 2. Do not bring your camera and do climb. There is no multitasking in the real World. |
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I've lugged cameras big and small on mountains, crags, and into the back country. Mostly, they are up to the abuse if you don't drop them. I've never had a real problem with dust, dirt, and water, but I haven't been in a Sahara dust storm either. Cold weather also presents some problems. I use UV filters for lens protection, and I quickly wipe most of the chalk off my hands before using the DSLR. The main thing to remember is not to bring more gear than you can really use. If it lives in your pack, it might as will be left home. Carrying a DSLR or one of the smaller mirrorless rigs is a commitment to image quality over climbing speed and efficiency---you have to care. Photographing while climbing is usually going to slow down the climbing part a little---your partners have to be ok with that. On rock climbs, it helps to be the third person and so be relieved of belaying duty, and you should have a small personal rack and an effective personal tether so that you can set up quickly and effectively and have both hands free for shooting. If there's only two of you, the DSLR can come along on mountaineering routes with lots of walking on snow or climbing unroped, but once you are the only game in town for belaying, I'd ditch the big camera and go with a point-and-shoot, which you can manage one-handed while belaying. Most of the shots you get this way will suck, unless there are diagonal or traversing pictures that allow you to shoot climbers in profile. An iPhone is a possibility---make sure to find a case with a lanyard or you'll be coming home without it---but it is really hard to keep that tiny lens opening clean and I've gotten better results with a point-and-shoot. Instead of listening to total punters like me, I'd pay attention to some of the fantastic advice available on the internet. One of the best sources is John Griffith's site---this link is to his section on photo tips. http://alpineexposures.com/phototips. |
Pavel Burov wrote: Bullshit. All of my best photos, some of which have been published in magazines or used for advertising, were taken in between climbs. I have never taken a dedicated "photo day" on a climbing trip. Regarding climbing photography, you can have your cake and eat it too. Back on semi-topic: There are some other threads about climbing photography technique - particularly regarding setting up rigging for taking shots at heights. The OP should take a look, as they can lead to some genuinely dramatic shots. |
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Thanks for the replies everyone! Maybe I should be more specific about what I plan on doing and the gear I'm lugging: I'm planning on top roping routes next to my climbing partner (we'll be switching off), and getting side/top-side shots while climbing. I've figured out a decent harness attachment with the case and camera, so I'm not worried about dropping it. My primary worry was just climbing with chalky hands, then getting those chalky hands on the lens which might get underneath. I guess we'll see what happens. Gear: Canon 6D + 24mm Sigma Art 1.4, 50mm Sigma Art 1.4. I'm planning on using mostly the 24mm, as I won't be bringing two lenses up a route (scared of dropping while switching). Anyone have experience with shooting using prime lenses on the wall? Specifically with these two focal lengths? Any recommendations or tips? |
BrianWS wrote: Interesting. I've always been impressed with people who can pop out awesome shots in the middle of the day. Photography is an extremely solo thing for me; I'm either interacting with other people or ignoring the entire world and focusing completely on photography, to the point of being rude. I think that's just how my brain runs, though. |
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Here's an excellent video on photographing from a fixed line: https://vimeo.com/71556259. |
Jeff Wang wrote: Man, you better be pretty nimble with your jugs to get your framing right. I guess my advice for shooting a route with primes would be "don't". You could get away with it for an alpine/multi exposition where you're already stuck at the station and just trying to get the between-climbing shots, but if you're trying to just do route porn, a prime seems problematic. Also, changing lenses while hanging isn't as hard or as scary as it sounds, especially if you're doing it in a bag. Well, maybe it's as scary. |
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Are you really going to be top-rope climbing....or "jumaring" the TR fixed line? It doesn't seem fair to your belayer if you're actually climbing. )(Time-wise) Also, if you're just "jumaring" on a fixed line, no need for chalk on your hands. Of course, you can still actually climb and use the ascender as a belay. I've taken a lot of climbing, whitewater and mtn photos, mostly with a 24mm to 100mm (35 mm) zoom. (I think the digital equivalent is about 12mm to 50mm ) Put it on, leave it on, don't mess with changing lenses except on "tera-firma". Buy a good quality UV filter as protection for your lens and leave the plastic lens cap at home. If you take it up on the mtn sooner or later you'll drop it. Of course, Galen Rowell always favored fixed focal length lenses (Nikon's) for their slight increased sharpness and contrast. On the other hand, Capa (when once asked "What's the best camera to use?" answered "F-8 and be there !" You might consider a waterproof bag or box. Sooner or later you'll get caught in a deluge and even inside your pack things get wet. As a minimum take along a "freezer" zip lock bag. |
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Keep a UV filter on and don't be changing lenses once you leave the ground and you will be entirely fine. Bring a waterproof bag you can drop your gear in if it starts to rain heavily enough for you to bail. Get your systems dialed and be competent in making yourself safe before attempting to take out your camera. I mainly use a 35mm or 50mm prime on a DX sized sensor (super cheap and light) - though I mainly use fast primes in general, so I have no problems with them at all. On traverses a wider 24mm lens is super cool, but I prefer the 50mm for shooting from above so you aren't getting in the climbers way. |
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Primes are nice if you want to isolate the climber -- but terrible for getting both the climber and landscape in the same shot. It gives no sense of height. Use a zoom with a relatively wide focal length for best results. Regarding fixed lines, don't do it if you want to save time. Here's the process I use for single pitch sport. 1. Lead an adjacent route. Don't bring your camera gear up with you. 2. Set your anchor with draws if someone is going to lead or clean later. If not, set up through the fixed hardware as if your belayer was going to lower you. 3. When you're in direct with the rope all set up, pull a handful of slack from the rope leading up into the anchors. Load this rope into your grigri so that the rope going up into the anchors is coming out of the feed end and the rope going down to your belayer is coming out of the brake side (see image, stolen from http://climbinghouse.com/2009/09/decending-with-gri-gri.html). Take up all slack, and you can go off belay. 4. Stay in direct for now. Pull the brake end of your rope through all of the quickdraws so that it is hanging freely. Have someone one the ground tie a bight on the line and attach your camera bag to it. Now you can haul your gear up to yourself. 5. Double check your system. If all is set up properly, you can now begin lowering yourself to the desired vantage point. You can tie knots on the brake strand for added redundancy. Shoot away!  |
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an expensive option, but something to think about if upgrading... can get a weather / dust resistant camera and lens combo |
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Holy shit thank you guys for your input! Did not think I was gonna get this much photo beta. I would love to jumar but I don't have an ascender :( and regarding fixed lines from TR - not sure what beta we have on the crags we'll be at (NRG, RRG, Boulder, Grand Tetons and Yosemite) so I'm not sure if we'll be able to get access to the top. re: lens. Shit I would love to shoot with a 24-70 or 24-105, just don't own those lenses and I can't justify spending $200 renting when a) I'm not sure how much of the climbing trip will be dedicated to shooting on the wall realistically and b) I already own some pretty decent lenses that I might as well give a go. The AF on them is fast as hell, and they have an incredibly wide aperture so I think it should be suffice. |
Jeff Wang wrote: You have several thousand $ worth of camera equipment but you aren't willing to invest in a pair of ascenders? That's pretty much THE required piece of equipment. You fancy equipment doesn't mean jack if you don't get the right vantage point. Also, I'm sure the AF is fast as hell & everything, but climbing photography is relatively static, at least as far as focus is concerned. |
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Top access is rare at the RRG and NRG. You can definitely use the gear that you have, but again, be aware that you'll need to plan your photo line much more carefully given the fixed nature of prime lenses. Do whatever it takes for you to enjoy your trip -- you'll get good shots regardless of how you set up. |
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Jeff, you can rig up a slightly damp washcloth, hanging on your harness, for your hands, either instead of chalk, or to wipe the chalk off. Second on the freezer bags. They'll actually hold liquid. The regular zip bags don't, at least not for long. OLH |
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I've had some success rigging a fixed line and ascending it with a friction hitch and Grigri. Not the fastest, but I can definitely ascend faster than my friend who was leading trad. Switching over from ascent to descent is a bit of a pain with the friction hitch - I would have much preferred to use an ascender, but didn't bring it that time. WRG to lenses, I have a Canon SL1 (APS-C crop) with a 15-85 mm zoom. I don't think it would be too much of an issue using prime lenses for top-down shooting - you can always rappel and ascend to get the right framing. The only problem might be that your stance is not as convenient. For side shots on close adjacent routes, I've found I'm almost always using the widest focal length on my zoom, so a prime lens will probably work there too. |
