You can’t see me, but currently in the background I am ploughing through the Rock Climbing group pool on Flickr. It’s got more than 11,000 photographs in it which means there’s a lot to look at. In part, it’s the research process I go through when I get interested in something [...]]]> I think that’s right anyway.

You can’t see me, but currently in the background I am ploughing through the Rock Climbing group pool on Flickr. It’s got more than 11,000 photographs in it which means there’s a lot to look at. In part, it’s the research process I go through when I get interested in something new.

Most weeks, at least once a week I get to go climbing on an indoor climbing wall. I like it a lot; when I started, in part it was just to have a go; and I was also looking at the possibility of adding climbing to the list of sports I occasionally shoot. None of these are money sports to shoot;, like the kitesurfing, there’s not a lot of money in it I think, unless you go supersonic and international. Me personally I didn’t have any great desire to go climbing outside, well apart from ice climbing maybe, but apart from that, I was getting an interest in perhaps taking photographs of climbing. I’ve done it all of once so far, and that was sometime during the summer in Dalkey where I came back with about 5 photographs that were worth anything. It’s not an arena I know.

So, this was one of the better shots; it’s got some context, and it gives a feel for the man/nature relationship. It had technical faults, however, so I wasn’t fully pleased with it. Compositionally where I want to be at, however.

I liked this one too. I don’t know who this guy is but he has an expressive face.

Anyway, one of the reasons I am researching good climbing photographs is that I have a yen to do something special with them. I haven’t worked out what yet but something all the same. There are a lot of what look very average photographs to me. I don’t climb outdoors, and I’m nowhere near an expert climber. I’m in the market for stunning photographs, photographs that knock nonclimbers backwards. Stuff like these ones which I’ve pulled from the flickr group.

Hmmpf

Ariela Bueno

Mission Possible

Blocks @Fontainebleau

*…and the beast*

and not on Flickr

Aran Islands Revisited

Simon Carter

James Kay

When you look at these things, you realise just how much you have to learn. This is being added to the journey side of life here.