PKRA is running in Fuerteventura at the moment, PWA has just finished there, and the US Open of Surf is running on Huntingdon Beach. Of all those, while it is the surfing I am watching, I would love to be at the PKRA in Fuerte. It’s been too long since I shot great, great kitesurfers.

On [...]]]>

PKRA is running in Fuerteventura at the moment, PWA has just finished there, and the US Open of Surf is running on Huntingdon Beach. Of all those, while it is the surfing I am watching, I would love to be at the PKRA in Fuerte. It’s been too long since I shot great, great kitesurfers.

On the day I took the photograph above, I spent some time trying to line climbers up with the graphic on the wall. The wall is in Dingle by the way, it’s called Play At Height and it’s a great, great fun place to take the kids if it’s raining in Dingle. It frequently rains in Dingle.

Anyway I was minded to post this today because of National Geographic Adventure’s photograph of the day which you’ll find here. I make no apologies.

I need an adventure. I haven’t worked out what it will be. When I was talking about holiday stuff with someone today, he recommended the Mediterranean for September which is interesting because I am thinking the South of France to go kitesurfing near Leucate, or New York Long Island to go kitesurfing and then catch up with the surfing competition. Seems ideal. Costs a fortune.

I’d give my eye-teeth to know where I’d find Andre Philip in September. He’s top of my list although Youri Zoon is joining him on the list of kitesurfing superstars I’d like to photograph. And I suppose Ruben now as well. There’s a great photograph of Andre Philip in the current Kiteboarder magazine (which I love) and when I look at it, I feel mega jealous. I really don’t know why him in particular – the world isn’t short of great kitesurfers and I have photographed at least half a dozen world champions at this stage. It’s not bad for someone who’s not even trying.

But you need a holy grail. An unattainable. A Keep You Right On Going. I vaguely contemplated abandoning the France or New York trip to either go back to Brazil or go to Hawaii instead.

Meanwhile, I’ll continue to try and work out what my next adventure will be.

I had some difficulty trying to decide which image to post. I was at the Irish Leadclimbing championships at the weekend in PlayAtHeight in Dingle. Just one of those things; went along, had fun, took some photographs and I quite liked quite a few of them. I’m not done processing them yet seeing as I [...]]]>

I had some difficulty trying to decide which image to post. I was at the Irish Leadclimbing championships at the weekend in PlayAtHeight in Dingle. Just one of those things; went along, had fun, took some photographs and I quite liked quite a few of them. I’m not done processing them yet seeing as I did this all while in the middle of moving house. So there may be more of this during the week.

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.