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World Climbing Book Competition 9-Nov-2005 At 12:37:39 AM cheesehead

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Yup. I'm working on a photo-comission of my own (I'm not so sure that this one will ever end up in book form, however). I'm discovering the delights of home printing and other post production at the moment. It's not half as fun as the actual shooting.

As I was alluding to with JCP in another thread, it's really hard to be a photographer and part of the action. Ian Parnel does a really good job of this, but he also leaves his sleeping behind on 7000m peaks so he can carry extra lenses. But I digress.

In order to produce really sweet images, I think you have to distance yourself from what's going on. How far is determined by the focal length of the lens you're using, and whether you're after an Onsight-type atmospheric shot, or perhaps you want to be able to count the beads of sweat on your subjects brow.

Not only do you need to be distanced, but you have to separate yourself from the action. Some photographers are really good at directing their subjects, contriving shots with such craft that they look completely natural. For my part, I'd be happy if I was invisible. Of course, sometimes I'll encourage or coax a model. But by and large, I like to keep things pure. You can't really do that if people are waiting for you to stop shooting and start belaying again.

I have to agree with Onsight and a few others on using film too. I find it satisfying in the same way as shooting a 'pure' shot - it's a very organic medium that you have to know how to tame.
It's certainly a skill to wield a digital camera, and to manipulate a digital image (like I'm doing now), but it's a craft to get it right on a strip of silver. Don't be shy about taking a few goes to get it right though. If it's right, it's worth the ten other imperfect exposures, if that's what it takes.
I was thinking of buying a digital camera, but it's more to see if the hair at the back of my head is sticking up, and exploring for lost stuff under the couch.

I think the midnight oil is starting to wane. My eyes only seem good to F5.8 at the moment - they're not working so good in this low light.