I've been taking photos for most of my life, and I thought I had the craft down pat, but getting into bouldering photography involved a lot of sweat, bruises, and fumbling. It even nearly cost me a lens in what would have been a very long, very sad drop. I'm hoping this post might help a new photographer start taking rad photos at the crag without all the heartache or butt-ache (see tip #5). This is by no means a rule book, but these are suggestions I've found helpful. If you have anything to add, please comment! So, without further ado, here are 10 tips to start photo-ing it up at the crag!
- Don't be a dick
I'm putting this one first because it seems to be the thing that a lot of people forget. In this era of selfies and #hashtagging, it's easy to assume that everyone wants a photo of themselves doing something rad. But for some, the constant click-click-clicking of a camera shutter behind their head is about as attractive as a gaggle of gumbies aggressively gunking up their project at an otherwise empty area. Learn to read the situation. Don't take pictures of strangers without asking first. If someone asks you to lay off the shutterbugging, be courteous and chill, fam. If you're using specialized equipment, such as a flash, which can be distracting, make sure to ask everyone before taking them out, as they can be extremely distracting. If you're doing posed shots (it happens, don't try to deny it!) don't get on a project in front of a group. - Seen but not herded
Speaking of courtesy, climbing is a dangerous sport. We all know this. There are safety features in place to take this sport from near-death-experience to friendly jaunt in the woods with Bambi and the birds you sing happy cleaning songs with. One of those safety features involves spotters. They need to move around, pull pads, watch the climber, you know the drill. If you get in their way, not only are endangering the climber, you're endangering yourself and (gasp!) your camera! Plan ahead, know where the spotters are going to be; keep yourself, and your equipment, well out of the way. - Know your equipment
Things tend to move fast when you're walking around a boulder field. Lighting situations can change dramatically from one second to the next. You should already be well-acquainted with your camera settings and ready to change them on the fly. For the most part, shooting automatic won't cut it. Since people tend to climb in shade during the brightest hours of the day, you can end up with a very overexposed background or an underexposed foreground if you shoot automatic. Although styles tend to vary from person to person (I personally prefer underexposing my photos one or two stops), and shooting automatic can speed up the process for some, using manual settings will make the picture much more personalized, opening up a wide range of creative choices. Learn your settings at home and turn them into muscle memory. Know your camera inside and out. Most importantly, if you shoot digital, shoot RAW files (.CR2), it'll give you a lot more control over the final look of your pictures when you edit them.
In that same vein of thought, know what you need. It'll save you from lugging around too much equipment. Maybe you don't need that 800mm lens this time. Don't forget to practice, practice, practice. - Flash is your friend
I noticed the biggest turn in the quality of my images once I bought a remote flash. My Yongnuo Flash is possibly the most versatile piece of equipment in my arsenal, save my DSLR. I can use it in virtually any situation and it will always make my photo 1000x better. Too dark? Flash can help you there. Background to bright/ foreground to dark? Flash is your lord and savior. Going through a rough breakup? Flash got your back, homie. It can be a little pricey, but, personally, I think it's one of the best investments i've ever made. - Get swole
Equipment can pile up. And when you're dealing with things that are made out of metal, like tripods, the weight can start to add up pretty quickly. Add a crash pad on top of that, and you're pushing 50 lbs. That can slow you down considerably, especially when the people you are trying to keep up with are carrying roughly half the weight you are, and Jimmy over there has been doing squats so he's moving at breakneck speed. Dammit Jimmy.
Take a page from Jimmy's book; train your damn glutes. Take the backpacker's approach: weigh a backpack down with 50-100lbs of stuff, put it on, and walk to the gym with it. At the gym, keeping your pack on, get on the treadmill, set the treadmill on maximum incline, and start walking. Get used to the weight. If you do good, the gods of glutes will bless you with the ass of Adonis. Maybe pray to them a little too. - Choose wisely, you must, young padawan
Climbing is a sport where people go up from the ground. So, logically, shooting from the ground looking up, you wind up with... butts. Don't shoot butts. Nobody wants pictures of their butts. Try getting on a nearby boulder or, if there's a good line of sight, on top of the boulder itself, to get pictures of their faces. Make sure to choose your location carefully and not move around too much. I can't tell you how many amazing shots of people cutting feet on the climb I missed simply because I couldn't decide the best position. Find your spot, hold on to it, wait for the perfect moment, don't poop your pants from anticipation (n: generic stoke). - Golden Rule: Golden Hour(s)
The best times to shoot are when the sun is low on the horizon during sunset, the golden hour. This is when you're likely to get the best shots. The light becomes beautiful, the angels sing, fairies appear, Prince comes back to life; it's amazing. Always stay for golden hour. If you really hate sleeping and feel particularly motivated, get up for the other, less appreciated golden hour: sunrise. It's worth it.. I swear. - Don't forget to have fun!
Sometimes I have so much fun taking pictures of anything and everything that I completely forget to climb. By the time my group is mostly pumped out and ready to move on, I suddenly wake up from my fugue state, ready and rearin' to get my climb on; but everyone's already packing. Once you get a nice shot, put down the camera, put on the shoes, and get a-climbing. - Kick ass, take names. Errrr... maybe just take names.
Most people will want your photos to post on social media. Get a list of emails going before you all part ways. It's also a great way to get the digits of that very strong climber you've been hitting on all day (just sayin'). Just remember tip #1. - Learn Lightroom (or another preferred photo-editing software)
When we get home, it's tempting to just upload whatever we got from the day immediately on our fifteen social media accounts, but maybe it's a better idea to take a step back and look at what we have. I like to use the next day after shooting to edit down the 100's of photos to just a few favorites, then really spiff them up, then share them. My advice is to invest a little money in a standalone license, Look up tutorials, and become a Lightroom nerd. Just a little photo editing takes your photos from pretty dang good to photogasm. Of course, there is other photo editing software out there, but find one that works for you and use it.
Well, that's it! Hope you find these tips useful! Now get out there and make some dope-ass pictures!!!!
... and some dope ass-pictures.