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Author Topic: Cleopatra's Needle  (Read 2529 times)

dobson

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Cleopatra's Needle
« on: December 04, 2007, 03:02:43 pm »

With Bernard's recent article about outdoor photography in mind, I took my camera to the Bozeman Ice Festival with the intent of getting a few photos of the festivities.

After some strenuous hiking with my climbing and photography equipment I neared the base of Cleopatra's Needle. I was disappointed to see that the icicle on the second pitch didn't even reach the ledge, surely not enough ice to climb. I figured nobody would be crazy enough to attempt it in those conditions. Much to my surprise, there was already a pair of climbers racking up at the base.

The climbers were competing in the festival. Their objective was to bag the most, hardest routes possible. The first pitch was thin and brittle, but Josh lead it with aplomb. The second pitch was where the real excitement was. Justin had to climb the adjacent rock just to get onto the icicle. They did eventually summit, but by then I had taken my leave to do my own climbing.

I am interested in the opinions of non-climbing photographers. What works for you and what doesn't? I really enjoy shooting scenes in extreme conditions that most people will never experience. I can say that I am getting better at shooting in the cold. In fact I got quite good at changing lenses with bulky gloves on.



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Phillip Dobson
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Kenneth Sky

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Cleopatra's Needle
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2007, 07:36:35 pm »

The first is more photogenic but the climber is too small to make out on my monitor. The second shows the climber better to give some scale but not enough icicle. But then what do I know about climbing a giant popsicle!
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Cleopatra's Needle
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2007, 11:30:41 pm »

I do enjoy looking at other people's extreme photos in the comfort of my own home.  

The first is my favorite, very nice balance. I bet it would look great as a very large print.
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-Eric Myrvaagnes (visit my website: http://myrvaagnes.com)

francois

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Cleopatra's Needle
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2007, 03:08:34 am »

My choice goes for the first one too. On the second photo, the climber is too small, as Kenneth suggested above. You might want to try with a tighter crop or with a large print.
« Last Edit: December 05, 2007, 03:10:02 am by francois »
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Francois
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