(All images copyright Michael Berkeley Photography - no reproduction without permission)
The challenge of photographing climbing is different from any other sport I know. The main difficulty is finding a suitable place from which to take the photographs.
(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 86mm; f/2.8; 1/4000th sec; ISO 250)
It is easy to find a position on the ground below the climber, but you get a (generally unflattering) view of their backside (see below). I imagine you could get some dramatic shots from above, looking down the rockface, but this would mean that you have to be harnessed up and on the rockface (crag) yourself.
(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm - f/11; 1/400th sec; ISO 125)
This is not impossible, but you would have to receive some training in climbing and it would have the added complication of handling camera equipment whilst hanging from a rope. The risk of dropping equipment, dislodging rocks onto a climber below or of getting into difficulties while trying to manage both climbing and camera equipment suggest that this option is for the serious climbing photographer only.
I was lucky. A photographer friend – who is also a very experienced and expert climber – offered to take me down to the crags of Portland in Dorset and to show me where the best vantage points are. Without him I would never have found the places we went, and his knowledge of climbing was invaluable in explaining what I was seeing.
(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 70mm; f/2.8; 1/6400th sec; ISO 100)
As I was unsure what we would encounter, I hedged my bets by taking 2 bodies – a full-frame Nikon D700 and crop-sensor Nikon D500 – and 2 lenses, a 24-70mm f2.8 and a 70-200mm f2.8. These gave me a range of options to try different combinations, depending on what I was trying to achieve.
We started on the eastern side of the peninsula and later in the day we followed the sun round to the western side. These locations provided different perspectives and therefore variety to the photography, and exploited the light at different times of the day.
I applied the general principles and camera settings that I set out in my blog Getting into Music and Sport Photography. I also tried to take account of the two key aspects of sport photography that I have mentioned in almost every blog that I have written: (a) getting the person’s face in the picture so that they are recognisable and (b) avoiding distracting backgrounds. In the case of climbing, however, the backgrounds were less of an issue, because there were none of the advertising boards that you get at football or cricket grounds!
(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/6.3; 1/4000th sec; ISO 500)
Our first location – on the east of the peninsula – only really allowed photographs to be taken from ground level. This made it very difficult to capture the climber’s face and, if zoomed in on the climber, it was hard to give a true impression of how high they were up the crag. The climber in the photo above was only a couple of meters off the ground – the image gives no idea of scale or context.
(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 70mm; f/3.2; 1/6400th sec; ISO 220)
While the photo above provides scale and context, the climber is a long way and he is not therefore recognisable. Moreover, the climber is not actually climbing as the ropes are holding him as he rests, so this is not the most effective action shot.
We followed the sun west and went to a different location in the afternoon. The crags here were more challenging for the climbers and the scenery more spectacular. Moreover, it was possible to find a promontory to stand on which afforded views along the rockface that was on a level with the climbers. This was ideal because it gave the illusion that we were on the crag with them.
(Nikon D700; 24-70mm at 24mm; f/8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 450)
The photograph above – looking south – suffers from some of the problems that the previous images have. Although you have context and scale (in abundance), it is impossible to see the climber’s face. Moreover, the grey clothes he is wearing are similar in colour to the rockface, meaning that the climber merges into the background and is therefore almost totally lost.
Turning round from the same vantage point, the view was equally dramatic and the climbers were even closer to us on our promontory. We were also in luck because one of the climbers was wearing a bright orange top which stood out strikingly from the colour of the rockface. The 2 photographs of her below were taken from the same position but with very different techniques:
(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 112mm; f/2.8; 1/4000th sec; ISO 100)
The image above was taken with the lens wide open at f2.8, thereby making the depth of field as shallow as possible and blurring the background. Although there is not much space below the climber, the blurred background gives a feeling of height. Taken with a Nikon D500, the crop sensor made the 112mm focal length equivalent to 168mm, meaning that it was possible to focus on the climber’s face and therefore the concentration needed. A fast shutter speed was required to compensate for the wide-open aperture.
On the other hand, the image below was taken with a full-frame Nikon D700 with a wide-angle lens set at a focal length of 42mm. This gives a completely different perspective, setting the climber in the context of the dramatic scenery. This certainly provides a good idea of the scale of the climb, but it lacks the personal impact that the facial expression in the first image.
(Nikon D700; 24-70mm at 42mm; f/8; 1/1000th sec; ISO 320)
It is impossible to say that one is better than the other – they are just different and equally valid in what they are trying to achieve. Having said that, my own preference is for the close up, because my interest in sport photography is in the personal aspects of individuals striving to push themselves to the limit and facial expressions are key in portraying that.
(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/2.8; 1/4000th sec; ISO 100)
The image above is another example of using a long lens – in this case the 200mm focal length equated to 300mm on the crop sensor camera – but, again, I feel that the climber is slightly lost on the crag, even though she too is wearing a colourful top.
(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 130mm; f/2.8; 1/4000th sec; ISO 400)
All in all, it was a fabulous – and photographically challenging – day out. So what did I learn?
· You can either photograph the climber (with recognisable face, straining muscles etc.) OR the crag (dramatic scenery, climber providing perspective).
· To the climbing fraternity it’s far, far better that the climber is ‘leading the climb’ – that is, the rope is being held by somebody on the ground below, rather than from above – because the image contains risk/edge.
· Climbers love having their photo taken – not only were they willing subjects but they were keen to receive copies of the shots taken!
Yet again I came away overawed by the skill, dexterity and strength of the people I met and was grateful for their permission to photograph them. And, of course, I was particularly grateful to Paul for showing me the ropes …
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