A Class in Improving Adventure Photography (Comments?)

Prezwoodz

Heres the idea:

A group of people gathered at Smith Rock, Oregon and / or Moab, Utah with the intention of getting photo's outside of the norm. John (coldclimb) and I would like to get together with other willing photographers into a little mini-shootout of slacklining, hiking, and climbing. I'll pose the idea here and we would love input on it as to what others would like to see of if people would be willing to come down for such an event. We would like to charge a little amount as well to cover our own expenses at putting it on. So, here goes...

The event would be 3 - 5 days long at one location. The skill level in climbing or slacklining is not important only the ability to hike the desire to learn. I am going to go a bit more in depth now hoping to generate some interest.

John (coldclimb) and I would be teaching the classes. Depending on how in depth everyone would like it we would also be willing to rent a vehicle while we are in the area for driving around. If we charged an amount sufficient to cover hotel rooms we would set that up as well.

Everyone in the group would be taught a class in basic climbing principles. This would be an in the field section of going out and hooking up a top rope for people climb with others learned to belay. Setting up a rope we would show how to "jug" a fixed rope and setup on a device to allow yourself hands free operation of a self belay so that your hands could be used on your camera! And those who are afraid all we will be doing is huge climbs there is no need to worry there are climbs in the area for everyone, the particular person in this next photo (here) had never climbed outside before and she made it to the top. We are not going to try and push you till you drop. Its a class for learning and fun!

We would also teach how to rig a slackline and then move on to rigging a highline. There are many great angles for photo's on this highline and a really excellent opportunity to get images not a lot of people have. We will also give tips to walking on the slackline and highline for anyone who would like to try doing so.

A Tyrolean Traverse is something that does not take a skill it is really just a great way to get yourself out of your comfort zone and above high areas. For those afraid of heights this is really a great way to help get over that.

We will also be leading hikes in the area. There is an interesting array of wildlife we could run into and some incredible views within this park.

The activities that would be included are...

(Photos are from Smith Rock, Oregon)

Slacklining:


Climbing: Routes will be at all levels and there are climbs available for everyone. Including this one.


Tyrolean Traverse: Which is crossing the rope by hanging underneath it. It is easy to setup and lends for an excellent experience that does not take any special skill to do. (No Picture)

And of course hiking: There are lots of trails around the area with some amazing wildlife.



We would take the time for the first few days to setup the slackline and show how to rig a highline as well as basic climbing principles. We would also discuss camera angles and techniques used in climbing photography and outdoors. Through the course and the last few days we will be walking the highline, those who wish to try may do so however it is not mandatory! Others will have the opportunity to take photo's of highlining and climbing.


This is a basic throwout of this idea. If there is interest in this we will definitely go ahead with the idea and get it through fruitition. Comments and concerns please feel free to throw them out. This offer is only going to be for dgrin members!

Thanks a bunch for your time and we hope to hear from you! Please keep in mind that this plan is for those who normally never get to do these types of things or who are fearful that it is something they cannot do. We are not looking for professionals who are doing this type of thing every day, we are in fact looking for those of you who never have done such things. We want to help those who believe this is out of their reach to find that its not so far off.

Kelsey and John!

Prezwoodz

Okay now don't be shy. What do you like? What don't you like? Do we need to suggest a different area?

DoctorIt

Kelsey, John - awesome idea! I myself would be totally interested if flights across the Pacific weren't insanely expensive (I might be stuck here, it was way cheap when we moved over here just two months ago)! Climbing, shooting, learning how to slackline!!! What a trip!

I really like this idea to get some planned/guided adventure in with the photography.

Prezwoodz

Thanks for the reply DoctorIt! I am sure I speak for John as well when I say neither of us would be against doing the same thing in Australia. When we find a way to make it down there I'm sure we'll do something similar.

DavidTO

Well, you can definitely count me out. My huevos cringe at heights.

BUT: I'm definitely interested in helping y'all pull this off. Please let me know if I can be of any help coordinating/budgeting/etc.

Prezwoodz

I think we'll definitely be keeping you in mind then DavidTO. Thanks for the offferings!

Also you are still more then welcome to come. There are plenty of places to get pictures and walk slacklines without getting near the edge and the Hikes would hopefully be designed for everyone.

DoctorIt

Gentlemen, some comments:

- never too early to start talking schedule. When do you see this happening? And is there a difference in best times based on location? I'm guessing the best time to do Moab isn't the same as Smith Rock.

- equipment. I think it's great that you're focus would be on introducing people to the sport, but climbing gear isn't cheap. I would call myself a novice, but I've dabbled, so I own a harness, shoes, a few quickdraws and a rope - that's a bare minimum to go top-roping but already a decent investment. Do you have plans to offer some equipment for the super beginners? If you'll at least expect everyone to have their own harness/helmet, that's a good thing to point out. Anyone have any ties to a shop? Discounts/sponsorship? I've done this kind of thing before with a bicycle racing team (promoting races, soliciting sponsorship), so I'd be happy to help there as well.

DJ-S1

Wow, awesome idea. I hope some folks will take you guys up on it!

I always thought you guys should offer guided hikes in AK, too-

Prezwoodz

DoctorIt wrote:

Gentlemen, some comments:

- never too early to start talking schedule. When do you see this happening? And is there a difference in best times based on location? I'm guessing the best time to do Moab isn't the same as Smith Rock.

- equipment. I think it's great that you're focus would be on introducing people to the sport, but climbing gear isn't cheap. I would call myself a novice, but I've dabbled, so I own a harness, shoes, a few quickdraws and a rope - that's a bare minimum to go top-roping but already a decent investment. Do you have plans to offer some equipment for the super beginners? If you'll at least expect everyone to have their own harness/helmet, that's a good thing to point out. Anyone have any ties to a shop? Discounts/sponsorship? I've done this kind of thing before with a bicycle racing team (promoting races, soliciting sponsorship), so I'd be happy to help there as well.

First of all Thanks for the offering. I have never been very good at getting sponsorships its really new to me so I would love to have your advice and comments on that!

And Thanks for the questions! As far as time goes I was thinking May or later in the year such as Autumn. It is better to be at Moab earlier in the year while the temperatures are still low. Probably March or April. (John step in if off here)

Climbing gear is something I have been thinking about since I proposed the idea. First of all I was not sure how much we would charge. It would take about $200 to outfit everyone with the gear necessary for climbing: Harness, Shoes, Belay Device, Caribiner,Helmet. A few extra ropes would make it a little more. As far as Ascenders and other gear went John and I have enough of that equipment I believe that we wouldn't need more of it to get the class going. More would be of course benificial but it wouldn't be necessary. A few extra dollars for webbing and cord and I think it wouldn't be to bad. That is assuming that all of the equipment was bought seperatly. If it was bought bulk or sale then it would be even less. Also shoes and other items can often be rented in climbing shops. If we charged an amount that included the coverage of climbing gear then the Shoes, Harness, Helmet, Caribiner, ATC would be that persons to keep.

Setting up a toprope is inexpensive once you have the rope and buying the proper gear for a very well anchored toprope probably wouldn't be more then $30 and that is if we didn't own any of it. The full price would be helped as well if sponsorships were made.

The price of the gear would also be excluded if you had no intention of climbing anything or stepping foot onto the highline. Slacklining does not require any specific gear. Hiking will require a backpack, water bottle, good shoes and anything else you may feel necessary. Those are the essentials.


DJ-S1 - I would love to do guided hikes here as well. I am sure if it works out we will do something similar here in Alaska but its easier for us to go down to the US then for everyone to come up here. Its a rather large investment!

SloYerRoll

Hey Kelsey and John!

I won't lie. The sound of climbing, combined w/ your shots totally freaks me out! I just moved to Redmond, OR about two months ago and went to shoot Smith Rock for the first time this past wednesday! There are some spectacular views there!

The hiking aspect of it sounds like a definate blast! I'd be willing to coordinate things from this end since I live less than 10 minutes from Smith Rock and have the home field advantage. I'd try some basic climbing stuff. But would only rent gear since this isnt really my bag.

I hope this gets off the ground and we get to meet! A trip to Alaska sounds pretty awesome to me as well! I have friends in Alaska Air and rates can be really cheap if you time things right.

-Jon

coldclimb

Looks like some good interest. I'm beat from adventuring today, but I'll drop in in the morning and see if I can't add anything to the discussion! Thanks for all the input already folks!

SloYerRoll

Pretty ironic.
I posted this shot up on the whipping post for people to beat up on here. only a day after your post. I didn't see yours until last night though.

This is a little farm area that's surrounded by barbed wire. I was driving by to go to SR and it jumped out at me. WHen I saw this shot I hit the brakes so hard I almost got rear ended! My head screamed "POSTCARD!"

Mabey you guys can show me better ways to compose this shot if this event comes to fruition.


-Jon

coldclimb

Alright, I like where this is going. Kelsey is pretty much spot-on. I've been to Smith in September and temps are decent, although the locals will know better than me. There's a campground at the park for something like four bucks a night if I recall correctly, or I'm sure people could stay in hotels and drive out for the festivities.

Moab is a bit less civilized. We'd need to have a vehicle, and probably be based in town unless people would prefer to find a campground someplace. Things are spread apart there, since there's just SO MUCH to do. I don't know much about seasonal temps, I've only been to the area in October and November. November was a bit chilly, but I think any time in October would be great. I don't know what time in the spring is good, but Kelsey is probably pretty accurate. Of course we're from Alaska, so what suits us might not suit everyone else, so anyone who knows the area can help out with the timing on that area.

As for myself alone, I can't really feel right trying to teach photography to people, since I feel like I'm barely above beginner status, but what I DO have is expertise and experience in climbing and rigging, and if anybody wants to learn the ropes of photography that takes you over the edge, that's what I want to show. Whether you want to shoot climbing, get a better angle on an event, or just take a step further into the outdoors with your camera, if the interest is there, I'd love to spread my experiences. Like Kelsey says, there's ways to shoot from a rope that leave your hands free, and are almost too easy!

Then there's the simple matter of highlining and climbing, There's tons of climbing in Smith or Moab for all levels of climbers, so if people want to shoot climbing, we can gear specifically toward that without trouble. We would need to cover the basic gear for everyone, so that cost would need to be factored in as Kelsey describes.

Slacklining is a bit more simple. Nobody needs anything special for a lowline, just a will to learn! When you take it up to a highline it's a completely different beast, however, and anyone wanting to try this would need at least a harness and a helmet. We would probably also need to purchase webbing to rig it, since highlining is a serious business and my old webbing is not preffered. There's incredible lines in both Smith and Moab, so if the interest is there to shoot highlines, we can lend our experience and techniques.

One thing that would be really awesome is for people interested in shooting or trying a highline to LEARN to slackline before the event. If that interest is here, I can point people to sources for webbing and rigging techniques, and anyone here can have a slackline in their own backyard to learn and practice, and then take it to the skies for their first highline! Trust me, lowlining alone is worth learning!

As for Alaska, both Kelsey and I would be all over that! It's a whole different world up here, and the state motto "The Last Frontier" is completely fitting. Perhaps sometime soon!


Smith Rock, the Monkey Face highline in September, 2004.



And again in May 2006.



Some of the climbing in Smith.



One highline in Moab.

Prezwoodz

SloYerRoll wrote:

Pretty ironic.
I posted this shot up on the whipping post for people to beat up on here. only a day after your post. I didn't see yours until last night though.

This is a little farm area that's surrounded by barbed wire. I was driving by to go to SR and it jumped out at me. WHen I saw this shot I hit the brakes so hard I almost got rear ended! My head screamed "POSTCARD!"

Mabey you guys can show me better ways to compose this shot if this event comes to fruition.


-Jon

That is a really beautiful shot Jon! I think there would be "different" was of exposing the shot at the event we are talking about. Better is such an opinionative term especially when you get to a point where you have a high quality photo well framed. One extent I think we could go into is when you are climbing and actually focusing on the rock instead of the nature as a whole you try and find ways to make the rock itself look more intimidating. I would like to see your shot in Portrait with the side slopy hills cropped out and more sky in the photo. I think it would make the rocks themselves seem to portrude higher into the sky and look more demanding. Again though I think you have a great shot there! I have not taken any photography classes so I can't really give you an indepth as to what would be considered "correct" all I really know is what I have done throughout the world and so that is what I would be going off of. I think if we did this there would be some great things that John and I would be able to learn from all as well!

SloYerRoll

Thanks for the feedback Prez!
I'm going to reshoot it tomorrow morning and see what I can glean out of it.

I take the fact that you have no formal photog training w/ a grain of salt since most of the great photogs never were trained. I value your opinion since it's obvious you have been to some wonderfully scenic places and have learned how to extract the beauty out of them.

I look forward to hearing if this thread turns into anything. You can count me in on pretty much anything!

All the best,
-Jon

z_28

DJ-S1 wrote:

Wow, awesome idea. I hope some folks will take you guys up on it!

I always thought you guys should offer guided hikes in AK, too-

It's exactly my thought too

Prezwoodz

z_28 wrote:

It's exactly my thought too

Is anyone thinking of coming to Alaska. Should we have one here first?

z_28

I think EVERYONE is thinking
But in 99% it's only thinking.
I can't count Alaska cruises as a valid attempt !

You may change the ratio thumb

Prezwoodz

z_28 wrote:

I think EVERYONE is thinking
But in 99% it's only thinking.
I can't count Alaska cruises as a valid attempt !

You may change the ratio thumb

Hehe well we definitely wouldn't be doing it as a cruise! And it would be a bit tuff right now because the snows getting ready to fall. It won't be gone until May or so.

coldclimb

Prezwoodz wrote:

Hehe well we definitely wouldn't be doing it as a cruise! And it would be a bit tuff right now because the snows getting ready to fall. It won't be gone until May or so.

Although if anyone has never experience winter camping, where the objective is as much to SURVIVE as to have fun, now is the time to start thinking, and we can help there too!

ian408

Prezwoodz wrote:

Is anyone thinking of coming to Alaska. Should we have one here first?

yeah.

DoctorIt

ian408 wrote:

yeah.

Probably getting a bit late in the season up there for that, no? For you locals, sure, but for imports, it'll be chilly up there.

But, I'm guessing if you held a small class up north, you could get some takers early next season. Fall, next year, in the lower US is looking good, however, so I wouldn't abandon that just for local knowledge. And anyway, I'm betting between you two, you have more knowledge of hiking/climbing in Smith Rock or Moab than the rest of us here combined!

Andy

I was actually thinking of this sort of thing this past week while we were in Glacier

Prezwoodz

Andy wrote:

I was actually thinking of this sort of thing this past week while we were in Glacier

Oh ya? Wanna make it collaborative.

SloYerRoll

Hey guys n gals. It's gonna start getting cold here at Smith Rock soon. I went for a hike today and all the mountains around us were slammed w/ snow for the first time. They always have snow on them, but they are truly awesome looking when they are covered. (Nothing like Alaska I'm sure, but awesome none the less.
Mt. Hood, all three sisters, three fingered jack, on and on.. all coverd..

The locals that have lived here along time say that means cold weather is less than a month away. This will be my first winter here. I'm interested in seeing how cold it gets. I've had ppl tell me it's really cold here. But I've vacationed in Norway in the middle of the winter, so I'm pretty sure cold is all relative.

Just thought you'd like to know. Spring sounds great though! You should bookmark this thread Prez (I already have it saved). Bring it to life a few months before the spring thaw. I'll give you all the local info you need on weather and misc stuff you need.

-Jon