Tag Archives: bouldering photography

Over the weekend I spent time with new friends at one of their favorite bouldering spots, Stoney Point in Chatsworth, CA.  I’ve spent my whole life in Southern CA, and have never been there, weird.  Stoney Point was the setting for countless Hollywood movies in the 30′s and 40′s.  Even though people were climbing there as early as the 30′s it wasn’t until the 50′s and 60′s when it was put on the maps as a climbing mecca.  Pioneering rock-climbers like Royal Robbins and Yvon Chouinard learned to climb at Stoney Point.

It was an overload of new experiences for me… new friends, bouldering outside AND my first ascent, and also getting to photograph the sport for the first time.  Bouldering is not just a sport, it’s a way of life for some, and now it makes some sense why.  When climbing these rugged rock faces a person seams to use all the senses and body movements that creates the perfect amount of balance… meditation, hard work, physical strength, focus, and drive.  These are my kind of people… having fun and at peace with being in the moment, focused on nothing but what is right in front of you.  It was eye opening to watch them at times using raw physical force and a bit of adrenaline to achieve the hardest of moves.  I don’t know if I have ever been challenged like that, but [grinning] I think I would like it.  There was also a lot of down time to relax, eat and chat in the warm sun.  I don’t call myself a climber [yet] but I can associate a similar experience with mountain biking.  On a technical ride, you must stay focused, if you don’t, you psych yourself out and pound dirt.   In comparison, the scare factor in climbing is slightly higher, and I may have a fear of heights. Damn.

On a photography note, I can’t wait to get more experience shooting this subject.  I knew going into this day of work that I would be ill-prepared in terms of timing the light and climbing knowledge, but I took a lot of mental and physical notes, and shot as much as I could.

Thanks for having me along, Long Beach crew!

Enjoy the photos.