Tag Archives: Adventure Sports
Dolomites Via Ferrata Petzl Photoshoot
The Via Ferrata Tomaselli
With the year’s best weather currently playing out, it was perfect timing when Petzl called needing us to shoot a Via Ferrata for their next catalog. The need; a classic Ferrata, great light, fun people and of course a dramatic landscape. I asked our good friend and Mountain Guide Alberto De Giuli what would the most photogenic Ferrata in the Dolomites be – he was quick to recommend the Via Ferrata Tomaselli, not only is it’s position very dramatic, but it is arguably the hardest in the Dolomites. Perfect, sold!
Our plan was to climb the route late, timing our arrival to the top for sunset light on the last section below the summit. Alberto suggested we take a rope so I could rappel from the top and shoot from the side. Once finished, we’d down climb the route and shoot the absolute last light on a lower section.
Our good friends Christof and Evi (of our Sicily trip photos) joined us for the fun. First stop on the way to the Ferrata was an obligatory visit to the hut with the best views in all the Dolomites, the Rifugio Lagazuoi, where owner Guido Pompanin treated us to a breakfast of fresh apple strudel and cappuccinos that we could enjoy out on his deck. Ah… bell’Italia.
Once caffeinated, it was off to work. In the end, our plan came together perfectly. A happy client, happy photographers and a great day for everyone.
What is a Via Ferrata?
These “Iron Ways” started as paths cut into the sides of some of the rock faces in the Dolomites during World War I. Soldiers were able to get around on vertical walls thanks to cables in place for security. These days, the same style is used with modern gear to allow more adventurous hikers to access rock walls and ridges that previously only climbers could do. It is tremendously popular throughout the European Alps and Dolomites, with literally hundreds of Via Ferrate spread throughout the ranges. Petzl makes a wide range of systems that allow Ferrata climbers to easily take advantage of the in place cables and ladders found on these routes. More at the Wikipedia Via Ferrata Page.
Considering a Ferrata? If you are visiting the Dolomites, famous for some of the most beautiful Ferrate in Europe, and you want to try something new and quite unique – put a Ferrata at the top of your list. But if it is your first, and you have limited or no climbing experience, guides are available to take you up and get you down.
Contact UIAGM Mountain Guide Alberto De Giuli
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Kalymnos Greece Climbing
As we are back to climbing this year, there is one phrase that keeps coming up over and over again, “You must climb in Kalymnos, Greece”. With the need for a holiday break from, well, mountain sports, we thought we’d go on climbing holiday. All we ever do is mountain sports, but always with the camera and the necessary focus that goes along with shooting for work. This trip was for us, climb everyday, make some friends, enjoy ourselves. But one day, in the famed Grande Grotta I had to pull out the camera, and for obvious reasons.
So was Kalymnos worth all the hype? YES! …and come November you will know where to find us for our end of season getaway.
LowePro Photo Sport 200 for Mountain Sport Photographer Athletes
Both Janine and myself are professional mountain sport photographers. We are also very dedicated, serious athletes in many of the sports we photograph. As such, we regularly combine what we do for sport with what we do for work. With all of this centering around mountains, photography, performance, reliability and results – we need the best gear.
Quick, easy access to a protected camera and long lens in a dedicated compartment
In the last 12 years of our career, we have made it a specialty to photograph real trips; ski tours, climbing, trekking, and especially trail running. For much of this, we have been both the photographers and subjects. We’ve run across Iceland, around Patagonia, through the Dolomites, around Mont Blanc and done countless day trips throughout the Alps, Sierra Nevada and Rockies. All with camera on hand. For years I dreamed of a pack that would allow me to run/hike/bike comfortably while having a camera safely protected, easily accessible, yet in a real backpack… for an athlete.
Finally, a few months ago, Lowepro contacted us to help test a new pack that they had been developing; the Photo Sport 200. Designed specifically for active mountain sport photographers or for anyone needing a superlight pack to carry camera gear. With all of our experience, they wanted to know what we thought.
We think it is perfect.
The key with this pack is that it is a go to bag for when you want to go shoot in the mountains, and getting to where you need to go is involved. It isn’t going to be your standard pack for mountain biking or running, it isn’t meant to be. It is simply the ideal system for being a working photographer in the mountains.
We’ve used it hiking, trail running and mountain biking and can honestly say it functions perfectly for what it was designed for.
Lowpro Photo Sport features and how we use them
We carry the lighter, more compact Canon 5d when we do these longer, more difficult trips. On the body we keep the 17-40 f4.0 and below it fits the Canon 70-200 f4.0. Both fit snugly in the padded internal case. There is a drawstring closure to cinch the entire system tight inside the pack to prevent shaking, and the camera bag is low enough to keep the weight balanced on the body – brilliant.
The pack has another, external sleeve specifically for a hydration system. The design is well thought out in case it leaks, the water will not get to the camera system. There is also a built in rain cover.
The rest of the pack is pretty much just a backpack, super light, a couple of pockets, all with enough room still inside for clothes food or more camera gear. The suspension & padding system allows for the pack to be worn comfortably for long periods. It carries up to about 15kg very well. External straps allow you to attach a tripod.
I tried out the Lowepro Photo Sport 200 while mountain biking in to scout a location
So as bloggers writing a gear review, aren’t we required to now admit that we were given free gear and that this fact might influence words of praise…? Yep, the pack was a freebie. And yep, if you run into me in the mountains while I am working you’ll see a bright orange Lowepro Photo Sport 200 on my back. Because… I really like it.
Want to get your own? Lowepro says June. For more information – visit Lowepro
To see what we have done as running photographers, visit our Running Portfolio
Follow what we do, as we do it in the mountains – via our Twitter feed @patitucciphoto
Posted in Gear Review
Also tagged Digital Photography, Mountain Sports, Photography, Photoshoots
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Ueli Steck Mountain Hardwear Website
Ueli Steck’s Himalayan Speed Project
Since our February 2011 photoshoot with Ueli Steck, much has happened surrounding this amazing athlete and alpinist. To have been a part of it, to meet and spend some days living with Ueli, is one of the great things about being a photographer. Sometimes it is our job to show off a product, other times it’s to tell a story or to simply inspire a viewer. Amongst all of this is the potential to create images that one day might have historical significance.
Tommy Caldwell on the Muir Wall
In 2001, I hung from the top of Yosemite’s El Capitan’s Muir Wall and photographed Tommy Caldwell as he free climbed one of the hardest long routes in the world. At the time it was visionary, and part of a period of intense free climbing efforts on one of the most prized walls on the planet. That same week in Yosemite, I attended a slideshow by Tom Frost, who was in his day another visionary climber. As I sat watching the show and listening to his stories, I realized my own great fortune in getting to take part in this process of progressing the sport and ideas around the sport & culture of climbing.
Ten years later, here we are with Ueli Steck. In the days we spent with him (Training with Ueli Steck) he spoke of his plans to climb 8000 meter peaks. Listening to Ueli speak of “speed climbing” was not about records or achievements but about progressing himself as an athlete and climber by moving near his limit freely in the big mountains. He was a man preparing himself at every level to go off and challenge himself. Perhaps this is what has so inspired and captivated us by Ueli, he is on a kind of mythical Hero’s Journey.
To see our images of Ueli being put to use on the Mountain Hardwear website is extremely rewarding. No less are the news reports of what he is now doing in the Himalaya and knowing we had some moments to see him preparing for what is truly an inspiring story with huge historical significance to the sport of climbing.
Ueli Steck’s updates and news can be followed via his Facebook Page, Twitter, or Mountain Hardwear’s Himalaya Speed site.
The Dream Job Schedule
The Tuscan village of Pienza
Outdoor Industry Photographer Life
In addition to being professional photographers, I think it’s safe to say we could be considered professional travelers. In February, after plugging many clients needs into the calendar, we saw that to make everything work we would have to be on the go for seven straight weeks. In the last twelve years we’ve done a lot of back to back trips, but this was ridiculous; Tuscany (post), Norway, Chamonix, Sicily, Switzerland, Italy – in two cases we went straight from airports home to swap bags, then dashed to the next location. Planes, airports, and cars served as editing stations, the iPhone the entire communication platform.
In Montura's new Gore ProShell, Kurt Astner climbing his route White Chocolate. Norway
Our trip to Norway was for W.L. Gore (Gore-Tex) and the Italian clothing company Montura. The goal was to photograph professional climber Kurt Astner climbing some new ice routes in bad weather. The trip also included our own fun, both wandering around the Lyngen Alps and lots of backcountry ski days.
Evening walk along the Norwegian Fjords and scoping ski lines on the other side
A day to ourselves with four laps of fun in the Lyngen Alps
From Norway we flew to Munich, drove three hours home, did laundry, slept a few hours and were in the car headed for Chamonix. The Swiss women’s clothing company Wild Roses had hired us to photograph two of their athletes for three days. The job was to document each of their lives as mother’s and very busy mountain athletes. Esther Larios is a Swiss UIAGM Mountain Guide based in Chamonix and a mother of two. American Nina Silitch, also a great friend and mother of two, is one of the world’s top women ski randonee racers, competing & training fulltime on the World Cup circuit while living in Chamonix. With each of them we spent a full day photographing their day to day routine. Then, the third day we headed into the mountains for a fun day of alpine climbing and skiing work.
Esther Larios and Nina Silitch on Chamonix's Midi Plan Traverse
Nina Silitch
Esther Larios and Nina Silitch in Chamonix
During the Chamonix shoot it became apparent it was crunch time. After the third day shooting skiing and climbing, we were back in the car for the 6 hour drive home. Once there, Groundhog Day; laundry, a bit of sleep, an attempt to edit, then our bell was ringing. Great friends Christof and Evi were outside, the car was packed, we were headed to Sicily for a week of sport climbing. Unlike the other trips, Sicily was our own shoot, both for stock and our DolomiteSport story. AAhhh…. relax a bit, get caught up, deliver some jobs, hang with friends and get a bunch of climbing in.
Christof Ursch at the Castle of Aragon, 7b. San Vito lo Capo, Sicily
With Sicily a wrap, we were back home and awaiting the arrival of our friend Ben Grasseschi from the US. Ben was on his way over to spend two weeks with us, ski touring and shooting more work for Gore. We had news for Ben… while he is from Lake Tahoe, where even now, well into April, they are still skiing winter powder, we in Europe had a mostly ski free winter. As photographers, we need blower powder, untracked lines and interesting weather. For Ben, and for much of the winter, we had very little snow and lots of splitter blue sky. We had the ingredients for some fun, but not to get a very specific photoshoot accomplished. Together with Ben and Italian friend Andrea Gabrielli we headed for Switzerland’s Piz Bernina Group for a multi-day ski tour. Then the very day we skied out of the Bernina, we drove to the Ortler Group and skied straight into another hut to give it a go for a few days. More hardpack snow, blue sky and carved up lines, but amongst it all – some turns, some laughs and loads of great food.
Andrea Gabrielli skiing amongst crevasses in the Piz Bernina Group
Looking back to now it was, as has been our entire career, a phenomenal experience. Great memories, lessons learned, new friends and of course lots of photos. The dream job is indeed dreamy.
Follow us on Twitter to see what we do as we do it : @patitucciphoto
Posted in Photo Business, Photography, Travel
Also tagged Europe, Photography, Photoshoots, Travel, Travel Photography
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Photographing Climbing in Norway and Sicily
Climbing Photoshoots
Within 12 days of one another, we had two very different climbing photoshoots. The first was ice climbing with Kurt Astner, one of the world’s best ice climbers. This assignment had us go to Norway’s Lyngen Alps to shoot for W.L. Gore and their new Gore-Tex material, ProShell.
On a fixed rope, I hang next to Kurt and follow him as he climbs
After Norway we headed home, jumped in the car, and drove to Chamonix for a three day women’s catalog shoot for Wild Roses (Blog coming). From Chamonix we met up with good friends Christof and Evi from our hometown of Bruneck and boarded a flight for Sicily and our climbing destination, San Vito lo Capo. Both Christof and Evi are superb climbers. Best of all, inspired by the photoshoot, both were well prepared and fit to pull hard.
Photographing Ice Climbing
Shooting climbing is hard on both camera gear and the body. Shooting ice climbing compounds all of this in tortuous ways. Not only are all the usual climbing logistics present, but there are lots of sharp things around and everyone wants to keep moving because it is cold, painfully so. To fend off the cold requires bulky clothing, and this contributed to a small disaster. In an aggravated effort to keep moving, I was throwing lenses loose into my pack, ignoring the lens tubes that were supposed to be their home. The price… a broken Image Stabilizer in a 70-200 and a broken housing on a 17-40. Thankfully the loss of lenses came at the end of the shoot and not the beginning.
Ready to go with the chest mounted camera bag, key for working on a rope.
LowePro Camera Bags, with whom we recently began working closely with, is going to be receiving more of our attention as I commit to being more careful with gear. For me, dedicated camera bags have proven essential to the safety of camera equipment I must rely on.
At the end of the day everyone was happy. Janine and I felt good about a job well done. Kurt had made a first ascent of what he has called “White Chocolate”, WI6, Grade IV. And Gore happily reported that we nailed the look of harsh conditions they were after to market their new product. Success.
Last summer, after photographing Kurt Astner climbing on the Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the Italian Dolomites, we posted what became a very popular blog story. During the shoot, I wore a helmet video camera to capture what I see while shooting in these dramatic locations, I thought to do the same for this ice climbing shoot. It seems the perfect opportunity to see what it looks like to be the photographer, to get my perspective of what I am making photos of, and to watch Kurt climb. Beneath the video are a couple of stills that show the end product of what we were after.
Arriving to the ice fall Kurt had found after a two hour ski approach. 200 meters of what may be unclimbed, steep ice.
Kurt Astner on his new route White Chocolate, WI6, Grade IV
Photographing Rock Climbing
A little friendlier terrain than the ice
Less than two weeks later we were in a different world. Sicily’s seaside village of San Vito lo Capo has recently become a hotspot for sport climbing. With absolutely perfect limestone walls lining the Mediterranean coast, an ideal spring climate and superb food – San Vito lo Capo made sense for our next shoot, and an escape from a poor winter in the Alps.
Shooting rock climbing, especially sport climbing, is quite easy compared to what we faced in Norway. In Sicily the routes were never more than 35 meters long, were always safely bolted and had flip flop approaches. I could quickly get a fixed rope in place or even shoot from high boulders next to climbs.
The trick here was having the right people, people who could get on hard routes and climb them in style. Climbing images require a sense of power while at the same time looking to be in control. Christof and Evi are ideal.
The very photo being made from the above right image
Christof at the Castle of Aragon, 7b
Evi on the Cinema Paradiso Wall, 6b
Christof making things look dicey, because they are
Steep?
Camera Gear for Climbing Photoshoots
In my opinion, for all things in the photography world, less is more.
For climbing, in almost all situations, I take the following:
Canon 1d Mark IV – Quality, speed and focusing points
8GB film cards – I like 8GB because I don’t have to change them so often and run the risk of dropping one. And, they aren’t so big to potentially have every image if they do get dropped.
Canon 16-35 f2.8
Canon 15mm 2.8 – For getting the wider angle with the 1d Mark IV’s conversion
Canon 70-200 f4.0 – Optional depending on how close I know I will be to the climber
Once I am on the rope I have a small top opening pack hanging below me that serves as a bucket catch all for lens tubes (be sure to actually use lens tubes…) and anything else I may need. The chest mounted camera bag allows me to quickly stow the camera to move up and down on the rope. The less is more policy is key for staying focused on the shot and the movement of the climber, not fussing around changing lenses or fiddling with various things, also the simple need of staying mobile and light.
Interested in following what we do as we do it? Follow us on Twitter @patitucciphoto
The Sicilian Office
Photographing Climbing in the Italian Dolomites
My connection to the climbing world is strong and influential to where I am today.
In the fall of 1987 I went climbing for the first time, by winter I was obsessed. A short time later I picked up a camera to begin photographing this image rich sport, then in 1998 I became a fulltime, professional photographer shooting primarily climbing. As the years progressed I became a “We” and we (with Janine) moved into different outdoor subject matter, typically the same subjects we were most interested in at the time. But climbing has always remained close, and so it is a treat to take on a job that allows me to return to my roots.
A good friend here in the Italian Dolomites is professional climber and UIAGM Mountain Guide Kurt Astner. In recent years, Kurt has been busy freeing old aid lines as well as putting up some routes of his own on the dizzying steep walls of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo’s Cima Ovest and Cima Grande. During the summer of 2010 he established an all new route, Pressknödel (7c), with fellow UIAGM Mountain Guide and professional climber Christoph Hainz. In addition to this route, he repeated a former aid line recently freed by a Czech team, now Super Erectissima, 8a+.
Kurt asked me to join him on the two routes so we could make some images, but poor August weather continually delayed the work. We even managed to get up on the routes in preparation for the photo work only to have thick cloud cover, rain and ice force us down. Finally in late August, the high class climbing magazine Vertical became involved, renewing our motivation with a deadline for a story on Kurt.
On September 4 we were able to photograph both routes. Yet still some rain came down, we were pelted by ice and the clouds tortured us at sunset. Together with Stephan Steinkeller we managed a long and productive day, climbing the first part of the Cassin Route before traversing into Pressknödel to rig and get me in place. After these photos, we rappelled the route and ran for Super Erectissima. The sun was sinking into big black clouds sitting on the horizon. Kurt climbed the lower pitches, fixed a rope, and I quickly jumared the overhanging face. Literally in the final moments of daylight, we made the last images.
Climbing: A Photographer’s Perspective
If you have ever wondered what it’s like to be a climbing photographer, and especially to work in a vertical, or in this case overhanging world, here is my perspective from this photoshoot. Note the exposure in positioning, the timing of images to the body position and how still I must remain so as not to swing around. First you’ll see Kurt climbing, then the logistics of moving about on a steep wall. Making climbing images requires a massive amount of work and comfort in this world, it helps to be a real climber, and it especially helps to have a great climber to work with.
- Kurt Astner at the base of the Cima Grande
- Kurt Astner climbing Pressknödel 7c. Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italian Dolomites
- Kurt Astner climbing Pressknödel 7c. Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italian Dolomites
- Kurt Astner lowering off Pressknödel 7c, Tre Cime di Lavaredo
- Stephan lassoing Kurt to reel him into the wall
- Kurt Astner climbing Super Erectissima 8a+. Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italian Dolomites
- Kurt Astner climbing Super Erectissima 8a+. Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italian Dolomites. The last image in the last light.
For the whole story of free climbing at the Dolomite’s Tre Cime di Lavaredo by Kurt Astner, watch for Vertical Magazine’s full feature in an upcoming issue.
Posted in Climbing, Dolomites, Photography
Also tagged Climbing, Dolomites, Mountain Sports, Photography, Rock Climbing
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Jack Wolfskin Winter Catalog Photoshoot
Even after 12 years of seeing our work published, it is always exciting to see a big job in print, especially when it looks its best thanks to great design. This last week we received the Jack Wolfskin 2011 winter catalog, at nearly 2cm thick it is probably the biggest catalog in the outdoor industry. Jack Wolfskin is an enormous high end German gear manufacturer with a massive presence in Europe. Last winter we were contacted by their advertising agency about doing a sizeable commercial shoot for them in California’s Sierra Nevada. The timing worked out perfectly, plans were made and a short time later we had a pallet (yes, pallet) meet up with us in California. Along with the product came the creative direction – our job was to realistically document a backcountry ski and alpine climbing trip in the Sierra. Our specialty.
The next step, and always the most difficult, was to find the right people to do the project with. We needed three friends with very specific requirements: the right sizes, a high level of skiing ability, alpine climbing skills, fun for the camera, personable, dynamic, and of course the necessary time. In the end, we had the ideal group; David Page, Ben Grasseschi and Brandyn Roark Gray. Together with the stars we had an equally important team of porters to carry all our stuff into the mountains so we could be free to shoot and not deal with logistics.
The Sierra Nevada was at its best for us, abundant blue sky above a very fresh two feet of unusually dry powder. Our location choice was Basin Mountain above Bishop – we nailed the timing, the conditions and the creative. Our models nailed the turns, the fun, the laughing and the friendship. A huge success. A happy client and a very happy group of skiers, porters, and photographers.
Included here is a small sampling of image usage from the alpine climbing segment of the story. Thanks to Jack Wolfskin and all our friends for a great shoot.
Posted in Climbing, Clips, Photo Business, Photography, Skiing, Trail Running
Also tagged Backcountry Skiing, Photography, Photoshoot Story, Trail Running
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