On Location: High-Angle Rock Climbing Photography Shoot
Step Four
Now, things were getting exciting! I elevated my softbox onto the face to a position above the climber. Then I ascended my rope to get in the perfect spot to shoot down on the climber as he made the desperate-reach move. We placed rocks on the light stand to stabilize it. Elevating a 6-lb flash pack with a large softbox 24′ off the ground gets pretty exciting if the wind picks up. But these stands are very strong and can take a little bending in the wind.
I fired a test shot and realized that the softbox was aimed too close to the rock wall. I had my assistant, Steve, rotate the softbox angle by twisting the light stand at the base. Then Ben climbed up and I got my first lit climbing shots. Not bad, but the shot needed more tension. It’s time to add an accent light.