Fri Night Vid Finding Focus - Life Behind The Lens of a Climbing Photographer
This week's Friday Night Video is a portrait of a prolific climbing photographer from Wedge Climbing. Sam Pratt is well known in both the outdoor and competition scene but if you haven't heard of him, you've likely seen his photos having snappe...
Comments
What an amazing film. I thought: Ok, a 48 minute film about climbing trees, I can skip through it if it gets boring or too tree-huggy. But I was riveted, didn´t want it to end.
You could make a film with exactly the same dialogue, just substituting "crag" for "tree" all the way through, and it would be a perfect rock climbing script. These people are so eloquent and passionate about their sport, and they´re also damn good climbers; they tape their toes instead of their fingers, can layback, jam, toehook in overhangs, semi-invert in offwidths; they train with Rock Rings in their kitchens and they happily take enormous whippers on lead.
The trees have names, have topos; substitute maybe "Froggatt" for the Porcupine Tree and "Strapadictomy" for the overhanging side, and it would be a fair comparison. All protection seems to be with slings; hearing them talk about their worries that tree climbers who are only looking for the excitement could damage the environment rings a lot of bells; they see themselves (with a big bow to Mick Ward) as "Custodians of the Trees", and they are also doing their best (successfully) to give this attitude to the next generation, as well as playing a big part in re-forestation.
The whole atmosphere of the film radiates both love for their environment, and an awareness of its fragility, in a way that a rock climbing film never could. A chain saw could fell one of these beauties in 10 minutes; it would take a lot of dynamite to do the same to, say, the Cromlech, and the difference is: the first instance is a very real danger, and the second just isn´t going to happen.
Many thanks to UKC for this film, I found it truly inspirational.
Beautiful film. Very authentic and meaningful. Nice to see people who are so engaged ad connected. Really enjoyed it.
That was amazing, and they're a great group of youngsters.
Si.