Can you tell us something about your development as a photographer in this highly specialised area? Who were some of your inspirations?

At first my photography was more photojournalism because climbers around me were doing new and exciting things. Glenn Robbins had been the most serious Australian rock climbing photographer for many years. I saw a lot of his photos, his angles. He was concentrating very much on body movement, the pose of the climber on the rock, whereas I wanted something different — most significantly I wanted to incorporate the setting and environment more. American climbing photographers Brian Bailey and Greg Epperson have a really clean style, and often include a lot of environment and show the climber as part of the landscape. Their work certainly inspired me at the beginning.

What do you consider the essence of a good climbing photograph? What are you trying to communicate?

For me, a good photograph is one that captures some emotion or says something special. It's not enough for it to be just technically good. Capturing the climbing action, its peak moments, is important, but the overall image is important too. The composition, background, colours and texture of the rock combine too give each image its own special feel. I'm trying to convey what a special and spectacular sport climbing really is. So for me the aim is to capture both the climbing action and the landscape into the one image without compromising either. Many times it's a lot easier to just concentrate on getting in close on the climbing action, certainly I enjoy doing that and it has its place, but like I said, for me the aim is to capture both the action and the spectacular setting in the one image. It is harder to do well but I find it can ultimately produce a more satisfying and meaningful image.

What sort of equipment do you use and why?

For cameras I use Nikon F100's; it has all the features you could ever want, the body is strong without being excessively heavy and the layout of controls is very intuitive. It has highly sophisticated fill-flash technology and the auto-focus is great too. For lenses I used fixed focal lengths - I don't use zooms as the quality is not as great and the lenses are not as fast when it counts. My favourite lenses are 16, 20, 35, 85, 135, and 180, they cover most things I need to do.

My favourite film is Fuji Velvia, which I rate at 40 ASA. Other films look dull in comparison, though with Velvia colours can go over the top in late afternoon light. It is a fairly slow film but has very fine grain and is very sharp - hence one of the reasons I use fast lenses. If I need a faster film then I now usually use the new 100 ASA Velvia. With the sole exception of the rare use of a slight warming filter when shooting in deep shade, I do not use filters because anything in front of the lens can reduce image quality. To determine exposure I nearly always use spot metering in manual mode, you've got to know what you're doing but it's the only way that you have complete control.

As for other gear: If I'm shooting from the ground, a ledge, or a cliff top, then I prefer to put the camera on a tripod. If shooting from abseil then of course I also have to lug around a stack of climbing gear and ropes.

What about digital?

No, digital has come a long way but it's not there yet for me as far as my main creative photography is concerned. Of course it has its applications and I'm watching developments with interest. But since I'm trying to produce the very best quality results possible, with the best tonal ranges, and because the colours are so very important to me — and because I'm not prepared to compromise any of that — I'll be sticking with film for at least a while yet. Also, I don't need instant results and usually know when I've nailed the shot. However, I do need a fast camera, one that won't make me wait, and one that's as strong and reliable as possible, and easy to travel with. Oh, and did I mention that despite all that, I think there's something really special about film?

What are some of the most interesting experiences that you've had as a climbing photographer?

One of my most memorable shoots was at Frenchman’s Cap in south west Tasmania. It took two days to walk in on a rain-muddied track, hauling camera gear, camping gear, climbing gear and food for a week. On the day of the shoot it took three hours to scramble around to the top of the 400 metre high east face. I then had to scramble down a steep, loose gully! I abseiled twice, pulling the rope down after me each time, then abseiled again to the end of my 50 metre rope. Then, dangling in space, I waited for the climbers to come up to the third pitch to photograph them. After the shoot I tied into one of the climbers' ropes and climbed back to the top with them. This is just one example of a photo shoot that was particularly interesting and challenging.

I've done many shoots that have turned into mini-adventures - and many other shoots have been interesting in some way or another. I've been really lucky to travel to so many great climbing areas and it has been a real privilege to work with so many dedicated and enthusiastic climbers.

What about the element of danger? Sports climbing has helped reduce much of the risk, but surely your still taking a few more chances than, say, a fashion photographer?

Yes, I think it is important to acknowledge that climbing is a dangerous sport. You often hear "It's not dangerous if you know what you are doing", but problems can arise if you get too complacent or casual, and you need to keep reminding yourself of that when you are around cliffs all the time.

As far as climbing photography is concerned, lets just say I've found myself in numerous situations that haven't made me "particularly happy" about the situation I was in. Getting hit by rock fall seems to be one of the bigger dangers and that's nearly happened on a few occasions. Also, I often feel safer hanging over the cliff on an abseil rope than scrambling around the top with tons of climbing and camera gear. Your rope work and jumaring should be second nature so that you can concentrate on the photography. Still, it's important not to totally forget where you are. Obviously, you must be very considerate of the climbers' safety too. I prefer working with experienced climbers as they can take care of themselves more. They also tend to be more photogenic and can do more spectacular routes. It's actually a bit of a paradox that some of the higher and steeper climbs are actually safer even though they may appear to be scarier.

What about that “photo-frame” of yours? Do you use that often?

Actually, no! I haven’t used that for years. I just find it rarely helps. You can’t travel with it and it’s too slow to work with. And I’ve got some other tricks up my sleeve that can sometimes help. But basically there are plenty of great angles to be found without using the frame. It often just comes to hard work, pre-visualisation, and a bit of lateral thinking.

What advise would you give to the amateur photographer who's looking to take good clear photographs of rock climbing?

Think ahead in terms of light and composition, which angle you may want to shoot from, what time of day you want to shoot, and so on. That way you may save a lot of time, effort and film. When composing the photo think two dimensionally – so you’re visualising how the scene is going to end up on film. Really look around the outside of the frame to see everything that you are including. It can be good to have a reference point - such as the horizon - to show how steep the climb really is, but make sure the horizon is dead horizontal if you include it. Don't be tempted to tilt the camera to make a climb look steeper than it really is - things like the quick-draws hanging at unnatural angles will give you away. Get in position early and have it all figured out so that when the climber is going for it you can just blast away with your finger on the motor drive. After all, it's an action sport and things can happen very quickly.

Make sure your rope skills are up to scratch, and that you are comfortable and competent in a cliff environment. Use a chest harness when photographing from abseil. Buy the best lenses you can, keep your shutter speeds up and use good film. Think ahead but at the same time be ready for spontaneous action. Critique your photos ruthlessly, and ask yourself, "Does this photo say something special?" You often have to work really hard to get great shots, but just because you've gone to a lot of effort doesn't automatically mean the images will be anything special, so you need to be ruthless with your editing, and objective in your assessments. Climbing photography has reached a very high standard, so your work has to be good, especially if you want to sell it internationally. Get out there and play, and learn from your mistakes.

How difficult is it to get involved in professional climbing photography and how does the novice go about selling photos?

The obvious market is magazines, equipment catalogues and advertising within the outdoors industry. But these generally pay quite poorly since they are specialised and their markets are small - especially in Australia. This makes becoming a rock climbing photographer very difficult economically. Running a sustainable, profitable, business can mean a lot of time-consuming office work, and perhaps less time in the field doing what you want to do: travelling and creating photos. However, selling images to poor paying clients can be a time consuming trap. You have to sell your work to more mainstream markets. And you need to set up your business in a way that accommodates the travel and time away. I’m lucky because I’ve got great staff. There's no set path to becoming a professional rock climbing photographer. Be creative. Rock climbing may be growing, but it's still a small sport compared to, say, tennis or surfing. Good luck and happy climbing!

Simon Carter