jamesrushforth
jamesrushforth
Climbing Spada nella Roccia
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Climbing Spada nella Roccia



Taken in Serrai di Sottoguda in the Italian Dolomites.

Taken in Serrai di Sottoguda in the Italian Dolomites.
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cameraNIKON D810

settings Aperture f/7.1 ISO 800 Shutter 1/200 Focal Length 2600/10 

upload_dateJan, 2016

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21 Comments | Report
DianeT Platinum
 
DianeT February 07, 2016
Great perspective and great shot!
edandaniphone PRO+
 
edandaniphone May 02, 2016
Very cool image.
JOBEANNOBREGA
 
JOBEANNOBREGA May 03, 2016
A great photo, it makes your eyes want to keep following.
Nitka
 
Nitka May 22, 2016
Beautiful capture! I am to scared to even look at it!!...:-))
karinmcfarlane Platinum
 
karinmcfarlane February 28, 2017
OMG, I could never be a climber!!! Great shot!!!
darrenlehane
 
darrenlehane April 10, 2017
I think the B&W requirement for "Snow in B&W" may have been missed here.
NJ_Libitinarius
 
NJ_Libitinarius August 07, 2017
#Fearless (both of you)
MarilynSaenz
 
MarilynSaenz September 04, 2017
WOW!???? Well Done ????????
Arzhtatiana
 
Arzhtatiana January 30, 2018
Impressive!
mlegge
 
mlegge February 09, 2018
Awesome shot!
looseArtphotography
 
looseArtphotography February 11, 2018
Wow
vonshred PRO
 
vonshred February 25, 2018
Is this Ouray ?
8574_4002
 
8574_4002 March 13, 2018
Wow
anz200
 
anz200 March 30, 2018
WOW!!!
Eduardbetz Platinum
 
Eduardbetz May 15, 2018
Awesome !
DebbieKMiller81 Platinum
 
DebbieKMiller81 May 15, 2018
I would be so afraid of falling.
sap
 
sap August 29, 2018
Great job
akshay_jangid
 
akshay_jangid October 29, 2018
Awesome
Niceviewpr
 
Niceviewpr December 16, 2018
Excellent
CHazlett
 
CHazlett March 24, 2020
Great shot!
RonTear Platinum
 
RonTear June 14, 2020
Vertigo !!! superb drama !!!

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Tags

#Dolomites #Dolomiti #Dolomiten #Cortina #italy #climbing #male #female #climber #rock #mountaineering #alpinism #extreme #sports #Vertigo #auronzo #Corvara #south #tyrol #travel #adventure #mountain #mountainscape #peaks #tourism #dramatic #weather #clouds #Alta #Badia #reflections #alpine #sun #seasons #storm #blue #sky #snow #tre cime #long #exposure #water #tranquil #Idylic #beautiful #light #Cinque #tore #grande #Torri #klettern #arrampicata #james #rushforth #nikon #canon #photography #ice #winter #axes #snow #via #Ferrata #klettersteig #VF #slack #lining #slacklining #balance #precision #faith #Breakthrough #photography #serrai #di #sottoguda #marmolada #malga #ciapella #spada #Nella #roccia
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Behind The Lens

Location
This photo was taken in Serrai di Sottoguda (Sottoguda Gorge) in the Italian Dolomites, near Malga Ciapela. The climber is ascending the first pitch of ‘La Spada nella Rocia’ (The Sword in the Stone).
Time
The gorge receives little to no sun so the light is much the same all the time. In this instance the shot was taken at 4pm on a cold and overcast day.
Lighting
The overcast nature of this particular day, coupled with the lack of light in the gorge actually worked to my advantage as it reduced the harsh contrasts creating a more balanced composition.
Equipment
Handheld with the Nikon D810 and 80-400, no other equipment was required.
Inspiration
As soon as I first saw the slender profile of the La Spada nella Rocia icefall I knew I wanted to climb and photograph it. The elegant shape and simple background devoid of distractions makes the fall contrast beautifully with the surrounding dark rock. It was then just a case of finding a suitable jacket and willing climbing partner…
Editing
Some post processing was necessary to remove the small amount of noise created by the high ISO required to shoot in such gloomy conditions. After that some small adjustments to the contrast were made to help the climber and icefall stand out from the surrounding bedrock.
In my camera bag
I normally carry the holy trinity (14-24, 24-70 and 70-200) complete with tripod and a full range of Breakthrough Photography filters. However in this case I opted for the Nikon 80-400 as it provides a superb focal range for capturing climbers, allowing you to frame the whole fall or crop closely on the action as desired. Whilst this lens is a bit slower it’s nothing the D810 can’t handle by boosting the ISO, with the added advantage of keeping more of the background in focus.
Feedback
Serrai di Sottoguda is superb location that is highly recommended during the early winter months if you’re in the region. Whilst the gorge has easy access don’t underestimate just how slippy the path can be, particularly if there hasn’t been much snowfall. It’s especially important to not linger under anyone climbing the routes as occasionally large pieces of ice get dislodged.

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