world movie premiere – spray

i hit the boulder theater last night to catch the world premiere of brian solano’s newest climbing film spray. the theater was nicely packed for a cold snowy night in boulder, colorado. people really seem to love all things rock climbing in this town.

after a few promotional exercises for folks that included the access fund, timberland, and smart wool, the film started with a quick and casual survey of some known and undiscovered northern californian climbing and bouldering spots including the beaches of arcata, the limestone of the trinity aretes, the shores of mickey's beach and the alpine stone of donner summit. the film focuses on climbing areas right up against the very wet pacific ocean but occasionally travels inward to more inland areas.

one thing that will strike you about this movie is the emphasized pairing of music with climbing problems. at times you feel like you are watching segmented 4 minute music videos. the pairings work mostly. there were times however when i wished i could just hear the ocean and nothing else. someone should compile a cd of the movie’s tracks though. the songs would make for a great climbing road trip album.

spray follows four climbers but focuses mostly on joe kinder and chris lindner. joe provides the appropriate californian “taking it easy” vibe while chris provides the more serious philosophical perspectives. i found chris to be the more interesting of the two characters, but i understand why solano included joe.

my one criticism of the film is that i wish it had taken more risks with its story lines. i also wanted lindner and especially kinder to be complex characters. at one point lindner starts talking about how his father broke his back trad climbing and how that influenced chris’s decision to focus on sport climbing. i was intrigued by the possibility of this narrative but was a bit disappointed by its cursory treatment. similarly, i wish joe had been a bit more vulnerable and raw in his conversations. he gets close to this point when talking about how chris sharma inspired him by climbing surf safari (5.14) at age 14 but the exposure is brief. i guess i was hoping for a little less spray.

the best part of the film was watching lindner grunt and fail his way up his first ascent of “window of opportunity.” the scene was smart, compelling and worth the $13 admission charge. the crowd seemed to agree.

it’s hard to make climbing films that transcend the “porn” genre. or better said, it is extremely challenging to make sport-specific films that shed light on our complex and universal humanity. solano does an admirable job with spray. he’s a young filmmaker with great potential and i look forward to seeing more of his films.

if you get a chance, go check out the movie. you can order a copy of the dvd at the bs productions’ website.

newcastle brown ale tries smooth climbing

(you can view a larger version of the ad here)

climbing ads are hot. or maybe i'm just starting to notice.

here's another one from new castle brown ale. i like the execution of the ad. the photography is strong and the climber (pro climber joe kinder) looks like he actually knows how to climb. the gear looks legit too.

the thing that stands out for me is the name of the climbing company on the "fake" billboard ad. smooth face climbing expeditions? are ya kidding? every climber out there knows that friction and rock features are what allows you to actually get up routes. the worst thing one would ever want to encounter out there is a smooth-faced climb. it looks like joe might be thinking: get me off this smooth piece of crap and give me a friggin' beer!

i guess the target for this ad isn't climbers. but still. it doesn't hurt to be relevant to the community you are representing either. climbers do drink - often.

ad credits: tim tadder, photographer || joe kinder, model || vitrorobertson, ad agency || pdn press story

oh! an aside. joe kinder will appear in brian solano's new film, "spray," releasing in january 2008. in the film joe kinder and chris lindner will explore the magestic climbing of northern california. be sure to check it out.

climbing photographer brian solano dishes

i recently had the chance to chat with uber talented colorado photographer brian solano about his work and his views on photography. brian's work can be seen in both rock and ice's and urban climber's current photo annual. he has also produced feature films including karma, the autralian project and the life. check out more of brian's work at: http://www.bsproductions.us/

brian, thanks again for taking the time. let's dive right in. you shoot now, but didn't you start out as a bad-ass climber?

i started climbing focused on the competitive side of the sport. i competed for the us climbing team for several years, placing 14th at the world championships one year. eventually i got burnt out, sick of comps, sick of training, sick of not eating ice cream after dinner. i shifted shifting gears to climbing outside, shooting, and traveling. it’s all about the fun!

how did the professional interest in photography come about?

i travel a lot with friends who are climbing at the professional level. their sponsors were always looking for photos and i had been shooting these trips on a recreational level. i started submitting my photos to the mags, with no luck. looking back, i can see why, my first attempts at shooting were really lacking. from there, i started making climbing movies. learned a lot about light and composition. eventually, i got more focused and started approaching it as a profession.

what do you look for when you shoot. what moves you to pick up the camera?

super unique rock features that scream “climb me.” climbers that are motivated and love what they do. and style, i am sick of the climbing “bum” look.

i prefer solid ground when i shoot. what about you? any scary photography setups?

i’ve had to solo up some sketchy stuff to rig a rope. other than that, nothing too crazy. by now, i am pretty used to being in exposed situations, but i always make sure to rig a solid, safe ancor to shoot from. the last thing i wanna be doing is looking through a perspective altering fisheye lens, while trying to balance on a small ledge. i build an anchor and am able to focus on the photos, without worrying about falling off. safety first, photos second.

any advice for a newbie climber trying to photograph her first climbing trip?

ass shots suck, so try to get above the climber whenever possible. look for unique perspectives that tell the story. pay attention to the light, be creative, and have fun with it. most likely, you will be shooting digital, so shoot a lot. it won’t cost you anything.

some of your work just appeared in rock and ice's photo annual. how cool was that?

a lot of hard work goes into the photos, so it is rewarding to see the finished product. photo annuals rock. but, by the time they are on newsstands, i have already been working hard on new stuff. i just finished shooting a big feature for rock and ice in eldo. it’s gonna be hot!

what is tough about freelancing? what do you enjoy most?

i love the freedom and flexibility it provides, allowing me to shoot what i want, when i want. the down side is the inconsistent flow of income. i tend to have to work extra hard, because its not my style to be a climbing bum. i shoot a lot of other lifestyle/outdoor photos to pay the bills. but climbing will always be my passion and favorite subject to shoot.

i often hear that climbing photography isn't really evolving. how do you respond to those observations?

the people saying this are simply not part of the evolution. it's evolving everyday. i think photogs are really starting to step it up. flip through any of the mags and you will see something you have never seen before, plus a bunch of shots you’ve seen a hundred times before. some of us are hiking hundreds of pounds of studio lighting gear out into the mountains, bringing a whole new look to the sport. as the sport evolves, naturally, the photography will be evolving too. it’s a small industry so progression takes time.

thanks again and keep at it. we look forward to seeing more of your work out there!