Photo Essay of Rock Climbing, Take One
Friday March 04th 2005
Marjan's Ethnophotography class has a final project due in May, a photo essay of 18 prints juried by a panel of professors and other photography professionals. She has chosen to do her essay on rock climbing, a selfishly ideal choice for me, since it's the perfect excuse to "have to" go climbing on a regular basis (something not done with any "regularity" in over a year). The 26th of February, being surprisingly warm for an otherwise dreary late winter month in Richmond, was our first shoot, taken down at Manchester Wall.
Manchester Wall is an old railroad bridge abutment and a collection of lingering bridge pillars located on the south side of the James River, across from downtown Richmond. It's a favorite spot for local climbers, loved for its location, its contrasting backdrop of skyscrapers, scaffolding and a sometimes calm, sometimes raging river, and of course for the climbing itself. Manchester offers a satisfying smattering of routes to take on, and enough bouldering to burn anyone's forearms. You won't find any sexy overhangs or heroic dynos, but feel free to mono-dot, crimp, and slap your way home any day.
These pictures are chosen more for their artistic merits then pure climbing action. Bouldering is a beautiful sport, but at Manchester it's better to participate than photograph. Besides, there's obviously plenty more to gaze upon and admire.
Highlights: my Mar chowing down on some delicious saaaandwiches; Manchester pillars making their way across the James; chalk, chalk, and more chalk; a caribiner meant for stardom; and my climbing mascot Fozzy who says, "Red point a route and have a Pez. Waaka waaka!"
