Trevers89 wrote:
But anyway, keep taking all the photos you can in whatever way you can! (BTW, can I stick some of mine in your smiles album?)

Shoot, that's what it's for - the warmth of the smile is what keeps the album from freezing during the long Arizona winter.

Fire that baby up ...

I'm with you guys on the smilin' all the way. But let me see if I can mentally build my favorite picture ever.

It's gotta be in wild beauty, preferably with a storm coming, but far enough away that it's drama outweighs the real danger. It should be in a risky situation, where the guy (or preferably, gal!) made it to that place via skill and nerve. And of course the exit to the risk can't be visible. Take an Alaskan steep snow climb, you can't show that he's near the top...the continuation must look as unforgiving as the terrain covered so far. If he's smiling, it's too easy, or he's home free. Why should I be nervous if he isn't? A rule of thumb is that the boots or rock shoes can't be fully supported by earth, rock or snow: it's just gotta be the front points or the toes. This is engagement. If possible, there should be multiple "backgrounds." Even as I see the iced up rock surrounding the poor fella, I like to get a glimpse of the deep forest below, lousy with bears. Or the too-perfect alpine valley, whose fondue and gemütlichkeit is achingly out of reach, serving only to show HOW FAR OUT you are!

Yeah. That would be a *good* picture

mvs wrote:... If he's smiling, it's too easy, or he's home free. Why should I be nervous if he isn't?

Good question! I have pondered this question since joining SP in August 2007.

That's why I like to look at people's faces. I can estimate if a person is nervous (or not) by looking at the expression upon their face.

If a person has NO expression at all, you gotta WONDER what that person is thinking about as far as saving their own neck if something unforeseen should happen ..

Circumstances will always dictate the depth of the Smile.

mvs wrote:I'm with you guys on the smilin' all the way. But let me see if I can mentally build my favorite picture ever.

It's gotta be in wild beauty, preferably with a storm coming, but far enough away that it's drama outweighs the real danger. It should be in a risky situation, where the guy (or preferably, gal!) made it to that place via skill and nerve. And of course the exit to the risk can't be visible. Take an Alaskan steep snow climb, you can't show that he's near the top...the continuation must look as unforgiving as the terrain covered so far. If he's smiling, it's too easy, or he's home free. Why should I be nervous if he isn't? A rule of thumb is that the boots or rock shoes can't be fully supported by earth, rock or snow: it's just gotta be the front points or the toes. This is engagement. If possible, there should be multiple "backgrounds." Even as I see the iced up rock surrounding the poor fella, I like to get a glimpse of the deep forest below, lousy with bears. Or the too-perfect alpine valley, whose fondue and gemütlichkeit is achingly out of reach, serving only to show HOW FAR OUT you are!

Yeah. That would be a *good* picture

Sounds like the perfect weekend getaway!

lcarreau wrote:

mvs wrote:... If he's smiling, it's too easy, or he's home free. Why should I be nervous if he isn't?

Good question! I have pondered this question since joining SP in August 2007.

That's why I like to look at people's faces. I can estimate if a person is nervous (or not) by looking at the expression upon their face.

If a person has NO expression at all, you gotta WONDER what that person is thinking about as far as saving their own neck if something unforeseen should happen ..

Circumstances will always dictate the depth of the Smile.

This highlights what I was trying to say. When you can see their face, the person becomes the subject of the photo, whether they're actively climbing/hiking or posing on top. When you can't they become more passive (even if they're moving towards the camera) and the scenery becomes the focus. It's subtle but it seems to magnify the scenery and make the human look smaller and more fragile and results in some amazing pictures (although I can't claim any of these as my own). So I guess it depends what you want from the picture.

Look at me, pretending that I know what I'm on about

Basically that's the shot I want to be able to take, but I have neither the photographic skill or mountaineering ability. Amazing photo mvs!