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Let’s begin with the basics! Where are you based out of and how long have you lived there?
I am currently based out of Memphis, TN. I have been here mostly about 6 years. I moved out to Seattle in August of 2019 to hopefully move more into the outdoor industry with my photography, however with being laid off due to the pandemic and the cost living, I returned to Memphis and my old job in September of 2020.
Do you have a favorite local crag? Tell us about the crag.
Local crag in Memphis? No, unfortunately it is damn flat here. I do love my home gym. Memphis Rox is awesome.
There is nothing in the immediate vicinity, but we spend a lot of time driving about 2.5 hours to some great Sandstone climbing. The Jamestown Crag in Arkansas, Sam’s Throne, and Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. There are also some great crags in Alabama and southern Illinois that aren’t terribly far either. There are just a lot of fun lines with many different styles of climbing at each of them. Tell us about your photographic journey and how it connects with climbing.
My interest in photography started like many others, with a family member giving me an old Honeywell Pentax 35mm SLR.
After learning to use it in my early teens, I knew photography was what I wanted to do. When I was a junior in high school I attended the Miami Valley Career Technology Center in Dayton, Ohio. |
Gali Du (IG: @galidu) at Cave Creek, Arkansas (Photo Credit: Michael Bretz)
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At vocational school, half of my day was spent learning commercial photography in the darkroom or in the studio. Dayton had a thriving punk, metal, and hardcore music scene back in the 2000’s and I spent a lot of time playing in a band and photographing shows
After high school I briefly attended RIT in Rochester New York. After leaving and having my first daughter at 20, I attended the now defunct Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, MA. My portfolio upon leaving school was actually more focused on fashion, beauty, and personality work.
I moved to Nashville after college and cut my teeth assisting local photographers mostly working in the music industry. After having my second daughter, a few E-commerce studios opened in town and I found myself retouching and learning how to be a product photographer. Eventually through moving for my corporate career I ended up in Pennsylvania and finally Memphis TN. Where I found climbing at the local gym Memphis Rox. I instantly loved climbing, the community, and the mission of Memphis Rox.
After high school I briefly attended RIT in Rochester New York. After leaving and having my first daughter at 20, I attended the now defunct Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, MA. My portfolio upon leaving school was actually more focused on fashion, beauty, and personality work.
I moved to Nashville after college and cut my teeth assisting local photographers mostly working in the music industry. After having my second daughter, a few E-commerce studios opened in town and I found myself retouching and learning how to be a product photographer. Eventually through moving for my corporate career I ended up in Pennsylvania and finally Memphis TN. Where I found climbing at the local gym Memphis Rox. I instantly loved climbing, the community, and the mission of Memphis Rox.
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I was feeling burnt out of the E-commerce industry and I wanted to use my skills to help the gym have promotional materials to raise awareness and eventually that turned into me volunteering photographing events and teaching a photography class to gym employees.
I rediscovered my love for the outdoors through climbing and photography. As a kid I spent a ton of time outdoors and would get lost in the woods for hours. It was probably my favorite place to be. I spent my childhood summers running around the hills of Kentucky with my cousin and my teenage years trail running with my high school’s cross-country team at local Ohio Metro Parks. Climbing and photography allowed me to reconnect with what I felt was important. |
Tiffany (IG: @pigletscove) on "Heavenly Path" at the Happy/Sad Boulders in Bishop, California. (Photo Crdit: Michael Bretz)
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Eventually this led me to learning to photograph on a rope and taking my Single Pitch Instructor course and started me on my guiding journey. It was all in a pursuit of gaining the skills to become a great outdoor photographer and hopefully working with brands that align more with my values.
Daniel Arnold (IG: @hp40_dan84) on "Iron Man Traverse" at the Buttermilks Boulderfield in Bishop, California. (Photo Credit: Michael Bretz)
Any tips or tricks you have learned about how to photograph climbing? Do you have a certain approach you use?
The three biggest things I have learned is:
I spend a lot of time scouting the area, watching the light, thinking about the route and how the line climbs, and considering where I want to be on the wall and how to get myself there. I also spend a lot of time making sure the bottom of the climb is clean and free of visual distractions such as gear piles and other non-natural clutter.
I also think about the color palette of the area and how to make the climber stick out on the wall. A lot of crags here in the southeast are visually cluttered so figuring out how to use that creatively or how to use color, light, or contrast to work around the visual clutter can be helpful.
It also takes time and dedication to learn the rope craft necessary to get myself to where I want to be visually - bringing plenty of rope, slings, and knowledge of trad gear, as well as, how to get good placements to keep yourself where you want to be on the wall while shooting.
I don’t want to constantly feel like I am having to ask other climbers to set up ropes and safety systems for me. Being responsible for someone else’s safety can put a lot of pressure on someone else and I don’t want to be constantly questioning if something is set up right or have a situation weighing on someone else’s conscience should something go wrong. I want that responsibility for my own safety and systems.
- Your bag will always be the heaviest;
- A bosun’s chair will literally save your ass while hanging on the wall for a long time.
- If you want excellent climbing shots, planning the shoot is important. Great shots occasionally happen in the moment, but more often, they are planned.
I spend a lot of time scouting the area, watching the light, thinking about the route and how the line climbs, and considering where I want to be on the wall and how to get myself there. I also spend a lot of time making sure the bottom of the climb is clean and free of visual distractions such as gear piles and other non-natural clutter.
I also think about the color palette of the area and how to make the climber stick out on the wall. A lot of crags here in the southeast are visually cluttered so figuring out how to use that creatively or how to use color, light, or contrast to work around the visual clutter can be helpful.
It also takes time and dedication to learn the rope craft necessary to get myself to where I want to be visually - bringing plenty of rope, slings, and knowledge of trad gear, as well as, how to get good placements to keep yourself where you want to be on the wall while shooting.
I don’t want to constantly feel like I am having to ask other climbers to set up ropes and safety systems for me. Being responsible for someone else’s safety can put a lot of pressure on someone else and I don’t want to be constantly questioning if something is set up right or have a situation weighing on someone else’s conscience should something go wrong. I want that responsibility for my own safety and systems.
Angela Roberts at Jamestown Crag in Jamestown, Arkansas. (Photo Credit: Michael Bretz)
What has your climbing journey been like and where do you see it going?
It has gone from a hobby to a lifestyle. I went from recreational climbing to learning how to be a guide and training for the season - training to meet the physical demands of guiding and shooting on mountains or on the walls. I still have a long way to go but I would love to achieve being a full Rock Guide or Mountain Guide by 40. I really love it.
I hope to shoot for some climbing, outdoor magazines, and brands. Maybe even eventually getting to shoot on an expedition.
I hope to shoot for some climbing, outdoor magazines, and brands. Maybe even eventually getting to shoot on an expedition.
Do you have a favorite place to take climbing photos? If so, why? What makes it photographically special?
I think great photos can be taken anywhere. I don’t think I have found my favorite spot yet. I do love the North Cascades for landscape photos though.
Unknown climber at Frenchman Coulee in Vantage, Washington (Photo Credit: Michael Bretz)
What do you do to pay the bills?
I am a photographer at a company called Accenture Song. We design, manage, and run large photography and photography rental studios for a multitude of clients ranging from E-commerce to full service creative shoots worldwide.
Do you have a favorite climbing photo and why?
Currently, it is probably one of my friend Drew climbing the slabby Red-Faced Lizard (5.9+) at Cave Creek in Arkansas. It is one of the first photos that made me feel like I could capture great looking climbing images in the American Southeast.
Andrew Taylor (IG: @andrewmichaeltaylor) on "Red Faced Lizard" at Cave Creek, Arkansas (Photo Credit: Michael Bretz)
Do you have a favorite piece of climbing gear?
My bosun’s chair, black Diamond Big Gun Harness, Metolius Ascenders and aiders. The harness is just so comfortable to work in, the bosun’s chair is a lifesaver when hanging out on a line, and the ascenders/ aiders make jumaring so easy and quick.
How about favorite piece of photographic equipment?
Honestly, I have a few. The three lenses I love are a 100mm Macro, 24-70mm Zoom @ F/2.8, and a good 70-200mm zoom @ F/2.8. The zooms give you a great range of coverage on the wall and the 100mm makes a great portrait and detail lens.
Another favorite piece of gear is called a tether block and it is a piece of metal that screws into your tripod socket to keep an accidental trip over a tether cord from ruining your USB port. It just so happens to be the perfect size to thread a piece of 7mm accessory cord through and makes a bomber back up for attaching your camera to your harness in the event you accidentally drop it. Potentially saving your camera and potentially saving someone from a dropped camera landing on their head.
Another favorite piece of gear is called a tether block and it is a piece of metal that screws into your tripod socket to keep an accidental trip over a tether cord from ruining your USB port. It just so happens to be the perfect size to thread a piece of 7mm accessory cord through and makes a bomber back up for attaching your camera to your harness in the event you accidentally drop it. Potentially saving your camera and potentially saving someone from a dropped camera landing on their head.
Dave Huntzinger (IG: @carnivorousvegan) at the Hospital Boulder Field in Etowah Country, Alabama. (Photo Credit: Michael Bretz)
You are a dad - have the kids been roped into climbing yet? (Pun intended)
They have been. Both my daughters enjoy climbing. My oldest is more of a recreational climber and my youngest just competed in her first USA Climbing bouldering competition this past weekend in St. Louis.
Since I’ve been working towards my SPI certification, I just started my trad climbing journey and hope to share it with both as well. Trad climbing for me at this point feels very free, with a high adventure factor, no matter the grade.
Since I’ve been working towards my SPI certification, I just started my trad climbing journey and hope to share it with both as well. Trad climbing for me at this point feels very free, with a high adventure factor, no matter the grade.
Any last words for our readers?
Thanks for taking the time to read my interview and check out my work! I hope all of you get out there and take amazing climbing shots. I love talking shop with others, learning more myself, and teaching others along with their journey so please, don’t hesitate to reach out via Instagram, or the contact info on my website.
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Macy Smith (IG: @macyhowl) at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Arkansas (Photo Credit: Michael Bretz)