For adventure photographer Jay Kolsch, a shoot outdoors means combining the uncontrolled aspects of nature with the challenges of creating a strong image.
“Early spring is the beginning of the climbing season and there’s energy that comes from being stuck indoors all winter,” reflects Jay. In this image, he wanted to capture the excitement of a new season while creating a beautiful scene.
“Photographing climbing is tough because you have to place the athlete in good composition for the shot, but what they’re doing is very dynamic, and the main goal is to get through the climb successfully” Jay explained.
To address this he picked the Octabox 150. By using the larger Octa, he was able to light a larger coverage area, ensuring beautiful light as the climber was moved around. Inside the Octabox was a Siros 800 L battery monolight. Jay goes on to add, “With other lights, 400 or 500 watts is ok if you’re going to use it bare or unmodified, but having the 800 meant it would fill the Octa and get beautiful light anywhere, with extra power if you want to change the look.”
At the base under the climber, Jay positioned a Move 1200L and MobiLED lamphead with P50 reflector, to illuminate fog, added by a portable fog machine. By adding 1/2 CTB Cooling gel to the P50 he was able to create a beautiful color effect on the fog beneath the climbers to add depth to the image, in camera. Both units were connected with an RFS2.1 transmitter, meaning that Jay could remotely control the power of each unit after they had been put into place.
The result was being able to pre-position the lamps and allowing the climbers to react naturally to the environment. Though still a challenge, photographer Jay Kolsch was able to create a stunning image thanks to the power and versatility of broncolor’s battery powered flashes.
About Jay Kolsch
Jay Kolsch is an outdoor adventure photographer based in Brooklyn, NY. The climber featured is Alex Levin, belayed by Andrew Treeby. Our thanks to Jay for sharing this great image and what went into making it. You can see more of his work online at www.jaykolsch.com and follow him on instagram as @jaykolsch!
