The power of the image

This Saturday just gone we held the first Arc'teryx Adventure Shot photo comp. Even though I'm biased as I organised it, it was beeping awesome. As a photographer you spend a lot of time and effort getting the best images you can, but have almost zero feedback other than the odd thumbs up or purchase from a photo editor. With the growing number of film festivals and the growing amount of talent getting involved with film it can be tempting to see still photography as an art on the wane. These were two of my biggest driving forces behind the Adventure Shot(a concept nicked from the Squamish Steep Shot event). Thanks to the efforts of the 5 competing photographers Alexander Buisse, Alex Ekins, Adam Long, Richard Seipp and Robbie Shone, MC Grimer, Arc'teryx for the impressive prizes and most importantly a very rowdy audience it felt like an evening when the still image tryely came alive. For me very inspiring. Below is Alex's winning presentation (note you can watch it HD on Vimeo). See you next year?

Why do we climb? from Alexandre Buisse on Vimeo.

13th March Arcteryx Adventure Shot Open

Next Saturday as part of the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival the Arc'teryx Adventure Shot competition will be running for the first time. It's an event I've been trying to get off the ground ever since being involved as a judge in the annual steep shot comp which is held as part of the Squamish Mountain Festival. That was held in a brew pub and the combination of beer, North American's natural exuberance and some brilliant images made it a very rowdy and exciting evening.

For our version we're holding it in the cafe bar at The Showroom in Sheffield complete with several barrels of a unique SHAFF beer. The whole do will be hosted by Grimer, who in his own unique way will ensure no-one takes proceedings too seriously. We've got a pub style quiz to kick things off (again with decent prizes) and then the adventure photo shoot out itself.
Five photographers will present a sequence of their images live with the audience and a panel of judges choosing the winner.

I'm hoping with the great prizes 500 quid cash and a full set of Arc'teryx Goretex for the winner that this will become a regular prestigious event. In recent years a lot of our communities creative effort has gone into film with great results. I'd like to think the Adventure Shot event will be a chance to showcase what great talents we have working away with still images and that at it's best photography can capture the essence of adventure in a way other mediums can't

So the five finalists we have are
Adam Long http://www.adamlong.co.uk/ well known for his climbing images but also with a geat feel for landscape and nature work.

Richard Seipp http://www.qwertyphoto.com/ is a Hayfield based photographer specialising in powerful gritty mountain biking, cyclo cross and fell running shots.

Robbie Shone http://www.shonephotography.com/ who amongst many subjects is one of the countries top caving photographers.

Alex Buisse http://www.alexandrebuisse.org/ one of the winners of the UKC open competition. Alex's extraordinary images have a distinctive style all his own.

Alex Ekins http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/author.html?id=103888 the other winner of the UKC event, Sheffield based Alex has a great eye backed up by spot on timing as a result his work is full of life.

Tickets for the event are only £3 and are limited so worth booking in advance.
http://www.shaff.co.uk/

Whats in store over the next few weeks

I thought it worth giving a little heads up for some of the events I'm involved with over the next few weeks. I've been watching a lot of adventure films at the moment (Ive got 46 to get through) in my role as judge for the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival which is being held for the 5th year at The Showroom Cinema in Sheffield on March 12th-14th. The standard of films so far has been very good, better than last year from the ones Ive seen. Alongside the films there will be live music, an urban orienteering event and something I'm very excited about on Saturday night the Arc'teryx Adventure Shot Competition and quiz night. I'll blog more about this event in future but it's a giveaway at £3 for tickets and its held in the Cafe bar so promises to be a memorably rowdy affair. More SHAFF info here http://www.shaff.co.uk/

Ive also a few lectures coming up. Firstly at the Winding Wheel Theatre in Chesterfield on Wednesday 24the Feb more info here http://www.speakersfromtheedge.com/events/ian-parnell-chesterfield-24th-february-2010

And then on Saturday 27th as part of the Hope Film Festival, at the Hope Valley College, more info here http://www.hvaff.co.uk/whats-on/lectures.html#parnell

Finally I've a few friends (Mat Audibert, Audrey Gariepy, Hans Hornberer, Ines Papert) coming over from Germany and Quebec for a Scottish winter tour. I'm meeting them tonight and then heading out to the hills over the next few days. Conditions for once are looking good for our visitors and if anyone is familiar with these guys they'll know that some exciting climbing is very likely. I'll try and post as the week progresses.