By: Addie Horne
Georgia Southern student, Joseph gets ready for a rock climb on the wall at the Recreational Activity Center (RAC). He has over two years of rock climbing experience and takes classes at the RAC.
The climbing wall at the RAC is a 43' wall modeled from actual rock. There is also a 35' bouldering cave in this facility that students can sign up to climb.
Georgia Southern student and RAC employee, Emma White will be Joesphs belayer for his climb today. Emma has worked at the RAC for a few months now.
Joseph and Emma discuss his climb and adjust the ropes. The belayer's responsibility is to ensure the climber is safe and does not hit the ground if they were to fall.
This shot is a bokeh shot, the rock wall is clear and the subject in the background is blurred. Joseph is still climbing on the lower level in this shot.
This is another example of a bokeh, but this time the focus is on a yellow "climbing hold". Joseph is making his way up the climbing wall nearing the middle level of the wall.
This low angle shot of Joseph shows the depth of the climbing wall that the subject is climbing. There are several ropes in the shot that are open for other climbers to hook onto.
Joseph is shifting climbing walls from the middle to the left side. He has made it almost to the middle of the wall at this point.
The focus in this photo is more so on the right wall hanging out and the green rope on the left, blurring the subject slightly in the background.
Joseph has made it halfway up the climbing wall and begins to approach a bit of an overhang in the wall. He will have to go over this to continue his ascend.
Joseph has made it over the overhang on the wall and is nearing the upper level of the wall. This is the more extreme part of the climbing wall.
Emma White is continuing to belay Joseph during his climb. She noted that the job is not hard but has a lot of responsibility since there is someones life in your hands.
In this low angle shot the focus is in the distance on the subject and Emma's head up close is left slightly out of focus. Joseph is crossing back over to the middle part of the climbing wall.
Joseph throws up a peace sign for this zoomed in shot of him almost at the highest point of the wall. He has done this climb several times so he is comfortable with posing like this for a shot.
After reaching the top of the wall and ringing the bell at the highest point, the subject is about to begin his decent back to the ground. Emma, his belayer, will help with the resistance as he climbs down the wall.
The descend goes by way quicker than the climb up. Joseph is essentially walking down the wall backwards at a slow pace.
Joseph is hoisted in the air during his descent back to the ground. The climb took about 3 1/2 minutes total, which is an average speed for a casual climb.
Once Jospeh was on the ground, he was able to un-hook from the ropes and take a look at the photos. One thing is for sure, you will never see me at the top of this climbing wall! (I'm scared of heights)
