West Face Camp, Mount Shasta, California

Canon EOS Digital Rebel, ISO: 100, Aperture: f/22, shutter speed, 1/60 sec, exposure bias: -1

Mount Shasta is a big mountain, second only to Mount Rainier in elevation in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest.  Conveying size and grandeur in a photograph can sometimes be a challenge.  A mountain may be huge, but to convey scale something of known size needs to be included in the photograph.  In this photo, a climber and tent are included in the lower right corner to help convey that sense of size.  Without those elements the viewer would have no idea of the scale of this mountain.

Three interesting lighting elements lead the viewer’s eye to the climber’s camp.  One of those is the light beam (or starburst) aimed right at the climber.  That beam of light is created by using a small aperture, in this case f/22, and aiming the lens at the edge of the sun.  Light on two ridge lines complete the trio of light converging on the climber, to help relate the size of this giant mountain.

The photographs were captured in early May on a climb of the West Face Route.  This part of the mountain offers outstanding climbing and backcountry skiing… and great photo ops.