Fresh-faced heroes
Thanks John, I needed a laugh. I suppose I could go back and kick over the pile of rocks, but I rather like how they make the sillouette more interesting. As a stock shot it works well enough as-is, and as a record pic there seems little point in removing something that was actually there.
This was taken during my second alpine climbing season, when Bruce and I (the lads in the snap) cut both apron strings and teeth. The figure is our climbing mentor, felled by a prolapsed disc and waiting for his chicks to return from their first un-tutored effort. Looking back, I don't know what was more courageous, his agreeing to teach us to climb, or having the judgment to allow us to make our own decisions. Gawd we were young.
When I took this I was lugging an old screw-mount Yashica SLR and three honking lenses around the hills. The image still holds it's own against what I take today, and I have a big print on my wall which I like to contemplate when gear-envy threatens. After an odyssey through more 'convenient' equipment I now have a very similar outfit, albeit one which weighs and measures half as much.
Thanks for all the comments. I'll try to find an image with a recognisable face in it for my next posting :-)