Climbing Cliffbase, Hvar, Croatia

Photograph by Emily Polar

Getting the Shot
“I knew I had the photo when Kori Maughmer’s arm was out—it was the perfect spot in relation to the pitch of my camera and her position on the rock,” says photographer Emily Polar. Polar joined four friends traveling
and climbing in Croatia.
With a local friend and guide, Polar scouted Cliffbase, a climbing center on the island of Hvar, before the climb. “I knew sunset was the best time to shoot this location, so I scouted and saw that the profile of this particular route would be the best to capture the shape of Kori’s body against the ocean, and in such a stunning environment,” recalls Polar. “When Kori was shaking her arm out, I knew it would define her body and give more energy to the photo, so I was really excited that she took a break for those couple of seconds.”
Polar captured her photo just in time. “Right after I got the shot, the route started to move behind the corner and I lost sight of the climber. So I was really glad that up until that point I could see her profile perfectly.”
Polar photographed with a Canon Mark III and a 16-35mm, f/2.8 lens