Ice Climbing in Zirknitzgrotte, Austria

Ice Climbing in Zirknitzgrotte, Austria

Photograph by Martin Lugger

Getting the Shot
“At the time it was very questionable to climb this ice rock because of the danger that it would break and crash—along with the climber,” says photographer and climber Martin Lugger. After climber Peter Ortner
(pictured) told Lugger about the location in Zirknitzgrotte, Austria, the
two went to scout and climb. Lugger immediately knew he wanted to light the scene with strobes. “When we came there, I knew I wanted make some shots with flashes. Although it's dangerous because of falling ice, the area is very nice for lighting.”
Lugger set up the photo he wanted to capture. “I have no standard lighting because every scene needs to be adjusted differently,” he says. “I imagined this frame when I planned my setup and lights. I had three main angles in mind and two of them worked out for me."
For this shot, Lugger lit the scene with a Hensel Studio strobe and blue gel. He also used another strobe to brighten the climber. “The biggest challenge during the shoot was to not get hit by falling ice, and not to slip on the ice with my Hasselblad in my hands.”
Lugger photographed with a Hasselblad H3DII-50, 80mm lens, and Hensel Studio strobes.