Chouteau Grotto
I headed out Saturday morning to attempt the fill portion of the fill and balancing flash advanced assignment. I first went to Rock Bridge High School, but no one out and about. I then thought about following some tailgaters, but got frustrated with traffic before getting to the major tailgating areas. I turned off the road into Capen Park, and I’m glad I did. I found members of the Chouteau Grotto spelunking club. They were preparing for an up-coming dive by practicing on the rock face at Capen Park. I really enjoyed following them for about an hour and a half in the warm sunny weather. It was over 70 degrees, at 11 am, in November!
Over the summer, I had come here to take photos but had run afoul of strong shadows. The subjects’ faces disappeared in the shadows. I looked at this shoot as an opportunity to rectify my previous efforts. Inspired by Joe McNally’s recent visit, I used the flash wirelessly, instead of using a cable. I think I did much better this time, thanks to the flash. This first photo is my select for the advanced class. The others are part of my set.
Jay Dolph checks his harness before rappelling.
Jay Dolph, right, helps Zhenyu Wang prepare to rappell a rock face in Capen Park.
Matthew Hodges, left, and Kirsten Alvey share a laugh.
Zhenyu Wang, right, celebrates his first ever rappell drop with a photo with Jay Dolph.
