0921_Outdoor Retailer Magazine

THE VIEW

Photography by Samuel Crossley

Outdoor Retailer Magazine / October 2021

FREEDOM OF THE SHOT

The director and cinematographer of the film Free as Can Be, Samuel Crossley spends much of his life in the vertical world with the planet’s top climbers—but he also wants to tell stories that bring more equity to the sport.

As one of the main camera operators for the Oscar Award-winning documentary Free Solo, Samuel Crossley has captured images of the most talented climbers on the planet.

In the office

“Climbing photography gives me a reason to place myself in unique perspectives,” says Crossley. “Sometimes this means putting my body in almost intolerable positions. In this instance, the rope holding all my body weight is pulling my harness sharply into the side of my stomach.” Photograph by Irene Yee.

Consistency

“When Alex [Honnold, pictured] isn’t climbing, he’s hanging on his finger-training board in his van,” says Crossley. “OK, that’s not completely true—but he’s surprisingly consistent with his training. He’ll even hangboard on the same day after climbing El Capitan.”

trust

“My relationship with Brad [Gobright, pictured] was built on a foundation of trust,” Crossley says. “When he was free soloing, I needed to trust that he wouldn’t fall and he needed to trust that I wouldn’t cause him to fall while I was directly above him. I wanted a great photograph, and he needed a quick photograph.”

“The thing I like about documentary-style photography is you have to be on your A game. There’s a lot that goes on behind the photograph that the viewer doesn’t see,” he says. “I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and hike to the top of El Cap, rap in, and shoot all day. At the end of the day, I’ll jug out, and the only great photographs are the ones from sunrise and sunset.”

That dedication led Crossley, who is openly gay and outspoken about creating more inclusivity in climbing, to focus his documentary talents on his own film, FREE AS CAN BE, which tells the story of young stud Jordan Cannon and grizzled vet Mark Hudon joining forces for an all-free ascent attempt on El Capitan’s Freerider—Cannon wants to do it in a day; Hudson just wants to be the oldest person to do it.

But he jokes that he’s comfortable just top-roping 5.11. Crossley’s skill as a rigger, determination to be in the right spot at the right time, and subtle understanding of how a climber moves on route have made him one of the most trusted photographers and videographers in the business.

“I want to continue documenting the upper limits of the sport, but I also want to pivot into more storytelling that’s not based around performance. I’m interested in meeting people from all walks of life and trying to bring a sense of equity to the sport.”

Crossley was crushed by the death of free soloist and friend Brad Gobright in 2019, and it has made him think hard about what to do next with his art and influence. “Brad’s death challenged me,” he says. “I want to continue documenting the upper limits of the sport, but I also want to pivot into more storytelling that’s not based around performance. I’m interested in meeting people from all walks of life and trying to bring a sense of equity to the sport. There’s not a whole lot of media representation of the different people who I think should make up the climbing community and those who have been a part of it but haven’t been represented.”

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CREDITS

Outdoor Retailer Magazine

Editor Doug Schnitzspahn Creative Director Andrew Kornylak Design Jamon Exsted

samuelcrossleymedia.com

Samuel Crossley

@samuelcrossley

samuelcrossley.media/freeascanbe

CONSISTENCY

TRUST

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