Climbing is a visually striking series by photographer Sebastian Stocker that features a heart-pounding aerial perspective of a climber gripping onto a rocky ledge. His hand covered in power to get a better grip, the climber is left holding onto dear life while his fingers seem to be slipping. The photographer manages to translate the adventurer's will to hold on through each image.
By getting in close to the climber's hand while keeping the rest of his body within the frame at a distance, Stocker creates a spectacular portrait of a man literally hanging by his fingertips. There is a thrilling, simultaneous sense of despair and miraculous hope. As the audience, we want this man to hold on and overcome his precarious situation though we realistically know that he cannot as the blood drains from his strained hand.
