Catch of the Day
By Lazarus Redmayne
Another fabulous photo from our time in Jamaica, this time featuring a majestic panoramic sunset! As you might be aware, a destructive hurricane made landfall on the Western side of the island, missing our travel group by only a few days. Immediately upon hearing about this, we thought of the guests and staff we had left behind, hoping they were safe and unharmed.
I am the kind of person who is deeply satisfied by a shift in perspective. Looking out across a wide expanse of the world, either aquatic or mountainous, speaks to something deep within me. The raw power and complexity of the natural world is wonderfully overwhelming. It inspires humility and reverence, especially when its raw power or beauty is on display.
This brief vignette with Blue began as a very playful “Mudflap girl” or a pinup shoot, then – to no one’s surprise, I’m sure – rope appeared! Blue is adorably stuck; pulled in two opposite directions and taking up a disproportionate amount of the frame compared to the vast ocean and sky behind her. Clouds that appear tiny are actually miles across. Perhaps there’s a metaphor there, perhaps I’m reaching … who’s to say?
Risk Management and Safety
Blue was perched quite near the edge of the pier, and her ability to swim with both hands and feet tied had not yet been tested…
As always, maintain situational awareness! These photos were taken quickly and if she had called out to me about feeling unstable, I could have been at her side in seconds.
Additionally, the Load Bearing Double Columns used in this scene could migrate slightly as Blue pulled on them. If you recreate this scene, make sure to check on the position of the cuffs periodically and adjust them if they become uncomfortably close to the hands or feet; this can make them tighter.
Rope Needed
- Wrists: One 10’ (~3m) rope and one 15’ (~4.5m) rope
- Ankles: One 10’ (~3m) rope and one 15’ (~4.5m) rope
Scene Credits
Scene
- Add a Lark’s Head Double Column to the ankles.
- Convert to a Load Bearing Double Column with an additional rope.
- Tie off to something solid with an Anchor Hitch or RTTHH. (There are many other ways, this is just what we did.)
- Use up any additional rope with the Bamboo Lock off.
- You can repeat exactly the same thing for the wrists, or shift to a Fast Load-Baring Double Column, which is what we did.
- Again, tie off and use up rope in whichever way you wish.
- … Kick off the melodramatic posing!
And that’s it! Such a delightfully simple predicament that can be used in a multitude of settings. Depending on how much slack you leave the bottom to play with, this can be an extremely limiting tie.
