A Fearless Victor Emerges!

DA* 16-50 Giveaway Winner Announced

By Heie in It's Good to Be Fearless on Jun 21, 2013

The winner of the DA* 16-50 Giveaway hosted here at Pentax Forums has finally been announced! Could it be you?

Click here to find out!

Fearless in the Moment

DA* 16-50 Giveaway Entry #33

By Heie in It's Good to Be Fearless on Jun 6, 2013

I am a recreational climber and mountaineer. Being based in New Zealand, there are no lack of beautiful rocks and mountains to sample and climb. Photography for me is largely to document my adventures and share my passion with others who may not know about the wonders of these places.

Needless to say, fear is on the back of every climber’s mind. The fear of falling is primal. However, it can arguably be irrational at times. After all, we aren’t constantly scared of tripping over on the sidewalks, yet the fear of falling off the top of a ridge seems to be real, present, dominating, and sometimes paralysing.

Fearlessness over 8 Months

DA* 16-50 Giveaway Entry #32

By Heie in It's Good to Be Fearless on Jun 6, 2013

I am not sure when or how it first started, but I do know that the people close to me in my childhood have instilled within me the spirit of openness. My godmother, Shirley, has always told me that I can do whatever I want when I grow up and to always try new things, greet new people, and have a positive outlook on life. I feel that this has been crucial to my life motto. Some might call it reckless and naïve, or unplanned, but somehow whenever I truly undertake something and fully invest myself into it, no matter how blurry the outcome may be, I am always reassured that the clockwork will follow and that everything will work out in the grand scheme of things. All it takes are glasses half full, charms galore and the heart of a bull. Optimism, determination and resilience, and a bit of luck in the mix.

Freedom from Fear

DA* 16-50 Giveaway Entry #31

By Heie in It's Good to Be Fearless on Jun 6, 2013

Fear is the great limiter. It prevents us from exploring the world, from reaching our full potential, from trying new things. Fear insinuates doubt within us: it holds us back.

It’s good to be fearless.

In the attached pictures, I've tried to select subjects that I think embody the fearless sprit of Pentax.

The Gymnast and the Judges
K-r, DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED. F/5.6, 1/125s, ISO 1600.

My sister is a gymnast. After years of grueling practice, she is used to flying, diving, spinning, twisting, and flipping. Still, every new technique can be terrifying, because there inevitably comes a moment when the deed must actually be done for the first time. The first time to flip off the uneven bars, the first time to do a standing backflip, the first time to jump backwards on the balance beam. To progress in gymnastics, fearlessness is crucial, because slight hesitations often spell season-ending injuries. The same impossible-seeming maneuvers must be repeated time and again perfectly before they are tested under the critical eyes of judges. This picture is in tribute to my sister's continuing fearlessness, perseverance, and grace under pressure.

Fearlessness in the Great Outdoors

DA* 16-50 Giveaway Entry #30

By Heie in It's Good to Be Fearless on May 27, 2013

Fearless to me means ascending the final stretch of a 4,000 foot climb an hour from sunset when everyone else is heading down. It's packing 3 dozen pounds of gear in for two days to get to an isolated peak. It's clambering down slippery rock scrambles with a head lamp in the dead of night to get back to the car, knowing there's several hours of hiking to go. It's setting up camp alone in the middle of the forest as the twilight fades, a 30 mile hike away from the nearest road. It's going into the woods and climbing the nearest mountain when the forecast calls for thunderstorms, to catch a glimpse of the eventful weather. It's wading up a stream to shoot a secluded waterfall, abandoned by all but those driven to reach it.

Taken in September 2012 during a one-day traverse of the Northern Presidential Range, White Mountains, New Hampsire, USA.
Conditions were dense fog and gale force winds (in other words, fun!).