A photograph of Kevin Brown won in the Environmental Portraiture category of PDN’s Faces 2010 competition.  Photo District News is the go-to magazine for pro photographers and industry creatives. This is featured in the July issue. I share the pages with other winners in Celebrity/Editorial, Animals and Self-Portrait categories.

Kevin is situated 2600 feet above the treetops on a multi-day ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley.  We had climbed Excalibur, a hard and seldom climbed line that was beating us up with its wide body-width cracks. Near the top we traversed from Excalibur to link up with the Salathe route and finish the final headwall, above which this shot was taken just after sunset.  I’m anchored, leaning way out as far as I can with my feet propped against the outer edge of the red porta-ledge (sleeps 2) to get the full sweep down the face to the trees.

The image is a special one for me as Kevin passed away last fall. An incredible athlete and human being, Kevin had taught me how to climb Big Walls 20 years ago.  Yesterday I took his young son out climbing on local crags in Santa Barbara, just like Dad.