Stien Simons about to take the big step in the 'Flee' a daring route in Mozet, Belgium in the early eighties.
Double exposure on one negative.. one for the grave and a second one for the face on a black background and light from underneath. No photoshop is used in this image
in the evening, just before returning to their nest, thousands of swallows gather in a nearby village, close to the Niah caves on the island of Borneo
Ines Cattoor acting as a nun in an Antwerp church
' upper terrace of the Niah caves' - After a 60 m climb by vertical rocks, we reach the upper terrace of the Niah Caves where a group of 5 collectors spend the whole week. They installed a kind of camp and the stick to the left is placed there to collect drinking water. The dark subsantce on the ground is dried guano. The darker spots in the ceiling are birdsnests. Everthing here is done by candlelight or torch and the pictures were taking with flash..
'swallownest collectors in the Niah caves' - My brother and I are the first western people ever to go up with the collectors of swallownests in the Niah caves. At first, they don't want to take us since the're convinced that no western person can do this. Their idea is pretty logic since all toerists who come here, are fat americans who already have a hard time getting to the caves.. Only when we promise them a part of our nylon climbingrope, they agree to take us up. The climb is impressive. In total darkness we climb up a vertical rock, slippery from all the birdshit and only protected by some thick hemp ropes and wooden beams. Here on this picture we are at the highest point, 60 m above the ground heading back down through a big hole in the upper terrace.. To the left, it goes 60 meter down in complete darkness.. They will only hear you falling..
'birdsnest collectors construction' - Starting from the upper terrace at a height of 60 meter an unstable construction of wooden poles leads to the highest region of the Niah cave where the precious swallownests can be found. We're not allowed on the construction since we're too heavy. Most collectors are young and very light men and we are considered too risky for the construction
' Guido Tanghe during the first free ascent of 'de Specht - 6c, Mozet, beginning of the '80's