# Dean Fidelman's 60-Year Yosemite Climbing Photo Journey

> Dean Fidelman, who started photographing Yosemite climbers in 1971, continues his work after 60 years.
- Title: Dean Fidelman's 60-Year Yosemite Climbing Photo Journey
- Summary: Dean Fidelman, who started photographing Yosemite climbers in 1971, continues his work after 60 years. Dean Fidelman has photographed climbers in Yosemite…
- Keywords: dean fidelman, yosemite, stone nudes, climbing photography, yosemite valley, camp 4, yosemite climbing, nfl, sports, travel, Dean, Fidelman's
- Source: Climbing — https://climbing.com/culture-climbing/dean-fidelman-intervew
- Author: Maya Silver
- Published: 2026-11-01T11:00:03+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: dean fidelman, yosemite, stone nudes, climbing photography, yosemite valley, camp 4, yosemite climbing, nfl, sports, travel
## Dean Fidelman's Yosemite Start
Dean Fidelman arrived in Yosemite Valley in 1971 as a teenager and has lived there ever since.
## 1970s: Early Climbing Photos
Fidelman began photographing climbers in his high school photography class with mentor Warren Shelton.
## 1980s: Fashion Photography Shift
Fidelman worked as a fashion photographer in New York and Los Angeles during the 1980s.
## Lynn Hill's Call
Lynn Hill called Fidelman in 1988 to restart his climbing photography career.
## Stone Nudes Series
Fidelman started the Stone Nudes series in 1999 with 300+ images of climbers bouldering or free soloing.
## Darkroom Work
Fidelman processed his own film in Ansel Adams's darkroom until 2018.
## Digital Transition
Fidelman switched to digital photography with a Sony a7R II camera in the 2010s.
## Stone Monkeys Connection
Fidelman met Dean Potter in 1988 through Charles Cole at Five Ten and John Bachar at Boreal.
## Free Soloing Ethics
Fidelman has photographed free soloing since the 1970s without changing his ethical stance.
## The Dark Wizard Film
Fidelman revisited his relationship with Dean Potter for The Dark Wizard film project.
## Stone Nudes Subjects
Fidelman photographed climbers like Steph Davis free soloing Outer Limits (5.10c) in 2004.
## Stone Nudes Challenges
Fidelman once had a Stone Nude subject fall while trying to climb White Rastafarian (V2).
## Current Projects
Fidelman is working on a history of the Nose book and a Stone Monkeys book with James Lucas.
## Future Plans
Fidelman plans to shoot Stone Nudes in Patagonia, Venezuela, and Mallorca by 2025.
## Holding Energy Close
Fidelman describes holding energy close as respecting unspoken boundaries with vulnerable subjects.
## 60 Years of Climbing
Fidelman has photographed climbers in Yosemite for 60 years, continuing his work into the future.
## Key takeaway

Dean Fidelman has photographed climbers in Yosemite for 60 years, focusing on the Stone Nudes series and climbing culture.