The last few days in Buenos Aires seem to have passed with some degree of speed – I guess that is just the way it goes the first time you visit a new city when there is so much to see and do in a limited amount of time. My friend Martyn and I are flying out early this morning (straight after breakfast) for the worlds southern most permanent town – Ushuaia; where we will spend a few days photographing along the beaches and mountains before we set sail for Antarctica. I am keen to head south after a few days in B/A and embrace the colder climate at the bottom of South America – Warm climates are just not my cup of tea.
If I am to be politically correct I have mixed feelings about Buenos Aires as a city. I far prefer to spend my time out in the wilderness amongst waterfalls, glaciers and mountains so my opinion of any city is always going to present somewhat in the negative. The poverty in many parts of Bueons Aires is extreme by Australian standards. This was particularly evident in the more seedy areas around La Bocca. One only has to wander down a side street away from the tourist hot spots to feel quite isolated and unsafe (at least that is how it felt to me). The city is extremely run down and dirty by Australian standards. Combined with the dense population and usual city grime and I find myself yearning for nature’s unspoilt wilderness. Its not hard to see why Melbourne is the worlds most liveable city.
Don't Jump at La Bocca!
Martyn and I managed to find our way over to the Cementario De Recoleta early this afternoon where we spent some time wandering amongst the maze of ancient crypts and tombs before settling into a nearby cafe in the shade for a cold drink and a spot of lunch. Its quite hot and humid today in Buenos Aires (33 degrees celsius) and I was well and truly ready for a beer and seat in the shade after a couple of hours in the sun. The Cementario de Recoleta is a fascinating location and I could easily spend hours and hours photographing in and around the multitude of decrypit crypts and statues that make up this cemetery. The Cementario de Recoleta is one of those locations that would be just wonderful to photograph with rain and or mist / fog. As it was we had to make do with brilliant sunshine on a cloudless day – hence the focus on detail and not the big picture. As is often the case with these things there is immense pleasure to be found in the detail; although the myriad of walkways amidst the grand crypts are incredibly impressive and awe inspiring. This was the first time I have pulled my camera out of the bag (just the S90 Point and Shoot) since I arrived in Buenos Aires and it feels good to have a few shots ‘in the can’. Although this is not the sort of photography I pursue on a regular basis it was very enjoyable and it felt good to start exercising the shutter finger and get my mind into a more creative frame of mind.
The Candelabra
La Rose et la Vampire
Family Ghost
A more pointed example than Buenos Aires that big cities are just not my cup of tea I cannot imagine. The sprawling, seething urban metropolis ticks all the boxes for things I dislike about big cities – pollution, over-crowding, poverty, crime, grime, the list goes on. And to top it all off its far too hot for my liking with temperatures in the low 30’s celsius. I will be very glad to head south in a couple of days to the much smaller town of Ushuaia, much cooler climate (sub ten degrees celsius) and nearby mountains. Until then I am going to see a few local sites including La Bocca (the home of the Tango) and otherwise relax to while away the time.
The journey over from Australia was uneventful and I was thankfully able to break the back of the long haul flight with a good six hour sleep – yes, a few scotches helped. I was treated to an absolutely superlative view (thanks to clear skies) of the snow capped Andes mountain range as we crossed into South America from the window of the plane. The Andes would rate as one of the most spectacular mountain ranges I have ever laid eyes on – absolutely beautiful and stretching as far as they eye could see. With any luck I should get another view of them on the flight to Ushuaia if the weather stays clear.
For now, its time for some breakfast and just a small amount of local culture…
Pinch me and call me excited! After a year and a half of waiting the date of departure has finally arrived and I am flying out very early AM tomorrow morning for Buenos Aires on my way to Ushuaia and then Antarctica. I booked this expedition well over a year ago now and to be honest; much like a child waiting for Christmas it just felt like it was never going to get here. Antarctica has been a long time dream for me and my shutter finger is itching to starting loosing some frames amongst my favourite subjects (icebergs and glaciers) at the bottom of the world. There is quite a bit of travel ahead of me over the next 5-6 days including two days sailing across the notorious Drake passage; but I am looking forward to the first ice sighting off the bow very much.
I am going to do my best to keep my blog up-to-date throughout the trip; however, once we board the Ocean Nova and set sail for Antarctica there will be no internet access and updates will have to be posted when we get back to Ushuaia at the conclusion of the trip. Although Antarctica is well and truly the primary focus of this trip I am also looking forward to spending a couple of days in Buenos Aires with my good friend Martyn before we head south to the small town of Ushuaia at the bottom of South America. From Ushuaia we sail for Antarctica. I am not at all prone to sea sickness and to date have never suffered from any kind of motion sickness. Nevertheless I am taking no chances in the wilds of the Drake passage and am packing patches and tablets just in case. The only time I plan to be leaning over the side of the ship is to take photographs – not to loose my lunch.
I have had a lot of time to consider what photographic equipment to take me with on this trip and if you have been following my blog you will have probably noticed that I was pretty much considering taking ‘everything’. Nothings changed – I have packed every piece of glass and camera in my arsenal lest I find myself in a situation where I want and need, but don’t have. It means I am schlepping some considerable weight and bulk in camera equipment through airports etc.; but once I get onto the ship I can pretty much unload and take what I feel I need on individual zodiac and shore excursions. It should be very exciting and I have all fingers and toes crossed for some amazing Antarctic light. See you in Buenos Aires in a day or so…
I wrote a brief blog post a few weeks ago that some of my photography had been selected for inclusion in the 2011 Silvershotz Folio Journal. I have known for some time now that my work was being included in the journal but it was still exciting to finally receive my copies in the mail yesterday evening and to see the work in print. The below is a scan of the text and leading photograph – ‘Selfoss Before Storm’. The folio also includes ‘Well of Life‘ and ‘Blue Berg‘. Silvershotz has a wonderfully diverse selection of photography represented throughout its pages and I would encourage anyone interested in fine art photography to check it out.
My new exhibition ‘Colours of Iceland‘ opens the 2nd of December at the Wilderness Gallery at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. ‘Colours of Iceland’ includes twenty four of my personal favourite photographs from Iceland as 20″ x 30″ inch Limited Edition Fine Art Photographic Prints. Each print is made on my absolute favourite paper - Moab Somerset Museum Rag and includes a certificate of authenticity on Moab Moenkopi Washi paper. Prints can also be ordered online directly from the Wilderness Gallery in a range of different sizes. Open Edition A4 prints will also be available for sale at the Gallery Gift Shop.
Unfortunately I will be unable to attend the opening as I am headed to Antarctica early next week on a three week photographic expedition; however, I am looking forward to visiting and seeing the accompanying shows when I get back at the end of the year. If you manage to visit the gallery please drop me a line and let me know if you enjoyed it! There are special room rates available at the Chalet – contact reception for details 03 6492 1404. The exhibition will also be coming to Melbourne early in the new year 2012 for a strictly limited time.
Invitation
The International Loupe Awards for 2011 (formally known as the International Aperture Awards) seem to have snuck up on me this year and I was not aware that images were already in the stages of being judged until early this morning when I was notified via email that my personal favourite photograph from Iceland (A photograph I titled ‘Well of Life’) had won a Gold Award in the Open Landscape Category. ‘Well of Life’ is a photograph near and dear to my heart for many reasons. For me it epitomises the unique geological features of Iceland in a truly alien landscape. And secondly, it came about through a combination of sheer determination, willingness to go the extra mile (literally) and of course a little bit of luck. You can read the full story on the making of this photograph HERE.
‘Well of Life’ was a finalist earlier this year in the World Extreme Environment Awards (Blue Berg won the People’s Choice Award in this competition) and won a coveted and prestigious Silver Award at the 2011 Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPA) in the Landscape Non-Composite Category. The APPA awards are widely regarded as the toughest international photography competition out there and winning Silver with this photograph (which was judged in print) was a great honour. Winning Gold at the Loupe Awards this year is the icing on the very sweet cake.
The three other photographs I had entered into the Loupe Awards in the Open Landscape Category this year also received Highly Commended Bronze Awards including ‘Walls of China‘, ‘Molten Silver Torrent‘ and ‘Highway To Hell‘. ‘Highway To Hell’ has also previously been rewarded with Silver at the 2011 APPA awards and Travel Photograph of the Week at National Geographic. All in all this is a haul of awards I am delighted to hang over the proverbial mantle.
One of the locations in Iceland that I am most looking forward to returning to next year and for my workshop in 2013 is Landmannalaugar. This volcanic region of Iceland has one of the most alien and multi-coloured landscapes in the country and is truly a photographers paradise. With its multi-coloured rhyolite mountains, luminous veins of green moss and sulphurous fumoroles it provides a myriad of possibilities for the landscape photographer. There is quite literally a dizzying array of colour and texture in the mountains and rock formations. During the Icelandic summer when the sun is at an oblique angle the light across this landscape can be truly magical.
This photograph – titled ‘The Castle’, was taken near the summit of one of the highest mountains in the area. Ejected lava has piled up on one of the rhyolite mountains and then eroded away under the assault of the arctic winds.
I am very excited to announce that I was recently awarded a Spotlight Portfolio Award in the prestiguous USA magazine B&W + Color. Issue number #87 of B&W + Color features a portfolio of my photography from Iceland and interview/article. Over 8000+ photographs were submitted to the magazine for entry into the competition and I am thrilled to have had my work selected for the Portfolio Spotlight Award.
B&W + Color magazine is published in over fifty countries and is a highly respected photographic journal featuring fine art photography from international artists. Issue #87 including my Spotlight Portfolio can be purchased at all major book sellers and newsstands as well as online via B&W + Color magazine’s website. Please drop me a line and let me know if you enjoyed it.
Reminder – Registrations are now open for the 2013 Iceland Workshop and places are strictly limited on a first come, first served basis. Be sure to drop me an email if you are interested in attending as there are only a few places left.
Registrations are open for the 2013 Iceland Workshop. If you interested in photographing in the amazingly geologically diverse country of Iceland now is the time to register your interest. This workshop is for a maximum of 6 participants who are serious about their photography and are willing to put in long hours in the field and work for their images. Working with a small number of photographers means we can get to more inaccessible locations when the light is at its absolute best. We can move quickly from location to location as the light changes; or maximise our time in the one location when the light is magical.
If you want to be able to take photographs like this under the spectacular midnight sun then drop me an email registering your interest for this fantastic workshop. This workshop is strictly limited to a maximum of six participants, plus leader and guide and places are reserved on a first come, first served basis. Location highlights include the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon, Vatnajokull National Park, Iceland’s spectacular Dettifoss, Selfoss and Godafoss waterfalls, the geothermal region of Myvatn and many more amazing locations. For further details and a preliminary itinerary please see the workshop tab at www.jholko.com or send me an email to register your interest.
Every year Capture Magazine (Australia’s top-selling Pro Photography Magazine) releases an Annual Edition with the some of the best professional photography for the year featured throughout its pages. Over 2100 photographs were submitted for potential inclusion in the annual this year and less than 130 made the final print edition. This year I am thrilled to have two of my photographs from Iceland included in the Special Annual on pages 30 and page 50. I am doubly thrilled that it is one of my personal favourite photographs from Iceland, ‘Well of Life’ that heads the landscape category.
Other categories in the 2011 Annual include Art, Advertising, Portrait, Documentary/Photojournalism, Editorial, Wedding, Fashion, Sport, Travel and a category for Emerging photographers. Also included are some very interesting surveys straight from the mouths of professional photographers on their favourite websites, blogs, software, studios, applications, equipment and more. Its a wonderful summary of some fabulous photography from throughout the year and a fascinating insight into the preferred tools, website hang outs and more of professional shooters. Capture magazine can be purchased at all good newsagents or subscribed to online at Yaffa Publishing.
Capture 2011 Annual Scan
My local newspaper – ‘The Manningham Leader’ interviewed me last week for the Silvershotz 2011 Annual Award and the edition came out today on Page eight – 3/4 page spread. Click HERE to download a higher resolution copy of the article.
Manningham Leader
Photo Plus Expo in New York, USA has now come and gone for another year. If you were fortunate enough to be able to attend I hope you were able to make it over to the Moab Stand where some of my photography was on display on my absolute favourite paper – Moab Somerset Museum Rag. My new exhibition ‘Colors of Iceland’, opening on the 2nd of December this year at the Wilderness Gallery at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania is printed exclusively on this beautiful paper. I also recently talked about my printing and printing papers in an interview over at CPS Canon Australia; which may be of interest.
I am a few days late updating the photograph of the month as I have been both under the weather for the last few days with a rather nasty tummy bug and otherwise snowed under. With departure looming for my trip to Antarctica in only a few weeks I have been busy running around securing additional memory cards, bags, clothes, accessories etc. as well as attending to the usual office duties. I will endeavour to get up to date later this evening.
Edit – I have updated the Photo of the Month for November 2011.
