Category: Travel Photography

Photography from around the World

ANTARCTICA DISPATCH #1 – LEAVING FOR BUENOS AIRES

Posted in Antarctica, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Workshops and ExpeditionsLeave a comment

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…

SILVERSHOTZ FOLIOS 2011 – THE JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY

Posted in Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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.

‘COLORS OF ICELAND’ EXHIBITION OPENS DECEMBER 2ND AT THE WILDERNESS GALLERY TASMANIA

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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 2011 – ‘WELL OF LIFE’ WINS GOLD

Posted in Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized2 Comments

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.

THE CASTLE – LANDMANNALAUGAR ICELAND

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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.