Archive for the 'news' Category
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‘Into the Arctic’ New Documentary from TarajiBlue
Into The Arctic from Alistair Knock on Vimeo.
In 2010 we were fortunate enough to seize an opportunistic half price holiday to the Arctic with Gap Adventures. What we witnessed in Spitsbergen and Greenland was at once life enhancing and bewildering. The memories we have are re-lived by us regularly and they continue to fuel our wanderlust for the polar regions. The sense of place and isolation was immense, as was the beauty that surrounded us.
Greenland was a particular surprise. It’s huge – everything is magnified … size, colour, shape and form, it’s like no where I have ever seen before. Icebergs tower majestically, blue skies meet glass -like lagoons and oceans.
We were so fortunate with the weather, everyday the sun kissed the snow capped mountaintops surrounding us, creating incredibly beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Bare-armed we drank cold beers on the boat’s deck with new friends in the afternoon sun, watching icebergs and glaciers pass us by. Every minute in this wonderful environment became a legend that will stay with us forever… We cried, laughed and celebrated with friends onboard at morning, noon and midnight.
Sleep was brief, for the excitement of the environment and the promise of the next day could not come soon enough. When we did finally drift off to the ebb and flow of the gentle tide, we were awoken by announcements that the Northern Lights were dancing overhead.
I said it was a life-enhancing experience, but I would go as far to say it was also life changing. When you see what we saw, you cannot help but change your perceptions on the world. It alters your very soul.
This is why, for the last 14 months, TarajiBlue have been working on a documentary of the Arctic. Featuring footage shot entirely on location, and with an original and exclusive score from Alistair Knock, it’s been a labour of love and one that we are eager to share – not only with fellow passengers of the MS Expedition, but also with friends we know, and friends we are yet to make. We hope, that by sharing this footage, we can share the incredible beauty of the Arctic and help the world to realise why we must protect this most precious and fragile resource for future generations.
Our documentary is called ‘Into the Arctic’ and it is freely available to view on Vimeo. We would really love to hear your feedback – please do let us know what you think, both of the feature and of the Arctic itself.
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My Love For Spiders Knows No Bounds
As much as I adore the manatees, elephants and big cats of the this world (heck, I have even become a twitcher), there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a spider. Not only are they incredibly intricate and stunningly beautiful to photograph, they also create what I consider to be one of the world’s most beautiful structures…the web.
This love has not emerged overnight - far from it. But over the last few months I have been studying these most fascinating of creatures at home and abroad. I thought my love for them was sealed when I discovered the giggly wee fellow in France – but it was not until a wintery weekend in Yorkshire that I fully appreciated these incredible creatures.
Whilst wandering in the forest of Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire (a RSPB reserve), one misty afternoon, my attention was grabbed from sky to ground as I noticed hundreds upon hundreds of stunningly beautiful dew laden spider’s webs, bouncing light around like crystals. They were on trees, holly bushes and formed a bejeweled carpet under my feet. I did not hesitate to grab my macro lens and jump right in. These images (above and below) were my results.
Both photos were taken with a Canon EOS 7D with my EF 100mm macro lens at f/2.8, ISO 640. On a misty, winter’s afternoon it was quite dark in the undergrowth, hence the need for a higher ISO than usual with my macro shots. I hope you like them as much as I do!
Additional macro shots are available in our online macro gallery.
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Photo of the Week – Once More I Am Betrayed
I like this shot – it doesn’t pretend to be anything. It’s what it is … a captive owl’s failed attempt to escape. It is symbolic and representative and I think it works really well in monochrome. I even like the blur – it’s indicative of the speed and strength of the attempted escape – the tension in the rope is testament to this.
I guess it could be quite a depressing shot too – such a wonderful bird tethered up for man’s pleasure. It says a lot about wildlife conservation and education, and causes the viewer to ponder the scene and circumstance.
That’s why it is my photo of the week.
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I wish I’d taken…..
At the 2011 Wild Photos conference all speakers were asked to reveal the image they wish they’d taken. I thought this was a great idea and one I’d start to emulate on this blog.
Quite appropriately, I start this series with an image revealed at the conference as a winner of the Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year in the Urban Wildlife category. It’s called ‘Boy Meets Nature’ and it quite literally took my breath away when revealed on the big screen.
The photographer is the very talented scientist turned photographer, Alexander Badyaev (USA). The image was taken in the type of ram-shackled cabin we all dream of owning in North America. The family would visit and Alex became enchanted with the bats that feast on the white moths surrounding the cabin at specific times of the year. It took Alex a few years to figure out how to capture both the bats and moths in photos, and during this time he had a new addition to the family i.e. the boy in the picture who seemingly shares his passion. The child was supposed to be asleep and not feature in the picture, but I think it is glorious and timeless that he did pop his head up into the shot his Dad has spent years planning.
I love the juxtaposition of rodent and child – not a mixture you’d ever dream of putting together, but that is why it works so well. Alex has done an amazing job to capture both the child’s and the bat’s expression- almost mutual appreciation and curiosity. It’s a perfect medley of human and nature and one I could only ever dream of capturing. I REALLY, REALLY wish I had taken this shot.
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I Am Not A Landscape Photographer!
I really am not! The landscape is nothing more than an environment or scene setting for my wildlife photography.
However, I do love the thrill of wildlife photography, the adrenaline rush it provides and the challenges that come with photographing wildlife.
I also adore the tiny wee new world that macro photography opens. It’s like wearing a pair of prescription lenses for the first time: you see detail you’ve never seen before and as a result, you see the world in a new light.
In direct contrast, landscape photography is static and I find it a little boring … So why is it that I always seem to turn my eye to some scenic shots during wildlife and macro photography sessions? I often find myself thinking ‘Oh, that’s pretty, I’ll take a quick picture’….and then the resulting photos often end up being some of my favourite shots.
Take, for example, the image above. This was taken with my macro lens (Canon EF 100mm) during a wildlife photography field trip. I saw the wind turbines on our walk back to the car and thought they might be worth a quick shot, but in all honesty I could not be bothered to switch lenses and thought a quick photo with the macro lens might suffice. Despite the lack of effort put into this shot, I love the results.
Now in my defence I did think carefully about the composition – I waited until the foreground was correct and the light maximised…but otherwise I did nothing but point and click with the ‘wrong’ lens and expected nothing spectacular. I was proven wrong!
Maybe, just maybe, I am a closet landscape photographer? Hmmmm.
