Death of a Penguin
Yes, we finally did get out of Punta Arenas! Antarctica was waiting for us with beautiful skies, ice, microflora and of course, penguins. I even started to see them in the patterns of my abstracts. Can you?
Fundraiser for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society
On Wednesday, February 11, I will be giving a benefit for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. I will share little-known early photos of West Seattle, as well as some of my most famous works.
This is an exclusive event at the historic Colman Estate, an Arthur Loveless-designed English revival estate in West Seattle. Each individual or couple will receive a
copy of Earth Is My Witness, which I will personally inscribe. Also included is a signed,
8-by-10-inch photo, suitable for framing, that depicts the Madrona trees of my beloved Lincoln Park.
For information on the event, please call Clay Eals, Executive Director, at 206-484-8008, or e-mail clay.eals@loghousemuseum.info.
Can’t make it to the event? Plan a visit to the Loghouse Museum on Alki, the “birthplace of Seattle”.
Waiting for the Weather to Clear
Flying into Antarctica can be a dicey proposition. We were stranded in Punta Arenas, Chile for a few days before the weather cleared enough on the icy continent, then hours later we couldn’t land and had to return for another try a day later. We did get a great view of Fitz Roy and the Patagonian Icecap, though.
Highlights From my newsletter
I am back in Antarctica–well, nearly, as the weather has been preventing us from flying to the icy continent and we are waiting in Punta Arenas for a break. I thought I would share some of the highlights from the newsletter sent out last week, including our hopeful rendition of the 12th Man flag flying atop the space needle. Our team may not have won the game, but the cities support will not recede!
I hope you have had a chance to check out the streamlined events page (formerly workshops) which covers everything from presentations to safaris. I particularly like the map view of all the events I have scheduled. Take a look and join me on a trip or take a seminar! Did you notice the addition of an Exclusive Svalbard Tour this summer?
For those of you in Florida I have a couple terrific events coming up at the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Fine Art: an Earth Is My Witness presentation and an Art of Composition seminar. There is a $40 discount for MOAFL members.
My friend and colleague Cristina Mittermeier is looking for photographers, people who are passionate about nature and photography, to participate in the Por el Planeta photo competition. It doesn’t matter what age you are, what matters is your willingness to give your best for conservation. Sponsored by National Geographic, Televisa, and the Secretaria de Turismo of Mexico, Por el Planeta will allocate over $300,000 in prize money for the winners & all profits will be donated to conservation initiatives. Submissions close March 27, 2015.
Near the end of Earth is My Witness are the photo notes for all the images in the book. I had several requests for a separate copy of them for easier reading while viewing the pages of the book. We are now offering a download of the photo notes, and by entering the coupon code 1.2015newsletter, at no extra cost!
On to new discoveries and new destinations in 2015! Best of light to all of you.
Mnemba Island, Tanzania
On the last leg of our east African sojourn earlier this year, we stayed at the idyllic Mnemba Island Lodge on tiny Mnemba Island adjacent to Zanzibar. Within twenty minutes of arriving we witnessed the last batch of green sea turtles leave their nest and enter the Indian Ocean. One in a thousand will return twenty five years later.
El Arte de la Fotografía
The Art of the Photograph is now available in Spanish!
Published by Anaya Multimedia
The Ngorongoro Crater
No trip to east Africa is complete without a visit to the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. It is the largest unfilled, inactive volcanic caldera in the world. Various hominids have lived here for 3 million years and currently about 25000 large mammals from rhinos to hippos to zebras make this area home.
Can One Person Really Make A Difference?
Can one person really make a difference? Rachel Carson did – she wrote the book Silent Spring just over 50 years ago in 1962 which woke up the American public to the fact that we were killing off our wildlife at an alarming rate – with many on the brink of extinction. Despite the claims and disinformation of the chemicals companies she laid out the scientific proof that DDT was responsible for the decline in birds of prey. Her book and public awareness ultimately lead to the Endangered Species Act signed into law in 1973.
Each of the animals in this album would have been extinct by today had it not been for the Endangered Species Act turning their fate around.
American Alligator – nearly gone by the 1960s for their skins to produce purses and shoes, protected in 1967, they were removed from the list just 20 years later after a hearty come back.
Whooping Cranes – hunted for their feathers for fashion there were only 16 birds left in 1941. In 1967 under the act’s protection the few remaining birds were rounded up for captive breeding and today several hundred exist in the wild.
Bald Eagle – By 1963 there were just 417 breeding pairs in the lower 48 due to DDT, today there are over 10,000 and you no longer have to go to a zoo to see our nations symbol. Likewise Peregrine Falcons are doing well with many taking to the skyscrapers of large cities to raise the next generation while preying on pigeons.
Grizzly Bear – by the 1970s there were around 140 bears, mostly in Yellowstone National Park, when they were put under protection in 1973 – today there are some 1200-1400 in the lower 48 (still far from their original estimated 50,000 at the time of Lewis and Clark).
Grey Wolf – virtually extinct by the 1930s due to hunting, protected and reintroduced into Yellowstone in the 1970s there are an estimated 5,000 wolves in the lower 48 today.
Californian Condor – In 1987 the last 22 Condors were captured in the wild for captive breeding and today around 200 live in the wild. Alive, but still one of the rarest birds on the planet.
Talking Photography 2014 at Curious Animal
Curious Animal is an online magazine for Adventure Travel, Photography, Music, Books, Big Issues and Ideas from around the world. Graeme Green interviewed me for a couple of pieces on Curious Animal. Apparently they had the pleasure of talking to many of the world’s best photographers, from Steve McCurry to Soren Solkaer, who spend their time traveling the world photographing everything from sharks to rock stars. I discussed disappearing cultures… Roger Ballen on the art of the strange… Chris Hadfield on photographing the Earth from space… Here are some of their thoughts on photography, the world and life itself.
Yellowstone in Winter
Yellowstone National Park is spectacular in the winter. We stayed at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, one of the few lodges open in the winter. From there we explored the Norris Geyser Basin via snowcoach, passed all the while by snowmobilers, who now are restricted to roads and use significantly quieter engines. As always the wildlife is varied and accessible, but what I liked photographing were the landscapes, especially the pine forests that burned back in the late 1980s. Their regimented geometry was softened by the falling snow.
