The travel writer Paul Theraux wrote in his book “Dark Star Safari: “You go away for a long time and return a different person–you never come all the way back.” I find this short sentence to embody much truth. And one of the great benefits of traveling is getting out of your circle which allows you to look back in with a greater degree of objectivity. Most of my photographic work occurs in Alaska, but I venture abroad occasionally. 2010 offered some very enjoyable journey’s south and I’ve gathered a few images from these due to expressed interest.  The selection process is always difficult as there are many ways to interact even with your own photos. Sometimes it’s the experience, sometimes the light, sometimes the color, sometimes the emotion. There is a motive-mix in this selection, with a few comments, quotes and excerpts taken from some writing I did about my experiences.

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The Southern Ocean

“I spent the month of January, 2010 on an expedition to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Reflections on such a trip are not easily summarized, and fall elusively and appropriately shallow when embodied only in small letters. Photographs help tell a story, but much of a journey’s grand experience happens inside, where epic landscapes and encounters tumble around the soul leaving marks and impressions that seem to leak out only as a dim shadow of their original copy. Notwithstanding, it is the images themselves that help kindle the memories and rebuild a space that threatens to fade with time. These few pictures represent some of the scenes that moved through me during my visit to this mysterious and fabled landscape–that at times even now, so soon after my return– feels like a dream itself. Art is both a jester and a tonic to the soul. (excerpt from my book on Antarctica)

Morning light and clouds over icebergs near Coronation Island, South Orkney Islands, Southern Ocean.

I woke just before 4:00 a.m., because this was the predicted arrival at the South Orkney Islands.  I stepped foot on the deck of the ship and this befell my eyes.  And in return, I fell deep inside the dramatic unfolding of a morning I will not soon forget.

Rough seas in the Drake passage, Antarctica

I called to the other men that the sky was clearing,
and then a moment later I realized
that what I had seen was not a rift in the clouds
but the white crest of an enormous wave.
~ Ernest Shackleton

Floating icebergs near Lumiere Channel, western Antarctic Peninsula.

I crested the snowy saddle on Peterman Island, which offered a view in all directions. A view that provoked irregular breathing and an irrepressible stare. Giant icebergs dotted the seascape in all directions. I felt surrounded by the pure magic of Antarctica.

King penguins, Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island

While standing on the long sandy beach filled with fur seals and king penguins, I felt that familiar overwhelming sense come over me again. What do I photograph, where do I turn, there was so much happening. Looking into the light and into the home of these birds provided a context that moved me out of stimulus overload and into a picture.

Neko Harbor, Antarctica

I circle around God, the primordial tower,
and I circle ten thousand years long;
and I still don’t know if I’m a falcon, a storm,
or an unfinished song.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Large tabular iceberg near Paulet Island, Antarctic Peninsula.

The great omission in American life is solitude;
not loneliness, for this is an alienation
that thrives most in the midst of crowds,
but that zone of time and space,
free from the outside pressures,
which is the incubator of the spirit.
~ Marya Mannes

Albatross soars over the headland cliffs along the western shore of South Georgia Island.

The albatross hit the top and
canted her soft belly to the storm,
and made a screaming banked
peel-out downwind and over the other side.
I don’t know if anyone else on the ship saw her.
To me, she was a visitation.
Not harbinger or annunciation,
but a simple reminder of a world that worked,
that was at home with itself
and friends with storm.
~ Peter Heller (The Whale Warriors)

Black-browed albatross has a 79-94" wingspan and a natural lifespan exceeding 70 years. Westpoint Island, Falkland Islands

Oranch lichen on Steeple Jason Island, Falkland Islands

Adelie penguin hauled out on floating icebergs near Paulet Island, Antarctic Peninsula.

Adelie penguins and icebergs at Shingle Cove, Coronation Island, South Orkney Islands, Southern Ocean

Adelie penguin, icebergs at Shingle Cove, Coronation Island, South Orkney Islands, Southern Ocean

Adelie penguins hauled out on floating icebergs near Paulet Island, Antarctic Peninsula.

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Peru

The Ancient lost city of Machu Picchu in Peru has seen no shortage of photography. More than photographing it, I wanted to see it with my own eyes. I was remarkably taken back by its amazing location and mysterious beauty. The gray rainy morning that I awoke to slowly dissipated into broken cloud layers and eventually some hints of sunshine. What an amazing place…

Morning fog and clouds reveal Machu Picchu, the ancient "lost city of the Incas", 1400 CA, 2400 meters. Discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. One of Peru's top tourist destinations. Urubamba river in the distance.

Morning fog and clouds reveal Machu Picchu, the ancient "lost city of the Incas", 1400 CA, 2400 meters. Discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. One of Peru's top tourist destinations.

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The Galapagos Islands

My second trip to the Galapagos was largely fueled by a desire to try some underwater photography. And my favorite photo from that trip was taken in a small cove that serves as a resting spot for green sea turtles. I think there are 14 visible in the picture. Between my return from Antarctica I had shoulder surgery and recovered in perfect timing to be active in the amazing waters of the enchanted islands just a few months later. If you have ever been to the Galapagos you probably recognize these locations.

Galapagos Green sea turtle, Isabella Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Prickly pear cactus, South Plaza Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Bartolome Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Uniquely colored red and green marine iguanas, Punto Suarez, Espanola Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), Punto Cormoran, Floriana Island, Galapagos

If you are a regular visitor to this blog, thanks for visiting and sharing thoughts and comments. In 2011 I’m looking forward to some travels and adventures both in Alaska and beyond and I’ll be sharing photos and experiences along the way.

A journey is a person in itself, no two are alike.
And all plans, safeguards, policies
and coercion are fruitless.
We find after years of struggle
that we do not take a trip,
a trip takes us.
~John Stienbeck

I’ve finally completed the tedious process of getting new material on my website from recent international travels.  If you care to take a quick look, follow the links here:

Lizard on the stone wall of Machu Picchu, the ancient "lost city of the Incas", 1400 CA, 2400 meters. Made know to the world by Hiram Bingham in 1911. Huayanapichu (young mountain) in the distance. 17-40mm f/4L IS (19mm) 1/50 sec. @ f/14, ISO 100, Hand-held leaning over the wall ever so slowly as to not scare the lizard. I was in a pretty precarious position when shooting this and I wanted to try one more shot at f/16 or f/22 for some more depth of field but the lizard scurried off before I could execute a few more frames.

I’ve seen pictures of Machu Picchu over the years, but none of them really prepared me for the first hand view. This “lost city of the Incas” is a commanding site, filled with mystery, and perched in the most spectacular mountain jungle location. I shared a few pics on a post a while back, just after the visit, but they were just Iphone snap shots. Here are some more vivid images from my real cameras. I know this place has been photographed over and over again, but I was happy to have my crack at it, and the moody clouds and lighting falling on the stone city was impressive. I was there for less than 24 hours, with one try at morning light. The disheartening clouds slowly dissipated, and in the course of 1.5 hours, I ran around frantically assessing the scene and attempting various compositions.

Here are a few of the many keepers that resulted from that brief visit. They were shot with the Canon 5D Mark II, with an exposure optimized to extract the greatest dynamic range out of one file, without the use of a split-graduated neutral density filter. I’ll discuss how I achieve this in an upcoming post.

Both Llamas and Alpaca roam the grounds of Machu Picchu, serving as efficient lawn mowers with the added bonus of being able to graze all the grass that grows on some of the terraces and vertical walls. This splash of late evening sun did not last long, and I waited quite a while for people to clear out of this scene. 17-40mm f/4L IS (17mm) 1/250 sec. @ f/10, ISO 200

When I woke early, the solid gray clouds and rain did not give me much hope for the few hours I had to photograph before departing at 9 A.M. However, about an hour after initial sunrise, the skies began to brighten and the sun slowly burned its way through as the clouds dissipated. The slow revelation of the ruins was mysterious and it truly felt like discovering the "lost city of the Incas" all over again. 24-105mm f/4L IS (45mm) 1/40 sec. @ f/14, ISO 100

Morning fog and clouds reveal Machu Picchu, the ancient "lost city of the Incas". The Urubamba river arcs around the back side of the mountain, making for quite a strategic situation for its former inhabitants. 24-105mm f/4L IS (24mm) 1/80 sec. @ f/10, ISO 100

Evening light on Machu Picchu, Huaynapicchu (young mountain) in the distance. 17-40mm f/4L (17mm) 1/100 sec. @ f/10, ISO 200

Morning light falls on Machu Picchu. 17-40mm f/4L (20mm) 1/250 sec. @ f/10, ISO 100

Machu Picchu, the ancient "lost city of the Incas". 17-40mm f/4L (17mm) 1/50 sec. @ f/8, ISO 100

Saturday morning was my only early morning photo opportunity at Machu Picchu and I woke at 5:30 to thick fog and rain. It made for a disheartening morning greeting, high in the Peruvian jungle, but afforded time for coffee and breakfast. The crowds arrived at 6AM,  and I ventured out after them and long after supposed first light, which remained hidden behind the dense clouds.

This is what I woke up to, with high hopes for photographing the ruins at first light...

I did what landscape photographers do in situations like this–I sat and waited. I knew the chances for some intriguing light play loomed as an option in conditions like this and before too long the skies began to slowly brighten and the mist and fog dissipated sporadically. Machu Picchu all by itself is a sight to behold, but to watch it slowly take form like a print in dark-room developer solution was more than magical.

After about an hour of waiting, the sun eventually burned through and the fog lifted, revealing the Ancient site of Machu Picchu. Wow, I will long remember this morning. Taken with my Iphone.

I took lot of photos, some panoramas, a few exposure blends, but I won’t know which is best until I have a good chance to review. However, if my Iphone produced a shot like this, then I must have something worthy in the bunch. After 2 hours, it was time to run to the hotel, pack and catch a 9 am bus back to the train station, which departs from the village of Aguas Calientes, along the Urubamba River.