It’s already two months since I returned home from the trip. And while it seems an absolute age ago, I have been brought back to the extraordinary time I had by sorting my photos. In my photo stories I am sharing my experiences by topic, rather than simply uploading a chronology of photos. Often people ask me for the one or two highlights of the trip. This is a really hard question to answer, but I have been replying with…
by Florence Page Jaques Oh, there once was a PuffinJust the shape of a muffin,And he lived on an islandIn the bright blue sea! He ate little fishes,That were most deliciousAnd he had them for supperAnd he had them for tea. But this poor little Puffin,He couldn’t play nothin’,For he hadn’t anybodyTo play with at all. So he sat on his islandAnd he cried for a while, andHe felt very lonely,And he felt very small. Then along came the fishes,And…
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I first got the idea for a post about Arctic art from “Arctic Dreams” – yes, the book which has inspired me with many and varied ponderings. Lopez was describing a conversation with a retired scientist who was also an artist, when they were on Cornwallis Island in the Canadian Arctic. They marvelled about the fact that summer brings 24 hours of daylight which also delivers a “fullness and subtle quality of light”, together with a range of colour balances…
A lot is being written and reported about the impact of climate change on polar bear populations. While I can’t profess to have any depth of knowledge in this area, or indeed be in a position to substantiate the validity of what I am reading, I will attempt to sift through what I have read and present here what appears to me to make the best sense. Polar Bear population I’m going to start with some detail around polar bear…
Polar bears are the image we all associate with the Arctic regions. And rightly so, since this is the only area where they are found. Moreover, they have also become the subject used by many of the climate change advocates. But I will cover this in a separate post. For now, I would like to share the following facts about polar bears: Polar bears are classified as marine mammals. They are the only bear species to be classified as a…
When I started thinking about what camera equipment I should take with me to the Arctic, I quickly decided that I didn’t want to take the Canon 7D which I took to the Antarctic. It is too big and heavy. In the intervening years I have hardly used it. I also don’t think that my Sony point-and-shoot is going to be up to the challenge of wildlife photography in the polar region. It was beginning to look like my Samsung…
As you can see, I’ve gathered some reading material. And I suspect the pile will grow over the next few months. I just hope that I can read it all before I leave! Meanwhile, the first book I’ve read was a Christmas gift. A classic called “Arctic Dreams” by Barry Lopez. Lopez is known for his passionate writings about remote areas, and about the relationship between us and the land we inhabit. And more importantly, about the impact we have…
Who would have thought that, after voyaging to the Antarctic, there would be gaps in the gear I need to take to the Arctic? Well, apparently there are. Both travel operators provided us with a comprehensive list of what to bring. Apart from the expected clothing, accessory, and equipment suggestions, I noted the following: In Greenland the air is dry and the sun is strong, and we will be outdoors more often and for longer periods, so we need to…