Aug 31, 2011
Llanganatis
After eight long days trekking in the Llangantis National Park in Ecuador I have arrived in the nearby town of Pillaro. It was an incredible journey, taking in valleys, vistas, and cloud forest along the way. With no paths to follow, we had to make our way along mainly deer tracks, some areas being totally inaccessible. The first couple of days good weather didn´t hold up, and soon we were faced with freezing fog and swirling mist.
Here are a few shots I´ve managed to upload for now. I have also included here a picture of the Flechas, very sharp arrow like plants sticking up like knives from the ground.
Next on the agenda is the Sangay volcano.
Here are a few shots I´ve managed to upload for now. I have also included here a picture of the Flechas, very sharp arrow like plants sticking up like knives from the ground.
Next on the agenda is the Sangay volcano.
Aug 23, 2011
Arrival in Quito
After 16 hours flying we finally arrived in Quito yesterday in thick fiog. Tomorrow morning we will be setting off my Pillaro where the expedition to the Llanganatis will commence. The bags are packed!
Waterproofing all the gear is of paramount importance on this trip. It rained for a few hours today in Quito and it rained hard. I can´t say for sure what to expect in the mountains but it´s sure to be the toughest physical challenge I have faced so far.
Here are few shots from Quito today. I´ll keep updating when I can.
Waterproofing all the gear is of paramount importance on this trip. It rained for a few hours today in Quito and it rained hard. I can´t say for sure what to expect in the mountains but it´s sure to be the toughest physical challenge I have faced so far.
Here are few shots from Quito today. I´ll keep updating when I can.
Aug 17, 2011
Ecuador
Next week I'll travel to Ecuador and the Llanganates National Park as part of the Search for Gold 2011 Expedition team led by Ken Hames and Jacki Hill Murphy. www.searchforgold2011.com. Below is an image of the region we're heading to and my recent blog post on the website.
So this is it. The Search for Gold 2011 Expedition is about to begin. I’m on a train gliding through rural Oxfordshire on my way back to London Town, gazing out the window and reflecting on what kind of adventure lies ahead. Just a few days left to go before I board the flight to Ecuador and join up with the rest of the team.
I’ve just picked up my share of expedition food from Mr Tinker for the trip: 24 hour survival rations, comprising of tightly packed freeze dried food. Right now I am resisting the temptation to break out the chocolate pudding. Powdered muesli… mmm tasty! I keep reminding myself at least it’s endorsed by Ranulph Fiennes. I bought a George Foreman grill once. I trusted that guy…surely Sir Ranulph wouldn’t let me down?
I’m buzzing with excitement, anticipation, and a mild amount trepidation to be fair. I know that Jacki Hill Murphy and Ken Hames have poured a lot into this trip, literally years of planning and preparation. We have amassed a wealth of information about the Llanganates, the legend of buried Inca gold, and the various treasure seekers that have tried and failed to locate it. And yet despite all this, nobody really knows exactly what to expect. And that’s part of the fun! That’s what these trips are all about. At present I’ve only met half our team but we might well call ourselves an eclectic bunch of thrill seekers, from various backgrounds, of various ages, each of us bringing something to the table.
My role on the trip is that of the official photographer. A trek of this magnitude and difficulty presents me with a conundrum over what kit to take out. We face treacherous conditions: high altitude boggy terrain, razor sharp vegetation, and freezing rain accounting for an annual precipitation of up to twice that of the Lake District. I’ve decided to take my Nikon D3s, with three lenses: two primes 20mm F/2.8 and 50mm F/1.4 and a telephoto zoom Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 APO Macro. These I will carry in a Lowepro Inverse 200AW beltpack (with all weather cover!) on me at all times. It’s not ideal but the best compromise I could find. I’m interested to see how my D3s handles the weather although I will be taking some extra waterproofing in case it gets hairy.
I hope to document the trip and the team effort while working on my own photo stories along the way. I’ve heard a lot about the biodiversity, and I’m looking forward to doing some Macro photography, training my long lens on the various fauna, flora, and fungi we encounter along the way. Luckily we have two Belgian wildlife experts on board. I’m relying on them to advise us on the how cuddly these creatures are.
Part two of our expedition involves climbing the Sangay, one of the most active volcanoes in South America. That’s about all I know about it at the moment, but it does look pretty damn impressive on Google Earth. I’ll be blogging more about this as we go along.
More to come!
So this is it. The Search for Gold 2011 Expedition is about to begin. I’m on a train gliding through rural Oxfordshire on my way back to London Town, gazing out the window and reflecting on what kind of adventure lies ahead. Just a few days left to go before I board the flight to Ecuador and join up with the rest of the team.
I’ve just picked up my share of expedition food from Mr Tinker for the trip: 24 hour survival rations, comprising of tightly packed freeze dried food. Right now I am resisting the temptation to break out the chocolate pudding. Powdered muesli… mmm tasty! I keep reminding myself at least it’s endorsed by Ranulph Fiennes. I bought a George Foreman grill once. I trusted that guy…surely Sir Ranulph wouldn’t let me down?
I’m buzzing with excitement, anticipation, and a mild amount trepidation to be fair. I know that Jacki Hill Murphy and Ken Hames have poured a lot into this trip, literally years of planning and preparation. We have amassed a wealth of information about the Llanganates, the legend of buried Inca gold, and the various treasure seekers that have tried and failed to locate it. And yet despite all this, nobody really knows exactly what to expect. And that’s part of the fun! That’s what these trips are all about. At present I’ve only met half our team but we might well call ourselves an eclectic bunch of thrill seekers, from various backgrounds, of various ages, each of us bringing something to the table.
My role on the trip is that of the official photographer. A trek of this magnitude and difficulty presents me with a conundrum over what kit to take out. We face treacherous conditions: high altitude boggy terrain, razor sharp vegetation, and freezing rain accounting for an annual precipitation of up to twice that of the Lake District. I’ve decided to take my Nikon D3s, with three lenses: two primes 20mm F/2.8 and 50mm F/1.4 and a telephoto zoom Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 APO Macro. These I will carry in a Lowepro Inverse 200AW beltpack (with all weather cover!) on me at all times. It’s not ideal but the best compromise I could find. I’m interested to see how my D3s handles the weather although I will be taking some extra waterproofing in case it gets hairy.
I hope to document the trip and the team effort while working on my own photo stories along the way. I’ve heard a lot about the biodiversity, and I’m looking forward to doing some Macro photography, training my long lens on the various fauna, flora, and fungi we encounter along the way. Luckily we have two Belgian wildlife experts on board. I’m relying on them to advise us on the how cuddly these creatures are.
Part two of our expedition involves climbing the Sangay, one of the most active volcanoes in South America. That’s about all I know about it at the moment, but it does look pretty damn impressive on Google Earth. I’ll be blogging more about this as we go along.
More to come!
Aug 14, 2011
Big Chill Festival 2011
I got sent to cover the Big Chill Festival last weekend for Blues and Soul magazine. Some of the artists I shot in no particular order... The Bullits with Lucy Liu, Norman Jay, Katy B, Gay Fish, Jessie J, Janelle Monae, Gay Fish, Jessie J, Femi Kuti, Dionne Bromfield (she was brilliant btw), Craig Charles Funk Show and Aloe Blacc (whom I also highly recommend). Blues and Soul has been going since the 60s and is now back in print after a four year absence.
Love working for these guys. I recently found out they also have a great picture archive of bands and artists shot over the years, which you can check out on their web page www.bsimagearchive.com. The collection they have is unique...and there are some cool shots there...including Bob Marley enjoying a kick about.
Love working for these guys. I recently found out they also have a great picture archive of bands and artists shot over the years, which you can check out on their web page www.bsimagearchive.com. The collection they have is unique...and there are some cool shots there...including Bob Marley enjoying a kick about.
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