Hello everyone. I have just returned from a very hectic, whistle-stop tour to Japan, Singapore, Australia and the States. I am back online so more updates very soon…
April 26, 2009
December 15, 2008
Everest-London-Tokyo?
After barely touching down in the UK, it’s off to Asia once more. Although the mood over here is slightly subdued (no-one is immune from the global economic wobble), it’s always a joy to be back in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Both Tokyo and Mount Fuji never cease to impress and they truly represent the simple and powerful design ethic which I have written about many times before. It’s off to Singapore and Sydney after this so I hope they can both live up to this sublime Japanese benchmark...
December 04, 2008
Mount Everest : A Visual Journey
Concluding the natural wonders book with the jaw-dropping Mount Everest was quite an experience. I hope you can follow the remaining part of the journey when the new volume is released in March 2009.
Preparation
Altitude is the single biggest concern with any mountain adventure. Because no amount of fitness training or previous experience can prepare the body for high-level exposure, it is also the most difficult to manage. Therefore, I decide to set this issue aside and instead concentrate on more practical points such as clothing, crampons and cameras. Given the demanding terrain, I eventually opt for the Linhof 617 with just one lens, a digital system comprising two lenses and some sparse ancillary equipment.
Days 1-5 The journey to Everest itself begins in Kathmandu - a frenetic capital where man, motorcycle and cow often meet. After a short flight, I find myself in Lukla; the focal gateway to the Nepalese Himalaya. Although I’ll be in the region for a while, the usual butterflies are beginning to appear. The next few days entail slow acclimatisation and long - often punishing - walks uphill to Namche Bazaar.
Days 6-10 Namche is 3,440m above sea-level. I attempt to cope with the headaches and restlessness as best possible but invariably there are times when photography falls off the agenda. However, Mother Nature is inspiring as she is harsh and by the time I get into the magnificent Goyko Lakes, I’m truly getting into the ‘zone’. My incredulity also stretches to the porters and sherpas carrying indescribable loads over very tough terrain. Complete respect goes to them and bodies such as the International Porter Protection Group (IPPG).
Days 11-15 Only amongst mountains can one truly appreciate how plate tectonics literally shape the world. Sheer rock faces appear from nowhere and I am acutely aware of the 8,000m peaks all around me. Capturing this beauty with a panoramic camera is proving difficult given the vertical aspect of the terrain. As a result, I am constantly looking for high vantage points to capture the grandeur. The temperature is dropping (particularly at night) and the air is thinning rapidly.
Day 15-20 Crossing the Cho La pass en route to Gorak Shep (5,164m) and I am greeted by awe-inspiring views of Naptse, Lhotse and Mount Everest. Also, known as Sagarmatha in Nepalese and Chomolungma in Tibetan, Everest is mighty as much as it is imperial. Views improve further at Kala Patthar (5,545m) due to the breathtaking context of the entire Khumbu Valley. I have seen a lot of mountain ranges in my life, but none compare to the Himalaya.
After frantically capturing as much of the experience as possible, the journey back to Lukla allows the focus to switch to the smaller world. I can now explore forests, streams and rock formations without the worry of Everest the mind. Ironically, it is often during these ‘free-times’ when the best images are created!
A detailed visual diary is now available to pre-order...
November 02, 2008
I'm Back...
Now that was an adventure!
A visual diary of Sagarmatha National Park and Mount Everest to follow...
October 11, 2008
August 13, 2008
China Cool
Given the immense scale of the Olympics, it’s no surprise that the world has gone China-crazy at the moment!
Co-incidentally, I was watching the opening ceremony at the same time as I was working on the Asia section of the book. In particular, I was working on a scene from Yangshuo in China.
Shooting at pre-dawn would normally require a warming filter to correct for the ambient colour temperature. However, I felt a cooler scene naturally suited the slightly abstract form so I left the camera and Velvia (with a 1/3 of underexposure for a deeper blue) to entirely their own devices…
July 30, 2008
Training in South Wales
A long weekend opened up a great opportunity to go to South Wales – a familiar landscape ‘friend’ who allows me to train my visual fitness in relative peace and quiet. The coastline along this stretch of the UK is incredible and I felt inspired take out both the Canon and Linhof simultaneously for the first time in a while.
The shoulder started off fairly well and my hopes of a speedy recovery were high. In fact, as I trekked up from the sublime Temple Bay, I felt like Rocky Balboa running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art replete with trumpets in the background…
However, this was not to last. The next day on the Gower peninsula I managed to get one great sunset shot before the shoulder had a sense of humour failure.
There’s a very busy schedule set for the latter part of this year, including a possible trip to Mount Everest (more on this in future post). I am aiming to use these normally quiet summer months to get some training in before the usual Autumnal and Winter ‘goldrush’. I'm sure Rocky would be proud!
July 23, 2008
Power of Photography
Finally, I’m very slowly getting back to normal after some serious treatment and physiotherapy on the shoulder (many thanks to all the personal well-wishes). Having barely been able to move at one point, I can only begin to describe how important physical wellbeing is in this profession!
Not all the time has been wasted, however, as I’ve been busy going through the portfolio and have also commenced writing the new book.
As I was writing the South American section recently, I found a picture of our driver racing back to camp in the spectacular Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia. It barely needed a glance at the picture before the memories of vastness and awe came vividly back to life; a true testament to the power of photography.
Expect more scenes from the journey now all is slowly getting back to normal…
June 01, 2008
Pacific Northwest Diary
I’ve finally returned home after a long month on the road. Because my computer wouldn’t allow me to upload any pictures from the trip (my old memory card reader wouldn’t accept the high density cards found in the new Canon behemoth), I’m changing this post around slightly. Instead of usual more considered piece, I’ll be taking you on a day-by-day tour of my commissioned trip to the magnificent Pacific Northwest of America.
DAY 1 – Arrival and Orientation
The plan this week is start in Seattle and then head to Mount Rainier and onwards to the Olympic Peninsula. Seattle itself is a great city as it offers a myriad of outdoor pursuits (e.g. sailing, hiking and mountaineering) on its doorstep. I must admit that it’s odd hearing all the coffee table talk on the rising price of gas when it’s over $10 in the UK! Time is limited here, however, as there’s a lot of shooting to do over the next week. As ever, the journey begins properly on day 2 so stay tuned…
DAY 2 - Hit the Road Jack
Driving around Washington State always reminds me to live here one day. Today’s route runs directly from Seattle to Mount Rainier and already I can sense something is not quite right. Although the ambient temperature is around 90c at sea level, I’m hearing consistent stories about heavy snowfall on the higher ground. My fears are confirmed when we check in to Paradise Inn on the south side of Mount Rainer and there’s over 20 feet of snow (I kid you not – check out the accompanying picture). Moreover, this is not pristine, photogenic snow but the sort of compacted ice that only a fridge-freezer could love. I make a few exposures but my unspoken thoughts are filled with disappointment…
DAY 3 – Change of Plans
One of the constant aspects of photography is the continual changing of plans. Its only day one of the 3 night stay at Rainier and I’m guessing springtime in Oregon maybe a good place to ‘lose’ a few days. Passing some tulip fields on the way and I can’t resist some ‘opportunistic photography’. Funny how life presents new pastures as soon as you break out of the comfort zone.
DAY 4 – Columbia River Gorge
Wow. Oregon has surpassed all expectations with the sublime Columbia River Gorge. It’s verdant, lush and packed with waterfalls! This is photographic manna from heaven and I’m keen to make the most of it. Cue 18 hours days and lots of muddy gear (my $5 lens wipe has never come in so useful). Rainforests and waterfalls need overcast light - the fine mist acts as a giant diffuser ‘spreading light’ into the shadows and reducing the overall contrast range. It’s a perfect damp, drizzly day and I’m spending lots of frustrating hours coping with the latitude of film in the Linhof and little or no time with the Canon; a true testament to the digital coming of age.
DAY 5 – The Photography Rollercoaster
Driving to a sullen, coastal Long Beach and the photographic opportunities suddenly vanish. We drive on immediately. Things suddenly improve with the incredible Quinault and Hoh Rainforest. These are some of the rarest and largest temperate rainforests in the world and its very surreal - and more than a bit spooky – being amongst the moss and lichen hanging from the trees. I’m running out of film so I go into ‘preservation mode’ and only shoot the Linhof when absolutely required (swaying trees, for example, don’t work to well with digital stitching).
DAY 6,7 and 8 – Down to the Sea
Driving up through Forks and onto La Push we come to the mightiest sea stacks on the Washington Coast. It’s a completely cloudless sky and I haven’t shot a single frame (for me, no clouds equates to no drama). Frustrated, I repeat the exercise the next day and there’s a storm blowing in. Perfect for me as this is where the magic happens. It’s cold and as the sun dips beneath the cloud base the sky comes alive! Absolute magic. I chance my arm on the third night but again it’s a cloudless sky. A lot of photographers have turned up tonight because its Memorial Day weekend and I don’t have the heart to tell anyone of what happened yesterday!
DAY 9 – Homeward Bound
A low snow line in the Olympic National Park means that most hikes are closed. The resulting lazy afternoon on Hurricane Ridge is punctuated with a very nice sighting of a young black bear. The trip is nearing its end so things are winding down. These are both the ‘best of times and the worst of times’ as the disappointment of finishing is counter-balanced by the happiness of going home!
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There you have it – the tumult of a landscape photographer’s life over the course of a frenetic week and over 1,200 miles of road travel.
Clients often say that they wish they could do my job for a living (invariably in a gallery looking at an epic sunrise or something similar). I always have a wry smile at these occasions because the tip of the iceberg belies the sheer amount of hard work which supports it from below.
I hope you enjoyed this vignette and if you did please drop me an email and we’ll see if we can do it again soon.
Keep shooting!
Jaspal Jandu
March 27, 2008
The Difference a Day Makes
I recently noted how the onset of a new season can dramatically change the appearance of a landscape. In that particular case, I made a winter return to a scene which I had already captured in its Autumnal prime.
Having just returned from the spectacular Italian Alps and Dolomites over Easter, I was very fortunate to witness an ‘instant’ seasonal change when a storm dropped an absolutely pristine blanket of snow during the cover of night...
There’s nothing better than trampling over fresh snow so it was a joy to mess around during the day (note: snowball fights and cameras really don’t mix) and then to capture a few classic scenes during the most favourable times of sunrise and sunset.
Most European ski resorts have been very happy with the snowfall this year so it may take some time before the new bloom of Spring. I think I may have been pushing my luck by asking for 3 seasons in a week so a little bit of patience may now be deservedly called for!
About
- Jaspal Jandu is a landscape photographer based in the UK who specialises in the panoramic format. Join his stunning journey around the world via this blog.
