Galleries

Ladakh Expedition 2012

I first visited Ladakh in the early 90’s to guide one of Ladakh’s highest mountains Stok Kangri 6100 metres. At this time I was fit as a flea and shooting with film! However, capturing the wild landscapes that always blew me away seemed virtually impossible back then; it’s really tricky getting the camera out to be creative whilst puffing uphill with minimum oxygen! Last year I revisited Ladakh to guide the same mountain again and to set up our current photographic expedition. Three things came out of this reccy trip, first, the landscapes were still amazing, second that photographing in remote places is easier with new digital technology and third, Stok Kangri seemed to have grown somewhat!!

On our 2012 Ladakh photographic expedition we all discovered that photographing Ladakh really well is not for the faint hearted, it is a full on adventure at altitude with lots of early morning sunrises, several nights out in very remote areas including four nights in tented accommodation and wild drives over some of the world’s highest road passes; in balance these hardships seemed well worth it as we all came home with some really fine images. Here are a few just to give some idea with lots more to come. We are already excitedly planning next years trip, it’s been extended to allow more time in Lamayuru and two days at the Korzok Gustor festival on the banks of Tso Moriri Lake; it’s going to be a remarkable trip.
Dates 28 June – 13 July 2013. Full details online in a couple of weeks.

Geraldine
(Images: Martin & Geraldine)

India in December and January

The India trips are our excuse to migrate from Iceland to exotic climes and revel in South India’s coldest time of year!! Actually the skies are blue, the monsoon is over, the land is lush and the temperatures vary between 20 and 30 degrees celsius.

The South Indians of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are an ancient race, little changed for thousands of years they speak the Dravidian languages of Telagu and Malayalam. The tourism infrastructure of Kerala is more developed and the general standard of living, education etc. is higher. Kerala’s lesser known neighbour Tamil Nadu is poorer, there are far more subsistence workers and the people are less used to tourists, it is very unspoilt. In the countryside both peoples are curious, very friendly, pleasantly unworldly and welcoming, we are often invited into people’s homes for a cup of tea or just to be introduced to the family. It has to be said that nowadays even the thatched mud huts have a television somewhere! Our trips take us into the very heart of both countries, meeting people in all sorts of landscapes and from all walks of life: tea, cardamom and coffee pickers, fishermen, farmers, sadhus, shopkeepers, the new rich middle classes, schoolchildren, flower sellers, mystics and aesthetics. The vibrant hustle and bustle of this magnetic and mystical land keeps us coming back for more.

Here’s a collection of images from our recent trips Mystical South India and Captivating Kerala.

Martin

Manual workers from Tamil Nadu and Kerala

The population of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are of ancient Dravidian stock, both the culture and language have remained virtually unchanged for well over 2000 years. The people here are generally curious, friendly, hardworking and spiritual. All of the images in this gallery were taken during our photographic adventures in India December, January and February 2010/11 If this kind of photography is ‘your thing’ then take a look at our Christmas Mystical South India or escape the post Christmas blues with our Captivating Kerala photographic adventure
In addition to portraiture there are abundant opportunies for landscape and architectural photography too.

Geraldine

Ice Workshop, September 2011

Steven recently came on our Ice Workshop and kindly provided us with a gallery of his favourite images taken during the workshop.
 

“… it was great being with you guys for the trip, you really create a relaxed atmosphere making it comfortable to chat and take photos; the critiquing process was easy and enjoyable… I really enjoyed my trip and I am absolutely delighted with the photos I managed to capture.”

Steven Coburn, September 2011

English Graveyards

Many of the graveyards in England’s countryside are several hundreds of years old, some are dating back to the middle ages. This is a selection of images taken in Blean and Fordwich, near Canterbury.

It’s interesting to see how the design of the headstones has changed through the ages. The oldest ones are often sculpted much more elaborately featuring religious and floral elements, also the skull & cross-bones. After this the headstones tend to become increasingly simpler.

Apart from the variety of styles, I was most fascinated by the vibrant colours of lichen ranging from luminous green, to yellow and deep, ‘rusty’ orange. The British are to be complimented on the way they have allowed many of their graveyards to become lovely wild areas, that have developed organically resulting in some very interesting landscape with a rich diversity in flora and fauna.

The images shown here were all taken with a short telephoto lens. I deliberately used a shallow depth of field to accentuate details.

Martin

Snæfellsnes Peninsula – West Iceland

The Snæfellsnes peninsula is a unique location, that we keep returning to time and time again.

There is of course Snæfellsjökull, the iconic strato volcano, that shaped the peninsula, last erupting some 2000 years ago. It is topped by a glacier and is a popular destination all year round.

But the area is incredibly diverse with vast stretches of beautiful coastal cliffs and an abundance of bird life fascinating to watch.

We noticed, that every once in a while something caused a panic among the birds prompting them to take off in a frenzy. The reason for the disturbance were Ravens patrolling the area. The Ravens feed on other birds’ eggs, so the panicking is quite understandable. Somehow though we got the impression, that the Ravens were also quite enjoying themselves causing such a stir.

Geraldine & Martin

Around Iceland

In early June 2009, I was expertly guided around the entire perimeter of this magical and unique island by Geraldine and Martin on what was, essentially, to be the “dress rehearsal” for their photographic holidays.

The experience will live with me for many years to come and I hope the images which Geraldine and Martin have kindly allowed me to display on their site give you a taste of the landscapes you will see and kindle your interest in going – you will not regret it.

Bob Hamilton

All images © Bob Hamilton

Water Ripples and Reflections

Water and the way it reflects and bends light, while constantly moving, has always fascinated me. Its unique characteristics often only become apparent when it’s captured in a photograph. It then can take on painterly qualities reminiscent of the works of artists such as Jackson Pollock

Zooming in closer reveals a whole microcosm of colours and structures, that are truly amazing. It’s fun to experiment with varying shutter speeds – the results are always unique and completely unpredictable. This is one of the few circumstances where a tripod isn’t necessary – even had-held shots with longer exposure times can yield beautiful images.

Martin

Stockfish

The Icelandic coastal climate lends itself ideally to the production of dried fish also known as stockfish. The fish is hung on wooden racks called flakes and left to dry. It’s one of the oldest known preservation methods.

Although it might seem a bit morbid, it is actually quite fascinating wandering around these structures and getting a closer look at the “raw material”. The smell can be a little distracting, so the sites are best visited when temperatures drop below zero.

Martin