Dan Fogelberg, Fiji and New Zealand
I’m sorry so much time has passed since my last post. I was traveling overseas and had planned to post from over there (Fiji and New Zealand), but was unable to find time to do so. When I’m in the field the meter is ticking, so I really have my nose to the grindstone shooting imagery.
More about the trip later, but this morning I wanted to mention my sadness at the death of Dan Fogelberg, a consummate musician and songwriter. Many of Dan’s songs have Western themes and I believe he lived at least part time in Pagosa Springs. His live album is called “Greetings from the West. “ He was also known for his stunningly melodic instrumental pieces. A recent one was called “County Clare,” about Ireland’s most beautiful county. My favorite song of his is “Netherlands,” whose theme is the inspiration of wild places. I think I can quote a few words without copyright violation: “Out in the Netherlands I heard the sound of the beating of heavenly wings.” Most of his work is available on Itunes. “High Country Snows,” is a particularly good album for this time of year.
When you get to be my age and artists of all stripes you’ve admired begin to pass away on a regular basis, whether they be Don Knotts or Norman Mailer, it definitely hurts, both at the loss of the person and the reminder of your own mortality.
Moab river runners might be interested in my recent trip which centered around photographing two beautiful rivers in Fiji. OARS river company’s affiliate there is called Rivers Fiji, and they run two fantastic rivers on the main island of Viti Levu. Since the rivers they run pass through the lands of local villages, Rivers Fiji has struck a deal with the village chiefs to train and employ their young men as guides in return for use of the rivers. Private use of the rivers, or use by other companies is not allowed. The rivers are also part of a government controlled nature sanctuary (as far as I could tell the only ones in Fiji), and protected from logging, which is denuding much of the island’s interior.
Rafts are used on the Upper Navua River, a one day trip that passes through a narrow canyon with hundreds of waterfalls streaming down the walls. During the wet season, which is at its peak right now, the falls are especially spectacular, including one called the “Free Massage Falls. ” Lush greenery adorns the walls of the canyons, creating a true paradise, and the rapids are fun and vigorous, gaining difficulty as the waters rise from monsoon rains.
We also went down the Luava River, which included a drive through a Yosemite-like valley (complete with a 1,000 foot waterfall), a stop to drink Kava with the local chief, and a wonderful inflatable kayak adventure. Besides all this great natural beauty, the Fijians were are as friendly and kind as any people I’ve met anywhere.
After Fiji, my wife and I visited New Zealand specifically to see and photograph one of the great wildflower blooms on the planet, the lupines of the Southern Alps. If you plan to travel to see how the underhalf lives in New Zealand, I recommend going in mid-December and traveling to Twizel to see these flowers. The lupines cover acres of land, and come in every color of the rainbow, often mixed together in a total riot of color. Behind them are mountains you’ll recognize from The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.
I carried both a digital camera and my trusty 4×5 and used both on the trip–shooting about 500 images on cards and several hundred sheets of large format film. To drag that much equipment around the world I sometimes need help, and my wife Marcy traveled with me as my assistant. I think this will be my last overseas trip with a 4×5 camera, so this is kind of the end of an era for me. As I approach 60, I find it just too difficult. I didn’t even have a passport until I was 40, but I have visited over 60 countries with the big camera since then. In March I’m doing a trip in India where tripods are allowed in only half the locations I intend to visit, so using a 4×5 won’t be possible at those sites. My 21 megapixel Canon should provide files with sufficient detail to satisfy me on that and succeeding trips. I’ll never stop using the 4×5 around the West or around home.
Merry Christmas to all and Great Shooting in 2008
Tom Till
