Stories — A Camera Story

The Vortex

After watching the recent Star Wars - Rogue one film, a friend of mine commented that she was so excited she wouldn't be able to sleep through the night. And that got me thinking about an experience I had had that left me that excited and palpitated - the Northern Lights show I witnessed over the skies of Northern Iceland earlier this year.

I remember that night as vividly as yesterday: a self-cooked meal a beautiful sunny evening on the grassy shores of a gentle fjord, followed by a relaxing soak in an open-air hot tub after a day of miserable weather, gave way to a cool night with clear skies. It was then that a faint glow appeared in the sky, becoming brighter and longer until it was a thick band of dancing green light that stretched horizon to horizon.

The patterns were ephemeral, the intensity continuously alternating, the color constantly shifting, but it all came together to present a visual spectacle that never bored me or the few other brave souls gazing upwards on that cold night. Even though the temperature dropped to single digits (Celsius), the photographer in me never fazed.

At one point, the glow appeared directly overhead, leading to an effect quite like peering into the vortex. The greens give way to the other colors such as purple, pink and red. This is one such exposure from that time.

Saeberg
Iceland

If you want to see this print, you can do so by purchasing my calendar from https://goo.gl/LGJYRk . All proceeds will go to NRDC and WildAid, two non-profits whose causes I am very passionate about.

Into the Maw

The main entrance of Mammoth Caves National park is quite unassuming, and quite beautiful. I remember walking through verdant greenery, replete with melodious chirps of passerines and the soothing sound of gurgling waters. Time slowed down here, and despite the heat, the mellow atmosphere and the lush vegetation went a long way in cooling me down.

But beneath all this unassuming forest in central Kentucky lies hidden the largest cave system in this country, and I was making my way to the maw of Mother Earth, ready to descend down into her heart through sinuous caves, gargantuan caverns and some incredible geology. As I approached the entrance, all I observed was this hole in the earth, with a dark and damp staircase snaking its way down.

A sudden draft of cold air from the inside was a soothing relief to my overheating body, but it gave me a moment to pause and take in this surroundings, both with my eyes, and with my camera.

Mammoth Caves National Park
KY USA

 

PS: If you like this image, do support my work by purchasing a 2017 calendar (that features this image) at https://goo.gl/LGJYRk . All proceeds will go to NRDC and WildAid, two non-profits whose causes I am very passionate about.

Ray of Light

The Black Forest of Germany, while not wild uninhabited wilderness like the grand forested regions of Canada and Russia, is still a picturesque, bucolic alternative to the densely populated urban regions of the country. And in a way, its beauty is enhanced, not diminished by gentle anthropomorphic changes, whether it be rustic villages scattered on its many hillsides, tiny barns with serene ponds or flower-strewn meadows on rolling landscapes.

I looked forward to every turn on that windy mountain road that brought about new vistas, and for every cloud that added to the shimmering ephemeral glow of the grassy meadows and reflective ponds. I yearned for all the hiking paths that I could see disappearing into the clouds of the Schwarzwald.

As I made my way from one village to another, I was enthralled by the pastoral nature of the landscape. One such spot between St. Peter and St. Morgan was lit by a fleeting ray of light, highlighting an old barn set amidst a green meadow thereby riveting my attention to this beautiful scene. I realized I had to stop and capture the moment before it was gone, hence freezing that instance of time.

Sankt Morgan

Baden-Wurttemberg Germany