A magic day

As the year draws to its inevitable close, a few very good friends took me on a day trip to the north sea coast at the German spa town of Sankt Peter Ording.

The weather was harsh, but the vistas were great. The beach had disappeared during a spring tide, and we took shelter from a hailstorm inside the 'Arche Noah' bar & restaurant at the end of a long boardwalk. A few drinks later, the weather had cleared and we were treated to a rather nice sunset. I feel blessed to be holding a camera, surrounded by loving friends & family.
What a nice way to transition into the new year...

November Leftover

Time flies. I almost forgot these pictures taken in early November on a drab Sunday around Shoreditch. One camera, one lens (a 50/1.2) and an eye for the curious, funky aspects of the new hip side of town. There is so much street art, graffiti and all sorts of creative stuff lining the streets, it's truly worth going to have a look. Oh, and a coffee in one of Brick Lane's countless cafes.

This Is The Life

"Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna sleep tonight?"

It seems that Amy MacDonald's lyrics ring more true than usual lately. Been on the road a lot, and just about managed to get back in time for this assignment before heading off again soon after.

Thus it was a pleasure meeting the young songwriter for a brief portrait shoot in a dressing room before she went onto a TV show in London. After I explained what I wanted to do for our quick shoot, she just queried: "Where is your accent from???"

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to get into that, so it stayed short but sweet:

Romania Bear Rescue

Last week I came back from a moving assignment in Romania, home to the largest Eurasian brown bear population in Europe. Together with the fine people of the Zarnesti Bear Sanctuary, my colleagues from WSPA International paid two visits to the defunct zoo at Onesti in northern Romania and helped to remove three bears out of squalid captivity.

It seems that lack of adequate facilities and ultimately, funds, as well as  implemention of the EU zoo directive has meant that this zoo had to part company with some of its bears. An all too common story in Romania, where a multitude of bears have been found suffering in small and rusted cages where they were used as pets or as attractions for restaurants and petrol stations.

Once transferred to the Zarnesti Bear Sanctuary, the new arrivals underwent a veterinary checkup before being released into a training enclosure. With over 160 acres (70 hectares) spread over a wooded hillside, this is Romania's first bear sanctuary and today houses 67 bears rescued from ramshackle zoos and cages at roadside restaurants around the country.

See the story here.

Empty London book now on the iPad !

iPad aficionados, treat yourselves to the release of my book 'empty london' as an ebook!

It's been a long time coming, but finally I've had a spare few hours (and a borrowed iPad) to put this project to bed, so it's out now! A propos bed - this is a good Sunday morning read, costs less than a fiver and is definitely worth it.

Go on then, you know you want it - get it here and let me know how you like it.

Beauty and Sadness

It is one of nature's best spectacles here in the Vysocina region: the changing of seasons, when autumn hues transform the hilly landscape into a pallette of warm colours. To me, it is the most beautiful and saddest part of the year. For now we know that summer is definitey over, leaves are transforming into yellow and rusty red tones and soon begin falling. It's getting colder and dark sooner, winter comes knocking on the door. Preparations are made for the coldest time of the year, which tends to be long and harsh: firewood is stored, cellars closed, livestock fattened before slaughter, and the mood is sombre. Another year is coming to an end and people are not looking forward to long, dark, cold nights for the next 6 months.

So thus, when a day like yesterday occurs, when the hills and valleys shine in clear sunlight for possibly the last time before the nightly frosts start, there is not really an option but to go and shoot it. There are only a few days a year like this here, and they are worth the wait.

August's assorted

Folks, I simply don't have the time to keep up. The month started by passing Cape Lisbourne and going through the Bering Strait on our way down to Dutch Harbor and ended with the Notting Hill Carnival in London. Inbetween, we shot a banner protest in front of Shell's drill ships anchored in Dutch, then I went up a comms tower in Manchester for a product shoot, and soon after I was shooting a portrait of an eminent German author in the city.

After spending most of the summer sailing around Alaska, I did manage some sunshine and beach time too, down at the Jurassic coast in Devon - life is hard sometimes. So hard that I have simply thrown together a few selects into a chronological slideshow before hitting the road again tomorrow. Enjoy!

Chukchi Sea Ice

Who would have thought that melting sea ice can be so pretty? We went back to the ice egde of the Chukchi, roughly at 71º17' North and 162º32' West on an overcast day. The ice was very different from a few days ago: the heavy winds and swell had broken the big shoals into lots of smaller pieces, with bits floating around everywhere. This time, we could not navigate our inflatable boat into it, but had to skirt around the edges. Wildlife was, sadly, absent and thus I concentrated on the weird and wonderful, sometimes crystalline shapes of the decaying sea ice.

In the Chukchi Sea

So finally we have arrived on the ice edge of the Chukchi Sea, about 71º20' North and 163º34' West. Try and find it on Google Earth to keep yourselves entertained, and you'll have an idea where we are. It is very near one of the  sites where Shell Alaska is planning to drill for oil this summer.

It's taken weeks to get here - mostly because the ship was preoccupied with doing submarine operations in the Bering Sea underwater canyons, and we stopped off at Point Hope on the north slope of Alaska for a visit and some rather depressing fact finding days.

The big issue around here is, of course, oil. Oil in general and Shell in particular, who have so far spent a staggering US$ 4.5 billion on exploration logistics and leases from the US government and now want to cash in on their investment. Since they have received most of their permits, the Arctic drilling program is seen as an inevitability by the oil men. For the native Alaskans living on the north slope, on the other hand, it's outright frightening. Having lived here for thousands of years, long before Europeans discovered and colonised America, they continue to have a subsistence culture based on whale, walrus and seal hunting, fishing and the odd caribou. The Arctic Ocean is their garden. The Eskimo people were perfectly adapted to their harsh Arctic environment, and they have also adapted to modern times: Snowmobiles have replaced dogs and sleds; ATVs and trucks, pre-fabricated houses and fossil fuels are as much in their lives as anywhere else now - perhaps even more so. The council of the 948-strong community has snowploughs for the winter, electricity all year round, a fire service, ambulance service and a high school, all paid for by oil tax revenues from the State of Alaska.

Complex problems, and no easy answers. 
Given the continuous resistance to Shell's attempts to win them over to support drilling with the lure of jobs and perks, the locals are terrified but have an impossible choice to make: not resisting new drilling and risking an oil spill in the harsh Arctic climate, where the sea is covered with ice for 8 months of the year. A catastrophic Gulf-style oil spill would almost certainly wipe out the wildlife along the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas - and as a consequence, their way of life, culture and future. On the other hand, they could keep resisting, filing lawsuits, delaying Shell for as long as possible, and risk their community go broke - in the short-term by way of expensive lawyers they'd have to hire, and in the long term, when the oil tax revenues dry up from other projects in Prudhoe Bay.

So why are we here? Greenpeace has launched a major campaign of undertaking scientific research, raising awareness and deterring Shell from drilling by peaceful means. The prospect of another Deepwater Horizon scale oil spill as the world has seen in the Gulf of Mexico is simply not an option, and the risks are too high. Thus my job is obvious: to document what is at stake.

Wildlife of the Pribilof Islands

My good friend Sune Scheller recorded the audio to my images and put together a neat little audio-slideshow of animals living on the Pribilof islands, our recent stop during the Save the Arctic tour. It's a treat!

Destination Alaska

So it's now almost three weeks since I left London and headed for Alaska. On board the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, I am tasked with documenting our expedition into the Bering Sea, the Pribilof Islands and the Arctic threatened by oil drilling.

Coming back on board was like joining family: a tight bunch of seamen (and women), many of whom I had sailed with before, a fraternity of like-minded, yet very diverse people who share the same goals - to help protect the environment and ultimately, the people living within it.

So far, we have travelled from Seward to Kodiak, then on to Dutch Harbor (immortalised by the Discovery series 'Deadliest Catch') and from there to the Pribilof islands of St. George and St. Paul. Visiting these communities and having the opportunity to jump into boats, observe some seal rookeries or wildlife on the cliffs reminds me once again what a privilege it is to do what I do. I have never been to Alaska and didn't quite know what to expect. Put simply, the sights so far have been breathtaking, the encounters with the native Aleut people humbling, and the tasks ahead pretty daunting. I won't give too much away about what we are doing next, but instead leave you with a small selection of images which are my favourites.

Tarmageddon in the Mail on Sunday

Just been informed that there is a large spread of my work on the tar sands in the Mail on Sunday magazine - and a good write-up it is too! See here.

Alberta Tar Sands at the Browse Foto-Festival

I'm very pleased to announce that my Alberta tar sands photos will be shown to yet another audience. This time, the exhibition is part of the Browse Foto-Festival in Berlin and will be shown between the 18th and 23rd June in Friedrichstrasse, Besselpark in Berlin Kreuzberg.

A small preview of the pictures on show is below - hope to see you there!

Industrial climbing with Capital Safety

A little while ago we did a multi-purpose commercial shoot at the Capital Safety training facility in Greenfield near Manchester. What was required were some climbing skills to illustrate work and training scenarios for people working at height - be in on top of wind turbines, comms towers, masts or rooftops. Also, I was asked to produce a set of pictures showing the Capital gear in application. For those not familiar with the subject matter, Capital Safety are worldwide leaders in fall protection, height safety equipment, fall prevention and fall arrest systems.

The good folks at the Greenfield training site were a dream to work with: professional, easy-going and very accommodating to my arty-farty ideas of how to photograph industrial climbers. Together with my assistant, we made ourselves at home there for three days and produced a rounded set of pictures that reflect their superb capabilities and the site's potential - see my favourites here:

Oliver Samwer in the fast lane

Last week I had a very quick shoot. Oliver Samwer, CEO of the European Founders Fund lives in the fast lane. Together with his brothers Alexander and Marc, the Samwers established the European Founders Fund and are among Europe's most consistently successful entrepreneurs investing in internet start-up companies.


We communicated via SMS, he changed the location twice, and I finally met him at a West London hotel lobby as he was finishing a meeting with a business associate. He had arrived from the US that day and was already on his way back to the airport to fly to Turkey - oh, and there was another meeting somewhere along the way. It was a good call to arrive 15 minutes early, as he was already jumping into a taxi by the time we were supposed to meet. 

The shoot lasted a whole five minutes - a few pictures inside the lobby, then a brisk walk out in front of the hotel, conveniently we stayed close to the taxi rank. I managed literally a 'few more' frames before he had enough, a quick handshake, I turned around and he was gone.

Today one of the portraits appeared across a whole page in the German Spiegel Magazine - some of the others you can also view in the slideshow below.

Visum Fotoschule - my first workshop

I'm excited and it's official: together with my German agents Visum and their Photo-school, we have now launched my first workshop project proposed for this autumn. From 1st to 5th October, I will be leading a 5-day visit to one of my favourite places, the Vysocina region of the Czech Republic. 


Although landscape and travel photography are the focus of this workshop, course participants will have significant influence over the final subject choices. More infos here (in German), but watch this space for an English workshop description.

A short slideshow of what you can expect is below:

Tarnished Earth exhibition opens in Bristol

The Tarnished Earth exhibition schedule has been extended yet again and it will open in Broadmead in Bristol tomorrow. An article annoucing the exhibition appeared here.

The Silk Investor: Zin Bekkali

Last month I had a short but pleasant portrait assignment with a young entrepreneur called Zin Bekkali. He's the CEO and founder of Silk Invest, an upstart city firm investing in the lesser know markets of the former trade routes.

Sympathetic, energetic and a mix of cultures, Zin was easy to photograph and a pleasure to meet. Below are a few selects from the encounter - and I am curious to see which my client at Frankfurter Allgemeine picked.

A Day in Dungeness

Probably most famous for its location housing Britain's first and oldest nuclear power station, Dungeness has also been named as one of the most 'authentic' spots to visit, with the others being Zanzibar, Antigue and Vienna.

Well, I'm not so sure about that, but certain aspects of the large shingle beach littered with rotten boats, dumped containers and fishing gear give it a third world feel. It's not all bad, though. We found plenty of picturesque scenes, and you probably have to take the rough with the smooth.

Dungeness point does feel a bit like the end of the world, with the wide, flat coastal expanse giving it an air of desolation, emptiness and, um, bleakness. See for yourselves here, or go visit - it's about 2 hours away from London.

Ze Zeitgeist in London

Last week I had a pleasant little assignment: portray the sympatico owner of the German gastro-pub Zeitgeist at The Jolly Gardeners in London. Whilst in the middle of refurbishing the kitchen, a friendly Juergen Maennel opened the door and promptly offered me a beer at 11 in the morning. Phew.

Though we were both a bit pressed for time, a pleasant conversation ensued and we got on with taking the pictures - a travel section opener for a major German newspaper was what we were after. When I asked how and why he founded this place, former broker Juergen says that he simply swapped sides at the bar...enough said.

And what a bar it is - majestic German taps, a beer list that would put most pubs to shame and a generous menu featuring Schnitzel, Sausages, Burgers, German 'classics' and some sandwiches (we're in England, after all) suggest that he's got the concept right. The place is unique, but rounded enough so that there's something for everybody.

After the shoot, I was treated to a delicious Cappuchino and a salmon sandwich garnished with edible flowers...I'll be back there for sure!

Playing with fire

Don't worry: I don't have pyromaniac tendencies of any kind, but there is something fascinating about gas flames. Actually, I've been thinking of shooting this for a few years now, just never got 'round to it and putting it off for the same reasons as many other things, photographic and otherwise: not urgent, can do whenever, it's easy, etc etc. I'm sure this sounds familiar.

Well, a small commercial job finally gave me the right impulse to shoot in my own kitchen. Hey, a pleasant side-effect was that I had to clean and polish my kitchen hob - not something I've been looking forward to, I must admit.

Anyway, as the sun set and it got dark, the blue flames came to light. Perhaps I got carried away a little, but it was enjoyable - and I like the results:

Stylish Switzerland

Apart from being ridiculously expensive, uber-correct, efficient and polite, Swiss cities Bern and Zurich are also exceedingly stylish. We're not talking about hyper-modern, designer-only type of stylish, but rather an interesting, subtle blend of old architecture, retro-colours and the odd monument of world-class design by notables such as Le Corbusier. 


Also, the people meandering on the promenade of Lake Zurich or in Bern city centre appear to be straight out of a fashion catalogue, to an extent I find incredible. Like it or lump it, the jury is still out on this one. However, as a photographer, I am fascinated by all this and thus share a small glimpse of my impressions from a recent fly-by visit to this odd island in the centre of Europe.

Hard-hitting open air street gallery arrives in Windsor

Just been informed that the Tarnished Earth exhibition will open in Windsor on March 16th, 2012. The open-air gallery with illumination at night is at King Edward Court. Windsor City Council has also announced it on their website. More details here.

Minus 29 celsius

Ever been this cold? Me neither, probably. Well, actually, I have, but it's more than 10 years ago whilst on a trip to eastern Slovakia in the middle of winter.


But I digress. This time, I was once again in the Vysocina region of the Czech Republic working on a personal project when the big chill occurred. First signs were pretty fern frost, or window frost patterns on the inside of my windows. Later in the week I discovered that my car had been frozen to an almost solid state - the battery was flat, the door hinges creaked, the clutch seized and the engine oil turned to goo. Ah well, life during a typical Vysocina winter, what can you do?


So instead of driving, I took a long walk across the wintery landscape and enjoyed the views. I hope you do too, without shivering...

London by Leica

As an unexpected by-product of experimenting with the Leica M9, I discovered my affinity for photographing architecture with the rangefinder camera. Although it does not have tilt-shift, and I rarely use a tripod, I find the following vistas striking... it kindof suits me - using a camera for what it was NOT designed for...

The Leica Files II

As part of my 'get to know the M9' efforts, I have chosen to re-shoot the major scenes from my Empty London book project. For starters, I would give me a relatively controlled environment in which to experiment with the camera, and secondly, I'd already know what kind of pictures I want. 


So over the course of a couple of weeks late last year, I ventured into town in regular intervals, armed with the M9 and a couple of prints from my book. To my (perhaps naive) surprise, I'd found that the city had changed. Houses had disappeared, new highrises had risen in places, railings were missing and roads had changed in layout and direction.

Anyway, since this was a reshoot, and I was aiming to show the 'new' pictures as historical records, taken with a Leica and aged with the help of a sepia filter,  they would contrast nicely with those taken for the book with various Canon cameras several years ago. It would also bring the additional benefit of comparison between the quality of Leica and Canon optics used. The results, I think, speak for themselves...now let's hope Leica Magazine agree and decide to publish.