Louie Schwartzberg's mesmerizing cinematography

I have been humbled. I saw visuals today that impressed me. But more so, they were accompanied by words - words that encapsulated my life story. Maybe the story of all my lifetimes. It was only yesterday I was speaking to a friend about the uplifting power of nature and photography and this video lands in my inbox today. 

Do you like TED? The speakers on that program are all equally spellbinding; all bring such profound knowledge. Louie Schwartzberg is a rare TED speaker for he's a cinematographer. Rarely do you get visual artists who can speak well, but his words are a perfect marriage with his pictures. He puts into words everything I've been feeling and wanting to express through my own photography. If you like nature photography, if you want to know why you like it, if you have 10 minutes, then watch this video. If you normally meditate, then you can forget your session today because this video is a great substitute. May we rekindle our childlike wonder; may we grow wise in our old age. May photography help us do that.

Keep it Beautiful This Week

Did you know it is Keep Australia Beautiful Week? Sometimes ugly things are happening in the world and it's easy to despair. I wonder how people in London and other cities in England feel upon hearing the "Keep it Beautiful" motto. After the damage and chaos of recent weeks, just cleaning up seems an overwhelming task let alone attempting to recreate beauty.

But as nature photographers we can't abrogate our responsibilities; it's our mission to keep places beautiful. We are always noticing the beauty around us; we depend on beautiful environments and places that support beautiful flora and fauna for our work. We notice when a stick is out of place or a candy wrapper is intruding into our shot. Getting out into the neighbourhood and doing a little clean up would be a generous contribution of our time - and all part of our awareness as outdoor photographers.

However I think there's an even grander way of making a contribution - by using our talents and creating a piece of work that demonstrates to others how truly beautiful our environment is. Whether that's a landscape shot of a remote location that others are unlikely to see in their lifetimes, or a macro shot that reveals a phenomenon new to science, the work of a nature photographer is all about bringing beauty to the people.

So let's get out there, before the weekend is over, and create a piece of beauty. Create a photo that makes the soul sing - not just your own - but print it up, show it and let others share in that good feeling too.

For those needing a little more incentive to get out there, here's news about a photo competition. It's just for local residents around Gosford, New South Wales. See if you can dig up some really beautiful places and inspire the locals with your work! I'll be judging the competition and to give you a good kick start, you can download for free my "7 Secrets to Emotive Photography"

Is this the Most Important Forest in the World?

A recent media release announced that scientists had measured the most carbon dense forest in the world.

No, it's not in the Amazon - it's right here in Australia and I know it intimately. I worked hand in hand, for over a year, with well-known ecologist David Lindenmayer, one of the team of scientists who made the discovery. (He's the figure in the photo providing scale for the giant trees.)

At the time, we were working on a general ecology book about the area, in the Central Ranges of Victoria. I was privileged to gain access to this hidden locale, with all its unique wildlife, and to be the photographer to take exclusive, eye-popping beautiful images. At the time, we had no idea (well, I didn't) of what an important forest this was.

It turns out these trees have been affecting the world’s climate. As other forests have been removed from around the world, whether by logging or burning, the carbon that was tied up in the timber has been going into the atmosphere. However these forests of Victoria, because they have remained in their pristine natural state, have been the quietly storing huge amounts of carbon. One of them, the undisturbed O'Shannassey forest with trees as much as 400 years old, has a carbon sink capacity of over 2800 tonnes per hectare (1540 tons per acre). An average forest in the northern hemisphere has a capacity of only about 217 tonnes per hectare (97 tons per acre). The O'Shannassy forest was never logged due to being in the catchment for Melbourne's water supply.

The forests in the Central Highlands would have released a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere had they been cleared but, thanks to the lucky circumstance, they are now benefitting the world's climate and reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale.

As a photographer, it's OK to take pretty pictures. But it sure feels extra good to know that your work has impact on other levels.

Paul's Silhouette Success

One of my favorite topics to post is a photo from a student. I was chatting to Paul Collis after he and his wife came back from the Kimberley, Western Australia. They had printed out a selection of recipes from my photography cookbook to take along on their travels. Paul specifically wanted to try one of the step-by-step recipes on making silhouettes.

As you can see from this image, Paul did the right thing. Most amateurs go out and shoot what they stumble upon. But Paul has learned about planning. Knowing he would be in Broome, he specifically wanted to photograph the camel rides along Cable Beach. Paul explains his motivation, "I've seen promotional photos of camels walking on the beach and I got in mind to get a silhouette with the sun behind them. I was not sure I would actually get it. I've tried it before but never got away with it."

Needless to say, he was completely successful. Not only did he capture the mood which the silhouette technique is so good for, but he also recorded the beautiful texture and color in the sky and as well as some lovely shadows in the foreground. What resulted in his success was following a method:

1. He decided first what he wanted to shoot,
2. He pre-visualized - he planned the shot in his mind first (with a little help from my recipe),
3. He executed his plan - he put himself in the right place at the right time.

Paul thinks his results are good too. "The book helped very much. Using your instructions, I practiced earlier on some palm trees. I didn't realized I'd get it so defined, so strong, as I did."

So OK- this blog might sound like cold-blooded promo for my book. But, truly, I'm even happier than Paul about the results. I get very excited to hear about things working out for students. And it's shots like these that keeps interest high in the great outdoors and encourages people to keep recording the beauty of our planet. Go for it, Paul!

PS. Thank you all who read my last newsletter and sent me your condolences. It feels good to get the pat on the back; thanks for the comfort.

Marysville, Healesville, Kinglake: Names Burned into Our Minds Forever

In 1999, as I sat at this cafe in the centre of Marysville, I had no idea of the consequences of my upcoming assignment. David Lindenmayer and I were outlining the chapters of a new book, Life in the Tall Eucalypt Forests, and planning my shooting schedule for the next 12 months.

Over the following year, I toured the ranges and forests beyond the pretty little towns and photographed the giant Mountain Ash trees which were so susceptible to fire. Wherever I went, the terrors of 'Black Friday' which took 71 lives in 1939, were still visible. At sixty years old, the regrowing Mountain Ash youngsters still had a long way to go before they reached their mature age of 300 years. The phrases 'Black Friday' and 'Ash Wednesday' were still spoken in a serious voice as locals recalled the human losses as well.

I stayed at Healesville and Marysville, using these places as a base. I bought my groceries, drank at the pub and shared yarns with the locals, never realizing these towns would be devastated so soon in the future.

Now, ten years later, I can turn the pages of the book and travel again into the heart of the Yarra Ranges, admiring the resourcefulness and beauty of nature as it recovered and grew out of those losses. I hope that my collection of photographs, as published in the book, has some value in not only preserving the once beautiful landscape, but in stirring hope in the hearts of the communities that it will once look like that again.

As photographers, we have a mission far grander than just pretty pictures. When you assign yourself the task of travelling deep into a region, getting to know it at a core level and recording its wonders with iconic imagery, you are contributing far, far more. You are leaving a legacy. As nature photographers, our job is to use our skills plus our determination to create majestic bodies of work. One day, that might be all that remains.

You can give money to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal by calling the Red Cross on 1800 811 700. Or you can contribute in another way. You can donate your time and energy to the preservation of our planet by taking memorable photos.

Kodak Fosters Nature Photography

Well, I've had a big adventure! I 'just' finished my seminar series with Kodak, "Great Recipes for Wildlife Photography". Although the tour ended three weeks ago, it has taken me this long to handle all the jobs that had piled up in my absence.

The talks were a great success with record crowds at each venue. In Melbourne and Sydney the overflow had to sit in the aisles! Thank you so much to all of you who showed up. I learned as much from the questions people asked at the end of the presentations as they would have learned from me about wildlife photography.

It was quite a task talking to different audiences - there were students from colleges, industry suppliers, pro photographers and heaps of amateur enthusiasts. I described the adventures and shared my struggles about making a profitable business in Australia in such a specialized niche. But I think people mostly enjoyed hearing the surprising secrets behind some of the most successful pictures.

The biggest thrill for me was seeing such large groups of people actually interested in this rarified genre of photography. I have spent my career believing I was a virtual lone soul in the field of wildlife and nature photography (at least in Australia) and it was a delightful surprise to look into such a large number of enthusiastic faces. Certainly the digital revolution has a lot to do with the revival of photography as a hobby. But I would like to believe that what might be more responsible is a growing sensitivity towards nature, a growing respect for our fellow creatures and a driving interest in seeing and capturing all their magnificent beauty.

Thank you Peter Cocklin and the rest of the Kodak team for taking the message to the people!

Kodak and I are touring all over Australia and New Zealand in September. If you or a friend is interested in wildlife and nature photography, here's an invitation to come along. Bookings are essential, so to attend this free seminar, you'll have to sign up. Just go to the front page of Kodak's website www.kodak.com.au and click on my name or on the bird picture and you'll see all the venues listed. It's going to be a fun seminar series. The seats are filling fast - amazing!