The weather forecasters predict this will be one of the worst British Columbian summers in decades. Of all times to be right... Day 10 marks the tenth day of rain. I've spent the days following bands of sheep to document their habitat use, scouting photography locations and setting camera traps.
Day 5: Relocating Base Camp
Day 1: Setting Up Camp
Months of research, planning and fundraising capped by two weeks of logistics madness has landed me on Todagin Mountain, my home for the next four months. I could finally let out a breath held for weeks as the helicopter left me in silence. It is refreshing to shift from the abstract and administrative to the tangible and real. Joining me for the first two weeks is videographer Steve Ablitt. We set up base camp in a sheltered clearing tucked in next to a cliff often used by the sheep. From here I will spend the next four months photographing the herd and mapping their habitat.
National Geographic Q&A
Check out the Q&A with myself and Wade Davis on the Sacred Headwaters on National Geographic.
Photocrati Fund
Huge thank you to the folks at Photocrati, who awarded my upcoming project, Surviving Todagin, their 2011 Photocrati Fund. This is the second year of the grant that supports humanitarian and environmental photography projects. This year was judged by icons Michael "Nick" Nichols, Jim Brandenburg and Steve McCurry. Check out their video showcasing the top three projects. And be sure to check out the *Photocrati site*, where you can find amazing WordPress themes for photographers.
BC Mag
A couple shots in BC Mag's Due West section:
Thank you Mountainfilm
It was my first *Mountainfilm in Telluride*, but I hope it's not my last. Pretty amazing group of talented and inspiring people! There are way too many to choose from, but here were some of my favourites:
Mickey Smith's "Dark Side of the Lens"
Pete McBride's "Chasing Water"
Drew Ludwig's "Gloves I Carried" exhibit
And many thanks to RBC's Blue Water Project for sponsoring the Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey exhibit, Art for Conservation for printing it and Mountainfilm for their Commitment Grant!
Royal Bank of Canada Produces Sacred Headwaters Exhibit
The Royal Bank of Canada, through their Blue Water Project, has produced an exhibit based on the Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey project. The exhibit will debut at Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, CO May 25-30 and will travel to festivals, galleries, schools and public venues to raise awareness of the Sacred Headwaters.
BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Finalist
An image from the Sacred Headwaters project is a finalist in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition! Winners selected from the 40,900 entries will be announced *here* this summer.
iLCP
Mountainfilm & Sacred Headwaters Fundraiser
Paul Colangelo Photography has partnered with Mountainfilm's Annual Winter Fundraiser! From December 1st to January 7th, all prints on Paul Colangelo's *online gallery* are 10% off and proceeds will benefit Mountainfilm and the Sacred Headwaters campaign.
Order any sized print, framed or unframed, and include MOUNTAINFILM in the comments section during checkout. Complete the checkout process (you will not see the discount), and we will followup with the discounted amount.
*Mountainfilm* is America's leading independent documentary film festival, dedicated to educating and inspiring audiences about issues that matter, cultures worth exploring, environments worth preserving and conversations worth sustaining. This year, Mountainfilm launched their *Commitment Grant*, which awards five grants to filmmakers, photographers and adventurers with projects that are intended to move audiences to action on issues that matter. Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey was one of the five grantees.
As part of their Annual Winter Fundraiser, Mountainfilm is hosting an *evening with Wade Davis* December 26th in Telluride, CO.
*Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey* is a conservation project aimed at raising awareness of the Sacred Headwaters, the shared birthplace of three salmon rivers in northern British Columbia.
Big Wild Bucks
UPDATE 12/8/10: Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey won third place. A Huge thanks for all the support!
The Big Wild, an organization aimed at protecting half of Canada'a public land, is giving $10,000 to three conservation projects and is asking for your help. They have narrowed it down to five finalists -- Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey is one -- and your vote will decide which projects receive funding. Please visit www.thebigwild.org/bucks and place your vote! The North West Watch Society is the sponsor for Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey.
Mountainfilm Commitment Grant
Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey was one of five film and photography projects awarded Mountainfilm's inaugural Commitment Grant. I'm honored to be apart of this amazing group and am looking forward to the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, CO, May 27-30, 2011. We'll have an exhibit at the Festival and Wade Davis will speak about the cause. Thank you Mountainfilm! Find out more here.
Exhibit at Place des Arts
The Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey exhibit opens at the Place des Arts Gallery in Coquitlam, BC. Join me for the opening reception on April 8th at 7pm. This first venue for the travelling exhibit will include 18 images from the Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey project.
Click here to read an article on the exhibit.
Thank you to the exhibit sponsors!
Philip Hyde Grant
I'm proud to announce that I've been awarded the Philip Hyde Grant for the Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey project. The NANPA Foundation, an offshoot of the North American Nature Photography Association, annually awards the $5,000 grant to a peer-reviewed environmental project.
The funds will help support the fieldwork needed to tell the story of the Sacred Headwaters in northern British Columbia. For more on the project, visit www.sacredheadwatersjourney.com
A big thank you to the NANPA Foundation and NANPA! If you haven't been to one of NANPA's annual Summits, they are a tremendous resource for nature photographers, a lot of fun, and a great way to connect with photographers and others in the industry. For more information, visit:
The grant will be presented at NANPA's 16th Annual Nature Photography Summit, February 16-21, 2010 in Reno, Nevada.
Spirit of the River Art Exhibit
The Misty Rivers Art Gallery in Hazelton, BC is hosting the Spirit of the River art exhibit. The inspiration behind the exhibit is the concept of "Fish Nation;" one nation joined through our reliance on, and connection to, our rivers and the salmon that call them home. Two pieces from the Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey project will be part of the exhibit. Dec 15 - February 2010 - check it out if you're in the area.
Conservation Project Launch: Sacred Headwaters, Sacred Journey
Over the past four months, I have been working on a conservation project that aims to raise awareness of the Sacred Headwaters. I'm pleased to announce the launch of a new website dedicated to this goal:
www.sacredheadwatersjourney.com
This is an ongoing project - new images and events will be posted on the project website.
The Sacred Headwaters is a remote mountainous region in northern British Columbia where three of BC's greatest salmon-bearing rivers are formed. The Stikine, Skeena and Nass Rivers all start in close proximity within this basin. It is also home to one of the largest predator-prey ecosystems in North America, earning it the nickname, "Serengeti of the North." The land has been the traditional territory of the Tahltan Nation for thousands of years.
The Sacred Headwaters is now at the center of disputes between the Tahltan, government, mineral and energy industries and environmental organizations, placing the future of the this incredible land at risk.
International Photography Awards
I've been awarded an honourable mention at the 2009 International Photography Awards (IPA) for the following series. From the IPA website: IPA salutes the achievements of the world's finest photographers and promotes the appreciation of photography worldwide. The IPA has become one of the most significant in the photography industry. There were almost 18,000 submissions in competition this year from 104 countries around the world. www.photoawards.com
BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year
I'm happy to announce that Gate Keeper has been selected as a finalist in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.
World View Smithsonian Exhibit
Rocky Mountain Fire will be on exhibit at the Smithsonian Castle Gallery July 1, 2009 to January 17, 2010. Details. From over 17,000 entries from around the world, 50 images were selected for the exhibit titled World View.