Category Archives: Nature Photography

Postcards from across Africa show the continent free from colonial-era stereotypes

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Written by Rochelle Beighton, CNN

These days, you can’t avoid seeing pictures from your friends’ vacations on Instagram or Facebook, but not so long ago, the most common way to see the world was on a postcard.

From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, when international travel was less commonplace, postcards were a crucial window to the wider world for many people. But in much the same way that social media can be used to spread misinformation, postcards would also be used to promote a particular agenda.

During this period, much of Africa was under European rule and postcards played a significant role in how the continent was perceived internationally. Many postcards showed Africa through the lens of visiting soldiers, missionaries, or professional photographers, resulting in visual caricatures of the continent that persist to this day.

This undated postcard shows Bornu warriors in ceremonial battle dress. The Bornu Empire (1380-1893) encompassed territory that's now part of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

This undated postcard shows Bornu warriors in ceremonial battle dress. The Bornu Empire (1380-1893) encompassed territory that’s now part of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Credit: Historia/Shutterstock

Now “Post-Card Africa” is working to redesign the history of postcards on the continent. The project is a global call out from South African photographers Michelle Loukidis and Michelle Harris, co-founders of Through The Lens Collective, a Johannesburg-based photography school.

A new wave of African postcards

Focusing predominantly on the history of Africa and African photography, the collective supports students by helping them capture their stories and perspectives on the continent.

They asked people to respond to the colonial history of postcards by submitting images they believe represent their country and people today. Since launching in May, they have received over 3,000 entries from 38 of Africa’s 54 countries, offering a wide overview of contemporary life in the continent.

The idea for Post-Card Africa was formed after Loukidis and Harris gave a lesson exploring the history of African photography, which revealed misrepresentations in old postcards. They felt there was a global conversation yet to be had about the inaccuracies and the frustrations these postcards perpetuated.

“For us, it’s a response to a history that is still very much alive and prevalent — to these singular images that were sent all around the world during the colonial era, which were giving a one-sided view of things, but also very stereotypical views, very exotic views,” Harris said.

This image from "Post-Card Africa" by Amina Kadous shows a group of street cleaners at a coffee shop in Old Cairo.

This image from “Post-Card Africa” by Amina Kadous shows a group of street cleaners at a coffee shop in Old Cairo. Credit: Amina Kadous/ Through the Lens Collective

Outdated images

According to Vivian Bickford-Smith, a professor of historical studies at the University of Cape Town, postcards circulated of sub-Saharan Africa during European colonial rule typically fall into two major categories.

The first are those that captured missionary work, intending to show how colonial missionaries were “civilizing” Africa. These typically featured white missionaries in a background that demonstrates conversion taking place, such as a school setting where children are holding hands with nuns.

“The Africans who I think are notably absent are Black Africans, indigenous Africans — those who have already been educated, already are perhaps professionals or teachers themselves,” Bickford-Smith said.

The second category is postcards that portray “un-Westernized” Africa. These would have been created by the colonizing project to imply their work was needed.

“They may show school kids being taught, but in a ramshackle building. Or there might be a rickety thatched hut with a cross on the top suggesting ‘We need a church.’ Basically, the message will be, ‘We need money,'” Bickford-Smith said.

This undated postcard shows traditional Malagasy houses in Mahajanga, Madagascar.

This undated postcard shows traditional Malagasy houses in Mahajanga, Madagascar. Credit: Historia/Shutterstock

In this period, when hundreds of thousands of postcards were sent every year, Bickford-Smith says they contributed to creating a global image of Africa. Africans were portrayed in postcards largely as tribespeople in indigenous dress or — if they were women — photographed semi-naked, suggesting they required Christianization.

“There is a tendency with postcards to look for differences, and exoticize. The danger here is you don’t see people going about their ordinary lives,” Bickford-Smith said.

Although colonial postcards have long gone out of circulation, Loukidis believes Africa continues to be misrepresented in modern imagery. She says Google images of Africa will show sunsets and safari animals first and foremost. But the submissions they have received from their callout show a different side of the continent, ranging from vibrant portraits of people in their everyday environments to images spotlighting urban settings.

“We’re doing completely normal things. We’re cooking, we’re walking in the streets, we’re getting dressed up really fashionably, we’re swimming in the sea,” Loukidis said.

This photo from "Post-Card Africa" shows "a young woman spending time in her garden, connecting to nature," according to Nomonde Kananda, who captured the image in Gauteng, South Africa.

This photo from “Post-Card Africa” shows “a young woman spending time in her garden, connecting to nature,” according to Nomonde Kananda, who captured the image in Gauteng, South Africa. Credit: Nomonde Kanada /Through the Lens Collective

Harris agreed: “I think it’s incredibly important that we have these everyday views and scenes, particularly because of what you see on the internet. In my years of teaching photography, I’ve often had, particularly American students, come and ask, “So where are the lions and where are the elephants in the street?” she said.

In the long term, Through the Lens Collective foresees Post-Card Africa as an archive, offering a rounded perception of Africa that can act as a framework for educational spaces worldwide.

“It’s important for African photographers to begin to take hold of our representation and change global perceptions of Africa,” Harris said.

Images from the project will be exhibited for the first time in 2023 at LagosPhoto, an international contemporary photography festival held annually in Nigeria.

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5 key drivers of the nature crisis

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Pollution, including from chemicals and waste, is a major driver of biodiversity and ecosystem change with especially devastating direct effects on freshwater and marine habitats. Plant and insect populations are dwindling as a result of the persistent usage of highly dangerous, non-selective insecticides.

Marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting at least 267 animal species, including 86 per cent of marine turtles, 44 per cent of seabirds and 43 per cent of marine mammals. Air and soil pollution are also on the rise.

Globally, nitrogen deposition in the atmosphere is one of the most serious threats to the integrity of global biodiversity. When nitrogen is deposited on terrestrial ecosystems, a cascade of effects can occur, often resulting in overall biodiversity declines.

Reducing air and water pollution and safely managing chemicals and waste is crucial to addressing the nature crisis.

Direct exploitation of natural resources

Unsustainable logging greatly contributes to deforestation
Persistent usage of dangerous chemicals posing threat to plants and insects. Photo by Pixabay/ Reijo Telaranta

The recent IPBES report on the sustainable use of wild species reveals that the unsustainable use of plants and animals is not just threatening the survival of one million species around the world but the livelihoods of billions of people who rely on wild species for food, fuel and income.

According to scientists, halting and reversing the degradation of lands and oceans can prevent the loss of one million endangered species. In addition, restoring only 15 per cent of ecosystems in priority areas will improve habitats, thus cutting extinctions by 60 per cent by improving habitats.

Negotiations at COP15 are expected to focus on protecting plants, animals and microbes whose genetic material is the foundation for life-saving medicines and other products. This issue is known as access and benefits sharing governed by an international accord – the Nagoya Protocol.

Delegates at COP15 will be looking at how marginalized communities, including Indigenous Peoples, can benefit from a subsistence economy – a system based on provisioning and regulating services of ecosystems for basic needs. Through their spiritual connection to the land, Indigenous Peoples play a vital protection role as guardians of biodiversity.

Invasive species

Unsustainable logging greatly contributes to deforestation
Invasive species pose a threat to native species and negatively impact the ecosystems. Photo by UNEP/ Stephanie Foote

Invasive alien species (IAS) are animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms that have entered and established themselves in the environment outside their natural habitat. IAS have devastating impacts on native plant and animal life, causing the decline or even extinction of native species and negatively affecting ecosystems.

The global economy, with increased transport of goods and travel, has facilitated the introduction of alien species over long distances and beyond natural boundaries. The negative effects of these species on biodiversity can be intensified by climate change, habitat destruction and pollution.

IAS have contributed to nearly 40 per cent of all animal extinctions since the 17th century, where the cause is known. Meanwhile, environmental losses from introduced pests in Australia, Brazil, India, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States are estimated to reach over US$100 billion per year.

IAS is a global issue that requires international cooperation and action. Preventing the international movement of these species and rapid detection at borders is less costly than control and eradication.

How can you follow COP15?

 

About COP15
From December 7-19 in Montreal, Canada, 196 governments will meet to strike a landmark agreement to guide global actions on biodiversity. The framework will need to lay out an ambitious plan that addresses the key drivers of nature loss and puts us on the path to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030.



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Veronica Ryan wins 2022 Turner prize for work including Windrush tribute | Turner prize 2022

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Veronica Ryan, who created the UK’s first permanent artwork to honour the Windrush generation, has won the 2022 Turner prize, one of the world’s most prestigious awards for visual arts.

Ryan, 66, becomes the oldest artist to win the prize. She was nominated for the Windrush sculpture, which was unveiled in Hackney, London, last year, and for her solo exhibition Along a Spectrum at Spike Island, Bristol.

Ryan – who received an OBE last year – was born in Plymouth, Montserrat and came to the UK as a child in the 1950s. She creates sculptural objects and installations using containers, compartments and combinations of natural and fabricated forms to reference themes such as displacement, fragmentation, alienation and loss.

The jury awarded the prize for the “personal and poetic way she extends the language of sculpture”. They also praised the noticeable shift in her use of space, colour and scale both in gallery and civic spaces.

Collecting the award, Ryan thanked her family. “Thank you so much,” she said. “I’m wearing my dad’s hat, my dad would be so pleased, he called me big eyes when I was little. That’s fabulous. Thank you mummy and daddy. All my family. My family are here. My siblings.

“And to my siblings that didn’t survive. And I’m going to name them: Patricia, Josephine, David. They were fantastic people. And I think they’re looking at us right now. And they’re proud. And I want to thank everybody.

“I have a few people who in my career have looked out for me, when I wasn’t visible. When I collected rubbish. I collected rubbish for a number of years. But actually, some of the rubbish is some of the most important works I think.

“Thank you to the other artists. It’s a fantastic installation. We’ve all – everyone has made fantastic work. I just want to say thank you to everyone this is wonderful.”

Alex Farquharson, the director of Tate Britain and co-chair of the jury, said Ryan was “a sculptor taking the language of sculpture and extending it in new directions”. “She has a long career going back to the 80s and it’s interesting to see that evolution but also this flourishing now,” he said.

He said the jury was highly impressed with the turns Ryan’s work had taken in the last couple of years and paid tribute to the “subtle poetics” in her work.

“It’s slow-burn work. What becomes evident is this elusive treatment of themes of survival, care and she’s even used the word trauma. The valuing of things, the remembering of things. It’s about nature and lived experience,” he said.

He spoke of the significance of the prize returning to Liverpool. “It’s really important for the city. With the pandemic, with economic downtowns, Liverpool has gone through a lot of social and economic challenges these last few years. Bringing the Turner prize here is a mark of optimism and regeneration.”

The musician Holly Johnson announced the winner of the £25,000 prize at a ceremony at the city’s St George’s Hall on Wednesday night. Established in 1984 and named after the radical British painter JMW Turner, it is intended to promote public debate about new developments in contemporary British art.

Custard Apple (Annonaceae), Breadfruit (Moraceae), and Soursop (Annonaceae) by Veronica Ryan, 2021.
Custard Apple (Annonaceae), Breadfruit (Moraceae), and Soursop (Annonaceae) by Veronica Ryan, 2021. Photograph: Andy Keate/Courtesy the artist, Paula Cooper Gallery, New York, and Alison Jacques, London

Ryan’s Windrush commission consisted of three sculptures of Caribbean fruits – Custard Apple (Annonaceae), Breadfruit (Moraceae) and Soursop (Annonaceae) – made in bronze and marble. The artist used seeds as a metaphor for propagation and for the spread of viruses and pandemics.

When nominating her, the jury also praised the “exquisite sensuality and tactility” of Along a Spectrum, which explores ecology, history, dislocation and the psychological impact of the pandemic.

The four nominated artists nominated were from different generations and use varying media including photography, sculpture, moving image, installation, performance, sound and the spoken word, but they are connected by a number of thematic crossovers including identity, migration and a sense of place. “All have pushed the boundaries of material exploration through unravelling the complexities of body, nature and identity,” the jury said.

The other shortlisted artists – who each received £10,000 – included Ingrid Pollard, who left Guyana for the UK when she was four. Pollard, now 69, was nominated for her solo exhibition Carbon Slowly Turning at MK Gallery in Milton Keynes. Using primarily photography but also sculpture, film and sound, her work questions our relationship with the natural world and interrogates ideas such as Britishness, race and sexuality.

Heather Phillipson, 44, was nominated for her solo exhibition Rupture No 1: Blowtorching the Bitten Peach at Tate Britain and The End, her fourth-plinth sculpture in Trafalgar Square featuring a dollop of whipped cream topped with a cherry, a drone and a fly. Her practice involves collisions of different materials, media and gestures in what she calls “quantum thought experiments”.

The Canadian artist Sin Wai Kin was nominated for their involvement in the British Art Show 9 and solo presentation at Blindspot Gallery at the Frieze London art fair. They tell stories through performance, moving image, writing, and print.

This year was the first time the exhibition and ceremony returned to Liverpool since 2007, when Tate Liverpool became the first gallery outside London to host it – helping launch Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture.

The members of the 2022 jury were Irene Aristizábal, the head of curatorial and public practice at Baltic; Christine Eyene, a lecturer in contemporary art at Liverpool John Moores University; Robert Leckie, the director of Spike Island; and Anthony Spira, the director of MK Gallery. The jury was co-chaired by Farquharson and Helen Legg, the director of Tate Liverpool.

Last year’s Turner prize was awarded to the Array Collective, a group of 11 artists from across the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland. The 2020 Turner prize was suspended because of the Covid pandemic.

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Don’t repeat mistakes on nature, scientists warn

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UN summit: Don't repeat mistakes on nature, scientists warn
A Maasai man walks with his livestock in search of grassland for them to graze, at Ilangeruani village, near Lake Magadi, in Kenya, Nov. 9, 2022. The conference known as COP15, which begins Tuesday, Dec. 6, hopes to set goals for the world for the next decade to help conserve the planet’s biodiversity and stem the loss of nature. Credit: AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File

Scientists around the world are warning governments who will be gathering in Montreal this week for the United Nations biodiversity summit to not repeat past mistakes and are urging officials to “avoid trade-offs” between people and conservation needs in a report Monday.

The study published in the One Earth journal found that even though there has been an increase in investment in conservation over the last three decades governments “have not succeeded in bending the curve on biodiversity decline.”

The conference known as COP15, which begins Tuesday, hopes to set the goals for the world for the next decade to help conserve the planet’s biodiversity and stem the loss of nature. So far the world has failed to meet goals set at previous meetings.

The scientists proposed six areas for action for delegates working toward what’s known as the global biodiversity framework. They include greater involvement of local communities and addressing both direct causes of nature decline such as the destruction of land and habitats as well as indirect causes such as climate change.

In the report scientists repeatedly called for officials to be “nature and people positive” in their approach, highlighting the need for solutions that are realistic and have support from local communities in order to best protect nature.

UN summit: Don't repeat mistakes on nature, scientists warn
A hippopotamus cools off in a swamp under the midday sun as an egret looks for food behind, in Murchison Falls National Park, northwest Uganda, on Feb. 22, 2020. The conference known as COP15, which begins Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022, hopes to set goals for the world for the next decade to help conserve the planet’s biodiversity and stem the loss of nature. Credit: AP Photo, File

Instead of conserving areas by making them inaccessible to local people, the scientists said greater inclusion of communities and particularly Indigenous groups will be vital in curbing even more biodiversity loss.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions which fuel climate change that leads to the loss of land and species also needs to be addressed, the scientists said.

“No amount of conservation or restoration actions may be effective in stopping biodiversity loss if the accelerating drivers of decline continue and intensify, as has been the case to date, especially in wealthier countries and among elites, who often express commitment to conservation action,” said David Obura, who is one of the report authors and director of Coastal Oceans Research and Development for east Africa.

The growing demands of rich nations, in particular “excess consumption and unsustainable trade and investments” also need to be halted if groups are to be protected, co-author and University of Arizona professor Diana Liverman said. “Consumption footprints in richer countries consistently drive biodiversity loss in poorer countries,” she added.

  • UN summit: Don't repeat mistakes on nature, scientists warn
    A boat, with marine protected areas officials, moves in Mediterranean Sea marine natural reserve of Rosh Hanikra in northern Israel, Oct. 26, 2022. Israel is blazing forward with a plan to protect sections of its 118-mile coastline, a measure experts say is crucial to maintain biodiversity and shield ecosystems from humanity. Credit: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File
  • UN summit: Don't repeat mistakes on nature, scientists warn
    A nomad herds his Himalayan goats and sheep in a remote area in Ladakh, India, Sept. 17, 2022. The conference known as COP15, which begins Tuesday, Dec. 6, hopes to set goals for the world for the next decade to help conserve the planet’s biodiversity and stem the loss of nature. Credit: AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan, File

Outside experts’ views of how the summit can be a success were in line with the report’s findings.

“The Montreal COP needs to send that signal that the global economy is transitioning to be nature positive,” said The Nature Conservancy’s Linda Kreuger who wasn’t part of the report.

“Much of the conversation in Montreal is likely to revolve around money and specifically how much of it wealthier countries are willing to make available to support the conservation efforts of emerging economies.”

Indigenous rights groups led by Survival International and Amnesty International agreed that local communities were central to protecting local biodiversity.

“Indigenous peoples are the best guardians of the natural world and an essential part of human diversity,” said Fiore Longo of Survival International. “The best way to protect biodiversity is to respect the land rights of Indigenous peoples.”

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Watch the Cold Moon rise tonight, the last full moon of 2022

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On Wednesday (Dec. 7) the moon will reach its full moon phase as December’s aptly-named Cold Moon, the final full moon of 2022, rises for most of the night. 

The Cold Moon rises above the horizon at around sunset and sets at sunrise reaching peak illumination at around 11:09 p.m. EST (0409 GMT) according to Farmer’s Almanac. (opens in new tab) December’s Cold Moon has a higher trajectory than most, which means it will stay above the horizon for longer than many full moons.



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COP15: UN biodiversity talks billed as ‘last chance’ for nature

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CALGARY: High-stakes UN biodiversity talks open in Montreal Wednesday, in what is being billed as the “last best chance” to save the planet’s species and ecosystems from irreversible human destruction.

Delegates from across the world gathered for the December 7-19 meeting to try to hammer out a new deal for nature: a 10-year framework aimed at saving the planet’s forests, oceans and species before it’s too late.

“With our bottomless appetite for unchecked and unequal economic growth, humanity has become a weapon of mass extinction,” UN chief Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday at a ceremony ahead of talks.

Before he took the dais, a group of around half a dozen Indigenous protesters interrupted a speech by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a sign of the passions inflamed by biodiversity loss among the most impacted communities.

The official opening of the meeting, known as COP15, follows several days of pre-negotiations that saw very little progress on key issues, sparking fears parties may walk away without a good deal.

Observers called for negotiators to urgently unblock sticking points on difficult items like finance and implementation, with only five out of more than 20 targets agreed so far.

The summit “is probably the last best chance for governments to turn things around for nature, and to rescue our precious life support system,” Bernadette Fischler Hooper, head of international Advocacy at WWF, told reporters Tuesday.

Draft targets for the 10-year framework include a cornerstone pledge to protect 30 percent of the world’s land and seas by 2030, eliminating harmful fishing and agriculture subsidies and tackling invasive species and reducing pesticides.

Finance is among the most divisive issues as developing nations are demanding increased funding for conservation.

Earlier this year a coalition of nations called for wealthy countries to provide at least $100 billion annually — rising to $700 billion a year by 2030 — for biodiversity.

Some countries want to set up a separate funding mechanism for biodiversity, which wealthy nations have largely resisted.

The sticky issue of biopiracy is also causing roadblocks, as many mainly African countries demand that wealthy nations share the benefits of ingredients and formulas used in cosmetics and medicines derived from the Global South.

Implementation has emerged as another sticking point in recent days, with disagreements over how to ensure any final deal is put into practice — unlike its predecessor agreed in 2010.

“There is significant resistance to having the robust monitoring and review mechanisms that we feel is necessary,” said a European source close to negotiations.

The meeting, delayed two years because of the Covid pandemic, follows crucial climate change talks in Egypt last month that ended with little headway on reducing emissions and scaling down the use of planet-warming fossil fuels.

China is chair, though it is being hosted in Canada because of Beijing’s long-standing zero-Covid policy.

But China’s President Xi Jinping will be a no-show along with all other world leaders apart from Canada’s Trudeau — opting to visit oil-rich Saudi Arabia this week instead.

NGOs say the lack of world leaders at COP15 risks dampening momentum at the talks and could scupper an ambitious settlement.

Elizabeth Mrema, the head of the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which oversees the talks, on Tuesday urged “give and take” among negotiators, calling for “flexibility, compromise and consensus.”

The talks come amid a dire warning from scientists that the world is facing its biggest mass extinction event since the dinosaur age, with more than one million species at risk.

Human activity has decimated forests, wetlands, waterways and the millions of plants, animals and insects that live in them, with half of the global GDP in some way dependent on nature.

With so much on the line, observers are calling for a “Paris moment” for nature — an ambitious deal in line with the landmark climate accord.

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Photography exhibition ‘Women in Nature’

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Breanna Green will exhibit her photographs on Friday as part of her Diploma of Photography and Photo Imaging course. Picture supplied.

Yeppoon will be hosting a portrait photography exhibition showcasing a selection of six female portraits by The Photography Institute student Breanna Green.

The exhibition will be held at the Capricorn Coast Visitor Information Centre, Ross Creek Roundabout, Scenic Highway, Yeppoon, on Friday, 9 December, from 10am to 3pm.

A recent year 12 graduate, Breanna has had a passion for photography from a young age and enrolled in the Diploma of Photography and Photo Imaging course provided by The Photography Institute as part of her QCE.

The six images on display are part of a module assignment, her chosen genre being portraiture.

“I prefer to shoot portraits outdoors in nature,” Breanna said.

“With so many beautiful locations to choose from along the Capricorn Coast, why would you want to be confined to a studio?

“I love taking portraits of people of all ages, capturing special memories for them to cherish, but chose to capture women in natural settings for this exhibition.

“The hardest part of this assignment was choosing only six images to display.”

At the exhibition, Breanna welcomes viewers to provide her feedback on her images, and you may also view her gallery and provide feedback on her Instagram account captured.by.bre

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Paintings, photography on display at CMMC gallery

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“Full Moon Over Great Falls,” by Dan Marquis Submitted photo

The art of Julie Kaczynski and the photography of Dan Marquis is on display for the month of December in The Woman’s Hospital Association Rotating Art Gallery at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

Kaczynski graduated from Maine College of Art in 1993 majoring in photography and specializing in portraits. A few years ago, she started using oil paint to explore the interaction between color, light, movement and texture, and the moods those invoke. “The ever-changing atmosphere in Maine is my inspiration.”

Marquis is a well-known local photographer. His photos have been published in photography magazines and also hang on the walls of several New England hospitals and other public buildings. “My interest in photography was sparked by my love of nature and the outdoors. I have been an avid bird watcher and kayaker for some twenty years. Both of these pursuits afford me many photo opportunities. I am completely self-taught. Although I am basically a nature photographer at heart, in the last few years I have focused my camera lens on shooting cityscapes; particularly in Lewiston and Auburn.”

The works on display may be purchased through the WHA Gift Shop located adjacent to the main lobby at Central Maine Medical Center. A percentage of sale proceeds benefits patients of CMMC.

“Bold,” by Julie Kaczynski Submitted photo

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Minnesota photographer makes waves with abstract images of Lake Superior

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Craig Blacklock has spent most of his life doing one thing: photographing Lake Superior.

When he was 5 years old, he saved his pennies to buy a Brownie Hawkeye camera and followed his father, pioneering nature photographer Les Blacklock, to the water.

Since then, he’s published 19 books, held 35 solo exhibitions and produced picture calendars for decades, many of which featured the world’s largest freshwater lake. Blacklock, who shoots mostly from his kayak, even spent 100 days circumnavigating the 31,700-square-mile lake in a kayak to photograph it from every rocky-beach and bare-cliff angle.

So you’d think he’d be maybe just a little tired of the subject.

Nope.

“I’m a kid in a candy store,” he said. “I’m 68 and I’m doing something brand new. In photography, it’s almost impossible to do something brand new. You can do better and you can do more, but it’s all been done.”

Instead of the “hyper real” photographs he’s become known for, his new book, “Light Waves,” is filled with highly magnified images of reflections on the never-still water. A celebration of light, color and movement, the book brings natural miracles largely left unseen into focus.

“I’m creating abstract images that are purely abstract, but they are the reflections of reality,” Blacklock said from his home and gallery in Moose Lake.

We talked to the lifelong Minnesotan about his enduring love for the lake, the pros and cons of growing up a Blacklock and how beautiful images can pack an environmental punch. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What is it about Lake Superior that continues to fascinate you?
A: I’ve known the lake my whole life, since I was a kid traveling with my parents. From 1976, I started photographing the lake. It’s impossible to ever truly know it, with all its changes — the waves, the fog, the mists. It’s so dynamic. Lake Superior to me is what Yosemite was to Ansel Adams.

Q: You take pictures mostly from your kayak or from places accessible by kayak. Do you shoot all year?
A: Yes. Winter is my favorite on Lake Superior. It’s absolutely mesmerizing in the winter.

Q: Mesmerizing is a good description of the photos in “Light Waves.” How do you describe them?
A: A deconstructed Lake Superior landscape. I knew I wanted to photograph reflections, but I wanted to stay away from the cliche images of reflections in calm water. What I was most intrigued in exposing was the movement of water, in creating three-dimensional images. For more than 40 years, I’ve paddled this water and never really seen the details I’ve captured here.

Q: You’ve photographed the reflections of not just smoke on the water, but sun sparkles, orange lichens and ice-covered cliffs. The photos look to me like broad swaths of color, viscous fluid, kinetic squiggles. … Sorry, I’m not an art critic.
A: That’s what I want. I want my images to be toys for the imagination. I’m putting it out there for people to interpret what they see. It’s like lying down when you were a kid and looking up at the clouds. It brings me so much joy.

Q: It sounds as if these images weren’t easy to come by. You used two different kinds of cameras hooked together and shot at slow shutter speeds.
A. These are the most technically difficult photos I’ve taken. Everything was moving. And the same rules of composition I use to guide my nature photography guided the composition of these images.

Q: What do you hope people take away from your “Light Waves” photos?
A: I hope they pause at each one, inhabit it for a while and meditate. There are metaphors that are unique to you. When you look at a photograph of a deer, it’s a deer. When you look at an abstract photo, you’re looking at yourself.

Q: You — like your parents — are known as an environmentalist. Does this book carry a green message?
A: I’ve always shown the beauty of nature — to show what’s worth saving. Many of my colleagues have focused on the destruction. With this book, I still wanted my work to be beautiful, but I wanted it to show that nature is threatened by climate change, by overpopulation. I asked myself, “How can I show that sense of being out of balance, that dissonance?” Reflections were the perfect solution.

Q: You followed in the footsteps of your father, one of the early nature photographers. How did that help or hurt your career?
A: I definitely had doors open for me, but it was also frustrating. Five years into producing the “Minnesota Seasons” calendars with my dad, people would come up to me and say, “I buy your dad’s calendars every year. What do you do?”

Q: How did your father’s work shape yours?
A: Partly because I was in his shadow, I started to push my work. My dad was primarily interested in telling stories. He used a normal lens and showed you what the world looked like — the lichen and moss on the side of a [canoe] portage, things that were there but that you might not see. I fully embraced wide-angle lenses and telephoto lenses to show a different perspective.

Q: If your dad was a storyteller what are you?
A: I looked at myself as a guide. I was showing the epitome of what nature has to offer.

Q: Despite racking up books, winning national awards and being a household name in nature photography, you launched Kickstarter to get this book published. Why?
A: Everything has changed about photography. In the 1990s, it was easy to make money as a nature photographer. With the advent of digital cameras and affordable printers, there are so many people doing it now. Everyone in the business is struggling or giving up.

Q: But you’re not giving up?
Q: I’m already working on either a brand new [book] or a revised version of my “Lake Superior Images” [published in 1993]. This is the only thing I know how to do and I love it. It’s important from a conservation standpoint.

Catching the ‘Waves’

“Light Waves” is available at blacklockgallery.com and select independent bookstores, including Moon Palace Books in Minneapolis.

Craig Blacklock will be at book signings from 1-3 p.m. Dec. 16 at Excelsior Bay Books, 36 Water St., Excelsior, https://excelsiorbaybooks.indielite.org/ and from 1-3 Dec. 17 at Smith + Trade Mercantile, 229 Main St., Stillwater, https://smithandtrade.com/

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Here are some top destinations tailor-made for weekend getaway in Vizag

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Kailasagiri ropeway to Kondakarla lake: Here are some top destinations tailor-made for weekend getaway in Vizag

If you are in the City of Destiny, there is no dearth of hot spots to cool it off. Whether you are looking forward to a short vacation amid rejuvenating nature or glitzy and enjoyable places to hang out with friends, family, or solo, Vizag has something to offer for everyone in all seasons.

Sun and sea-kissed beaches, lush green eco-parks, forests of the Eastern Ghats, intricate and intriguing heritage sites, museums mist-cloaked hilly heights, rustic beauty of rural and tribal culture, wildlife, and bird sanctuaries are all waiting to make your holidays memorable.

That’s not all. If you are an adventure aficionado, you may enjoy water sports at certain beaches, including scuba diving, kayaking, jet-ski, and speed boating. There are excellent trekking trails to take you through nature therapy and cardio and it would be a bonus if you are an avid bird watcher and a nature photographer.

Whether you are interested in the pilgrimage or temple tourism or you’re a history and heritage lover, you will be delighted to see the temples, monasteries, churches, and colonial structures of Old Town. For those who would like to soak in the glitz and glamour of the cosmopolitan city, there are several shopping malls, multiplexes, upscale restaurants, cafes, food courts, and around a dozen five-star hotels to choose from.

Here are some of the top destinations tailor-made for weekend getaway in Vizag:

The Beach Road:

Beaches and Parks

The long-drive-worthy 30-km long Beach Road that stretches from Vizag to Bheemili, between hills and seas, is dotted by several beaches such as the famous Ramakrishna (RK) Beach, Yarada Beach, Rushikonda Beach, Thotlakonda Beach and Bheemunipatnam (Bheemili Beach with its heritage Dutch cemetery), there are several sea-view parks including the Vuda Park, Tenneti Park, Lumbini Park, Children Parks, besides the Central Park and Shivaji park located in the city.

You may enjoy various activities on the beaches – from horse riding to beach volleyball and water sports to shopping traditional oyster and shell crafts and eating local savories. For nature lovers and solitude seekers, sunrise over the sea, flooding the sky in orange-yellow hues, is a visual treat that should not be missed.

Explore the submarine and military aircraft at the Museums

Vizag boasts of some interesting and unique museums in the country such as the Kursura Submarine Museum and TU 142 Aircraft Museum opposite the submarine and near the Visakha Museum. All three are lined up near R K Beach and it offers a good time pass.

Enjoy a panoramic ropeway ride to Kailasagiri hills

Kailasagiri is one of the most popular hangout spots in the city, both among Vizagites and visitors. Though one can drive up to Kailasa hill, which houses many attractions including parks, gardens, walking trails, sculptures, viewpoints, and eateries. Nothing however beats the rope-way or cable-car ride from the foothills to the hilltop, which offers a stunning view of the cityscape, Tenneti Park, and the panoramic sea against the backdrop of the green Kailasa hills.

Opt for educative tours at Vizag Zoo Park and Kambalakonda eco-project

One of the largest zoos in the country, the 625-acre Indira-Gandhi Zoo Park (IGZP) in a natural forest setting, houses around 900 fauna and is an ideal place to hit with the family, especially with children for a fun and educative tour. The vast KambalaKonda Reserve Forest (around 7,146 hectares), on National Highway 5, almost opposite the zoo park, is an eco-tourism project. It is home to around 130 species of flora and several species of fauna such as deer of various kinds, leopards, pangolins, civets, rabbits, rarely-seen reptiles, birds, etc.

Opt for a boat ride and birding at Kondakarla Ava lake

The state’s second largest freshwater lake Kondakarla Ava is an extensive area of rich aquatic biodiversity – with lotus plants, fish, and hundreds of species of resident avifauna and migratory birds. Located around 50 kilometers from Vizag city, near Anakapalle, this scenic lake amidst small hills, attracts picnickers, bird watchers, and nature lovers around the year.

Ancient Buddhist heritage sites and moonlight meditation

The 2,000-year-old Buddhist heritage sites of Thotlakonda and Bavikonda near Vizag city and Bojjanakonda, 45 km away, have drawn tourists even from Buddhist nations including Japan and Sri Lanka. The hilltop archaeological Thotlakonda and Bavikonda monastic complex with stupas, chaitaya grihas, and viharas, date back to the second century and are ideal for meditation under the moonlight. The ASI’s Buddhist establishments of Bojjannakonda and Lingalakonda in Sankaram village near Anakapalle, feature remarkable rock-cut caves, numerous monolithic (carved out of a single rock) stupas, chaityas, and monasteries dating back between the 4th to the 9th centuries AD. Evidence suggests three forms of Buddhism thrived here namely the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana periods.

Simhachalam and Madhavdhara temples

Situated atop the Simhachalam Hill, the Vishnu temple dedicated to Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Temple draws lakhs of pilgrims and visitors per month from various parts of the country. The 13th-century temple displays some intricate Kalinga, Chalukya, and Kakatiya dynasty architecture and sculpture.

Tucked away in pristine surroundings amidst hills and forests is a beautiful centuries-old temple dedicated to Krishna or Madhavswamy at Madhavdhara. It’s said that the deity and the initial temple structures dated for almost a thousand years. The specialty of this temple is a flight of ancient staircases that connect the famous Simhachalam Temple.

Weekend wanderlust

For those of you who prefer to recline in the lap of nature or trek to imbibe the beauty of nature in tranquillity, there are many less-frequented places beyond the popular destination-in-demand Araku Valley and Borra Caves.

Lammasingi

Though the infrastructure for a night stay is not yet developed (beyond pitching tents under a star-studded sky), it is worth a visit to enjoy the dipping mercury in peak winter, misty morning walks in forested tracks, and the strawberry farms and coffee gardens of picturesque Lammasingi, in Chintapalli Mandal. It is situated around 100 km from Vizag city at an altitude of 1,000 meters above sea level.

Dallapalli near Araku Valley is special because it offers a 360-degree view of the hills and scenic surroundings. Dotted with coffee plantations, forest lands, and tribal villages, Dallapalli can be a reposeful retreat far from the madding crowd of the city.

ThatIpudi Reservoir

At a distance of 65 kilometers from the city is the picture-postcard ThatIpudi Reservoir. It is an ideal place to explore for nature and bird lovers as well as photography enthusiasts as the scenic place houses a dam, lake, lovely hilly surroundings, greenery, and birds can be an ideal place to explore for nature and bird lovers as well as.

Vanjangi

If you want to be greeted by a cascade of clouds and view a spectacular sunrise, then head to the Vanjangi Hills, situated at around 3,400 feet above mean sea level, about 100 km from Vizag city. Reaching the hilltop entails a six-km uphill trek through forest trails but the surrealistic dream-like landscape is worth a visit.

Jindhagada Peak:

Jindhagada or Arma Konda is the highest peak in the Eastern Ghats at a height of 1,690 meters, located in Araku valley. This peak should be on every trekker’s must-visit list and entails a five-hour steep uphill trek. So be prepared to carry adequate drinking water, food, first aid kit, and use the correct footwear.

This article was written by Sulogna Mehta

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