The magic of the Far North

It is the Light of the North, which always fascinated me. The sun never sets in the summer, the shallow angle of incidence, the clouds, the lush green of the moss, the deep blue of the ice and the pastel colors of the sky! The barren, vast expanses of landscape, the cold, the crackling ice and of course the animals.
We (ie twelve photographers plus guides) are traveling with an expedition icebreaker from the 50s. A small ship without stabilizers and simple cabins - but with lots of charm and agility. We start from Lonyearbyen in Svalbard and sail to the north.

 

 

 

We find the king of the Arctic Ocean, the polar bear, only very close to the 82 Latitude. This is only about 550 miles from the North Pole. So far north is the ice edge. And the ice is pretty open, which means that the bears must swim from ice sheet to ice sheet. The encounters with the polar bears are, as always, unique, and after the many sightings on the mainland it is exciting to photograph them now on the ice and in the sea.

 

The Arctic is not the Serengeti, the variety is much smaller and it is difficult to find the animals in the immensity. The guides do a great job and scan with binoculars from the bridge or get even up to the crow's nest for wildlife. Usually we can photograph from the low deck. With the help of two zodiacs we also able to approach the animals and take pictures from a lower angle.

 

A special experience is the encounter with the whales, the largest mammals in the world. To see and hear a blue whale or a group of fin whales in the immediate vicinity of the ship is an emotional, indescribable experience. But to be able to watch about ten humpback whales for more than half an hour at their games and jumps, even the heart of "spoiled nature photographers" laugh.

 

 

 

At various landings on the islands of Svalbard we can take pictures of the sparse flora and fauna. And the question arises, what is now nicer to photograph: a lonely, single flower or the riot of color of a flower field. It is both beautiful - where the individual flower probably receives more attention than a sunflower in the big field. As usual in life ..

 

 

A fantastic journey that goes much too quickly. The rich colors, the diversity of Switzerland has me back. And I think of the pastel shades - the magic of the Far North.

More images of this journey can be seen on my homepage.

Yellowstone Nationalpark in Winter

Mid-January, I made a trip with a small group of photographers  (led by Juan Pons and George Wuerthner) to Yellowstone National Park in the USA. An impressive experience to photograph the bubbling, hot springs, geysers, the landscape and the wildlife in the depths of winter. Often the humidity of the steaming springs created at night an enchanted and "sugared" landscape. Although it was sometimes below zero degree Fahrenheit in the morning, during daytime temperatures rose to a comfortable level.

In winter, there are approximately 3000 bison in the park. Life is hard for the animals, because beneath the snow they hardly find food and live mainly on their fat reserves. These shaggy, primitive animals, that were once nearly eradicated, recall the pristine landscapes in the Wild West.

 

But also a variety of other animals can be photographed. Along the steep slopes in Lamarvalley there are many bighorn sheep. The impressive elk are mainly in the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole during the wintertime. Still, I could see some of the magnificent animals. With luck, I was able to photograph a bobcat  and a white tailed jackrabbit. Many other animals can be seen in the gallery on my website.

Also impressive are the hot springs and geysers. The contrast with the snow, hoarfrost which turnes the trees to mystical dreamscapes and colorful artworks of nature are like images from another world.

 

More images can be seen in the gallery on my Homepage. 

Next projects
Through the publication of my book "Eagle, Bear & Co.", which has taken a lot of time, I am a little behind with the books of my recent trips. In the near future I will devote my time to the books on Indonesia and Central Asia (along the Silk Road).
The project "Traditions in Appenzell" takes time and energy as well - but the results are promising so far.

Indonesia has more than Bali

In my previous post, I wrote that for my trip to Indonesia I am expecting temperatures at the upper end of the scale. They were and in adition humid - even very hot and very humid! But the fantastic experiences in the rainforest of Borneo made me forget the stresses and strains. It was an incredibly wonderful feeling to take pictures of Orangutans so close.

 

In the rain forest, north of Sulawesi, it is in the early morning dark and humid hot. The nocturnal tarsiers return to their tree holes. The small primates are just 10-15cm tall and make long jumps. They persist for a few seconds in between but almost immobile and can be photographed despite the absence of light. In the rain forest we also found the endemic crested black macaque who frolic in large family groups or sometimes for a short time are posing on a tree trunk.

One of the toughest jobs in the world, the workers in the sulfur mine at Ijen volcano. Without respiratory protection they break amidst sulfur fumes out the sulfur lumps with iron bars and package them in bamboo baskets. A cargo weighs between 60 and 80 kg and is carried on the shoulders by a steep path to the edge of the crater 200m higher. From there they continue to the base of the volcano, which lies 500m deeper. A brutally hard work. We do the tour with porters for our camera gear and gas masks.

Indonesia extends across the Ring of Fire, a series of 452 volcanoes, ranging from South America to Alaska and down to Japan via Indonesia. In Indonesia, the volcanoes are most active. From Penajakan, a viewpoint near the Mt Bromo, we experience a spectacular sunrise.

 

Like a trip to the Jurassic Park is a visit to the small Sunda islands in eastern Indonesia. With a houseboat we sailed to the islands of Komodo and Rinci to photograph Komodo dragons. We were lucky to shoot a fight between two males and to see the dragons along the beach.

We also photographed landscapes, people and culture. Be it at a market, where next to fruits and vegetables rats, bats and dog meat is sold or in the rice fields and villages. The people were extremely friendly and we experienced, that in the remote parts of Indonesia, western faces are very rare. We were "marvelled at" and more than once they ask for a photo with them.

More images can be seen in the gallery of my Homepage.

Polar Bear Mom with cubs in the wilderness of Canada

In the wilderness of Canada, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of Churchill at the Hudson Bay, is Wapusk National Park. Where icy winds create temperatures down to minus 50 degrees Celsius, polar bear mothers give birth to their cubs in dens deep in the snow. In March, when the little polar bears are 3 months old, the mother leaves the den to migrate to the ice on the Hudson Bay, because she desperately needs food after a long fasting period.
Near the park is a lodge in a converted military base. This is the starting point of serious photographers, to photograph this very special moment. But it's hard! The dens are searched with Mattrack vehicles and then after setting up the equipment patience is asked. We wait six days in front of a den at temperatures down to -48° Celsius (-54° F). Seven hours a day. It's cold, very cold and it takes patience, lots of patience. Twice a head that looks out of the den and disappears again - that's it.

 

Then, on the seventh day, she leaves the den. The cubs are playful and explore a world that they see for the first time after three months of darkness. A fantastic experience, which compensates for the long waiting period.

 

 

On the first day the mother makes forays in the vicinity of the den. She repeatedly stops and digs a hollow to rest and to nurse the young. We follow the mother and the cubs  in a safe distance. The photographic equipment is at the limit of functionality and I can feel the brutal cold in spite of joy and fascination.

The Hudson Bay is far away and yet the mother must go there. For too long, she has not eaten. Only on the ice, she can hunt for seals and the food it urgently needed to be able to nurse the cubs. The next day she is on her long journey.

Not only the polar bears are fascinating, but also the lonely wilderness, far away from civilization. The sunsets are spectacular and life in the lodge, without running water, is basic but cozy. The variety of food is rich and the chef does his job very well.

 

The clear nights offer a firework in the sky with northern lights. Churchill is located directly below the Van Allen radiation belt, where the cosmic radiation brings the Earth's atmosphere to fluoresce. At -48°C (-54°F), the photography is extremely difficult but the acting compensates for the effort.

The journey to the lodge is far, very far. Three days out and two days back. Access to the lodge is exclusive. Only a limited number of photographers are lucky enough to get a place in the lodge. The rugged wilderness has really touched me and I hope that despite the climate change it will be possible to see polar bear mothers with their cubs in the wild also in the future.

 

More pictures can be seen here:

Images of the Polar Bears

Images of the Northern Lights

Images of the trip

Photo Book of Shetland

In July 2011 I have, as already reported, traveled to Shetland . From the impressive landscapes, the colorful puffins and the cheeky otters I created a Photo Book. Unlike pictures in a gallery, pictures in a book tell a story and trough the composition often create a whole different effect.

The Photo Book is now online and can be viewed on my website.

Simply click on the envelope and you can (with a mouse click in the corner) flip the pages of the book.

More Photobooks can be seen on my Homepage.  www.rudolf-hug.ch

My next trip
End of February I travel to Canada to photograph polar bears with their cubs. An expedition of a special kind. In the heart of the Canadian tundra an old military base was turned into a simple lodge. From this base, we will be looking for the polar bears with Mattracks (special tracked vehicles) at temperatures down to -40°C . I hope for good pictures and temperatures that are not too deep.