The following images appear in the Canadian Geographic Jan/Feb 2010 issue. The article features University of Ottawa geography student Robert Way participating in the CryoEX program, an international exchange program established by the University of Ottawa and the University of Oslo in Norway. Click for the full story by Scott Messenger.
Photography from the Global Day of Action for Climate Change in Copenhagen. Over 100,000 people marched on the streets in favour of a strong, ambitious and fair deal to be signed this week.
Cross Posted from Itsgettinghotinhere
If you are a youth climate activist, if you have been to a Powershift conference, and/or if you read this blog, you have seen some of these amazing images that are on display, right now, in front of delegates at the Barcelona intercessional meetings –only one month before Copenhagen.
I wanted to take a moment and share this work, and also a message from my amazing co-worker, Robert van Waarden:
“Youth have been documenting the movement on the front lines of the global climate crisis and now, we are bringing our message to negotiators at Barcelona.
For years now, the global youth climate movement has been organizing, building momentum and strength, and influencing the debate through our actions, documentation, and networking from the front lines of the climate crisis. Actions by individuals have inspired groups and movements across Earth to fight for a dependable, stable climate. It is the issue that defines our generation.
I have had the pleasure of documenting and photographing this movement across the globe. From the halls of Powershifts to the high level segments of the Conference of Parties, from the G20 to the High Arctic, I have been honored to lend my skills as a photographer, and help give the international youth movement a voice and image. Now, we at Fired UP! Media and Project Survival Media are seizing the opportunity to place large, professional, compelling images directly in front of the negotiators and delegates in Barcelona RIGHT NOW.
This last intercessional meeting will be instrumental in crafting the outcome of Copenhagen and it is absolutely essential, and wonderful that our story is being shown. But we need your help to support the display. All of this photographic coverage has been undertaken on a volunteer basis and because of this, we need to seek financial support to cover the shipment of these images to Barcelona. If you feel that displaying your voice at the UN is important, then please consider donating to Project Survival Media so we can continue to sound our voices loud and clear at the meeting before the most important meeting in the world. Survival is Not Negotiable. The youth of the world are here.” – Robert van Waarden
Help us support the photographers that so greatly amplify our voice, and influence our decision makers.
Thank you for your inspiration and dedication.
One of the greatest challenges of communicating climate change is putting a human face on an intangible issue. This photography exhibit re-examines the methods of communication by highlighting the inspirational work that young people are undertaking across the globe in the face of the growing climate crisis.
The International League of Conservation Photographers is an incredible organization of the top environmental and conservation photographers in the world. Its’ ranks include National Geographic photographers Paul Nicklen and Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols, Dutch photographer Frans Lanting, Gary Braasch, etc. etc. The list goes on.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this organization is a great idea. Combine the power and skills of the top photographers in the world to focus on conservation and the environment. Our mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography.
I am pleased to announce that I have accepted into this League as an Emerging Photographer. This organization is one that I admire and whose photographers are people that I look to for their hardwork, passion, dedication and skill. It will be a pleasure to learn from them, work with them and together contribute to conserving and improving our planet.
My photography essay on the Irish Moss Industry on Prince Edward Island, Canada, appears this month in Canadian Geographic.
The story behind these photographs begins one blustery morning when the rain was pelting my tent whilst camping with family and friends. The dawn brought with it a slew of men and horses, crawling the North Cape beach and collecting the ‘blessing from the sea’. The photography that day was moody and dramatic as exhausted horses and jubilant men played in the stormy waves. The seawater dripped off their backs, no damper to the joy brought by the bounty the sea had bestowed upon them.
This led me to investigate further. I met Carl Doucette, a brick of a man who has spent over 50 years raking the moss off the sea bed. His arms are testament to the physical labour that has defined his life and his spirit is calming. Having spent so much time on the water, Carl’s is a man comfortable with his place in the world. We sat in his kitchen drinking coffee and tears filled his eyes as he recounted his story about the decline of his industry and his uncertain future.
Heading out on the water with Carl that afternoon will remain one of those memorable experiences as a photographer. The sun glinted off the waves and the moss raked from the sea quickly piled up in the boat. I tried my own hand at raking in the moss and was quickly reminded why Carl’s arms were small trees. It was an honour to spend time with Carl and I am indebted to his story and time for making this essay possible.
My thanks also goes out to the folks at Shea’s Irish Moss Plant in Anglo Tignish. They were kind enough to allow me to work with them for a few hours and photograph their dusty, cavernous operation. They bale the moss into packages that weigh over 120 lbs, (as eagerly demonstrated to me by Rodney, the strong man in the operation).
It was a pleasure to put this essay together. Now go out to your nearest newsstand (in Canada) and buy the issue to see the images.
For quite some time now I have held a Photoshelter account. It has been used primarily in the background and for specific client requests. However, in an effort to make my stock images more available and it easier to search for images, it has now been integrated into vanwaardenphoto.com.
When you enter vanwaardenphoto.com you will be given the option of ‘Images’, this will take you to my Photoshelter webpage.
Over the next few weeks I will be updating this webpage and making many more images available.
I am back from my assignment for the Netherlands version of National Geographic Traveler.
I must admit, the climate in the Netherlands is much more conducive to clear thinking. From the moment we stepped onto the tarmac in Oman, it was about heat and humidity. Please note, I have become accustomed to stepping out of airplanes and being greeted with a different climate, but stepping out of the plane in Muscat was like walking in to a brick wall of fire and water. It was +45 and humid. To survive in the Capital, Omanis travel between air conditioned atmospheres as quickly as possible. When one taxi driver was asked what they did before air conditioning and he simply responded, ‘It was bad’.
The interesting thing about Oman was the layer of modern paint applied over a multi-thousand year history. It has been modernized in 30 years and once you break through that layer of paint, it shows. However, I think that I will let Thijs Joosten, the writer and editor of NG Traveler tell us more when his article is published.
On another note, I have never been to such a harsh climate for photography gear. Even the Arctic was nicer. Oman has some serious heat and some serious humidity. Stepping outside during the day with your cameras, is like stepping into a swimming pool atmosphere, the lenses fog right up. And Oman has sand so fine a simple gust of wind blows it everywhere.
A tip for future travelers, don’t wear ‘flip flops’ in the desert, the sand that gets kicked up when you ‘flop’ is at a perfect angle to cover your camera on your shoulder.
A few weeks ago I received an email from the web editor at National Geographic here in the Netherlands informing me that every month they run a competition for amateur and semi-professional photographers.
Initially I was a little confused, I was set to head to Oman for the magazine and was wondering why I was being informed about this competition. However, when I read the second paragraph and realised they were asking me to judge the entries. I enthusiastically agreed. Judging that month’s images, (they narrowed it down to 12) and choosing the 3 that I felt were the strongest was quite interesting.
It was a unique experience to look at another person’s images critically, judging them against each other for composition, mood, emotion and technicality. There were some great images in the 12 that were sent to me and it was a tough decision to make. But, you can see the results of my choices here, take a look.
(Credit: Robert vanWaarden / Spectral Q)
The clock is ticking on the climate negotiations. Even whilst the talks are stalling, civil society is coming together in a powerful and impactful way.
John Quigley from Spectral Q created this phenomenal aerial image here in Bonn, Germany. An incredible coalition of NGOs came together to create this event and they engaged me to to capture it all. 45M in the air and trying to protect three cameras from the rain were the joys of this little job. It was phenomenal the way over 500 people in the rain and cold lay down on the grass to form this powerful aerial message.
Paraphrasing Obama we told leaders ‘YES YOU CAN’ reach a good deal in Copenhagen, You can see some photos here or here. Please download these images from the first address and share widely. (Be sure to credit Robert van Waarden / Spectral Q.)
The number 350 relates to parts per million. It is the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. But 350 is more than a number–it’s a symbol of where we need to head as a planet. I encourage you strongly to check out 350.org and consider hosting an event on October 24.