All posts by bobmadden

Take a Hike!

The Tour du Mont Blanc

In early July 2011, I spent eight days with five other hikers walking the Tour du Mont Blanc. This hike circumnavigates the mountain – the highest peak in Europe – with forays into France, Italy and Switzerland. Tour du Mont Blanc trails are well within the capabilities of any fit mountain walker as they wind through alpine meadows, over barren cols (mountain passes), into quaint villages, and along ridgelines with breathtaking views. (Mont Blanc right)

There is a great deal of information available about the tour http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_du_Mont_Blanc and a number of guidebooks and web guides that delineate a variety of different trails around Mont Blanc. http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/europe/alps.html http://www.walkingthetmb.com/thetourdumontblanc.html

This hike is very popular and it is easy to craft a trip that can be self-guided or set up with a tour company that provides guides. The tour can even be done by bus or taxi if one is incapacitated or has problems walking. There are different levels of effort for different folks – from moderate to strenuous. You can easily do your own research on the web if you want to go.

Additionally, the Mont Blanc tunnel, completed in 1965, is a 11.6 kilometer subterranean road that links Chominix, France to Courmayeur, Italy. The twenty-minute ride is a lot faster than the walk!

The entire area has other attractions for the adventurous. Kayaking, mountain biking, tour biking, and tandem parasailing are a few of the endeavors in the summer season. Of course, skiing dominates the winter months.

Our Trip

Our group generally walked from six to seven hours a day over the course of eight days, with one rest day designated in the middle of the trip. Due to a medical condition, several of my days deviated from the group hike. The days ranged in challenge from strenuous to moderate. Usually it was the day’s ascent that determined the degree of effort and the ascent on some days was 900 to 1000 meters.

The weather was excellent during our trip and we were provided with a wealth of photographic opportunities. The object, as usual, was to keep the photography from interfering with the backpacking, and to keep the backpacking from interfering with the photography. A challenge.

We started (and ended) in Chomonix, France and made our way counter-clockwise around Mont Blanc. At night we either encamped at huts along the trail (left) or stopped in several of the villages in Italy and Switzerland.

Rarely would we walk to or from the village, but start or finish at a trailhead, taking a bus or a train to or from our hikes (other hikers loading up at right).

In addition to Chomonix we stayed at Courmayeur, Italy and Champex, Switzerland.

On the last day we took the cable car from the middle of Chamonix up to the Aiguille du Midi (Needle of the South) for a panoramic view of the French Swiss and Italian Alps at 3800 meters (Scene below).

Here are a few links to websites where we stayed:

Day One — Nant-Borrant dormitory: http://refugenantborrant.lescontamines.com/uk/nuit.html

Day Two — Refuge La Nova, Les Chapieux, http://www.refugelanova.com/Accueil.html

Day Three and Four — Hotel Miravalle Val Ferret, Courmayeur, Italy http://www.courmayeur-hotelmiravalle.it/

Day Five — Dormitory: Pension en plein air, Champex, http://www.pensionenpleinair.ch/

Day Six — Hotel de la Forclaz, Trient, http://www.coldelaforclaz.ch/home.aspx

Day Seven – Hotel La Chaumiere, Chamonix, http://www.hotelchaumierechamonix.com/node/1

If you love mountain photography, this is the place to be!

A Look At LOOK3

On June 9, 10 and 11 20011 I attended LOOK3 in Charlottesville, VA.

So what is it?

In the words of the organizers, “ LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph is a celebration of photography, created by photographers, for those who share a passion for the still image. The Festival features exhibits and on-stage appearances of three “legacy” photographers, as well as many exhibitions, outdoor screenings, and projections over three days and nights”.

Many of the presentations are held at the Paramount Theater (right).

“Historic downtown Charlottesville is transformed into a living image with photographs hanging in the trees, projected in storefront windows and on the sides of buildings, as well as in all the galleries.
Billed as ‘3 days of peace, love and photography,’ the Festival is designed to bring together the international photography community and create opportunities for attendees and artists to share images, ideas and to be inspired.”

The Masters featured in 2011 were Ashley Gilbertson,Christopher Anderson, Martin Bell and Mary Ellen Mark LaToya Ruby Frazier and Steve McCurry
In addition, there were “INsight Conversations” with “legacy masters” Antonin Kratochvil, Massimo Vitali and Nan Goldin

Also workshops by George Steinmetz, David Allan Harvey, Brian Storm and Alex Webb were available for an extra charge. (George with his “TREES” exhibit is at left)

So much for the setup, Bob. How were the photographers?

As in many events such as this participants have highs and lows depending on their bias and their expectations. I was no exception.

I felt that the “legacy masters” were on stage way too long (three times through their pictures during their presentations was a bit much). And in general, they WERE legacies hanging on to where they came from – film based, with styles that perhaps defined them during their careers, but seem dated today.

Most of the photographers presenting at the festival displayed a passion and dedication for their subject matter and it was very difficult to see their photographs without seeing the photographer.

Egos and “navel gazing” were another matter. Kratochvil and Golin were self-absorbed and were full of throwaway lines. I would suggest that they get to work – in a meaningful way.

The interviewers Scott Thode and Sally Mann did not help. They were too full of themselves to understand that the audience was there for the represented artist. However, Alex Chadwick and Tony Bannon were great, drawing out subtle threads that helped weave the featured photographer’s thoughts and experiences into a cohesive tapestry.

Memorable stuff?

George Steinmentz’s The TREES exhibit — from George’s Wild Air photographs — taken from his motorized paraglider — suspended on banners high in the trees along Charlottesville’s outdoor pedestrian mall.

Chris Anderson’s exquisite compositions and subject matter (photo of his presentation at right)

David Liittschwager’s One Cubic Foot

Steve McCurry’s Last Roll of Kodachrome

LaToya Ruby Frazier’s brutally honest autobiographical images and prose

One standout image in David Allan Harvey’s Carolina Outer Banks of a couple getting married with another older couple standing on the beach with them. This essay was in an otherwise mostly disappointing presentation of Shots and Works on Friday and Saturday nights.

Shots and Works were generally essays on a theme, but many times the pictures were outside the theme or outside the style of the piece. Some were simply bad. Because the presentations were held outside, Shots and Works started at 9:00 PM and made for a long day.

Galleries to visit were all over town. Not to be missed were the “Community Exhibits”, particularly Focus on Photography: Three Masters — William Albert Allard, William Christenberry, and Michael Nichols and Southern Views/Southern Photographers — Emmit Gowen, Sally Mann and Pamela Pecchio. Massimo Vitali’s Exhibit Natural Habitats was on display at Chroma Project Gallery (photo below).

A Bonus! Martin Bell and Mary Ellen Mark’s piece on The Prom. Funny and genuine, the film reflected the values of American teens.

See you there next year!

At the Workshop — Timing is Everything

Recently I taught a Horizon workshop in Chesapeake City, Maryland. The object of this particular workshop is to collectively undertake a photographic story of this charming little village at the midsection of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The town is filled with historic buildings – many restored to reflect their mid-1800 beginnings. We had fine weather and were able to photograph a variety of subject matter.

During our first sessions, I tried to instill in the students how important it is to know how your camera operates so that it becomes second nature to you. Then you will be ready to take a good picture at a moment’s notice. I stressed that much of the photography we are enamored by happened in the blink of the eye (or shutter, in our case).

On the way to Winbek Horse Farms, a trotter and pacer enterprise, we passed a large number of people working on a residence. Turning around, we found out that it was a “Christmas in April” event. We were happy to serendipitously come across “Christmas” and we all made some nice images of the scene (right). Timing is everything

Once at the farm, we went out to the track to practice slow shutter speed shots of the horses training (panning). Suddenly two drivers (left) appeared on sulkies running their horses as if in an actual race.

Timing is everything

I was instructing the class in how to use a dedicated flash on the camera by lowering the exposure of the flash. One student was taking a portrait of a horse in its stall when a bird flew past the horse’s head (right). The flash froze the bird in mid-flight. Photo by John Lauritsen Timing is everything

On Sunday morning we were at the Bethel AME Church services in Chesapeake City. In order to keep the decorum in the church, we do not use flash, and only one student at a time is in the sanctuary. At one point, the Reverend asked everyone to join hands in prayer (left). Just one workshopper was in the church, and she was ready.

Photo by Esther Steffens

Timing is everything