Alex Milne

Sunday Morning Reading

2012-02-05T01:53:00.000-08:00

A couple of articles in the FT make interesting reading this morning. One does not expect quality photographic critique on the FT, but these days you take it where you can get!!

The first is an interview with Cindy Sherman. For those not familiar with her work then this article reveals a great deal. It is a prelude to her forthcoming retrospective at MOMA. Say no more:

Cindy Sherman in the FT.

The second is a more difficult concept to get your head around but nevertheless a thought provoking one. A review of a project on Israel with a group of the most famous photographers in the world. Sounds extreme and from reading the article, seems. If you are interested on how Koudelka and Shore and Struth spend their days then this a is a little, but not huge insight.

FT Ways of Seeing.

Finally the reason for my long time silence is that I am busy and that includes another book. I always wanted to publish my Glastonbury homage. And with a year off - the Olympics in June will use up all available portaloos in the country- this is the time to do it.

As a taster here is a photo from Chumbawamba in the Avalon Tent - not many musicians can play the tie!!

Everest Here Continents Collided In a Store Near You

2011-09-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Finally and I mean what an amazing feeling to have this book out there!!

You can get a copy here:

https://www.ebookit.com/books/0000001219/Everest-Here-Continents-Collided.html

Enjoy the book. I wrote it for you :-)

Alex

Now what will I do next? Maybe climb a mountain!!!

Latest book to the distributor

2011-09-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Everest Here Continents Collided has now gone to the distributor. I expect the 160 page book to be available from eBookit in a couple of weeks and thereafter Amazon, iBookstore and Barnes and Noble by October.

You can follow the book blog at

Everest Here Continents Collided

Elsewhere you can already find my "Kate and Wills Royal Wedding" book on Amazon or iBookstoe. Again in eBook format.

Glastonbury - Paul Simon and Bono Rock

2011-06-29T01:51:00.000-07:00

I feel a bit odd at Glastonbury, and not because you are in a tent city with 180,000 people. And strangely at home at the same time. There is something for everyone and for me as a photographer there is a compelling photographic story from the moment you get up in the morning to when you crawl into your tent in the wee small hours. The older acts are inspirational and this year non more than BB King at 85 and Paul Simon at 70. There is something amazingly uplifting to see an 85 year old man playing the guitar sitting down and in front of 100k+ people. And then you have the young acts trying to make their mark, but few will be around when they are 70 I would guess!!!

Then there are the headline acts. U2 were outstanding however I am identifying my generation here. Coldplay no less so. For these events I stood up close wishing to photograph the individual artists. For Beyonce I decided to stand back on the hill to capture the broader perspective. Eventually when I made it up the hill I was sitting on my own watching it all beneath me like a surreal model, but in real life. The remarkable thing about this image is how clear Beyonce is on the stage. The image reminds me of a Gursky image I saw years ago where despite having thousands of people present at the event that one key person stands out. And so she did!!!

Beyonce Glastonbury 2011

U2 - The streets with no name

BB King - The Godfather of Jazz

Don Maclean - American Pie

Paul Simon - The Boy in the Bubble. An understatement to say a living legend

Dance Village

Glasto Stonehenge

Glastonbury 2011 Preparations for the Annual Pilgrimage

2011-06-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

Four more days and we will head down the long M6 to Glastonbury on our annual pilgrimage. Al and I have reviewed the images from the previous two years and are fired up for it. Al for the music and me for the photographic opportunities which abound. And of course the music. I am excited to see the anarchistic Chubawamba and the consummate U2. On previous years we have seen 40 bands in a weekend and it remains astounding even on this the third run around. Difficult to convey other than say that it is a feast of what is good in contemporary culture. And in a way it keeps me contemporary. It allows me to slip thing into the conversation like the Bombay Bicycle Club or Let's Buy Happiness or Enter Chakari hopefully in the right places and context. My favourite spot where I normally have my Glastonbury moment is in the corner of the John Peel tent where I normally snooze in the morning sun and listen to the latest bands.

If you are there say hello.

Alex

The Late and Great Clarence Clemons The E Street Band

Top Guys

Michael Jackson 2009

Waiting

Stevie Wonder Pyramid Stage 2010

Fun

Marina and the Diamonds John Peel Stage 2010

John Peel Tent

Thursday 2010 waiting orderly for the start

La Bourgogne an incredible landscape and a remarkable hotel

2011-05-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

In April I drove back down memory lane across the Bourgogne in central France. It was one of those unexpected days. I had no plans to be there but was and it was wonderful. The fields were full of colourful rape seed and the countryside lay out in front of me like a regulated carpet. I could not believe the intensity of the landscape and the depth of my feelings. The yellows and greens in the brilliant sunshine were without parallel. France has it all.

I had been here 20 years before drilling an unsuccessful exploratory oil well. On the edge of the Champagne district. And here I was again driving thorough visiting my old haunts and reliving how beautiful and rich this part of France is. It is a paradise of agriculture and alcohol and when I was here in in 1989 they were celebrating 200 years of Republic. I stopped at the Champagne hotel and the Maitre D agreed with me that it is paradise but it is a tough time in France. Delivering the promise is no longer guaranteed.

The night before I stayed in the Grand Hotel Terminus Reine in Chaumont. It was one of those places you visit that is unforgettable. For two reasons. The owner was a hunter and in the middle of all the richness of decor and flowers and leopard skin upholstery there were these fabulous animal heads protruding everywhere from the walls and from all over the world. When I went upstairs it was completely transformed with bold colours, blue walls and orange doors and fabulous wall art. And why? Because this is the town that hosts the world poster competition - of course why didn't I know.

Grand Hotel Terminus Reine Chaumont - Heads and posters

Grand Hotel - Leopard skin furniture and stuffed pig

Room 64

Bourbon Stairwell

Rape Seed and Pylons

La Bourgogne at it's best - amazing empty roads and vistas

Country Roads

Maitre D Champagne Hotel - Would only serve a 5 course meal at 3 in the afternoon - where else?

The Royal Wedding Three Days of Photographic Nirvana

2011-04-30T04:30:00.000-07:00

My three days in London photographing the royal wedding were unmissable. For those that think why photograph a wedding? Then think again!!!I didn't have permission to enter the Abbey. But the circus that developed around it was fascinating. The worlds media were there in force and they worked themselves up into a frenzy. Witness the cream of world "anchors" out on the streets around Buck House and the Abbey. and the cameras everywhere and of every type. Days of building small camera platforms for coverage and then all the hand held video camera crews roaming the street searching for the "soul" of the population. What they found of course was a lot of unusual people many of whom had travelled from the US and Australia etc to camp out in front of the Abbey. And on them photographers pounced. A little like Catch 22 they could not sleep in their pop up tents because they were always being woken by CNN or CNBC or XYZ.

And then the Royals arrived and they ran a show that involved thousands of military and police and it all played out in front of us on the Mall with an energy and verve which was remarkable to observe. And to photograph. The Lord of the Rings like rush of the Death Eaters swept down the Mall with a determination that cannot be seen on the television screens. The video images will move on but the still image captures the moment for posterity!!!!!

Attached are some rush images. The important ones will come later after some reflection.

Kate and Wills on the Mall

Family Wedding Image

Andrew and family

Cavalry rush down the Mall

All that shinny brass not to forget the head gear

Demonstration against war

Stan Peppar 91. Friend of the Beatles and Chelsea Pensioner

Channel 5 Presenter for the Kate and Wills Wedding

Three Weeks One Easter - Chamonix Retreating Ice

2011-04-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a joyous three weeks in France. What was planned as an Easter holiday was in fact more like a summer holiday. Daily temperatures were up in the mid to high 20's and the smaller resorts were closed. There was a lack of good snow on the Grandes Montet except up high. And even then under ski it was a dusting of powder on top of an icy basement. All thoughts of skiing the Vallee Blanche disappeared when I saw the "dry" and rocky nature of the bottom half of the glacier.

All around was bare ice where normally there is snow cover. And evidence of crevasses opening up where previously they did not exist. I attach some photographic evidence.

Shrinking and collapsing Glacier Du Bossons

Chamonix Aiguilles

Bossons and Gouter

Classic view of Mont Blanc and icy Aiguilles Du Midi

Filmic Delusions

2011-02-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

A short update on my photography and where it is going and what decisions have been made. This review will be expanded on my website under the title "state of play".

So here goes. The dilemma is do I shoot film i.e. large format film or do I shoot digital. Well having shot both I have a very good comparison. The tool of choice for comparison has become an iMac with a 27" screen running Aperture 3 with the full NIK software range of add ons. So how do they compare. Firstly having come back from Nepal more than a year ago with 18000+ images, something I am not particularly proud of, I had a major challenge to manage this material. Out of this has come an understanding of how to manage a large dataset and that means, for me, Aperture 3.0. And Aperture means an Apple iMAC. A really key thing is the ordering and management of the database. Aperture in conjunctions with the 27" screen allows me to manage and review the large group of images more quickly and more efficiently than anything I have used in the PC world. It helps me to get to the best image. With the addition of the NIK software for black and white conversion and local colour control.

So what criteria do I apply. Quality and quality and finally quality is the starting point. Sharp well exposed images. And here is where digital technically wins out. The exposure in digital is always better than in analogue. For as much as I try. Period. It is also sharper. On Large format analogue the optics are better. Strange that but the area of focus and depth of field control is better on my large Format camera than my Nikon D700.

So where does it take me. If all things are equal, and they are not, then you would go digital for the convenience. So why are they not. The digital images on the iMac are clearly sharper. Finally for those stuck on film who believe that film has a quality that is missing in digital I suggest they try NIK software’s Silver Efex Pro 2. A truely remarkable piece of software. For those of us who were brought up in the dark room. We could never have imagined that such a magical tool would be invented. The black and white conversion tools can reproduce anything you can imagine that is “filmic” and beyond.

I rest my case.

Converted by Nik Silver Efex Pro

Original image

The Optimism of a New Year

2011-01-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

I saw out the old year and ushered in the New Year in the dark at the Loch Morlich campsite. Tip - toeing around on wet sheet ice, photographing the caravans and campervans. They had an infectious optimism that I hope comes through in these three images. They decorated their "vans" as if they were Christmas trees. And a fine, surreal sight it was with the bright , vibrant colours reflecting off the ice. The twinkling of fairy lights.

Andy Linden Mundungus Fletcher in Harry Potter

2010-11-21T01:36:00.000-08:00

It was a great surprise and treat to see Andy Linden in the new Harry Potter film. Alasdair came home last night raving about the film and about Andy.

We met him at the Edinburgh festival on two occasion. In the first he tried to persuade us to visit his show which we duly did. Andy then after the show we bumped into him in the Gilded Balloon. He has a very memorable persona - well suited to the opening scene in HP. He was of course a little taken aback when I whipped out my D700 and took his portrait. How close we got is seen in this 24mm mug shot of a memorable guy.

KOS - Life is a Mark Warner Beach

2010-11-07T01:51:00.000-07:00

I went to Kos a Greek Island on holiday. It was meant to be a total break and a beach and sailing holiday. Nevertheless I decided to do a mini project on it and took my Sony D100 with me. FOr two reasons. Firstly I wanted to do a short documentary on what it was like to be o this type of holiday, never having been on one. Secondly I wanted to be discrete in my photo taking. also I have a real concern of destroying camera in a beach environment. Sand, from my experience can be the end of a camera. As it was the Sony did not disappoint and was as discrete as I was able to be. I still got carried away and started running around on the beach poping in an out of boat huts and such and taking images which turned heads - what is he up to? The "bairns" don't like it either. So I was on my best behaviour. It was after all a holiday!!!

I have on return generated a Blurb book. You can see it on blurb.com called KOS 2010. All the images were taken with a small compact camera. Yes it is not remotely as good as the Nikon D700. Nevertheless the best camera you have is the one you with you at the time :-) The camera review websites are continually searching for the super compact. The tiny camera that will replace the big camera!!! The holly grail of cheap but not cheerful - wonderful. Well the Sony Cybershot series has always impressed me. They are tiny cameras. If the light is good then they will give you a perfectly usable image which you can exhibit up to A3 in size. For 99% of people it is what the image tells you that matters. They are not pixel peepers and cannot tell the diference between an image from a compact and a full frame sensor. I still cherish the images from my first cybershot which had a mere 5mp. My current camera has 13mp. http://www.edgehill.co.uk/gallery.php?gid=7

HOG in the Glens

2010-09-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

I attended the annual Harley Davidson rally in Aviemore this year. It is 2 years since I last attended the rally and it has more than doubled in size. For my style of photography it is a wonderful opportunity to follow the bikes around the countryside and capture what is a magical sight. The atmosphere is infectious - a group of enthusiasts out there enjoying themselves in the way that only the HOG do. It is an opportunity to witness a group of mainly well to do people trying to confront their mid life crisis. Within that there is a hard core of bikers who live the "life". Like Jim (not his real name ;-) who was worried about my putting his photo on the web in case the police saw it - so I have not. Who lives as the HOG says it to RIDE -----VROOOOOOOOOOOM.

The images hopefully tell the story.

Edinburgh Festival - Stand Up Photographer

2010-09-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Alasdair and I had a great three day trip to Edinburgh. It was my first visit to the festival in 20 years. Kinda guilty about this as it is perhaps the finest thing we do in Scotland. Anyhow we visited a number of stand up comedians and short plays all of which without exception were enjoyable. The plays of great note were Ian Dury "Hit Me" and Hamlet The Musical which was magnificent. Performed on the floor in front of us behind moving partitions and puppets and singing and rapid costume changes all in an hour.

Anyhow it was rich ground for street photography. It felt like people had dressed up and made up just for the photographers, which of course was not the case. But in the backdrop of the old city it was wonderful. Walking about and listening to street music and witnessing drama and circus acts and all the other sites and sounds.

Summer Moves to Autumn

2010-09-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

It has been a challenging summer. I continue to make the most of my photographic opportunities. Whilst trying to keep up with a rapidly expanding database of images. What do we define as "image bloat"? I am sure it is when you cannot keep up with your rate of acquisition. Sounds scientific? Sounds familiar? It is not with good reason in my case. It is perhaps not something I am particularly proud of, but I returned from Nepal last November with 18000 images. Ever since then I have had an overhang of unfinished business. Not a good place to be. Creatively stifling I would say :-)

Well it was time to act and I have hopefully found the solution that works for me - and potentially for others. Hence the diatribe. I have bought a 27" iMac. With 8GB Ram and a 2TB HD. I have opted to run Aperture 3.0 as my tool of productivity choice. And so far I am both mightily relieved and very impressed by it. Many of the reviews focus in on the software, however the uplift you get comes as much from the quality and size of the screen. Put another way you can look at a lot of images at a decent size that allow you to select the image you are looking for. In a big image set like Nepal 2009 I have found that I can stand back and follow the progress of my journey with greater clarity - exciting? Astounding really to me a year after to see the breadth and scope of my trip.

So to celebrate here is an image that has emerged from the depths of my hard drive. Also a quick :homage" to Rick who made the first ascent of the North Face (behind)


Dhaulagiri NE Face at Sunrise

Glastonbury 40 and 2

2010-07-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

It was our second year of father and son bonding at Glastonbury. It was fabulous in 2009 and again in 2010. People who imagine a mudbath or a group weirdo hug would be disappointed. It is none of these things. Instead it is a wonderful chilled walk through the finest in contemporary music and performing arts and more besides. In one word it is an event. Alasdair and I savoured the enjoyment of shooting in the dark with the D700.

I have to say that I am still overwhelmed by the experience of seeing the Bombay Bicycle Club, The XX, Florence and her dancing machine and Muse but particularly Stevie Wonder dueting with Michael Eavis. Almost too much to absorb and am still trying to understand my photographs. Prince Charles was as always charming.

Alasdair spent 8 hours standing at the barrier of the John Peel tent on the Saturday photographing and photographing and never stopping.

Here is a first few images by way of a starter. More and deeper later :-)

The Glastonbury roads at night

England Hair

Spotty Tent

Glastonbury Street

Boys

Stavanger Graffiti and the World Cup

2010-06-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

I spent an excellent week in Stavanger. The light was sharp and acute and it was seasonally cool. Inside the sports bars and restaurants the World Cup was hot.

Stavanger has drawn me back very very occasionally over the years. And hasn't changed that much. The thing I enjoy the most is to visit the graffiti in and around the harbour, Whether you thik that graffiti is vandalism or not it is always absorbing. It seems to be appropriate along the harbour front and was much developed since my last visit in 2005. The Norwegians encourage it and obviously want to preserve it. It has expanded and along with it thir own graffiti fest. Some of it resembles the work of Banksy. Whether it is his or someone else I cannot tell but the Mona Lisa was particularly interesting. I won't reproduce it here. Have a look if you are ever in Stavanger!!

And so to Glastonbury. The tent is packed and my wellies are on hand. The countdown is almost over. I cannot wait. If you are there then say hi.

Link to Blurb book. Chicago - Outside Its America

2010-06-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

My book is now published on Blurb.com Follow the link to see the full book contents. Don't forget to select full screen in order to see the book at a good resolution. I am really pleased with the quality of the book. Blurb did a good job on the quality of the paper andprinting. In the end the book took more time than I had planned to invest in it. But, given that it only represents 5 days of photography in Chicago and a lack of preparation and foresight, then I am very pleased with it.

Proud to include a photo of Gail who made a lovely $5 breakfast for me and welcomed me with warmth and made it into the book!!!

Chicago - Outside Its America

Gail: The Lucky Diner Hillside Chicago

Chicago Through a Looking Glass Outside it's America

2010-05-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

It was really strange arriving and leaving Chicago. I don't think I have ever landed up somewhere where I had no plans to visit so far away from wher i had intended to be. A completely weird experience. And yet I felt very much at home running around the streets and photographing the architecture and the peoplescapes and the portraits. I have been so moved by it that I have suspended everything else in my photographic world to work on a book. It is a sort of "Looking Glass" experience.

And I am grappling with the book. At first it was meant to be a 5 evening effort - start to finish. Then move on. But it hasn't ended up as that. I delve deeper and deeper into it. What do I want it to show.
? How do I want it to work? I want to show the heart beato f the city through its buildings and its people.

So here are some of the images from the book. Charles White was something very special. So comes first!!!

Charles White Chicago

Dungar Linzy - Art Institute Chicago

Larry Williams Chicago Art Gallery

You can check out more content on my website:

http://www.mountain-photography.net/

Eerie Skies

2010-04-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

Flew back from Chicago last night. Thank you American Airlines. You treated me well.

As I flew up from London the skies looked eerie. The view of the countryside lacked clairty and the vapour trails wierdly were hanging there long after the planes had disappeared. A phenomenon I haven't seen before.

Chicago was memorable. Perhaps 4 images that begin to show what is a very charismatic and absorbing city. Lovely people, but not without its problems in the poorer parts of the city.

Strange to be back in America after 6 years and to see up front and close the problems that it is grappling with. Yes the economy is picking up but unemployment and massive indebtedeness is everywhere you look.

Chicago CAM Contemporary Art Museum

2010-04-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting day yesterday exploring the Museum of Contemporary Art. It is a fine buuilding in a fine location. The best of the museums I have visited. It is challenging to look beyond one's prejudices. At the entrance of the museum was a clear statement of how they see contemporary art, which I found enlightening. In summary their view is that art no longer has schools or groups of artists. Now you have individuals who need to reflect modern life. And with it the influences are media and advertising and now the internet. Interesting.

The building is spectacular. A huge space with views out to the skyscrapers. And the people who are walking around are the most important exhibits!!! The photography was big and colourful but did not excite me. The exhibit of the oil barrels with pictures of the Niger Delta was thought provoking.

Quick walk around Navy Pier and an introduction to Bubba Shrimp. Live replay of Forest Gump and huge portions - this is America.

Holding in Chicago

2010-04-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

My flight to Paris due to leave today has been cancelled. I have been re-booked onto the Thursday flight.

A daily routine of visiting Chicago landmarks has developed. Yesterday Nicholas and I visited the Willis Tower (Sears) to see the view by day. We toured the business district and then went over to the Field museum to see Sue. Sue is the larget most complete T Rex found so far. It greets you as you enter the museum and is a very impressive exhibit. Auctioned at Sothebys for $8m it was paid for mainly from a grant from the MacDonalds (hamburger) corporation.

Ended up in the Hard Rock Cafe.

Such is life. Today is the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Alex in waiting.

Art Institute of Chicago

2010-04-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

I have spent an interesting couple of days in Chicago as a volcanic refugee.

The highlights were walking around Millenium Park, Michigan Avenue and visiting the Art Institute of Chicago. The Art institute was like other ones I have visited a very striking building. They had a not very exciting Matisse exhibition. Likewise they had a William Eggleston retrospective which was much better. Fabulous colour prints. The fascinating thing was that his dye transfer prints were very impressive as prints. As photographs I am less convinced. Perhaps it is me but the simple approach to imaging does not leave me with a lasting impression. What was much more interesting was the main photography exhibition which had a kalaeidoscope of past and present master works. Great to see these.

Looks like a flight may leave tomorrow. This would get me to Paris.

More later including photographs.

Alex

Volcanic Geology

2010-04-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

It was more than bizarre that I was talking with Paul Post on the veranda of his house enjoying a beautiful day in Southern Lousiana. Watching the humming birds feed and grappling with the prospectivity of a particular basin, soon to be drilled, which has volcanics. We were agonising about the wrong volcanics!!!!!

The AAPG convention which is now a distant memory was nothing short of fabulous. It helps to see what other people are up to and is enourmously stimulating. I spend too much time looking inwards. Lets look outwards more.

I flew up to Chicago yesterday in the hope that the volcanic eruption would be short lived. However as geologist but not a meteorolgist I am not confident. So I am spending my time on a mini photo project here in Chicago. I spent last night with Dr Nicolas Backert whom I met on the plane who was also at the convention. We went downtown and visited the financial district where all of the mighty financial power as buildings is on display. We dined in a fine Italian restaurant whose windows were without parallel looking out onto the streets of this windy city. I adored the food and the photographic opportunity and Nicolas company.

We then ascended the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) and enjoyed a remarkable view. It was difficult to take it all in. A young bride appeared and was married in the glass platform.

Here and waiting patiently.

Alex

Muriel's Searching For Ghosts

2010-04-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

Went to Muriel's last night. A venerable restaurant in the Quarter which is reputed to be haunted. We looked hard but she did not show. Some interesting Egyptian sarcophocus (can't spell this) in a red room. Was a guest of Paul Post among other esteemed organisers. Thourougly entertaining night - thanks Paul and Gwen.

The convention was good yesterday. With the challenges of chairing and postering behind me it was good to float from oral to poster sessions and chat with Vendors in between Nipped out at lunch and photographed the overpasses that swing around the convention centre in a confusion of roads and concrete pilars and big bridges.

Highlights - The paper on the prospectivity of meteor impact craters!!! Stunning. Meeting Ken McClay and seeing the sand box models and agreeing they are a thing of beauty!!! Finding out about Greenland, Israel and much else besides. Not to forget the hand held XRF tool - no longer a machine that fills a room.

The bus is here. Next stop Geochem and fly out Friday.

From a warm and welcoming NO. Alex

Back to the Convention This is America

2010-04-13T03:31:00.000-07:00

Our Poster on right Well done Andy!!

The sounds of U2 this is America spins in my head. Kinda strange but a look forward to seeing them in Glastonbury.

The AAPG convention is a stunning thing for any scientist. 6000 geologists and trade shows. 8 concurrent sessions. 100s of posters. All talking to the business of exploring and producing oil and gas.

At the invitation of the AAPG I chaired a session yesterday. It was well attended and I met lots of people. my friend and colleague Steve Kimbrell from Exxon came down the night before and chaired the session with me. It was the first time that AAPG has had an Operations Geology session so there was a great sense of "moment" for all those that took part and presented papers. The convention centre is ginormous. Despite the number of people it does not feel crowded.

Yesterday morning I got up at sunrise ( a la Nepal) and took the ferry across the river and photographed the city skyline. I then took the street car up St Charles and photographed the mansions. I visited with guitarman who gave me the low down on the shooting across the road the night before. I had not felt very comfortable about how it looked in this part of Canal street. And it explained all the comotion. I had walked past 15 minutes earlier.

I then took a guided tour of the city. To see the Katrina damage. The city is close to being refitted and seems vibrant here in the centre. This is not the case in the poorer part of town. A great deal of housing has been removed and only cement plinths remain. Strip malls have not been rejuvinated and many shells of houses remain. The barriers and leveees and pumping stations have been replaced / repaired. You have got to admire the American spiriti and industry. People have worked hard to get their environment back. But there are now fewer in the city. 320,000.

Off to the convention to relax and enjoy some good papers.

Alex

New Brad Pit Zero Energy Home

New Orleans The Crescent City

2010-04-11T04:37:00.000-07:00

Beautiful to be back in New Orleans. The city looks much as it did. However this is misleading. Probably because the downtown has been re done whereas the bits I have yet to see have not.

The flight across the southern tip of Greenland was stunning. See attached image. The down through the heartland of central America and following the Missisipi south. A great day. I do love these great plane journeys. And took advantage to take a great deal of images.

I missed the first bit of the ice cap though!! It sneaked up on me as a I read the agenda for the Convention. My head was preoccupied with which papers were in our session and then I looked up to see this wonderful pristine glacier slip past.

Off to explore NO.

Alex

Return to the US

2010-04-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

I am headed off to the US this weekend to attend the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Annual Convention in New Orleans. Sounds like fun and I am sure it won't disappoint. Something like 6000 delegates and 1000 paper and oral presentations. NO will be planet sized with geologists everywhere next week. It is 6 years since I last visited the US and 9 since I visited New Orleans. Redolent with memories. The last time in NO was three weeks after 9/11 and I was honoured to go to a small restaurant with the late Mike Harris. Poignant this therefore. He was an outstanding geologist and a a fascinating gentleman. He knew the Bush family personally and given that it was so soon after the collapse of the twin towers it is all the more poignant that he was so supremely close with his prediction of the future. Tragically he was to die last year in the Air France flight from Rio.

I am going to New Orleans to chair a session and present a poster. The session is exciting because it is the first time that an Operations Geology session has taken place and it will be one of the openning sessions. At 8am , so if you are in the neighbourhood as they say!!!!!!!!

And so to the image of the day. Taken in 2004 in Westeheimer Houston. On my last trip I carried my LF camera there and back and this is perhaps the most memorable image of one of the most memorable buildings. This time I will take my D700 and go light and hopefully fast. Check back next week and hopefully I will let you now whats cooking around Bourbon Street.

Yeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa

Alex

Working with the Good and the Undoubted Great

2010-02-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

A package arrived Friday from the Kathmandu lab of Kiran Chitraker. I am working with Kiran on developing my negatives (LF) and have asked him to do some prints. This is all a new experience for me on many fronts. Historically I have always developed my own negatives. I have never had a print made for me and never in large format (LF). Well it a great learning experience for me. When I met Simon Roberts last May he had just completed a week working with a printer who he reckoned was the best in the country. He was blown away by the quality of his large format prints. It got me thinking - how good would my LF prints look if someone with talent - at the top of their game - made me some prints. In meeting Kiran, the former Royal photographer in Nepal, and seeing his work I felt inspired to continue working with him.

So the arrival of the prints, 8 of them, from my documentary work was a great moment. It was also a revealing moment. Because it showed me how he saw individual images. What he did was print lighter than I have with my inkjet prints. His transitions are more subtle as a consequence. An inkjet print is also a different thing. My blacks are different, more pronounced than his. More than anything however it interesting to see the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of the Large Format camera. To date I have mostly used the camera for landscape work in the mountains. In Nepal I moved over into the documentary field and in a different sort of way found it more challenging. Over the weekend I spent 2 days scanning 40 negatives. And am still digesting what I have taken. The images paint a moody deep dynamic picture of Kathmandu. Very dark yet because they are in black and white the feel more penetrating than my colour work.

More on this topic later but for now the image that Kiran printed best, but my scanned version. With all the amazing detail that LF brings. It could be a metaphor for Nepal. An old crumbling monument with weeds growing out the cracks supporting this amazing bell. Covered in graffiti. And a woman who held up her jacket to avoid being in the photograph.

All comments welcomed.

Alex

Glastonbury 2009 After Dark

2010-02-14T00:48:00.000-08:00

So what is next? I am just completing a submission to the Royal Photographic Society (RPS). It has taken two months to prepare and has been done during the heavy snow and I have been head down choosing and printing and matting 20 prints. A time consuming task. But its done and I feel good about it. I bought a Logan Framers Edge matt cutter which after some abortive attempts I can now use competently. I will write up some notes on my website to help people who may be like me and in need of some improvement in that front. As usual the right tools are expensive but lead to the right job being done. And I enjoy cutting. It's relaxing!!!

So onwards to Glastonbury 2010. I posted to my website Glastonbury Images
a selection of images taken in the evening in Glastonbury. The festival is a photographers dream with colour and people interest and wonderful music. This year I cannot wait to photograph with my D700 in the dark. In the meantime enjoy the images of 2009.

Alex

Himalayan Glaciers

2010-01-24T01:44:00.000-08:00

An interesting headline article in the Economist this morning. From my experience of talking with local people in the Khumbu and in the Annapurna areas it is clear they think the glaciers are retreating and retreating fast. Perhaps the most examined (bit of) glacier being the Kumbu icefall which has in living memory collapsed and retreated significantly. Nevertheless it is a complex system as the article points out and rainfall is perhaps as important as temperature in controlling the advance or contraction of Himalayan glaciers. To understand these things is challenging. Certainly we don't currently have the data to predict into the future. Enter the IPCC for whom this is a very damning inditement.

Recommended reading. Apologies for being on my environmental soap-box. I am now stood down :-)

http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15328534&source=features_box_main>

2010 Another Decade and a new website

2010-01-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Decade to all my readers. Since coming home I have been pleasantly surprised by all the people who follow my blog. Kinda takes you aback when people you haven't seen for a long time say they have been reading about my Nepal trip. Another decade and what to do next. Ponder.............

The fast breaking news is that I have been working with Nirijan Subedi of xclusiveminds.com and we have now finished the update website. I have added about 80% of the content I plan to put there. And I have some ideas for other things to add and some book ideas that I need to follow. http://www.mountain-photography.net/ I have added in my alpine portfolio, Nepal, Portraits, Bangladesh and much else besides and am very pleased with how it has turned out. Thanks Nirijan - your work has been inspirational.

As part of this look back and upgrade I have put my image of Les Dru back on the site. I had to remove this image a few years back when a New York advertising agency bought the rights. They wanted to buy the image outright but I only wanted to give it up for a year - so here it is!!! Hope you enjoy it!!!!

The other news is that Kiran Chitraker now has the printing paper, after much cost and effort, in his lab in Kathmandhu. We will shortly kick off a new project to print some limited edition prints of the Nepal mountains series. Given the quality of the negatives and the quality of Kiran's printing there is reason to get excited about this.

Finally I am putting together an exhibition portfolio which should be done by the end of the month.

So all in all it has beeen a productive two months post my return from Nepal.

The Look back and Look Forward

2009-12-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

After three weeks of evening and weekend work I am almost through revewing my 18000 images. I am preparing for the world premier :) a presentation in the HIVE at work. Which should be interesting. It has been fascinating trawling through the images and finding the occassional nugget that I had no idea I had taken at the time. My Dell netbook was just not capable of showing the images as I needed to see them. There is an important trade off between weight and what you need the technology to deliver. Certaily in future I need to think of other ways to review my work in the field. it would be easy if you didn't have to carry it all!

A 22kg box of paper and chemicals were dispatched to Kiran in Kathmandu this week. This will allow him to print the limited edition prints. Realistically I expect these to be available around about February.

Nirajan is making good progress with the web revision. We talk at the weekend on Google Talk. He recommended this to me and it works very well. The website will hopefully be up and running by the end of the year wherupon I will upload the Nepal content.

In the meantime her is an image which is one of my faourites. It is the happy smile of Nepal.

Namaste

Alex

alexwmilne@hotmail.com

Home to a Dreich Windy and Wet Aberdeen, Scotland

2009-11-22T00:26:00.000-08:00

Made it home safely. And Sadly. Enjoyed my time immensly in Nepal.

Three things of note:

I have 18000 images and 500 5*4 Negatives to evaluate.

I have left 90 negatives in Kathmandu to be devloped. I plan to continue working with Kiran and his team to the next stage. This will be to print a set of prints on fibre based paper of the the best negatives. These will be on offer for purchase as "limited" edition prints. Judging by the results of the negatives and the prints that have been done by Ganesh Lab I think these will be very desireable for collectors of mountain photos. There are already commitments to buy these prints. Get in touch if you would like to find out more.

I have kicked off a re-design of my website. mountain-photography.net For years I have done it on my own however Nirijan from exclusiveminds.com in Kathmandu has persuaded me to let him re-do it. The target is to have this up and running by the end of the year.

Currently I am working through the images and hope to hae some early work on the web by end December.

Thanks for all the encouragement and feedback while I was in Nepal it was greatly appreciated.

Alex

alexwmilne@hotmail.com

Buddha and The Endless Chain

2009-11-05T03:24:00.000-08:00

It was one of these will I, will I not decisions. Having failed once to go on the early morning mountain view flight I was reluctant to go back. Also after the Jomsom flight I was sceptical about mountain photography from an aeroplane. For those that care about these things on the Jomsom flight we had great views of the Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri but many shots that were in focus on the top and out of focus on the bottom. I could only attribute this to the heat from the very old engines on the Tara - Yeti aircraft. Give me an ultralight any day!!!!

Anyhow I got to the airport and killed some time chatting with Henry Todd. His experience was not encouraging - they fly to Lukla and then turn back. I left it with Henry that if I changed my mind on other matters I would get back to him.

There was the usual mayhem and melee. The flight exceeded my expectations. We had excellent views of the whole mountain chain. Despite taking off an hour late. The promised visit to the cockpit to take photos did not materialise. The door remained tightly shut. The thing that really struck me was that I had never before seen a whole mountain system like this close up. It was quite stunning. Great views of Gauri Shanker and Menlungste among other lesser peaks. Everest, well the Everest flight goes nowhere near it!!! I felt treated with the disdain that tourists get treated with in many ways. They said the flight would be 50 minutes and from commencing taxing to touch down it was exactly 50 minutes. So in fact we were in the zone of big mountains for say 15 minutes. All this said for 100 pounds i'd say it was a snip. Something I will always remember. The solution for the avid mountain photographer is obviously to hire a helicopter :-)

Finally a couple of images for Ralph and Andrea from Baudinath. Finally made it. A joy.

Off to pack leave on Sunday assuming the airport is open. Lots of "activity" there this morning.

The People You Meet

2009-11-04T05:35:00.000-08:00

I guess you come to an interesting place then you will meet equivalent people. I offer up three here. You can match the photos!!!

First up Professor Horoshiohono of Yamagata University - retired. Had an interesting meeting of minds on the Kagbeni to Jomsom road. Note the formality of the pose of two Geologists swopping collison zone theories. One with the benefit of decades of experience the other having done a bit of trekking!!!

Next up is Khagendra Tulachan owner of the Majesty Hotel in Jomsom. He loathes the road and the pollution. He will I think be in a book of portraits from the trip which I am working on. But not this photo.

Finally there is Winfried Luhr-Tanck who we meet in full photo mode on a bend south of Jomsom. Not quite sure who was most surprised. Anyhow I think Winfied thought I was off my trolley with this huge camera in the middle of nowhere. He for his part had just cycled from Kathmandu to Kagbeni in 7 days. By day he is a research Physicist specialising in metals.

We also for good measure met John Witcombe an expert in rice development on his way from Bangladesh to Bangor via Kagbeni. On a bike of course!!!

Make of it all what you will. Back in Kathmandu but off to Everest tomorrow morning!!!!

Jeepers

2009-10-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Pokhara last night late after a 10 day trek down the Kali Gandaki. Therafter up to Gorepani and across to Tadanpani and finally down to Naipul. There followed a helter skelter local bus to Pokhara.

As ever things here work like a "Nepali" watch. Slow but sure.

The Kali Gandaki is no less sensational now than it was in 1980. The comparison is compelling. Now they have what is called a road here but is no more than a trak. And everywhere there are buses and jeeps plying up and down in a cloud of dust. But the mountains and the geology are as good as anywhere.

It all started with an 18 minute flight from Pokhara. The views of the mountains were excellent. We skimmed along and I sat in the back with all my camera equipment and the air hostess who exhorted me to look right and then left. The North Face of Dhaulagiri flashed past - Rick the Dhaulagiri photo is for you, before I could get it. And we screamed onto the runway. Chiring was there to meet me having trekked for three days to get there.

We walked up to Kagbeni on the border with Upper Mustang. Where we had no permit. So we stopped there and started taking Large Format images. It was here that things almost went wrong. The camera blew over in the strong afternoon winds. And my duvet jacket blew over the edge. Fortunately the situation was retrieved largely due to Chiring.

Kagbeni is right on the join between the Indian and Chinese plates and has some amazing structural geology. It also is more Tibetan than Nepalese in culture. It feels like a step back in time yet with this bizarre addition of modern "things" like jeeps and motor bikes and telephones and electricity. Not to forget our guest house -Yak Donalds restaurant.

We walked on down the broadreaches of the gorge - the highest on the planet (apologies). And jeeps and buses rushed by with trekkers many of whom had crossed the Thorung La and succumbed to modern traffic to Pokhara. It takes them a day and a half. In 1980 it took us 6 days!!!

We photographed 3 times a day. At sunrise 6 am, during the morning and a at sunset. And in between we walked. Sometimes on the road sometimes on the old trail. And we met loads of interesting people - more of which in a later entry.

This morning in a fitting finale. Laxman arrived in his taxi with Chiring and we headed up to the stuppa above Pokahara to photograph the broad spectacle of Annapurna Himal. We witnessed a wonderful sunrise replete with Buddhist chants and drum thumping. Unknown to us we had happened upon the 10 year celebration of the building of the stuppa. There followed a bizarre 2 hour period when the buddhists went into overdrive - among them some heavy hitters in the Buddhist world - see photo. We paced up and down trying to capture a panorama that did not want to yield. I was caught in this dilema of what to photograph. In a wonderful moment they threw loads of paper flower petals from the stupa above us which drifted into our photographs!!!

Sadly I said goodbye to my trusty friend and aid Chiring today.

Bus to Kathmandu tomorrow morning.

Alex

alexwmilne@hotmail.com

Machapuchare - Triumph of form over size?

2009-10-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Machapuchare looks so sensational from Pokhara. Like the Matterhorn you cannot stop looking at it. Two AC members went to within 50m of the summit which incidentally is 2m short of 7000m. Is a summit still inviolate 50m short? Extract from Wikipedia.

Machapuchare has never been climbed to its summit. The only attempt was in 1957 by a British team led by Jimmy Roberts. Climbers Wilfrid Noyce and A. D. M. Cox climbed to within 50m of the summit via the north ridge, but did not complete the ascent; they had promised not to set foot on the actual summit. Since then, the mountain has been declared sacred, and it is now forbidden to climbers.

Fly Like a Bird

2009-10-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

I flew with Sergei Gunchenko in his microlight from Pokhara airport at 7:20 this morning. We were due to fly at 6:30 but at the last minute a bank of early morning mist enveloped the mountains. So we waited and then went for it. Sergei seemed a solid Russian name and I felt comfortable even as the air rushed by and we headed up into the mists above Pokhara. All their instincts were of course good and the mountains swirled out of the mist. It was a huge adrenalin rush. More so than the bus trip the day before:-) Initially I couldn't hit my stride because of the force of the air. But dropped the visor and got going. The mountains were stunning close up. But more so was the valley and the lake. A selection of the photos including Machapuchare and Annapurna are attached.

Sergei has been flying since 1989 and comes across from Russia for the trekking seasons. He started in hang gliders and progressed. "You fly like a bird". Now there is someone happy in his work!!!

Having run the gauntlet of Nepalis buracreacy I now have a trekking permit so will leave for Jomsom and my second trek tomorrow. Wherupon hopefully Chiring will be waiting for me.

Chiring has left for Jomsom

2009-10-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

Off to Pokhara tomorrow by bus. Excited about the flights and the trek. The road is the road. Was the reply from an American NGO worker on enquiry about the journey. Sounds like the title for a book.

Mahesh phoned to say that Chiring has left for Jomsom and will meet me off the flight on Thursday morning. Not sure but I think that it will take him 3 days to walk there. It is reassuring to know that he will be helping with my camera. Even if his head does suddenly appear under the dark cloth :-)

Had breakfast with an interesting lady who regards herself as a dental trekker. She has just endured a grueling trip to the west of the country. The situation there sounds very different to the trekking regions. She has spent significant time doing voluntary dental work in Afghanistan and Nepal. Ralph I have given her your email address. Hope this is OK.

Todays image is the Nepalese chicken at the butchers.

Alex

Alexwmilne@hotmail.com

Dipawali - Nuts

2009-10-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed Dipawali immensely. The Nepalis went nuts. Very reminiscent of the French on Bastille day. The firecrackers are smaller here. But the lights and spirit are big!!! I enjoyed the puja in the shop - attached.

The taxi driver who took me home told me he loved Nepal and that it is a wonderful country, this as we picked our way throught the pot holes in the road. You don't need a lot for happiness. People still have time for one another here. There is no television to speak of and it is still a step back in time.

One more day of photography in Kathmandu then pack tomorrow then off to Pokhara.

Kathmandu River Landscape

2009-10-17T00:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the image that goes with the previous post.

No Electricity - But Lots of Energy

2009-10-17T00:15:00.000-07:00

I met with Mahesh this morning and we have set the plan for my next trek. I leave on Tuesday (20^th) for Pokhara on the Tourist Bus. It takes 5 hours theoretically but I have yet to meet anybody who hasn't taken 9 hours. That assumes the bus does not break down. I will fly to Jomsom. Thereafter I plan to walk down the Kahligandaki and photograph Dhaulagiri and much else besides. It is 29 years since I was last there and so it will be interesting to see the changes. There is a new road or let's call it jeep track, recently opened there and this, in a country with no transport infrastructure in the mountains to speak of, is a significant development.

Yesterday I visited the processing lab and viewed my negatives for the first time. They were as as Kirin said all excellent. I have surprised myself as to how well they have turned out. It has taken a lot to get these images. 4 people trekking for 29 days. Then 3 technicians working for 7 days to develop the negatives. But perhaps the main goal of the expedition has been achieved – to photograph with a large format camera at high altitude (18000+ ft). Just need to do some printing!!!

For the photographers – the thing that surprised me most about the negatives is how much contrast they have been able to get out. This, on reflection, is probably because I have exposed the highlights consistently on Zone 7, so lifting the exposure up the exposure curve but not to the point of burning out the highlights. There is a great clip on YouTube by Bruce Burnbaum discussing this. As always overexposure is preferable to underexposure. Anyhow it was a relief to see the negatives.

It is now more than a week since I returned from the Khumbu. As promised some overiding thoughts – firstly I went early and so the views were fleeting and there was lots of clouds and mist. Suits my style of mountain photography – ethereal. The Khumbu was wonderfully green. Secondly as we were coming down there was obviously a serious number of people / trekking groups headed up. Line upon line of trekkers. Stories of difficulties getting beds and queing for an hour to cross the bridges have become legion. Finally I was more than a little shocked by the attitude of some of the trekkers. They seemed to think it OK to keep on ascending and some at fast rates, irrespective of how they felt. Inevitably everyday a helicopter would appear to take someone down to Kathmandu. This emergency service costs 6000 dollars and if you cannot prove insurance or a method of payment then there is no flight!!!! A Swiss trekker died at Pheriche 3 days ago. 16 people died of high altitude sickness last year. Centes like the CAN (Community Action Nepal) centre at Machermo undoubtedly help to keep these numbers down. Finally and most interestingly it is not only trekkers who fall ill – it is also the porters.

Off to Dipawali.

Alex

Alexwmilne@hotmail.com

Dipawali Starts On Friday

2009-10-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

I am relaxing in Kathmandu. Developing a routine of morning preparation and afternoon photographing in the streets of Kathmandu. Soudershan and Soudest are helping me by guiding me around the city and carrying my large format camera. Everywhere we go we get, so far, an interesting reception. Somewhere between did you come from the moon and nice camera, nice camera. It is a pleasure after years of having to do it all myself to have someone to hand me the camera and the lense etc. You are never quite sure what will greet you around the corner. It is both a learning experience and a very enjoyable one. More like being on holiday that it was in the mountains which always felt serious.

Dipawali - Diwali to you and me, starts on Friday. It promises to be exciting with fireworks and much colour. The focus moves around various outlying centres of the city and I plan where possible to attend.

I have been going back over my trek photos and post now three images from my day at the Jumbaise monastery. Hopefully you will get a feeling for how happy and friendly the nuns and monks were from these images.

Alex

alexwmilne@hotmail.com

There Are 40000 Dogs in Kathmandu

2009-10-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

There are 40k dogs in Kathmandu or am I getting confused with bicycles in Bejing. There is nothing confusing about the cocophony of noise that gets going at any hour of the night. One starts and the noise resonates, I suspect across the city in a wail that is quite extraordinary.

I am passing my rest days in Kathmandu photographing daily life across the city- from the margins to the centre. Yesterday I was on an obscure bridge by a very polluted Bagmatti river when I was acosted by a tourist who wanted to know who I was!!!! Turned out that after he removed his sun glasses that he was Phil Norris of BP. So it is true. You can run but there is no hiding!!!!

Kirin called today to say that B&W negative processing continues at 30 per day and that the exposures look good. This is encouraging.

I have gone back to Gokyo files and offer for todays delight some images from Gokyo RI sunrise. The owner of the hotel who claimed he had the highest choclate shop in the world. He was born and raised in Gokyo, has a large and well run establishment, owned 6 yaks and only went to Namche or Kathmandu at fesitval time, spoke excellent English. When I was leaving he rushed out and presented me with a Cadburys choclate bar. Very touching. I ate it on the Cho La. Didn't taste at all like the wrapper suggested so I guess it was yet another Chinese product!!!!!

The bonus is Gokyo sacred lake number 3.

Putting together some thoughts on Large format capture at high altitiude for the photographers that are following the blog. Also in the next couple of days some reflections on the trek.

Stay tuned.

Alex

Alexwmilne@hotmail.com

Kalapatar Images

2009-10-10T04:50:00.000-07:00

All being well with the vagaries of Kathmandu upload here are some photographs of Everest and others at sunrise on a perfect October morning. Enjoy!!!

Late Late Monsoon - Flew From Lukla this Morning

2009-10-07T21:36:00.000-07:00

I got up in Lukla this morning at 5 and was in the Vajra Hotel in Kathmandu at 8:30. The system although chaotic works as it does in any third world country. You just have to go with the flood of humanity. Pasang the old owner of the Coffee Shop hotel in Lukla was outstanding. He blessed us with a prayer scarf. Popped up at the check-out desk and checked us in and greased the wheels like a Mr Femi and hugged me goodbye. I was very touched. The planes landed and took off at 10 minute intervals and literally from touch down to load up was 10 minutes and there was a sea of frantic activity. The landing strip has a gradient of 25 deg and a length I suspect inferior to many aircraft carriers. The plane taxied to the very top of the strip, reved up to terminal propeller velocity and we shot off down the runway and hurtled over the Duhd Kosi.

Yesterday as I arrived in Lukla I bumped into Sandy Allan and his clients on their way to Ama Dablam. Sandy was in good form. Looking older than when I last saw him. We talked about his recent ascent of Nanga Parbat. Also caught up on Rick.

The weather has turned for the worst. Seems like a good time to quit the mountains - temporarily at least. As we flew across the foothills there was mist everywhere and it is raining hard. The monsoon started late and is continuing late. This is not good for the rice harvest which should be happening now but is delayed.

We spent 29 days on our trek. It feels to me like a marathon walk. But I am now fitter than I have been in the last 20 years and my batteries are recharged. Dunbadur Tamang and Chiring looked after me as one of thier own. We had a fabulous time together. I will cherish the memories of setting off at 4 in the morning and watching the sunrise as the high Himalaya revealed itself. They never lost their enthusiasm even as I wearied and kept me going.

Today I will deliver my B&W negatives to Kirin. I have >8000 digital shots. Will start to post some of these tomorrow.

Best wishes

Alex

alexwmilne@hotmail.com

Arrived in Dingboche Zermatt of the Khumbu

2009-10-03T02:54:00.000-07:00

After 23 days on the trail my happy band and I have arrived in Dingboche. We trekked up to Gokyo Lakes then crossed the Chola Pass and headed round to Gorak Shep.

We climbed Gokyo Ri in perfect weather. Setting off in the dark in order to photograph at sunrise. The views were amongst the most stunning I have seen from any peak. Towering 8000m peaks Choi Oyu, Everst amongst them. For a geologist with all the amazing rock structures this was Disneyland. For a photographer it was heaven.

At Gorak Shep we did likewise and climbed Kalapattar. The weather again was completely clear and so Everest was very close. Many of the trekkers who made to the top got very emotional and there was an outbreak of song as the sun rose in 10 diferent languages!!!!

The Chola lived up to it's reputation and was covered in snow and mist. I kept on telling myself this was not Ben Macdui - given all the pink granite.

Health good, acclimitization no issue. Waiting for the mist to clear on Amam Dablam. Expect to be in Kathmandu in 4-7 days whereupon I will upload some more images.

Best wishes

Alex

Indian Glow on a Big Mountain

2009-09-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

We got up this morning and headed off at 5am to the army encampment on the hill. As we reached the makeshift helipad we saw Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse glowing in the morning sunrise. Seeing a big mountain for the first time is a special moment. Ama Dablam greeted us with a smile and all around Pachermo, Kongde, Thamserku serku and Kusum Kanguru lit up with awe inspiring grandure. But enough talk you want to see how it looked.

PS Off to Thame tomorrow and therafter on to Gokyo. There is no internet up there as far as I know!!!

alexwmilne@hotmail.com

Namche Walking Past the door

2009-09-21T03:32:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Namche this afternoon. In the last 28 years since I was last in Nepal I have harboured a feeling that Nepal is the finest country I have ever been in. Having come back I have confirmed that for me. This country has a very special quality. It has amazing, jaw dropping scenery, and remarkable people.

As I walked around the corner this afternoon it was at the end of a really thrilling walk up the Dudh Kosi gorge through emmaculate pine forests and flowers and glimpses up to towering snow clad peaks - Kusum Kanguru. On the way we bumped into Ang Phurba Sherpa. DB made the introductions. At 62 when he walked around the corner with a stride and perfect physique I felt this is someone of bearing. And with it perfect English and immaculate manners. I took his portrait.

And as we meandered up among the trekkers and mingled with the porters the contrast could not be more startling between the boy carrying the door or indeed the boy carrying the new telephone antenae for Tangboche which kept on getting stuck in the trees and he had to do delicate reverses.

Last night we stayed in Phakding at the Namaste Lodge. I enjoyed this immensley. The owners wife was highly "motivated" and ran in and out of the kitchen in a whirlwind and shouted and generally cooked and dispensed chang. While her husband Nima Dorjee Sherpa sat impassively in the restaurant. It transpired that we were both born in 1957. There followed a day long intermittant review of our lives and philosophy. late in the night as Tshiri Nima topped up the chang Nima Dorjee told me that he had been with Bonnington on the 1975 Sw face expedition. He left the trekking business and worked in the US to make the money to start his hotel. A common theme.

Will post some images tomorrow after download.

Off to load the film and get the "big" LF camera fired up at 6am tomorrow as the sun rises over Everest.

Lukla Little Bit Up Little Bit Down

2009-09-19T01:20:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Lukla the airport entry to the Khumbu this morning.

The bus journey from kathmandu to Jirri, the roadhead, was freightening. The road got narrower and narrower and with it my temperature rose. We followed the ravines around. The worrying thing was passing other buses. Because of the Monsoon the verge was very soft and we had to negotiate onto the verge beside enormous drops. Anyhow an hour from Jirri ( 8 hours out) the bus stopped and there was huge comotion. The passengers were looking into a ditch. It took some time before it became clear that a school boy had fallen off the roof. He was still coherent but had a nasty bump on the head. So we dropped him off at the Jirri hospital. The following day I found out that one of the buses had indeed gone in to the ravine with the loss of 50+ passengers.

There followed 9 wonderful days of treking in the foothills. Each day starting the same. DB / Chiring and Purna and I would set off at 7am. The mornings were hot and we traversed west - east across the foothills. Going up in the morning and generally down in the afternoon!!! The afternoons generally have been rainy. And there has been the occassional leech but like the west coast midge nothing to get too excited about!! We were the only westerns around bar three others that we met so the isolation was real. We crossed the Lamjung Jura at 3650m in very misty surreal conditions.

We took a rest day at Junbaise and DB and I visited the Thupten Choling monastrey. DB introduced me and I found this out later, as a British Buddist. So we had free access and worshipped with firstly the nuns and then the monks. There are 350 nuns and 85 monks and it is the biggest Gompa outside Kathmandu. It was a moving experience sitting there listening to their incantations. I was very surprised by how tactile the nuns were!!!!!

Life on the road is basic. Few trekkers come this way preferring to fly to Lukla. The great advantage for me is that I have been getting fitter and acclimitised. Having started at a low level!!! Intially I was stiff but now am going well!!!! I am surviving on a diet of Dhal Bat and fried rice and eggs.

When we crossed the Dudh Kosi things became markedly different. The ravine is very tight indeed and impressively steep. We walked yesterday along the narrowest of paths in the forest. Alongside precipitous drops. When it began to clear in the early evening the scene beneath us was like a boiling pot of mist. Awe inspirring. We stayed the night with Pemba Galijen Sherpa and his wonderful family of wife and three girls. It came as no surprise that he summitted on Everest in 1993 and has supported ever thereafter. This he says is his last year. He spent three months at BC living up at camp 2. It was interesting what he had to say about the change in the Khumbu icefall in this short time. It has collapsed and the crevasse and seracs are much less intimidating. There is more rock. Eventually he predicts it will disappear.

Tomorrow, with my band of merry gentlemen we will head off to Namche and the big mountains beyond. Apologies no images but this is not my computer.

Alex

Nothing Venture

2009-09-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

The last two days have been spent in final preparations.

In every town associated with the mountains there is a Frau Biner or a Madame Baronnier and I guess in Kathmandu it is Shona. She took a bit of finding but along with husband Andy she has made the final gearing up a pleasure. "For the rainy season you need four pairs of socks - these thin ones to Junbesi, the next ones to Namche and above your thick good ones". Now I think you have everything".

Likewise Sorita the pharmacist has given me 5 different antibiotics for just about anything one might contemplate and more.

Last night I went over to visit the dark room. The technician, if this is the correct term has done a wonderfull job with my four negatives, so the film is confirmed good. He even gave me advice on my exposures. Which given his 27 years of experience I cannot argue with. During all this it became clear that the lab owner Kiran was elsewhere. Suddenly I found myself up in Durbar Square amongst thousands of ecstatic Nepalis on the last night of the Festival - Indra Jatra. They were awaiting the appearance of the 4 year old Kumari - child Godess. I was taken to the door of the palace and photographed her coming out. There followed absolute mayhem as the police attempted to regain control and get her to her awaitng chariot.

Mahesh will pick me up in the morning and take me to the bus park. There I will meet the trek team and we will travel by local bus to Jiri- the start of the trek. A nine hour bus trip that costs £16 for the four of us.

For my trek Mahesh has lent me a book to read - Nothing Venture Nothing Win - Ed Hillary's autobiography. Very appropriate.

Everest Stays Hidden

2009-09-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

Attempted to take the Budda Airways tourist flight to Everest this morning however the mountain remained hidden in Monsoon clouds. So I hung around not understanding a word of the announcements and shouting whilst others headed off back into town. Suddenly I was all alone in the departure lounge.

Set off for Jiri on Thursday morning. Everything just about ready. Guide and porters in place and the plan is in place. Mahesh is very experienced in organising these things. His last client was Sir CB so I am in good hands. He re-assured me this morning that the first porter was choosen because he would setup my camera. The second is a big and strong gentleman who will be able to carry me down if necessary and he finished by saying that if anything goes wrong he will send a helicopter!!!!

This evening I delivered my test negatives to Kiran and we formulated a plan. It seems like the images will be hotshotted by express porter on weekly basis to Lukla. For onward delivery to his lab. I am beginning to wonder if digital is the way to go :-)

The Himalayan Hash

2009-09-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a day off from photography. Instead I was picked up by the GM of the Hash at the Chatrakh roundabout in front of the cake house. It was the usual eclectic mix of people and countryside. The run lasted over two hours and I survived relatively OK so must be ready for a 3 weeks+ trek. It was hot and the altitude while running at the start was palpable. A cross section of local UN, UNESCO, Wateraid and diplomatic runners wound its way across paddy fields and through villages and past stuppas and a variety of shrines and much else. And lots of dogs who wanted to join in. On a scale of 10 this was 10. Very friendly engaging and interesting people who really understand what is going on here.

Had diner with Ralph a Christian German Dentist at the Vajra. He has just finished two weeks of voluntary help just north of Dumre. Reports that the people have looked after their teeth remarkably well. The problem is diseases like Typhoid.

Commence Large Format photography today. Check out camera and shoot some test shots in the Vajra back yard - not your normal garde :-)

Pashupatinath

2009-09-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

The highlight of yesterday was one of those visits that had to be done but nothing can prepare you for it when it comes. I went to visit the cremation site on the Bagmati river. A helpful young man acted as my tour guide and we witnessed a cremation of an elderly lady and it was very moving. The whole area had a sombre mood. And all the way up the right bank of the river there were burning pires while down the left bank a crowd of onlookers and tourists watched. During all this a disturbance got up in the temple and the police arrived at some speed to sort it out.

The Sadhus were there in force and very congenial they were. We chatted and I took some photographs. I saw one at the gate on a mobile phone which he quickly put beneath his top before I could look closer. Seems like technology is enabling every facet of life here!!!!

Afterwards I returned to the monkey temple to try and catch the monks at evening prayers however it downpoured and they stayed inside so instead I photographed the monkeys.

Plan to take the tourist flight to Everest on Monday and then commence the slow road on Thursday :-)

Himalayan Vista - Approach To Kathmandu

2009-09-03T23:21:00.001-07:00

Room With a View

2009-09-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

Not very uplifting but finally I have managed to post an image to the website. The difficulty seems to be the slow connection speed. So it is a trial image. The table in the garden where I have breakfast!!!! Met with Mahesh Sawa of CAT (community action trekking) the organisation founded by Doug Scott. Really like Mahesh. We seem to be having morning operational meetings to discuss the plan!!!

Alex

Festivals and Logistics

2009-09-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

It has been an interesting first couple of days in Nepal. I have been meeting with my trekking agency and reviewing the options - an early start for the Khumbu seems most likely. This would be to start from Jiri and slowly gain altitude. Go to Goyko lakes and then cross the pass and go to Gorak Shep. This will allow me to see the classic Khumbu vistas and a lot more besides.

Yesterday was hectic. I also visited with Ganesh Photographic who will develop my negatives. Kiran Man Chitraker showed me some of his family photographs that date back 100 years. Beautiful large prints of the Royal family and even a shot of Tenzing and Hillary when they returned from the successful first ascent.

Yesterday was the opening day of the main festival here. It coincided with the first public viewing of the new Kumari. The 4 year old living godess. Durbar sq was a heaving frenzied mass. The full panorama of people and govt and diplomatic hoy poloy was in full vociferous view.

In the evening went to the Yin and Yang with Rob Casserly and Helen Sovdat who leave for Manasulu today.

Arrive in Nepal - Let adventure begin

2009-09-02T05:51:00.002-07:00

To fly to Nepal after an absence of 28 years was an emotional moment for me. The flight was one of the great airline journeys crossing Iraq the Northern Gulf and touching down in Bahrain, Then on down the Gulf and across over Iran and some fabulous geology. Then leaving the desert and crossing Northern India. Picking up the monsoon on the way. Finally and dramatically I saw the Himalaya floating above a turbulent sea of monsoon cloud. It was very spectacular as we made our final approach in the encroaching darkness with fleeting glimpses of mountains and ridges and finally first view of Kathmandu. I am glad to say I was very re-assured by the first view. Unlike many cities they have retained th green open spaces. Unfortunately getting to the hotel was not the easiest journey - more reminiscent of Port Harcourt than old Kathmandu!!!!

Back to the Far East

2009-08-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

This is arguably my most "viewed" image. It appeared in the BBC website in 2004 and has since been used in a few diferent places. It is taken during the Bangladesh Monsoon. I took it whilst driving to the wellsite. I waved and they waved back. It is such a happy scene. The children are cooling off in the monsson waters. It was one of my very first digital images and I was amazed by the potency of this tiny Sony 5 mp camera. I have owned a Sony compact ever since and will be taking my latest one to Nepal.

Count Down to Nepal

2009-08-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Less than a week to run. Everything here except the film from Silverprint. But even this is on its way. Reviewed my existing Nepal photographs from back in 1981. It's a long time since I was there. It is going to be a real eye opener as to how it is now. But the most important thing the mountains will be largely unchanged. The stretch will be to photograph using my LF camera in the challenging mountain environment.

All the new camera bits and bobs have arrived. Getting down to the serious issues of packing and how to get it safely out there. Reading lots on the medical front of what I need to take with me.

To celebrate todays image is the second in the Ting Tings Glastonbury set.

In The Arm and In the Head

2009-08-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Must be getting close and must be about to get serious. Had a Typhoid jab in one arm and a Revaxis in the other. A Hyperdrive arrived today along with the final lense. It is beginning to feel like a lot of new "stuff" to learn how to use and a lot of batteries to maintain at high altitude. Took up the antidote today and ordered my 5*4 film. This is probably the biggest single decision on this trip. To continue to shoot film. It means carrying my LF camera and all its attendent lenses. So I will have 6 lenses in total including the digital lenses. But I had to take them. I thought about the result of my 2003 trip to the Alps and the decision was made. :-)

Nepal Preparations Gain Momentum

2009-08-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am now going flat out to organise my Nepal trip. No time for deliberations any more just action. New camera lenses and filters and film and medical preparations. Hotel booked all very exciting and a deep review of my motives for going. After 29 years it is a timely return. My excitement mounts.

Nepal and the D700

2009-08-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

The early field trial of the D700 continues. I have been cycling the back roads and highways around Aviemore and Loch Morlich. And the D700 continues to both surprise and excite. My over-riding impression is one of how easy it is to access the functionality of the camera. You get what you pay for but I love the way you can change the settings on this camera. No doubt about it. It makes experimentation and hence creativity an easier issue. I am shooting mainly with the 24mm lense and have been trying to get a feeling for the camera by shooting both in bright sunlight and in the dark and everything in between. One thing is how high the light factor is in low light. I think that I am shooting in the dark and hey presto I get a light picture.

Another interesting thing is the live view. This is the first SLR I have owned that has live view. I have always enjoyed the immediacy of live view on small compacts. And my initial impression is similar with the D700 live view. It challenges the way you look at a scene.

Next stop Belladrum music festival this weekend.

Alex Milne

Nikon D700 Review an Ongoing Project

2009-08-02T01:36:00.000-07:00

I have taken delivery of a Nikon D700. It usually takes me about a year to decide on which new camera to buy. I was not an early adopter of digital and still prefer large format film for my classical landscape work. Consequently this is my second digital SLR, my first being the Nikon D80. It is an important decision and also an expensive one. The decision was finally made in favour of the D700 because it suits my style of photography. My observaation is that this is the leading camera for low light photography. Michael Johnson at The Online Photographer, whose opinion I value and respect ,reckons this is the leading camera in the world at the moment. No doubt this will change, however with a trip to Nepal looming it was time to buy. I plan to review the camera as I go and particularly its performance in Nepal. So far I am both excited and impressed with what I have seen.

2009-07-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

Work is ongoing. Adding some Glastonbury text. Getting geared up for a mountain photography extravaganza in Nepal.

First Entry is a Trial Post

2009-07-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

Openning entry is the Ting Tings on the Other stage Glastonbury 2009. Quote is the Scot who has been to 30 festivals but nothing comapres with Glastonbury.

Alex Milne

30th July 2009