On 7th October we were treated to a journey to the Arctic by renowned fine art photographer, Basia Bogacka. The evening was split into two parts, the first featuring Greenland and the second Svalbard. Each section started with a fascinating telling of the very different history and geography of the two sets of islands as well as an insight into some of the current climate crisis, (not least demonstrated by retreating glaciers and sea pack ice), and geo-political considerations.
The section on Greenland started with photographs of the ice cap and glaciers taken from the small plane that she flew in approaching the Iluissat Icefjord and Disko Bay on the Eastern coast. Initially fairly smooth and featureless, the ice and snow became progressively more rugged and fissured as the glaciers descended towards the coast. Even straight shots of these surfaces revealed other-worldly and beautiful minimalistic art works.
As well as aerial shots Basia went out on a small boat trip, ostensibly looking for whales, which while not very successful did present her with opportunities to photograph the numerous icebergs floating off shore. These were both impressively massive but also fragile as they were continually melting, occasionally rolling and changing shape as pieces fell off them. Again, straight shots were strangely compelling given Basia’s skill in choosing compositions but she created even more beauty with techniques such as Intentional Camera Movement where a slow shutter speed is accompanied by purposeful movement of the camera, creating an ethereal beauty. She also enjoyed closing in on the smallest details; crystal-like bubbles caught in ice, streaks of clear frozen water amongst the snow, for example.
Another trip took her to the South-western section of Greenland. This involved a stormy crossing on a small ship from the north coast of Iceland but things calmed down within the huge fjord systems, that on this side of the island were hemmed in by massive and ruggedly steep mountains. Again, landscapes were captured evocatively but there were also opportunities to see distant Polar Bears and Musk Ox. Basia also explored the tundra, highly colourful at that time of year but with all the vegetation hugging low to the ground. This was portrayed both on impressive landscape scales and very close in, showing the details of seed pods, berries, mosses and lichens.
Svalbard, had a complicated political and commercial history with whaling, hunting animals for fur and mining having featured since having been discovered by Willem Barentz, (of Barents Sea fame), in 1596. Remnants of these industries along with other less successful ones such as an attempt to quarry marble on a remote island in a place renamed Ny (or New), London. Wildlife was more visible than in Greenland, with Bearded Seals, Walruses and Polar Bears appearing but it was again the scenery that shone in Basia’s photographs, some of it shot in “high-key” where it is slightly over-exposed which gives an effect akin to a pencil drawing. She closed her talk with a series of shots featuring the colours of white, gold, especially with the after glow as the sun goes down, glacial blue, with some greens thrown in and mostly of amazing ice formations and colours, aqua-marine of the ocean in summer and finally, the black of wintry water.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 14th October and is on the subject of the ‘Cumbrian Landscape’ with visiting speaker Mark Hetherington ARPS. Prospective new members and visitors are always welcome to join us on any Wednesday at 7.30pm in the Quaker Meeting House, opposite Booths supermarket, Keswick or alternatively via Zoom. Please contact us with with any questions or to reserve a place.
Please note: our meeting on Wednesday 21st October has had to be cancelled due to the ill health of the visiting speaker.