Brett Seymour Photography

Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands

2012-02-12T04:42:00.000-08:00

On assignment at American Memorial Park with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Flinders University documenting the WWII Maritime Heritage Trail - Battle of Saipan in 3D. Check out some still images of the wreck sites by clicking HERE.

CTV News - HMS Investigator Documentary

2011-10-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

To view the CTV News documentary about the HMS Investigator expedition click the Frozen In Time icon.

HMS Investigator Web Gallery

2011-07-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to access a web gallery of the HMS Investigator Expedition.

Bidding the Arctic Farewell

2011-07-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

In my opening blog I mention how fortunate I have been over my career to work with a diverse and passionate group of explorers and archeologists. These individuals mirror the range in projects they undertake. I was talking with Marc Andre, the Director to the Parks Canada Underwater Archeology Service in the wee hours of bright sunshine one morning about our top projects in our careers. Sitting in the inflatable waiting for divers to surface in this bizarre landscape I reflected a bit.

Since joining the NPS I have had the privilege to photograph many once in a life time projects. Early on, right out of film school, I found myself living off the coast of the Florida Keys in the Dry Tortugas NP where the casemate of the civil war Fort Jefferson was my bedroom, crossing a drawbridge over a moat was my morning commute, and diving on shipwrecks 7 days a week was my job. Years later I was the project photographer for the Friends of the Hunley and the National Geographic on the HL Hunley recovery expedition. For six month we worked off-shore diving in surface supplied hard hats along side commercial divers on a project of massive scale. After months of intense work and weeks of 24hr operations we finally recovered the 1^st successful submarine in maritime history which sank off the coast of Charleston, SC in 1864 – crew still aboard. In 2000 I was shooting documentaries for History, National Geographic and Discovery for the 65^th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack on the USS Arizona. Around this time I was also working with one of the great underwater cinematographers, Pete Romano, owner of HydroFlex and the best UW director of photography anywhere, on the feature film Pearl Harbor. In addition to diving with the director, Michael Bay, and participating in the insanity that is a Hollywood blockbuster I was able to help the film crew capture the essence of the USS Arizona as it rest today. (sadly, the real USS Arizona was ultimately not “real” enough for the director and he had Industrial Light & Magic build him an entire Arizona model which appeared in the film). Just a couple years ago I was shooting for a PBS NOVA program, a lifetime series favorite and professional dream. These projects, combined with the experience and dives on so many other projects around the NPS and internationally have generated a lifetime of experiences.

2011 HMS Investigator Underwater Team

To be honest though, this trip with Parks Canada to the Arctic has ranked up there as one of the very best. It’s the whole package. The ships history, the recent discovery, the remote location, the fact is never been seen underwater all make it a standout. More than just the subject of the project, the environment and living conditions have made is special. It’s the absolute opposite of a high tech, research vessel based, closed circuit rebreather mission. The Parks Canada Underwater Archeology Service are some of the most talented and dedicated individuals I have ever worked with. Add to that they are generally great guys with the right balance of work and family wrapped with a Canadian sense of humor. They have not only invited this lone American on the expedition, but insured that all the logistics of living in the part of the world for any amount of time were taken care of. My tent, sleeping bag, dry bag, food and even dive gear (minus the dry suit and heater vest – with water this cold, I had to be sure) have all been provided. They have taken me in as part of the team both in this remote location, and the project kick off, cookout hosted by a Ryan’s parents in Edmonton.

So as I bid the Arctic farewell, I will always remember the tundra, the perpetual sunlight and never-ending magic hour, a virgin shipwreck and its it’s shallow frigid final resting place. Perhaps more than anything I will recall the friendships that were formed in the tents, adding boiling water to an unknown substance in a bag, stirring and calling it dinner. The laughs when its 2am and just for fun you decide to blow up your drysuits and sumo wrestle on the beach just because you can. I will remember the team of Parks Canada archeologist who trusted me to document one of the most significant projects in many of the their careers. All this and they even let me hold the Canadian flag every now and then. Thanks guys, it truly was the project of a lifetime.

2011 HMS Investigator Team

Recovering History

2011-07-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

One of the primary distinctions (or battles) between archeologist and salvors (treasure hunters) is the disposition, or resting place, of artifacts recovered from historic sites. Granted, as an underwater photographer my opinion may not count in this community, however spending the past 15 years traveling, diving and shooting for them I have a decent “outsiders” perspective. Perhaps the most contentious issue is the recovery of artifacts and if those artifacts are held in public trust for the benefit of education, historical context, and further investigation – OR- are sold to the highest bidder in some effort to pay off investors, stock holders or overall pirates.

I mention this topic in the context of the HMS Investigator expedition as example of how to recover history properly - and ethically. Throughout the project the Parks Canada underwater archeologist have not only mapped the ship, but studied its every timber, deck beam, and diagnostic feature possible without excavation. They have identified several artifacts resting on the decks and exposed in the sediment. Each one was painstakingly drawn and mapped (with thick, three finger gloves I might add) while being recorded in place. Candidates for recovery were discussed amongst the team as to the significance of both this site and the context of polar exploration of the mid 1800's as a whole. Artifacts were selected based on site preservation and integrity (the possibility of artifact removal by others), contribution to the historical record of the period, and uniqueness to the ship itself. Once the artifacts were selected, a very detailed plan was put in place not only to lift them from the icy sea, but to transport via helicopter, bush plane and commercial airlines was also considered. In addition the conservation commitment, cost and facilities to properly preserve these pieces in perpetuity was also assessed. Lastly, and I believe most importantly, how can they be used to tell the Investigators story to the public and where?

With all these considerations responsibly addressed by the team, a few select pieces were recovered to be conserved and displayed in a maritime museum. Among the recovered artifacts were boots, copper sheeting with the British broad arrow stamp, felt lining used in the double hull of the polar expedition vessel, and several diagnostic features of period ship construction such as rigging blocks and bits. Perhaps the most impressive recovery was a musket riffle located partially buried in the sediment, lodged between deck debris. Not only was this riffle well preserved carrying both a British War Department serial number and date of manufacture (1848) but it has a story to tell. Its presence rewrites the historical record since it was documented that all armaments were removed upon abandonment of the ship. It also has the potential to be tracked via the serial number to an individual listed in the ships manifest it was issued to. Lastly, it plays a direct connection to the amazing story of survival that the Investigators were subjected to and no doubt was used to sustain the crew in the three years they spent trapped in the ice.

Once on display, this riffle and all the artifacts have stories that would be lost with out the recovery and conservation of these archeologist. Perhaps most importantly, their stories will be told to the public through interpretation and education giving us a rare window polar exploration of the mid nineteenth century. Very exciting.

2011-07-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

Walking in the Footsteps of History

2011-07-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Every now and then you get a chance to walk down the path of history. It may be the Coliseum in Rome or the Freedom Trail in Boston. Perhaps it’s a visit to Pearl Harbor where you can stand over the USS Arizona or a trip to Arlington where the countless fallen have been laid to rest. On this particular expedition I have had the opportunity to not only dive on HMS Investigator, but also walk in the footsteps of many of its crew in the exact location where they spent years of hardship trapped in the Arctic. As if to squeeze every morsel of visceral stimulus out of the expedition, I downloaded The Ice Passage, A True Story of Ambition, Disaster, and Endurance in the Arctic Wilderness by Brian Payton to my iPad. It is the retelling of the HMS Investigator based on the journals of both the ships captain, Robert McClure and the ships surgeon, Johann Miertsching – and one of the most gripping tales of true life perseverance I have ever read. For my part, mere yards from the actual shipwreck as the arctic wind whistles through my tent history has a way of coming to life. Now, let me be the first to say as I blog wearing my Patagonia thermals, laying in my -20 degree goose down sleeping bag, on my therma rest in my high-end, project supplied tent that I am no way comparing my time spent in the Arctic with theirs. The crew of the Investigator had it tough, far tougher than I will ever experience in my lifetime and perhaps tougher than most in the history of exploration. I can hardly think of a location, with abysmal weather and dwindling food as they faced, worse than those during the four winters of 1850’s. Even with my modern equipment, the story has a bit of context when reading on the shores of Mercy Bay.

Aside from the shipboard life on Investigator, The Ice Passage retells the activities the crew undertook on the tundra as well. Hunting became the obsession of the withering crew. While reading the book, one passage stuck me a particularly gloomy. Payton writes “Each day, a man is dispatched to the sodden shore to hike atop an eight-hundred foot hill to take long, ponderous looks at the ice-covered sea. Each day, he returns to report that there has been no change, no sign of breakup or movement…The men mill about with empty stomachs, bereft of any sense of pleasure or – for some- even the will to live.” The “sodden shore” is most likely the exact location of our camp and up the “eight-hundred foot hill” is the climb to the north of camp in which these crewmen would hike to assess conditions. This being the last night on Mercy Bay, Marc Andre, Thierry and I decided to hike along the shoreline up to the carren, or marker, built by McClure and his crew at the highest point on this shoreline as a marker to any passing ships to indicate Investigators location trapped inside Mercy Bay.

We departed camp around 11pm, in the full glow of the sun filled “night” sky. As we walked along the shore in the Arctic heat wave of 40 degrees it struck me that this was such a different place than the Investigator crew encountered. With the lack of ice breakup for two solid years, the chances that these men ever saw warm, 40-50 degrees was slim, at least for any extended time. Only recently has climate change and the melting of the polar ice cap enabled ice free waters and warmer temperatures. We walked further, past muskoxen and wolf tracks - all hunted in the 1850’s by the investigator crew for survival. How do you hunt such animals in the tundra with no cover, no place to hide? We began our ascent up the rolling hills to McClure’s cairn at the highest point overlooking the now open ocean. From this vantage point you can look North to the solid white of polar ice shelf. To the East was Mercy Bay, site of the HMS Investigator and our campsite along the shoreline. To the South was the vast rolling hills of the wide open tundra of Banks Island, glowing in the eternal midnight sun. And to the West you could see the open ocean, the longing of those men trapped in the icy grip of fate and destiny. My summit was met with awe inspiring views on an harsh, yet beautiful landscape - but as a mere visitor. I had every confidence that a full meal would be available to me in the morning, that my helicopter would arrive to begin the journey home and that I would reach my home, and those I love, in a matter of days. Theirs was a much different view. The endless ice. The ever sinking feeling of never being able to escape. The distant memory of their home, last seen nearly three years prior, would only be accessible after months on a treacherous ocean…if the ice ever breaks up. Walking in the footsteps of history often time has a way of reminding us of just how fortunate in life we are.

It Can’t Get Much Colder

2011-07-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

Diving in cold water has really come a long way in the recent years. There are so many specialized materials and manufactures that cold water diving is not only bearable but enjoyable – for the right type of diver. To me its just an equation – warmth equals the right equipment. And when you work in such a diverse underwater environments as the National Park Service you have to have the right gear. Drysuits provide the initial protection and if everything goes as planed underwater, they live up to their name and you stay dry. Some drysuits are designed to provide a certain level of thermal protection in addition to water tightness, some are just a water proof shell. Add to that a variety of options in dive under garments which offer varying degrees of warmth. My particular thermals are made by Fourth Element and pretty much look like my kids snow suits and for extremely cold water, are equally as thick. Full face masks prevent the dreaded numb lips one gets in cold water from holding the regulator in the mouth. Nothings worse than your breathing regulator falling out because you lips are too numb to feel its presences (yes it’s happened). Dry gloves with fleece liners keep the fingers toasty and dry (usually) and a thick semi-dry hood retains that top layer of heat escape just like mom always told about with a hat. For this trip I have even added heater vest which has an external battery pack and an adjustable heat source to warm up the vest and keep ones core nice and toasty. Even with all that very specialized equipment, let me just say the Arctic Ocean is cold. In fact its impossible to get much colder.

On our first dives on the HMS Investigator the temperature on my dive computer read 34F. Sure, that’s cold, but only 2 or 3 degrees colder than my last project at Isle Royale NP in Lake Superior. This is the Arctic. I had two specific ambitions for this trip. The first was to have my picture taken on a ice flow, the second was to dive in water below freezing. A few patches of ice drifted in last night, so check the first goal off the list. Bring on the cold water. I didn’t have to wait long.

Today’s dive felt different as soon as I hit the bottom at 30’. The visibility was very distorted, almost like a mixture of fresh and salt water (called a halocline) or a temperature gradient difference (called a thermocline). It also was cold. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to feel the difference in a couple degrees, I mean cold is cold, right? Wrong. Today my dive computer read 28.8F. It was the first time I have actually used the high setting on my heater vest (a source of envy amongst the Parks Canada divers). The low temperature occurred on or near the bottom where the visibility was oily. Although not an expert by any means, but what seemed to be occurring was the water was so cold it was attempting to freeze but both tide and salt content kept it in its liquid form. As I swam along the hull of the ship I had these comical visions of a hypothetical flash freeze event with an shipwreck ice cube complete with scuba diving photographer.

The Dive Site

2011-07-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Eternal Sunshine of the Arctic Mind

2011-07-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

As the sunshine created a bright orange glow in my tent last “night” at 2:30AM my body was exhausted from a 17 ½ hour day, but my mind was struggling with the concept of 24hr sunshine. The sun is in constant rotation yet never seems to reach its apex above us nor set below the horizon. This creates the illusion of eternal afternoon sunlight from around 6pm to 10am the following day. As I said, its an illusion to the mind to keep working, however the body eventually fights back, takes over, and forces you to rest.

This low light is often referred to as the magic hour, as the sun is low on the horizon which creates soft and deeply shadowed lighting. Here in the arctic we have come to refer to its as the magic 8 hours. It’s a photographers dream. The colors are vivid and the textures are amplified. Even in this seemingly barren landscape, the low light adds drama to the images.

Underwater, the magic hour is not so flattering. With the light low in the horizon it does not have the angle to penetrate through the water as effectively and illuminate the shipwreck. It also limits the angles or options one has to shoot from. Wide angle images that are shot toward the sun appear washed out and flat. This causes the best images to be created with the sunlight behind the photographer which is fine on occasion but not very conducive to capturing underwater archeologist working on the ship. In my years of working with these underwater scientist, although accommodating, very rarely do they like to be prodded and asked to move positions to accomplish their measured drawings for the sake of better light.

Regardless, the sun still shines. The pace of work does not slow down as the team is suffering from the same mind verses body conflict as the hours tick by. Its has become the norm to work both day and night with dive operations running from before lunchtime through 2-3AM. Although the “night” may not be yielding the best underwater light, the bitter cold, North wind has been trending toward a calm this time of night which makes the diving operations somewhat more accommodating. All in all as much as the eternal sunshine plays tricks on ones mind and body, I believe it to be much better that the opposing seasons of eternal darkness and -30 temperatures.

HMS Investigator Mosaic

2011-07-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

While the Parks Canada archeologists were spending ten to twelve dive a day mapping Investigator, my responsibility was to image the wreck. One goal was to create a mosaic that would convey the current condition, size and layout of the site. This mosaic was stitched together manually over the course of several days (and "nights") using hundreds of images shot just feet of the deck. A normally difficult process made a bit more so in a bright tent (with terrible orange light for color correction), a desk made of Pelican shipping cases, and the chill of the arctic.

HMS Investigator, Mercy Bay

2011-07-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Investigating the Investigator - Part 3

2011-07-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

On this site, as soon as I place my mask underwater visibility goes to zero. Its bright but I could not see my outstretched hand. It was like swimming in a oil and vinegars salad dressing. The melting ice flows created a fresh water/salt water lens on the top several feet of the bay. Knowing my buddy, UAS archeologist Therry Boyier was on the down line also there was nothing else to do but descend and wait for the massive halocline to pass. At about 10-15 feet the cloudy water dissipated and I could make out the silhouettes of the other Parks Canada divers. Apparently Marc-Andre had an issue with a regulator hose and had aborted the dive. Slowly we descended the line and landed on the baron, muddy bottom. The crackling of voices came over my headset. “This is Ryan on the bottom” “copy Ryan” was the response from topside. Each one of us checked in confirmed our depth, pressures and that we were on bottom. Just a short distance away, maybe 20-30ft I could make out a silhouette rising out of the mud. Investigator? As I swam over to the ship I could see the hull standing proud, perfectly level, resting on the bottom. Its blunt bow was thick with massive timbers and a huge shackle hung a couple feet down from the deck level. I signaled to Theirry that all was good and we could start investigating the Investigator. I leveled my camera and began dialing in the exposure. First frame – dark. Second shot, the same. I was getting proper exposure, but no light from my strobes was illuminating the image. They fired, but did were not registering in the photograph. Was there something inherently different about the Arctic waters that somehow “eats” light? My first impression of the site was that if someone took a bulldozer to a sailing ship and leveled everything above the main deck it would resemble this shipwreck. No masts, no railings, no rigging, no cabins. Nothing. Just a jumbled mess of wood scattered in every direction sitting on, and next to, a ships hull. The ice had taken its toll on the Investigator, and flattened everything in its path.

We continued to swim around the circumference of the hull by following its outline. I kept shooting, setting my ISO to 3200 and exposing for ambient light images without strobes. I shot a few images of my dive buddy, Thierry, on the video camera. Without the benefit of reviewing much of the ROV footage from last years discovery I had no idea of where I was. So far the only identifiable feature had been the blunt end of the bow where we started the dive. After swimming for 30 minutes, pausing frequently to shoot some pictures, imagine my surprise when I found myself back at the same blunt bow. One would naturally assume this would happen when swimming a circle around a shipwreck, however in this case it was quite perplexing because I didn’t notice every swimming past the stern! With the gradual curvature of the hull outline and the massive collection of overhanging timbers and wood I had just swam right past the stern without it registering my mind. No matter, hopefully there would be future dives to actually make sense of the shipwreck. The crackle of voices came from topside again. “Seymour, what is your pressure”? “”1200 psi, over” “Copy that, 1200 psi” was the reply. I shot a few more images around the bow of the ship, partially because that the only thing identifiable, and clicked the temperature setting up a couple notches on my heater vest as the 34degree water began to settle into my core. After a few minutes I transmitted to topside my intent to surface. “Topside this is Seymour, I’m coming off the bottom, max depth 32 ft”. “Copy Seymour” echoed in headset. Upon surfacing I kept the down-line loosely in my hands as I passed thought the zero visibility and was hit with sudden vertigo which often occurs to me when on ear releases pressure at a different time than the other. As I broke the surface of the water I was blinded by the bright sunlight. It was 1 o’clock in the morning and we had completed the first dive on the HMS Investigator, the dive of a lifetime!

Investigating the Investigator - Part 2

2011-07-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

The dive rotation was based on both rank and need. It was determined that UAS Archeologist Ryan Harris, as both project director and member of the discovery team last year would jump first. His partner would be Marc-Andre Bernie, the Director of the Parks Canada’s Underwater Archeology Service. Next team in would be cameras, based on last years survey expedition, this be the first and only dive possible on the site due to ice and weather. I’m in. A boat was dispatched with a makeshift mooring and a marker buoy and placed based on the GPS location of last years discovery and survey. As we geared up for the dive there was certain lack of chatter or idle talk – an air of focused concentration and excitement was apparent. Safety briefings were reinforced again to ensure everyone know the plan should something go wrong. Help in this part of the world is not a quick process so you better understand your options on front end of these dives. We motored out to the buoy with incredible anticipation. Witnessing archeologist on the verge of diving a virgin, historically significant shipwreck is like harnessed sled dogs before a run or a gated race horse before the starting bell. Wide-eyed and amped up.

After securing our small inflatable to the mooring line we readied our gear. Having just completed a quick 6ft dive just off the beach with Phil Ronko, the UAS Dive Safety Officer to test my full face mask and perform some mask removal drills I knew my gear was good to go. Next I double checked the integrity of my Aquatica camera housing. As the team was geared up, I struggled into my equipment which was made difficult by the incredibly thick drysuit underwear and 40 pounds of lead weight in my BC. With great assistance I was made ready and sitting awkwardly on the side of the inflatable boat. Now all that was left was to fall overboard into the grip of the icy water.

When you first hit very cold water your mind races and takes inventory of your entire sensory system. The first “system control” that is checked is breathing. Is my regulator working and can I breath? Check. Next, its whether or not you are floating. You need some time at the surface to settle into the gear and insure all the hoses and gauges are in their proper locations. Check. Then there is always a focused concentration on any location that may be experiencing a trickle of cold water. This is often times difficult due to the cooling effect of the surrounding water overall and because the thermals often delay any feeling of cold water inside your drysuit. (side note – this is NOT the case when one jumps in with a drysuit zipper undone. In these situations there is an instantaneous sensation one experiences that is not difficult to detect – and yes I speak from experience). With all the diving gear in place and functional you establish your buddy teams and agree to descend.

Investigating the Investigator - Part 1

2011-07-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Today, after a delay of three days the Investigator team is assembled on the beach at Mercy Bay. After much negotiation and speculation a helicopter was dispatched from a “nearby” camp (meaning several hours by air) to assist with the final sling loads and passengers necessary to begin the project. The final team members arrived at the Mercy Bay camp around 5pm. For the Parks Canada crew already at Mercy Bay, the late arrival of the stranded Polar Bear Cabin crew seemed like a chance to take a break from setting up tents, pumping tanks, building boats and unloading the cargo delivered by the helicopters. Possibly have some down time to lay out the operations and discuss project objectives. Shortly after the full team was assembled, I could tell this was not going to be a early day. Unseen by human eyes for 157 years, this team of underwater archeologist, who had first discovered the vessel almost a year ago and had spent so many weeks since planning this expedition, wanted to dive the Investigator.

In only a matter of an hour or so the underwater team members were dressed in drysuits and standing on beach next to the inflatable boats. One issue to be determined was who would dive the Investigator first. Who amongst this fortunate team would descend the shallow 30ft and be the first to hover over the decks of this virgin shipwreck. To many in the diving world this will always be a dreams. Virgin shipwrecks are but myths, the holy grail of the underwater world. As diving capabilities become more advanced, so do the limits of discovery. 400ft, 500ft and beyond are now possible. Here we are with a historically significant ship, the subject of such an amazing story of discovery and survival, just offshore in 30ft of water.

Does Anyone Have A Helicopter?

2011-07-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

The next morning, after the first “night” of sun shining in my tent, we still had no word on a helicopter. Discussions were taking place as to repairing the compressor in our current ship which could take 2-3 days. In arctic time, that is code for a week plus with weather. There were also satellite phone calls to other helicopter companies to see if we could at least get the rest of our gear and team to camp. Around midday the distant thud-thud-thud was heard as our helicopter approached camp over the hills on the horizon. Fixed? After touching down we learned that dispatch has cleared the pilot to fly limited weight flights with no passengers. Apparently there was a manual in-flight fix to bleed off the compressor allowing flight, however no guarantee for how long or how well this could continue. When a pilot lands and says he heard some clunks in the engine, well that’s not a helicopter you want a ride in anyway.

Limited weight flights? The pilot opened up the cabin which was filled with the food coolers. That’s a move in the right direction. Gradually over the course of the day we had most of the camp supplies arrive by flights that could be contained inside the Bell helicopter cabin. Interestingly enough this also included our 19ft and 14ft Zodiac inflatable boats. Over the course of the next couple days we continued setting up camp, inflating boats, and setting up a filling station with our two compressors and filling SCUBA tanks. I built up the underwater cameras for project and documented the operations as much as possible. Still no word on a helicopter solution.

Always Prepared

2011-07-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine the logistical infrastructure to field 14 people with shelter, food, boats and dive gear is no easy feat. The Parks Canada Western Arctic Field Unit in conjunction with the Underwater Archeological Services have done a fantastic job in planning. Standing on a gravel “airstrip” in the middle of the tundra is where the planning ends and the operations takes over.

We began the day with the third and fourth of our Twin Otter charter flights from Inuvik to Polar Bear Cabin with the underwater team aboard. Upon arrival into Polar Bear we discovered that the advanced archeology team tasked with the initial camp set up was still at the “cabin” – which is really a plywood shack. Apparently the helicopter was a day and half late showing up and not a single load of equipment had been slung to the beach. Setback. The crew quickly began prioritizing both equipment and personal to begin slinging the 40min hop to the shores of Mercy Bay. As the project photographer its always an awkward balance of capturing the process through photography verses actually assisting with the manual labor required for a project of this scale. I tried to stay out of the way and hoped the quality of images would somehow excuse my lack of muscle. The first of the “human” flights as the helicopter pilots say, was underway to retrieve water from the Mercy Falls, several miles from camp. Shortly thereafter I was sent over as part of the initial team to begin the camp setup. I tried to convince myself it was because they wanted aerial images of the camp prior to the full teams arrival, not that they were tired of seeing me wander around with nothing more than a camera in my hand.

One of the first rules of moving around the tundra by aircraft is always be prepared. That means you always travel with your tent, your sleeping bag and your personal bag. No exceptions. I grabbed my gear, loaded it into the chopper and called shotgun so I could shoot aerials through the nose bubble. As we lifted off I quickly remembered how much I have always enjoyed being in helicopters. The lift and the perception of moving in any direction at the whim of the pilot is quite exhilaration. It’s a certain feeling of weightlessness, similar to diving – perhaps that is my draw to it. In fact, the only job I would considering keeping our of the water for has always been a helicopter pilot. As we flew a low altitude over the tundra toward Mercy Bay I began shooting the ice flows in the McClure Strait. They appeared to lurk at the edge of the Bay just waiting to drift in with the slightest change of the wind and scrub out the project.

Our campsite is located just feet from the waterline at Mercy Bay, the most beautiful of locations. Not wanting to appear like a rookie, I consulted members of last years expedition regarding just how close to the shore I should pitch my tent. With a little help from veteran team (which kept me from embarrassing myself fumbling with the tent), I got it set up and my personal gear moved in. Then the word came in via the satellite pager – helicopters broken. No word yet on any options. Always prepared – I am beginning to understand the concept. We were at the edge of nowhere, inches from the arctic sea but at least we had shelter, personal gear and our sleeping bags. Food however had yet to make it over on the helicopter lifts. This is starting to feel like an expedition.

McClure's Arctic Map

2011-07-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

The Story of the Investigator - Part 3

2011-07-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

As the figure closes in, the crew hears “I am Lieutenant Pim of the ship Resolute”. Rescue. A sledge with a small search expedition soon arrives. The lives of the 32 Investigators have been saved. Men, most carried by sleigh, were transported across the snowy landscape and taken aboard the ice-bound Resolute and its accompanying ship the HMS Intrepid. The HMS Investigator is abandoned. Winter slowly gives way to spring and the Investigators begin to regain their strength back on full rations. Plans are underway to finally leave the Arctic and transit back to England. In September of 1853 the ice was breaking up and the ships set sail for open water. Miles passed and visions of escaping the wretched Arctic grip was palpable. Days later, the crews awoke to a gruesome site. Ice was pressing in on the ships from all sides as far as the eye could see. The ship was put on 2/3 rations which was of no consequence to the Investigators. They had survived so much worse. What was nearly impossible to accept was the reality that they were overwintering in the Arctic yet again – their fourth.

In that fourth and final winter two more of Investigators crew would die of effects from starvation and scurvy. The crew would be forced to abandon ship one more time, this time from their savior, the Resolute which was hopeless trapped in the ice, to the North Star some 200 miles over the ice to the East. On August 26, 1854 the sails of the North Star are unfurled and the ship was underway toward England in the open sea. Four years after entering the Arctic in search of the lost Franklin expedition, 30 of the original 33 Investigators are finally free.

In the end the crew of Investigator were hailed as heroes upon return to England. Captain McClure was credited with the discovery of the Northwest Passage based on his overland excursions and his definitive geographical mapping which connected his westward expeditions with earlier eastward journeys by previous explorers. For his hardship and discovery he was knighted and awarded 10,000 British pounds - equivalent to more than $2million today. Half for himself, half to distribute among his officers and crew. In all, the story of the HMS Investigator ranks up there as one of the greatest stories of desperation, hardship, and survival of all time. For a more detailed account, as well as unforgettable read, check out The Ice Passage, A True Story of Ambition, Disaster, and Endurance by Brian Payton. Just make sure you have plenty to eat and a warm blanket handy.

The Story of the Investigator - Part 2

2011-07-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

New Years Day, 1852 the temperature is recorded at -50 degrees. The ship is still buried in a snow drift piled over the decks by hurricane force winds a few weeks before – 35 feet high, 165 feet long. The long, dark winter persists followed by the light of another spring. In September of 1852 the ships crew gather on the deck of the Investigator bracing for Captain McClure’s address. Although they know what’s coming, not one is willing to embrace the inevitable. “After carful observations it is my conviction that the ice will not break up this summer. Therefore, we are compelled to pass a second winter here at Mercy Bay” McClure declares. Another winter is upon the Investigator without a single day under sail in open water all year long.

The third winter takes its toll on the Investigators. Their rations are again cut. Formal meals are discontinued and what little food remains is distributed each morning leaving each man to decide when to eat his share – for breakfast or dinner depending on the degree of his will power. The crew has difficulty sleeping due to hunger. The winter is no less forgiving. Temperatures reach -90 degrees, the coldest recorded on the expedition or any previous expedition to the Arctic. Its so cold that hunting excursions are all but impossible. On one such outing the stock of a sailors rifle cracks and shatters against his shoulder upon recoil due to the intolerable cold. On New Years Day, 1853 the ships doctor examines the crew. Scurvy is prevalent and life threatening. The men complain of dysentery and faint at the slightest exertion. One sailor awakens to find that several teeth have fallen out while he slept. By the end of January more than a third of the crew are incapacitated, most suffering from scurvy and starvation.

In early March, 1853 it has become apparent that to stay with the ship is to die. McClure announces his intentions and breaks the crew into to two groups. The first group, containing 26 sailors (most of them frail and barely coherent) will take a sledge, or man drawn sleigh, some 600 miles west over the ice. This epic journey will be followed by rowing a boat through the open sea, navigating ice bergs, with aspirations of being rescued by a whaling ship in Baffin Bay and eventually sailed back to England. Of the two officers in charge of this expedition, one is in sick bay and the other a raving madman. The second expedition, comprised of slightly healthier individuals, will travel by small boat down the McKenzie River to the Hudson Bay and (hopefully), with the help Native Americans, journey through the North America wilderness to Montreal, then New York where they will attempt to secure passage back to England. Although both missions are seen by most as suicide, desperation has set in and both parties will depart on April 15. Rrations are increased for the upcoming expeditions. Ten days prior to departure, the first death comes to the Investigators from the effects of dysentery. The flowing day as the crew is determining how to bury their shipmate, an approaching object is seen moving towards the Investigator.

The Story of the Investigator - Part 1

2011-07-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Its hard to image a time when some believed in the notion of an Open Polar Sea. I guess the same could be said for a flat earth. In the past many believed if one was able to simply sail far enough north, past the ice shelf, an open ocean could be reached. Robert Thourne first proposed the concept of an Open Polar Sea in 1527 in a letter to Henry VIII. His hypothesis – “there is no doubt, but sailing Northward and passing the Pole, descending to the Equinoctial line, we shall arrive at the Island of Cahay, and it should be much shorter way than any other.” The theory gained little momentum until 1817 when reports of an extraordinary breakup of sea ice occurred off the coast to Greenland. The great Arctic explorer Edward Perry believed in the Arctic Sea just passed the barrier of ice encountered in the North latitudes. In 1845 Perry sent Sir John Franklin in search of the Northwest Passage as well as open water leading to the Pole. Franklins expedition was ill fated, as were the lives of the 128 men on his ships, the HMS Erebus and Terror. His disappearance launched unprecedented rescue mission involving 23 ships between 1848 and 1853. It was believed among some that men of Franklin’s expedition could still be alive years after leaving England and existing among an unknown race of people in the North.

One of these vessels dispatched was the HMS Investigator captained by Robert McClure which sailed from Plymouth, England on January 20, 1850 with a crew of 33. The Investigator was a 422 ton, three-masted, copper bottomed barque measuring 118 feet long and 28 feet wide. It had recently been refurbished, rounded at both ends and double hulled with English oak, Canadian elm and African teak resulting in a reinforcement of some 29 inches in some locations to buffer against the ice. It was provisioned for three full years at sea. McClure’s plan was to sail around the tip of the Americas and enter the polar region from the West after resupplying in Hawaii. By the fall of 1850 the Investigator reaches the Western Arctic in search of both the Franklin expedition and a Northwest Passage. In a matter of days, the Investigator is bound by ice and the first year of overwintering in the arctic has begun. When ship is finally sealed, the hatches batten down and the tarps draped over the decks, the stoves are fired and an interior temperature of 50 degrees could be maintained. Meanwhile the average outside temperature is a chilling -30.

On January 1, 1851 the temperature drops to -40 degrees, the coldest to date. The lack of sun and 24hours of darkness take its toll on the crew. Winter marches on. Slowly daylight returns and hunting expeditions in search of fresh provisions are resumed. In early August of 1851, almost exactly one year since the Investigator first encountered the Arctic, the ice begins its retreat and the open ocean looms on the horizon. In late September change comes quickly. The ice breaks up rapidly and the Investigator is under sail and manages to navigate around the western shores of Banks Island moving North. The ship rounds the island and makes the turn to the East in search of the Passage. More Ice. The ship is once again encircled and the wind drives them, bound by the ice flows, south into Mercy Bay. All told, the ship managed just four days of open sailing all year. In early October the hatches are closed, the stoves lit and a second winter begins in the shallow waters of Mercy Bay. With so little progress in the previous year, the crews rations are cut yet again – 6oz. of bread, 6oz. of preserved salted meat, 4oz. peas, 2oz. suet, 1 oz. tinned vegetables, 1 ½ oz. sugar, 1 ½ oz. of rum, 1 oz. of lime juice, 1 oz. of pickles, 1 oz. of chocolate and ¼ oz. of tea. All told, approximately 1500 calories a day - about 1/3 required for an adult male to function normally.

The Search for Franklin

2011-07-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Over the Tundra

2011-07-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

In Air over the Arctic

2011-07-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

Off To The Arctic

2011-07-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

With a career underwater, I have not only had the privilege of photographing fascinating and historically significant shipwrecks around the world, but have also had the opportunity to work along side the very individuals responsible for their discovery. I have always maintained that there is something unique about those who pursue a career while submerged. A certain drive to explore, an “expedition gene” as I call it. In the past 15 years I have been both colleagues and friends with these genetically altered explorers. Passionate individuals who have discovered lost Civil War submarines or mystery German U-Boats; run expeditions on Titanic, Britannic or WWII Japanese midget submarines; shot IMAX documentaries or Hollywood feature films; or discovered historically significant shipwrecks with unimaginable stories of exploration and survival. My next series of entries is about the latter – an expedition with a team of incredibly talented underwater archeologists and their quest to both document and tell the unimaginably true story of the HMS Investigator through the archeological record lying in the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean.

For the past several years the NPS Submerged Resources Center (SRC) has had professional (and personal) interaction with our sister agency to the north, Parks Canada. With a very similar missions, the two federal agencies both have the mandate to preserve, protect and interpret their underwater resources. In an effort to accomplish this Parks Canada has a dedicated underwater archeology team called Underwater Archeology Service (UAS). The two underwater archeological units have exchanged staff on a few large scale projects over the past few years and constantly keep in touch about methodology, theory and equipment. In short we have always looked to each others expertise as a shared resource when it comes to underwater archeology and stewardship. The Parks Canada team is robust in talented, passionate underwater archeologist, however, unlike the SRC they do not have a dedicated staff underwater photographer and that is where I, and the Arctic come together.

The ultimate destination is Mercy Bay, a relatively small arctic waterway, located on Banks Island, Canada’s fifth largest island at 27,000 square miles in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The bay is located in Aluvik National Park which protects nearly 5,000 square miles of Arctic lowlands at the north end of the island and is home to most of the worlds muskoxen population (68,000). This remote area lies deep inside the Arctic Circle at 74.4 degrees north latitude (the North Pole is 90) and is the site of the recently discovered HMS Investigator, the vessel credited with the discovery of the Northwest Passage which was abandoned in 1853 after wintering three years locked in the ice of the Arctic Ocean.

On the map, the distance between Denver, Colorado and Banks Island Northwest Territories of Canada doesn’t seem very far. Its even in the same time zone. So how does one get to Banks Island? I will give you the short version – A three hour flight from Denver to Edmonton, Canada with and overnight there. The next morning, Edmonton to Morgan Wells then to Inuvik, Northwest Territories. From there we part ways with commercial airlines and all resemblance to aviation security – no full body scans or in-flight beverages from here on out. With a day in Inuvik to sort gear and pack for the expedition we then charter two twin-engine Otter airplanes which are the lifeline of the high country. Our 3 hour flight from Inuvik touched down on Banks Island at the gravel runway in Sacks Harbor (population 130) for refueling then another two hours to Polar Bear Cabin (population zero) were the “runway” is simply tundra outlined with 55 gallon drums. From Polar Bear Cabin it’s a short 40 minute helicopter ride into our camp site on the shores of Mercy Bay. I have yet to leave the time zone, yet its taken longer to get here than Rwanda, Africa.

World Water Day 2011

2011-03-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

Kigali Rwanda

2011-02-13T04:33:00.001-08:00

Africa’s Farewell

2011-02-10T03:58:00.000-08:00

The bittersweet day of our departure had finally arrived. As I finished up culling the nearly 5000 images I had taken this trip and sorting them to various individuals who had helped make the trip incredible, the day flew by. The team took one last trip across town to visit a co-op run by genocide survivors and widows who were creating some amazing quilts and home products. “Sewing Peace in Rwanda” was the slogan. Beautiful tapestries, aprons and quilts. We picked up a few last minute gifts for those loved ones in the States and headed over to the African Bagel Company for lunch. ABC had become a staple of our stay in Rwanda. Partly because we were living with Robin, who runs the ministry and has become known as the “Bagel Lady” but mostly because the bagels are amazing.

As we got back to the house we were quickly reminded that we were still in Africa. With images to cull, laptops and cell phones to charge, Skype calls and emails home to loved ones and showers to take we discovered the power was out. The African experience is so rich with these adventures. Just when you become complacent and the routine of internet and warm showers settles in, they are gone. Africa has a way demonstrating its progress, but isn’t afraid to show its but its roots as well.

After a few hours the power was restored and all the necessities of international travel were completed but that simple event seemed to stick with me. That’s what I love about Rwanda. The nation is in this very sweet state in transition. The vacuum caused by the genocide which ripped the country apart and finally gained international attention has quietly been filled with peace, reconciliation and forward progress. One refreshing aspect about the progress in particular is as nation they have not filled the void with Western corporations and American fast food. I’m sure the influence and financial investment from the international community is prevalent but my point is that its not slapping you in the face on every Starbucks occupied corner. No big box super stores, no empty calorie fast food, no ATM’s. As a community they are shifting toward Western philosophies as the banking goes on-line (amidst the power being off-line), cell phone use is rampant (although no voicemail), and even the kids in remote villages seem to know a couple English phrases (although it always seems to be “good morning” no matter what time of day it is).

As an outsider its both encouraging and refreshing to see this progress and growth, but in some its cause for concern. The nations forward movement seems to mirrors the growth of the US back when communities relied on each other for food, when as a nation we actually were industrious and produced rather than imported, and when the people were in touch with their civic leaders and respected their politician. Yes, the development of Rwanda is exciting to see and a privilege to be a small part of. I only hope they are able to retain their zeal for life, national pride and African culture as the investment of the West moves in and seeks to consume as it has in so many corners of the world. For now, Rwanda is on the move and I look forward to returning to the people, the culture and the images I have fallen in love with. Until next time, Africa.

2011-02-08T03:51:00.000-08:00

We have the water, well…?

2011-02-08T03:42:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I participated in one of my favorite activities here in Rwanda – traveling outside of capital of Kigali into the villages. After so many images of genocide in the morning at the Kigali Memorial Center it was refreshing to experience life in the majestic hills and see the impact of clean water.

We headed out with Phillip, Living Water International’s (LWI)#2 in Rwanda, to participate in a health and hygiene training the remote village where we saw the first water flow last week. Living Waters has committed to provide these trainings at the local community level for each well they drill.

The trip started like most African experiences…we were late and driving on a rough road in the middle of nowhere. After many kilometers bouncing around in the LWI’s four wheel drive, we came upon a large gathering on the side of a hill. “We’re here” said Philip. There were no buildings, no seats, no classroom of any kind. Sitting peacefully on a shaded sloping hill were 50 or so villagers. At the “front of the class” was a small table and four chairs, for who I was not sure. The setting was stunning. A true sense of community. There was no indication of how long they had been there, no frowns that perhaps we were late. I had to ask the village governor why here? Why not 300 ft down the road? The location appeared to be random. After the translation, he just laughed and kind of shrugged his shoulders. Apparently this was between a couple villages so it seemed to work out. Function over form…seems to be the African way.

I was totally unprepared for what health and hygiene training was. You see, digging a well is only half the mission of Living Waters. Their approach is a holistic education on sanitation and hygiene as it applies to clean water. They also incorporate a message of Gods love to the villages. As Phillip stood in front of the crowd, I was amazed at how attentive they were. As I scanned the audience I would have thought they were watching the latest Hollywood action film. It was clear that Phillip was very good as they engaged, hung on his every word and laughed with him often. No projector, no PowerPoint, no podium, not even any electricity. Phillip had a small bottle of water from the new well, a washing dish and a notebook. That’s it. His only teaching aids were some hilarious, yet informative hand drawn pictures which had no problem crossing any language barrier to reach my American sense of understanding. Don’t wash your hands in dirty water. Don’t pee in near a water supply. Don’t poop where you or your chickens walk. Pretty fundamental concepts to small percentage of us “enlightened” individuals, however to the majority of the world, these are issues. These are the issues that get them sick and these are the issues that cause them to die. That’s why these are the issues that Living Waters is committed to change.

As the training was coming to an end the children started appearing. I’m not sure if school had just been let out or word had finally spread to the far reaching villages that there were some “mazungas” (whites) in the area. Regardless of the cause, the effect was smiling faces and the beauty of the real Africa. As my time in Rwanda is nearing its close, I realize that one the last locations to shoot is one of the first reasons I came – increased awareness for clean water. Judging from the smiles on the kids faces here and at the new well from last week, this a true and just cause. Are you aware?

Kids of Kigali

2011-02-08T03:15:00.000-08:00

Genocide

2011-02-08T02:49:00.000-08:00

“Genocide is never spontaneous. It is an intentional act of multiple murders, aimed at destroying the presence of the victim group.” Kigali Memorial Center.

Unfortunately to most Westerners Rwanda is most known for the genocide of 1994. Perhaps even more unfortunate is the belief held by that population that these events were some sort of civil war absent of any Western or European influence. I believe this belief allows the world live in some sense of ignorance and therefore the atrocities that occurred here are somehow easier to dismiss.

The first thing to realize is that the concept of genocide to this population is not a new one, nor is it devoid of western influence. It began when the Germans successfully colonize against local resistance in 1895. During WWI the country was occupied by Belgian troops who were mandated to govern Rwanda by the League of Nations in 1923. When the first Europeans set foot in this land they discovered a population associated with eighteen different clans. The categories of Hutu, Tutsi and Twa were merely socio-economic classifications within the clans, which could change with personal circumstances. Under colonial rule, the distinctions were made racial, particularly with the introduction of the identity card in 1932. In creating these distinctions, the colonial power identified anyone with ten cows in 1932 as Tutsi and anyone with less than ten cows a Hutu and this also applied to his descendents. The population had lived in peace for many centuries, but now the divide had begun.

With a shift in the political landscape placing the Hutu in a position of privilege toward the end of the Belgian rule, some 700,000 Tutsis were exiled from the country between 1959-1972 as a result of ethnic cleansing encouraged by the Belgian colonists and implemented by the Hutu. In October of 1990 a group called the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) which was made up of mostly exiled Tutsi invaded Rwanda from Uganda in an effort to reclaim there homeland and force a power-sharing government. The Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) were able to call on international support, in particular France, and the assault was contained. The Rwandan government used the October 1990 invasion as a cover for a massive campaign to begin the ethnic cleansing of Tutsi.

In order to convince the Hutu majority to turn against there Tutsi neighbors one of the most oppressive and derogatory media propaganda campaigns in history was undertaken. Nearly two dozen newspapers and journals preached hatred toward the Tutsi. These campaigns urged the Hutu to prepare for a pre-emptive attacks because the Tutsi were planning a war that would “leave no survivors”. In 1994 The Independent Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) was established by the Hutu controlled government to further fuel this anti-Tutsi hate propaganda and two articles appeared in the paper Kanura predicting that the Rwandan president would die in March 1994.

On April 6, 1994 at 10:23pm President Habyarimana’s plane was shot down while flying into Kigali airport. By 11:15 roadblocks had been established nation-wide and houses were being searched in Kigali for individuals listed on pre-determined death lists. Armed militia had one objective to identify and kill Tutsis.

The number of dead is perhaps not nearly as disturbing as how they were executed. The hatred was so extreme on the part of the Hutu militia that their subjects were first demoralized before being executed. The overwhelming concept was to inflict as much pain on their victims as possible. To accomplish this, machetes, clubs, guns and any other blunt tool was deployed. Pregnant women were first raped, then their children would be murdered in the womb and finally they themselves would be executed. Often times tendons or ligaments would be sliced with machetes so the victims would not attempt to escape as the torture and ultimate death came. Families were forced to watch in torment as each member was brutally and systematically put to death. Because the genocide was ethnic based, the killings did not discriminate based on age. The smallest children were executed in the most horrific ways. It was genocide from the fist day, with no Tutsi overlooked.

In 100 days, more that 1 million people were murdered as the world turned there back. It amazing to think this happened in my generation. 1994 was the same year the US invaded Kuwait. When I think back at the media coverage of the Gulf War its inconceivable that the genocide in Rwanda was occurring without a turning of the camera. The world dismissed the events as a civil war or ethnic strife until it was too late and the 85% of the Tootsie population had been murdered.

Fortunately, mankind has a way of looking back - often times so as not to repeat in the future. In Kigali there is such a place that has turned its focus on the genocide in Rwanda but also highlights the genocide violence around the world. The Kigali Memorial Center, which was inaugurated on April 2004, the 10^th anniversary of the genocide, dramatically tells the story of the depravity of man, specifically in Rwanda. It does not seek to be bias or retaliatory, just as the post genocide Rwandan nation itself, but rather it sheds a light on the past to educate, and in some way warn. Over 250,000 victims of genocide are buried at the site. It truly is a place of quite contemplation. The Center provides a visceral experience by not hiding the violence or placating the visitor as to the atrocities. It exists as a permanent memorial to those who fell victim to the genocide and is by far most comprehensive and moving memorial I have ever visited.

Kigali, Rwanda

2011-02-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

Kigali Playground

2011-02-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

This morning as I was sitting in church when my eyes wandered out the door and saw two young boys were playing. There ages appeared to be very similar to my own, 6 and 4 years old. They were climbing some rocks on the side of a hill and hanging off the branches of a small tired tree. With each leap and subsequent swing the limbs would bow and come to their breaking point. The older boy would lead and the younger following right behind. Boys. I have seen this progression thousands of times in my own home. Fixated I thought about what contraptions and manner of adventurer my two were undertaking some 8571 miles away. The older boy left my view for a few moments as the younger took his chance to explore the tree not under the control of his elder. When he returned he had a series of rags or cloth strips tied together.

Again, seeing this first had at home, two possibilities were about to happen. The first, he was going to tie up the younger with lofty stories of adventure or he was going to tie the “rope” on the tree to up the ante on the adrenaline factor from merely hanging. He stood, hands over his head and tied each end of the line to the branch on a tree which allowed it to hang in a u-shape. The next challenge was to climb up, place his feet through the newly fashioned swing and enjoy the ride…assuming it held. I sat in the pew fascinated by these boys being, well…boys. Sure enough, he got his legs through and in one great controlled fall, let himself go and swung out over the rocks some five feet below. The limb struggled to sustain the weight of the boy as he kicked his feet up and enjoyed the ride. It held, but barely. My mind again drifted back to Denver and my boys. I recalled all the times I had walked into our dining room and Cameron, my oldest, had his younger brother Chase hog tied with a dog leash and was trying lift him up via an exposed beam of our home. The African boys were gone by the time I got out of church. Off the next big adventure, no doubt. There are few absolute certainties in this world, but a universal (and apparently international) one is that boys will be boys the world round.

Random Acts in Kigali

2011-02-06T04:36:00.000-08:00

On a motor bike? What could possibly go wrong??

Through the Eyes of Hope Project

2011-02-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

Through the Eyes of Hope Project

2011-02-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

On my first trip to the African Bagel Company I noticed several stunning photographic prints hanging on the wall of everyday scenes here in Rwanda. Robin explained that photographs were taken by children and there was a photojournalist, Linda Smith who is living in Kigali who works with disadvantaged kids to tell there stories. Obviously as a photographer, I was hooked - I needed to meet Linda.

Robin invited Linda over for dinner a couple days ago and we began to talk about her journey to Rwanda and the Through the Eyes of Hope Project. The project has two goals – to teach basic photographic principles to extremely disadvantaged children and to educate children who are interested in learning about the children of other cultures. In January 2007, Linda ran a pilot project in Rwanda with eleven orphaned children who ad lost their parents to AIDS. Based on the incredible impact of this first workshop, Linda has continued workshops here in Rwanda as well as the Bronx and Bedford, New York. A key component of the workshops is that each child who enrolls in the program participates in an art exhibition featuring there work. The exhibition serves to affirm the children as creative and intelligent artist. Such an exhibition is scheduled for next month at the African Bagel Company. I asked for the opportunity to experience the program first hand – today was the day.

When I arrived at the schoolhouse library the first thing that stuck me was the sharp contrast of technology to the African backdrop. Linda simply had a MacBook Pro laptop and a projector hooked up, but in the environment it seemed like a supercomputer. The children were gathered around as she taught on the principles of photography – today’s topic was portraits. She toggled through famous portraits one after another, with each explaining the composition as well as the subject. Salvador Dalhli, Albert Einstein, Miles Davis. Just how do you explain Marilyn Monroe standing on a subway grate with her dress blowing up to African children?

Linda discussed the composition of a portrait, the rule of thirds and using lighting to tell the story. Heavy concepts for the early art student, much less children, African or not. They seemed to soak it all up. Next, the assignment was given. Create your own portrait. Small point and shoot cameras were handed out and the kids, in partnerships because there is not enough cameras to go around, then they hit the streets. Linda, Andre and I tagged along.

For about two hours we roamed the streets and villages of the area surrounding the school. The children shooting the entire way. They would approach people hanging around, which is never a problem in Africa, and ask to make there photograph. I was impressed with care and composition of a number of the students. Every now and then Linda would point out some relevant photographic techniques like the position of the sun and lowering the camera to be at eye level when photographing small children. On and on we walked drawing quite a crowd as we progressed. I asked Linda about the following we were attracting and she said it was larger than normal as three “mazungas” (white people) were traveling in the group, two of which (Andre and I) had very large cameras. We collected our images and returned to the school library where Linda downloaded every camera and the class reviewed each photograph, often commenting on strong images and making recommendation for better composition or lighting. At the end, a short story was read from the Bible which helped the children grasp the concept to love and considering others more important than ourselves. I was impressed the children were as engaged in this aspect of the workshop as seeing some of the most famous portraits in the world.

As I sat and thought about the program, a couple things struck me. The first, as a photographer here in Africa I don’t exactly fit in. Between the white skin and the large Nikon I carry, I draw attention. So more often than not this alters the photograph - A look of mistrust, a pose or even a smile. Its rare to capture the culture and life here in Africa without that filter, and ultimately that is the shot I am always trying to create. Put a small digital camera into a child’s hands and turn them loose and the possibilities are endless. It gives them a voice, or a picture, into their world and has the ability to capture real life, raw and unbiased. Also, allowing the children, especially these children, to take there own photographs and share them in the workshop setting gives them a sense of empowerment that they are creating and contributing. They have an ability – a skill.

As we ended the workshop, Andre and I let them shoot a bit with our cameras. The kids got a trill out of holding the large HD camera on their shoulder. As they looked through my Nikon with telephoto lens there eyes widened – I am sure most had never seen the view through a telephoto before. I could help but think this may be a way to give some of these kids a voice and perhaps even a vocation. Helping them understand they have a story, that they have something to contribute can go a long way in shaping a young mind – especially those orphans or children living with HIV/AIDS. The Through The Eyes of Hope Project truly is about hope – but on this day, the hope was mine - hope for the future of these special kids.

Through the Eyes of Hope Project

2011-02-05T05:29:00.000-08:00

Linda Smith and with the Through The Eyes of Hope Project in Kigali

Daily Routine in Rwanda

2011-02-05T04:40:00.000-08:00

The ABC’s of Bagels

2011-02-05T02:46:00.000-08:00

If you spend any time in Kigali and mingle with the international community it won't take long for the conversation to turn the African Bagel Company (ABC) or their Saturday morning donut day ABC is part of a ministry called the Women’s Training Center that was started by Robin Smyth. The Smyths, a family of six originally from NH, moved to Kigali five years ago after feeling a call to Rwanda. There passion was assisting the extreme poor and sick with a hand up, not a hand out. Through the years, Robin and her husband Rich have created a variety of avenues to empower Rwandans and give them the skills and education needed to break the cycle of poverty.

The Woman’s Training Centers is a ministry specifically targeted to disciple the widowed, orphaned or HIV positive through financial planning, health and hygiene, and career skills for women. It doesn’t take long in this country to notice an absence of men in the culture. Whether it be from genocide or cultural traditions, they are simply not around or engaged in the family. Leaving tens of thousands of women alone struggling to provide for there children.

The African Bagel Company began when Robin was working with a group of women training them in the area of cooking and nutrition. At an women’s Bible study a few members mentioned their craving bagels as a connection to home. Robin worked with the ladies from the training center and made some bagels for the Bible study. From there, the women began placing orders for bagels throughout the week. It soon spread through the international community here via schools, churches even the US Embassy. Today, Robin works with a dozen or so women supplying bagels to throughout Kigali.

At first glace this may seem merely like a business, finding a niche like bagels in Africa and supplying them to an ex-patriot population, but is so much more than that. ABC is a tremendous holistic model in working to transform the lives of these women. Their day is not about making bagels, in fact bagels are simply to tool to give them a trade, an education and a sense of empowerment. Their days are evenly divided between financial planning, english classes, devotionals on how to live a Godly life, HIV/AIDS education and nutrition and health education for themselves and their families. Even the process of cooking is devoid of modern appliances, which allows these women to perfect a skill set based on traditional practices, that of cooking on charcoal.

Growing on the incredible success of bagels, Robin began teaching the ladies how to make donuts which are only available on Saturdays, - first come, first serve. ABC has become the “watering hole” to the international community as one women told me today. A place to gather, network, share in-country experiences and simply enjoy some amazing donuts and coffee.

Each Saturday the numbers seem to grow and the donuts increase. Today was one of the largest numbers to date. In addition to the donuts, Robin has added chips and salsa, pizzas and even home made chocolate chip cookies to the lineup. The most impressive addition to the ABC story has been the work of local artisans. There are baskets for sale crafted by a severely handicapped orphan who is has lost the use of her hands and is unable to walk. The ability to sell her baskets creates an income which supports her family. There are photographs on the walls from a project called Through The Eyes of Hope where local children affected by HIV/AIDS capture their world using digital photography. Not only does ABC offer an venue to expose these artisans talents it creates a revenue stream which radically impacts their lives.

With the understanding that making an impact in ones life requires more than just charity, the Smyths have taken a practical, on the ground approach to breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering Rwandans through a hand up, not a hand out. It was with this understanding that I enjoyed my three fresh-baked donuts at ABC this morning. After all, who doesn’t want to be part of the solution?

Kids of Kigali

2011-02-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

The Story of Water

2011-02-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever really thought about water? As Americans we generally don’t. The next time you are in the store, whether convenience or big box, check out the water isle. I bet your will find spring, glacial, ionized, de-salinated, sparkling, flavored, vitamin and even smart. In Africa they have two kinds, dirty and clean and honestly the latter is very hard to come by in most areas.

Today we hit the road with one of Global Benefits partners, Living Waters International. Their mission is to provide clean water and a sanitation message to those around the world without. Currently, according the Rwanda country director, they are in approximately 25 countries internationally. Our goal was simply to travel to a village outside of Kigali and tell the story of water in a typical Africans life. Our first stop was a water source that you or I would easily dismiss as a mud hole. Very little water movement with a large muddy pool surrounded by cow patties. It lay in a fertile valley between two very steep hillsides. When we approached there was no there but the our Living Waters host said this was spot were many people from the surrounded villages would get water. Without anyone around I though it hard to believe that this was a main water source. Perhaps just a few of the “less fortunate” retrieved their water here. Typical an American view.

Without anyone at the swamp, we decided to take a drive up to the top of the surrounding hill where there was a village. I was picturing a few isolated huts and few people. As we approached an entire town appeared before our SUV and people just seemed to materialize. This is a common occurrence in Africa not matter how remote you think you are. We met a very gracious woman named Jackiline and her four beautiful children. She has lived in this area her entire life. Apparently the childrens father "just left" sometime ago which is a common occurrence in Rwanda. Her well maintained house is comprised of a small yard and a single steer tied up in a small corral in the back. I was interested in her water story. I didn’t want to dramatize the agony of the African people walking miles, uphill both ways, to retrieved water. I wasn’t looking for malnourished kids with fly’s on the faces. Just her story of water.

Mark Warren, founder of Global Benefit with Jackiline and her four children.

Shooting in Rwanda

2011-02-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

Jackiline's Walk For Water

2011-02-02T08:39:00.000-08:00

Jackiline’s day begins around 6am when she first needs to retrieve water for the day. With four children, three of which are in early grade school, her needs are not unlike most. Prepare a breakfast and clean the kids up for school, perhaps a little cleaning. Her walk for water takes about two hours. She will descend to the water hole we had just come from with a jerry can, the inescapable staple of the African nation, and retrieve water for the morning. Her children, at there young age, are often left in the house and are unable to help simply because of the steep climb back up to the village. When she returns with the water she must prepare a fire to boil the water. She is both aware of the dangers of parasites and other water born bacteria and can pay the high cost of firewood. For so many this is not the case. This morning supply will last just that, the morning. Depending on her daily activities she may need to retrieve another jerry can in the midday, however conservation is generally practiced in order to avoid the climb in the mid day sun. The evening brings another trip to the valley and another two hours is spend providing water for her family.

Jackiline at the water hole.

In order to capture Jackiline’s story on camera we asked if she would not mind accompanying us back down the water hole to retrieve water. We wanted to capture the process of here twice dally journey. We also offered a ride back up the hill for here efforts. When we arrive at the water hole it was populated with jerry cans and individuals retrieving water. This wasn’t just an isolated water source that a few villager relied on. This was the central water supply for the communities on both ridge lines and throughout the valley. Our gracious host waded into the water as we documented the process. Several comments were made by the by stander in kinrwandia which I could only equate to jeers of this lovely woman’s new status of movie star. After she filled her jerry can in the muddy waters, carefully placed plastic over the spout and closed the lid she removed a vibrant scarf she was wearing, rapped in a donut shape and placed it on here head. This served as both cushion and support of the sloshing water as she placed it on her head for transport back up the mountain. Practical. We thanked her for her time as a smile of giddiness came across her face as if to consider how crazy we were to travel from America with all our cameras simply to document such a trivial event as fetching water. You see to her it is trivial. She does not wake in the morning complaining about the 4 to 6 hours she will spend retrieving water for her family that day. She doesn’t grumble as she gathers wood and starts a fire when its 90 degrees out simply to boil her water so her children don’t get sick. To her, its the product but the process that she commented on. She wants clean water for her family. That is the African story of water.

2011-02-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

The Watering Hole

2011-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

So I thought the story ended as she and everyone else who was at the watering hole jumped in the back of the Living Water pickup to catch lift back up to the village. I stayed behind to wait for there return. During my time there I realized the watering hole was truly the central and source of life for these villages. An older man and young boy arrived to wash some clothes and retrieve water (in that order). Two young men, dressed in “city” clothes with bright white tennis shoes and dapper button down shirts stopped by for a drink. One was very careful not to get his shoes muddy as he straddle the waters edge and sipped the brown water. I was shocked when the other one rose, walked not ten feet upstream, unzipped his pants and urinated in the brush at the streams edge. A rugged man pushing a bicycle loaded with bags of something heavy paused on the road by the hole. The young boy ran to him and gave him a small jug of water he bottled in the soapy water of his companions laundry activities. Community.

As we made our way back into Kigali I thought about her story. The acceptance of her water story. Her complaint was not the distance traveled, the unbearable weight on her head as she balanced the jerry can or even process of treating the water upon arrival back at her house. She didn’t want it easier, but she did want it clean. Clean water for the sake of her children’s health. I challenge you to think of Jackiline’s water story the next time your staring at a mountainous wall of bottled water at the supermarket.

A Way of Life

2011-02-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, the man on the right is doing what you think...upstream even.

Community Ownership

2011-02-02T06:50:00.000-08:00

Our final stop of the day was another well Living Waters had completed earlier in the year just a few miles up the road in the same valley. As we approached the desolate well site we found a thatched fence had been erected around the pump. David, our Living Waters Country Director said they loved to return to a will that had a fence around. In Africa this was the ultimate sign of talking ownership. Around the well were children playing while adults pumped water into there jerry cans. A couple of small children tag teamed the pump handle to make the water flow. With each upward pump, there tiny feet nearly left the ground. In the short time we were there water was flowing constantly. A consecutive steam of individuals arriving to retrieve water – clean water.

The water solution in many parts of the world, including Africa is really not that complex. Sure local water tables differ, there is much debate on the global status of water, even the polar ice caps are melting. These are issues we currently face and could dramatically change how the world looks, however lets not spend so much time and energy on science and theory that we overlook the countless small village and billions of people world-wide that live without clean water. For those people the answer lies is groups like Living Water with the assets in countries to drill wells and a population of individuals who will stand up and say disease ridden watering holes is not ok. Individuals who believe every person deserves clean water. Individuals who are willing to do something about it with through any one of the hundreds of clean water organizations currently solving this problem one well at a time. Are you part of the water solution?

2011-02-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

Building a Well

2011-02-02T05:52:00.000-08:00

After traveling to Jackiline’s village and walking for water with her, we drove to another outlying area of Kigali where Living Waters were just capping a new well in a community. Living Waters had provided the Rwandan people 75 wells last year alone. This donor supported organization based in Houston, TX has brought not only clean water but a sanitation and public health curriculum to tens of thousands of individuals world-wide. With an average cost of $10k per well in Rwanda, the success and proliferation of these wells has been completely funded through the efforts of people who care.

At this well site the Living Water staff were assembling then lowering the PVC pipes into the previously drilled hole Sitting beside the well was a pump housing, a couple of rubber grommets, sections of long rods with a plunger one, and a pump handle. Was this all it took to bring clean water to a community? In addition to each well hole, Living Waters pours a concrete pad along with a run off channel to divert the excess spilled water away from the pump. To be honest it looked more like a high school science project that the solution to clean water world-wide.

We watched as the Living Waters team did the final assembly and started pumping the well. This particular well was aprox 50m or 150ft (shallow for the high altitude area of Rwanda) so it took under a minute to prime the pump and for the water to flow. The crew made some adjustments to the handle and tightened a few bolts and it was done. Clean water is not an insurmountable task.

Mark Warren, Founder of Global Benefit as the first water flows.

The Selenium Project

2011-02-01T07:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we spent the day at the Kinyinya clinic in Kigali. The Selenium Project was conducting the second of three trainings for the local medical staff that were conducting the trial. During the staff training, Andre and I had the opportunity to interview the principle investigators and trial research staff. This was the main objective for the trip here to Africa – background as the trial kicked off.

The use of the micro nutrient of selenium has never been subjected to a clinical, double-blind trial. There has been subjective research and other trials using the organic compound with tremendous success, but in order for the true implications of selenium on the quality of life of HIV/AIDS patients a true clinical trial needs to be conducted. From a layman’s perspective, selenium is a vital micro-nutrient critical our bodies to fight infection. There have been studies that would suggest that the sub-continent of Africa’s soil has been depleted of the nutrient which effects overall health and nutrition of a massive population. To complicate this lack of selenium, the pandemic of HIV/AIDS attacks the immune system which becomes more susceptible to opportunistic infection of a variety of forms and the downward progression from HIV (the virus) to AIDS (the deterioration of ones body) begins. The study will recruit 300 patients from three Kigali clinics and prescribe the selenium in pill form. Of the 300, half of the patients will receive a placebo while the other half receives the selenium. It is not known by the patients, the clinical staff or the researchers which is given which. At the end of the 24 month trial the code will be broken by the selenium manufacture and the outcome should become apparent. All the participants, whether to have received selenium or the placebo will also be placed on the micro nutrient for one year after the trial.

Selenium, as this trial hopes to determine, can dramatically prolong the time period in which a person moves from infection of HIV to the manifestation of AIDS. This, to the doctors here in Rwanda, effects the HIV clients in a number of ways. First, this improved quality of life would be manifested in the overall population of communities throughout the nation. HIV/AIDS has ravished the nations most productive age demographic, 20-40. This infected population lives with a depleted quality of life, lack of energy and overall removal from the workforce. Although the current statistics indicate a national registered infection rate of 3% (rural) to 6% (urban) in the nation, this population is the most critical for the growth and prosperity of Rwanda. Added to those statistics is the difference between those infected and those affected. The onset of HIV/AIDS to one member of any given family or community has ramifications of far greater number of individuals within that community.

The Selenium Project...continued

2011-02-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

Mothers with children waiting for appointments
at the Kinyinya Clinic

The research also hopes to find selenium as both a sustainable and cost effective treatment. Anti-retinal treatments which is the current standard of care for AIDS patients is a cocktail of manufactured pharmaceutical drugs which is expensive and has dramatic side effects. Although Rwanda as a nation has promised these treatments to an infected population at not cost, the costs are still there. They may be buried under a level of government subsidies, international aid or drug manufactures discounts but they are there…and they are staggering. The goal is not to replace ART as treatment, but to perhaps delay it use between infection (HIV) and the breakdown of the body(AIDS). Selenium has a extremely low cost of manufacture and distribution as well as no side effects making it a potential dramatic course of treatment for a developing nation such as Rwanda.

As I sat with each member of the trial medical staff, one common theme emerged. An overwhelming excitement and desire to improve the quality of life of there fellow Rwandans. This nation has long been know for the genocide that occurred here in the mid 1990’s where nearly 1 million individuals lost their lives – not of infection or disease, but of the depravity of man. The thought, or even perhaps the dream, that this nation has the potential to radically change the quality of life of a massive population living with HIV/AIDS was central to these medical professionals. Each one talked about the potential outcome of the study radically altering not only the nation of Rwanda but those of surrounding African nations and potentially the world.

Dr Vincent Mutabazi M.D. - Co-Investigator of the Selenium Project

Tenth Grade Video Project?

2011-01-25T06:02:00.000-08:00

Today my journey to Africa begins with a night to LA where I met meet up with one of my oldest friends, Andre Martinez. Our connection connection goes beyond a geographical upbringing in NH. We both had an interest in production and photography from the early days of high school, both attended film school to refine our interests in hopes of making it a livelihood, and both are established professionals in a career we are both very passionate about. I guess you could say our first “production” was for Mrs. Dumas 10^th grade history where we elected to produce a video about the pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock rather than write a paper (a trend which seemed to follow us all through our education). We both pursued photography and worked on each others films through film school. After graduating, we took two different directions. Andre headed out to LA and became a talented director of photography in television while I pursued a career with the NPS in underwater documentary film and photography. Over the years we have connected on a couple projects together but this will be our first outside of our “jobs” as we shoot in Kigali, Rwanda for the next two weeks. I cant think of a better person to travel half way around the world with an eye for the shot than Andre. Who knew that tenth grade video would be the start of someday bring us to Africa.

USS Arizona - 3D

2011-01-17T17:28:00.000-08:00

Here is the USS Arizona 3D production (in 2D) that I premiered last month in Pearl Harbor for the 69th anniversary. This short film will be delivered as a portable 3D system designed to travel into classrooms and educate a new generation of kids as to the significance of the USS Arizona as a touchstone to history.

http://www.brettseymourphotography.com/VALR3D.mov

www.brettseymourphotography.com

Underwater Wonders In The National Park Service Channel Islands National Park, November 5-19, 2010

2010-11-19T15:08:00.000-08:00

Lobster Cave

2010-11-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Today we find ourselves back at Anna Capa Island after numerous circles around each of the Channel Islands looking for better conditions. Clearly (forgive the wording) we have not succeeded. On the island, very near an area called the landing cove, I was told about Lobster Cave. Sounded intriguing and since we have stuck out on clean water and wide angle kelp shots, why not. After a detailed dive brief about the cave entrance, width, depth, etc Susanna and I splashed. Quite honestly after 10 days we had had offshore, I had no intention of being impressed. In fact, just the opposite. I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed after hearing all the stories of thousands of lobsters darting out of the darkness. I was betting that this was yet another “If you had only been here last week” dive site.

We surface swam over to the island and submerged to look for the entrance. As the ambient light of the cave entrance faded, the fissure was illuminated by the powerful HID lights from the 3D camera. As we penetrated, the walls began to come alive and crawl. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands lobsters began shying away from the bright lights that had invaded there lair. It was straight out of a science fiction movie. Cramming into ever smaller cracks and crevices trying to escape the intrusion. Soon the critical mass was too much and they begin to launch away from the walls, ceilings, floors in a last ditch effort to evade us. The first lobster that crashed into you in the darkness was unnerving. Then the impacts came a faster and faster rate. Soon they were pelting us at a rate of several per second. As I was concentrating on the shot through the monitor I felt an antenna brush against my face. A couple crustations had landed on the camera system and were around on 3D rig. The deeper we got into the cave, the greater the level of panic and the more barrages we took. A couple hundred feet into the cave, past a slight constriction, the tunnel opened up and you could surface in an air chamber. The lights on the camera illumination the roof of the cave to reveal a rainbow of colors on the roof. Spectacular.

As we submerged the visibility got worse which signaled we were at the ending of the cave due to the turbulence generated from the slight surge on the sandy bottom. Gently we turned to head back to the caves entrance, following our fiber optic tether back. By this time the lobsters had been dispersed from the walls and were everywhere without pattern. Slowly we made our way back to cave entrance and exited. What a dive!

Birthday Dive

2010-11-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

For the past couple years I have spent my birthday aboard the Sea Ranger II here in Channel Islands. The research vessel’s schedule has always coincided with the last trip of the year which in late fall. Last year I spent nearly two hours underwater in the kelp forests off the tiny Gull Island. A sea lion rookery teaming with a juvenile posse that roam the kelp like a gang frolicking and wrestling with each other, all playing for the camera. It still ranks as one of the most memorable dives I have ever done, birthday or not.

This year conditions have been about 180 degrees from last. Surge, green turbid waters. Earlier in the week we did a couple dives at Gull Island to try and recapture the magic of that place only to be skunked. The sea lions were there, however the visibility was not. They rolled and played as before but the surge was so great that it was next to impossible to shoot in the very shallow waters. In fact, between you and me the posse of pinepeds had a field day with us. They would strafe the camera, suckering us in shallower and shallower trying to get the shot. Suddenly we was racing across the very shallow water at warp speed as a set of large waves rolled in and built as they approached the island. Although fun while it lasted, I new it was only a matter of time before the waves crashed over us and dumped us on the rocky shoreline. Sure enough, into the spin cycle we went bouncing off rocks, trying to protect the bulky 3D camera and scrambling to get back to deeper water. Roller after roller broke over us. All you could do was cling onto any handhold for dear life while the waves attempted to beach us. As the energy of the water dissipated and withdrew from the shallows we would let go and dift temporarily into deeper water. Over and over again, wave after wave we would repeat, slowely making our way back into deeper water Finally, the crew regrouped in deeper water, our heads spinning and egos (and other things) bruised. As we swam back to the boat, the sea lions again strafed us with what could only be descried as a gleeful countenance about them. They win so I’m not interested in revisiting that place even if it my birthday.

Meeting the Locals

2010-11-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

Locking Down the 3D Rig

2010-11-16T20:41:00.000-08:00

In The Presence of Greatness

2010-11-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

As we wrapped for the day and were motoring for a protective anchorage at San Miguel Island the team spotted some breaching whales in the distance. We slowed the boat to a drift and kept a sharp eye on the horizon. Again, a breach. It appeared to be three humpback whales in the shallows just off the kelp beds. A few minutes later the mist arose again and the whales had turned and where heading in the general direction of our drifting boat. As the whales continued their track along the southern shoreline of San Miguel we paralleled them several thousand feet off in deeper water. With each breach a flurry of shutters from the photographers on board trying to capture a signature shot of the lifted tail as the beast submerge. For several minutes the crew scanned the horizon looking for the humpbacks. Nothing.

We started to surmise that they had turned for deeper water at our stern and were heading off shore when we heard the deep, powerful exhalations just off our bow. The humpbacks had surfaced not 25ft off our bow. Two massive animals, presumably females and one small juvenile. They were the most massive creatures I have ever seen. Each one rose and exhaled with a mist rising into the golden sunset. Such amazing grace and beauty. Three times these giants surfaced just feet off our bow. Each time more impressive than the first. They were close enough to see their entire body through the water as they tracked along with our vessel. On a couple breaches they slipped beneath the surface with the signature shot of the tail raised out of the water. The image was so striking against the glow of the setting sun. Breath taking is all I can say to describe it.

The group surface a couple more times then turned for deeper water as our boat drifted past them. That last trace of them off our stern was a fully extended tail backlit against the sunset. In the presence of greatness - what an honor.

A Different Shade of Green

2010-11-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

Today was another day in the pursuit of clean water. The weather has been amazing. The seas have continued to calm, the swell subside. Everything has come together for a great 3D shoot…except the water. Still green. We have spent the past five days chasing the Channel Island chain as far as possible to look for blue water, some 60 nautical miles from port. Today we added whole new level of suck. In addition to green mucky water we added billions and billons of mycid shrimp. Some of the most important base layers of the food chain I admit but not the most impressive sight when you drop down into the kelp and the vis drops from a pea green 15 ft to a pea green, shrimp soup of 6 feet. Time to work close up.

On the bright side, we did manage to drop into a clean water area amidst a kelp bed with hundreds of schooling blue rock fish. An inquisitive school of fish. First there was a couple, then more came in to see what the fuss was about. In about 15-20 minutes there were hundreds and hundreds of on lookers. I image we look like quite a sign to these Frisbee sized fish. Bright movie lights, funny looking large creatures in bright colored suits blowing bubbles. Interesting to imagine the other side of the coin sometimes.

The fish did there part and danced among the kelp for a long while. The shot developed and I think we walked away with a shot that wont be left on the cutting room floor (finally).

Still wanting a better shot, we surfaced toped off our tanks and dropped back onto the same sight with a tripod and different camera setup. The surge is always a factor in this environment. Sometimes it make the shot to have the camera swaying at the same pace as the content in the frame. Sometime it’s a better look to lock down the camera and the let the movement play out in front of the lenses. I find this more appealing in 3D than normal television because the minds eye is always focusing on a different subject swimming at different depths in the screen. Best not to overload the brain with too much movement.

Anyway, as we dropped through the kelp canopy my heart raced as a sea lion bolted past me about 60mph. He continued to dive bomb the dive team as we set up the tripod. The thought of actually capturing this action on camera didn’t even weigh heavily on my mind. After so many days of frustrating sea lions I know better than that. What I did see happening was the schooling blue rock fish were darting frantically as the sea lion approached an the school was dissipated. Shot gone. With no fish, clouds of mycid shrimp and a camera avoiding sea lion I knew we were sunk even before we finished setting up the tripod. Still we pushed on, set the 3D system up and rolled on a few minutes of less that spectacular (or even good) kelp footage. I’m tired of a different shades of green. I want shade so clear blue. Maybe tomorrow?

Me and Koza Between Dives

2010-11-14T20:52:00.000-08:00

Shooting Elephants...Seals

2010-11-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

We have anchored up behind Santa Rosa Island for some protection from the swell and wind. In a last minute decision late in the evening we decided to mount a 3D landing party on the island to film elephant seals. As the sun was rising we launched our little dingy. Not knowing the terrain or ability to actually make a land fall we took only the essential personnel. Myself (the director), Lou Lamar (a very talented 3d shooter) and Maryann Keith (the WHOI 3D specialist who is on all my films) all boarded the small craft destine for greatness. Greatness is what we got!

As the sun rose higher and the morning light was spectacular we filmed the most majestic (and easy going) animals I have ever seen. The beach was covered with 50-75 young juvenile elephant seals that were for all that we could tell were living the good life. Even as juvenile they were massive animals weighing around 500 lbs. They were basking in the sun until the urge to play spar or frolic in the surf overtook them then they would so indulge. There lives seemed so laid back. I can relate to that level of lifestyle. As an apex predator the concerns within the food chain were pretty minimal. Short of an occasional great white the life was pretty good. As we filmed set up on a high ledge overlooking the beach they rolled and wrestled in the pools below with each other 15 ft below us. Every now and then they would look us over and give a growl out just to let us know they were checking us out. It was one of the most memorable of adventures. Very wild and untamed.

Shooting in Kelp

2010-11-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

Koza wrangling fiber optic tether and kelp

Hiking On Santa Cruz

2010-11-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

Bushwhacking with Koza

Underwater Wonders In The National Park Service Channel Islands National Park, November 5-19, 2010

2010-11-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

The final location in the Underwater Wonders in the National Park Service production is a spectacular group of islands lying just off one of the most populated areas in the world – Los Angeles. Channel Islands National Park offers the both the ocean diversity and remote islands ecosystem that is signifies the very mission of the National Park Service – to preserve and protect for future generations. Without that level of safeguard, who knows how far afield the shores of the Malibu crowd would spread and this vast resource would be available to the highest bidder and not held in trust for the American people.

To this photographer, Channel Islands is all about the kelp and sea lions. Sure the park offers a vast diversity of sea birds, endangered island mammals and plants. There are even a number of shipwrecks in the waters adjacent to the rugged island coastline. Although historical significant set against the proper context of westward expansion economical development of our West Coast, as a collection they lack the relief or visual appeal to focus the 3D cameras on. I was here a year ago shooting stills and captured the beauty of this place during a week long scouting trip. A selection of those images still remain among my favorite. I’m hoping lighting strikes twice, only this time in front of the 3D cameras.

Fellow NPS Submerged Resources Center members Susanna Pershern, Jim Koza arrived with me by Suburban by way of Lake Mead National Recreation Area where we were running a two week dive training. Maryann Kovacs and Lou Lamar from the Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution flew into LAX last night. We departed Ventura Harbor this morning for Anna Cappa Island only to arrive and find green turbid water. Setback? It would seem that we have arrived on the back side of one of the largest swell events in recent years. 15-20ft swells rolled in and trough the five islands not even a week ago leaving unsettled waters and torn kelp in its wake. Everything seems to be unsettled.

Not to be discourages, we press to the west hoping to find clean water, hardy kelp and the frolicking seals and sea lions we have come here to shoot. It cant be this bad for next 10 days…right?

Underwater Wonders In The National Park Service Isle Royale National Park, September 10-24, 2010

2010-09-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

The Emperor is Calling

2010-09-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - After spending three hours underwater and nearly 12 on the boat the previous day, it was a bit difficult to pull out of bed this morning with a skip in my step psyched to jump back into Superior for another dive. The wind was still down, so back to the north shore we were heading to dive the stern of the Emperor.

The plan was for a “short” day, say 12 hours. One dive on the Emperor, pull a few of the mooring buoys, and head back to Windigo to start the logistical train rolling of getting off the island.

The ride up the north shore in the Lorelei (the classiest dive boat in the NPS) was picturesque. For 2 ½ hours I tried to position myself in the sun on the back deck to absorb any amount of warmth available. Nothing worse than being cold, then suiting up only to get colder underwater. With a stop back at the Amygdaloid Ranger Station to suit up (and use the prettiest outhouse on the island…again) we headed for the Emperor stern mooring ball.

When we arrived on site, the ROV was not functioning, so scratch that off the shot list. The plan was for Steve Martin (no, not that one) to do some poking into the stern cabins while I was shooting and Becky was lighting. Down the line we descent. I got my orientation on the wreck and started swimming aft. As planned, Steve worked into one cabin after another looking around. I was rolling. We rounded the fantail, or stern, at 140’ and shot the impressive anchor lashed to the railing and the three spare props that were each as big as a minivan. As we swam along the starboard side and I saw Steve looking into a cabin. I could see from his light there were bunk beds inside. The cabin looked familiar from photos I had seen. I moved in, turned the camera sideways and passed it thought the doorway. Smoothly, I panned across the room. The white painted wainscoting wall were still pristine. The metal framed bunk beds were intact with mattress springs still present. Beneath the beds on one side of the cabin the drawers were open. Laying on the floor was a pair of leather boots, resting in the sediment. This, I thought, was the fireman’s cabin. I had seen pictures of the room, but I had never been in it. I recalled that three fireman had lost their lives on Emperor. Those boots. Its always the human connection that brings these shipwrecks to life. The grand scale of the machinery, the massive ornate structure of an engine or the girth of an anchor still hanging from its chain suddenly seems far less immense. Those boots. For me, deep in the waters of Isle Royale, those boots had the most impact. Time to re-cut the highlights reel.

Great Site, Bad Light

2010-09-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - With the weather window, we decided to push as hard as possible and image all we could while the sun was up and the wind was down. From the Cumberland & Chisholm site we steamed another 1 ½ northeast to dive the Glenlyon near the Isle Royale lighthouse.

Next to the Chisholm engine dive, this has become my second favorite dive. The twisted and broken steel laid out on the reef are such a testament to the power of the lake. Also the sight is spread out over a massive linear distance of 900 feet. The steel hulled 328ft vessel which was built in 1893 came to rest astride of the shoal in November of 1924 while running for safe harbor in a storm. After the grounding the captain ordered the ship scuttled (sunk) to secure it to the reef. While light salvage operations occurred as weather allowed, by the end of November the vessel was abandoned and completely disappeared over the winter.

Previous dives on the wreck have provided some of the best “shipwreck” images I have ever shot. I produced a bookmark for Isle Royale National Park from a series of shots on the Glenlyon. Today’s dive was different though. First, after slight over 2 hours in the water already, I was a bit exhausted. Second, it was late in the and the sun was low in the west which means light penetration into the water is minimal. Over the side we went, choosing to swim to the bow section of the wreckage. As we swam toward the bow, my rebreather began showing an alarm of a high level of carbon dioxide (CO2). Usually, this is the a rebreather divers greatest concern. To put it simply, generally this occurs when the rebreather is not doing its job scrubbing out the CO2 from our exhalations and replacing it with oxygen (O2). If this is allowed to continue, the diver gets a headache (usually) then passes out from CO2 build up and dies. So, that said, a CO2 alarm on my rebreather is something to pay attention to. Fortunately, the rebreather I dive has a CO2 sensor (the only units in the world with them thanks to VR Technologies) which allows me to monitor the CO2. Basically, I know what the amount is and can manage the situation from there. As we were at 30ft, I continued to monitor my the CO2 levels and move to the bow.

The bow, with all its windlass machinery and anchors was as impressive as usually, however the light was very difficult. It was a waist of time to shoot anything looking toward the sun, so it left only a handful of camera angles and swims available. At some point, my CO2 warning was on the rise, so I handed the camera off the Becky and hung back to monitor and reduce my breathing rate. From there the light only got worse, the dive only got colder and I only wanted to get off my rebreather. Becky rolled on a few things then I called the dive and we headed home.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, knowing when something is not working on shoot is part of the discipline. It took many years for me to understand some things you cant change regardless of how much footage you burn. If the light is not there, its not going to look any better after the dive on the V monitor. Frequently examining your life support systems is never something to be taken lightly or put as a secondary function to camera operation. On this dive, having the best gear possible allowed me to continue to the dive safely and pick up a couple of decent shots. Not having the training or disciple to know when to call the dive would have meant more that just bad light on a bad dive.

With the Good, Comes the Bad

2010-09-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - After the high of the Chisholm engine dive, I wasn’t convinced the that the day could get any better. I was right.

The second dive was on the Cumberland & Henry Chisholm wreckage field. These two ships, as though Lake Superior wasn’t quite big enough, ended up shipwrecked directly on top on one another separated by scant 21 years.

The Cumberland, a side wheeler built in 1871 was designed for passenger and package trade on the Lakes. On July 25^th, 1877 the it struck the Rock of Ages reef and rand hard aground on a mild and clear day. After several salvage attempts in late July/early August, the vessel was finally abandoned on August 12 and it subsequently broke up and finally disappeared.

The Henry Chisholm, a wooden bulk freighter, was constructed in 1880 and at 270 ft was considered a “leviathan” at the time of constructed as it was the largest steam barge on Lakes. The vessel was built just as shipbuilding was approaching the maximum size with wood as the principle materials. In October of 1898 the Chisholm struck the Rock of Ages reef while trying to enter Washington Harbor carrying 92,000 bushels of barley. For the archeologist, these two sites offer a museum-like exhibit on late 19^th century wooden ship construction. For the photographer they offer row after row after row of wooden timbers, frames and fasteners.

The visibility was horrible as we descended 35ft to the wreck site. From there I wanted to follow the wreckage trail down to 80ft where the paddle wheel was located. When filming, you need to select distinguishing features to highlight or else it all begins to the look the same. Down the wreckage we swam. When we reached the end, we kept swimming and swimming. I knew the others on the dive had to be wondering why I just kept swimming over a rocky bottom with no end in sight. Finally, we reached the paddle wheels. To me, it sounds a bit more impressive that it actually is. There is form to the feature, but its not very visually interesting. You have to know it’s a paddle wheel or any wow factor. No relief, just timbers on the bottom. As I descended down for a close shot, my buoyancy got away from me and I dropped in the silt and a cloud begin to emerge. I slowly began moving forward, just ahead of the looming cloud that would ruin any chance of shot. Not a great shot, but captured non the less.

The rest of the dive was far less successful. Susanna who was diving on open circuit, was running low on air so we needed to head back to the boat. The tether, on the other hand, was hung in the reef in the opposite direction. After swimming with Susana back to the upline, leaving Becky to hold the camera, I returned and swam up the reef to free the tether. On the way back to Becky, both my dilluent (air) and oxygen in my rebreather were nearly empty and my unit was screaming at me because I had been swimming against a current so long and it didn’t like the sustained increased breathing rate. Becky finished shooting at the end of the dive, while I was exhausted and simple followed along till we hit the down line. A less then inspiring dive or performance my me on the site, and of course the footage reflects it.

Burning Sunlight

2010-09-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - Calm to 2 feet. That’s what the forecast reads. We are up early, at the dock, loaded and heading to the Rock of Ages reef for my favorite (and hopefully best) dive in the park. Big day, three big shipwrecks to shoot.

The seas continued to lay down as we motored out Washington Harbor and headed past the Rock of Ages Lighthouse to the wreck of the Chisholm. This is the money shot for Isle Royale (so much so, it’s actually is on my business card!). Starting at about 110ft a massive dark feature begins to take shape. As you descend, at first glance it looks like a massive box, towering off the bottom maybe thirty feet high. Descending along side of it you begin to notice ornate embellishments in the ironworks along side the pipes, pistons, boilers and gears which are all laid out in a functional design. You soon realize this is an engine. Not just any engine, but a double-expansion, inverted, vertical, direct-acting steam engine with cylinders of 30 and 56 inches in diameter and a 48 inches stroke…which, as a photographer not and archeologist, means absolutely nothing to me except its massive. As you finally reach the bottom at about 150’ you find the engine still attached to the bottom of the hull and connected to the shaft and propeller as if in some museum display. One can even see the Roman numerals carved into the stern post marking current depth, or draft, of the vessel in its days afloat.

Chisholm Engine - 2009

I dropped to the bottom, flashed the OK? to Steve then checked the handset on my rebreather. Good to go all the way around. Slowly making my way along the base of the engine, down the propeller shaft and around to the propeller a rush came over me. The adrenaline of a great shot in the making. The fact I was at 150’ only added to the high. Steve and I stayed at the prop for a bit, set up a couple shots with a diver for scale then moved back to the engine area. The greatest challenge of this site, as with so many at Isle Royale, is capturing the scale. As I tipped the camera toward the surface, the glow of the ambient sunlight above separated the engine from the blackness it sits in. It just looked massive. No diver needed, this thing is huge! As Steve was diving traditional open circuit SCUBA, our bottom time as limited to 25 minutes to minimize decompression. Some of the fastest 25 minutes of my life. My favorite dive site, my favorite camera system…it was hard to say goodbye and head to the surface. Even though it had blown for so many days on the shoot, I ascended with a smile on my face. That would make the highlights reel.

Chisholm Prop - 2009

Guess What, Its Windy…Still

2010-09-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - After our run to the north shore and dive on the Emperor another front moved in and the winds attacked. The following day we once again returned to America to try to pick up an ROV shot (still nothing new to talk about with that old friend). The day after the wind was still kicking so we returned to the Silverton fish camp on Washington Island for more in-air 3D filming around the island. If the wind continues to blow this will end up being a 3D film about historic fish camps and scenic overlooks of Isle Royale!

Today I am pulling footage and rendered out some 3D to start building a highlights reel for the park to see before we leave. I use the word highlights generously as we have only covered 1 ½ of the 10 shipwrecks in the park on day 9 of a 11 day shoot. Ouch.

As I spend 4-6 months on the road in to so many National Parks around the country I truly depend on a ton of great people to make what I do possible. Boat operators, mechanics, bio techs, park managers and volunteers to name a few. They are the backbone of any underwater project. I have found that the best way for them to feel appreciated (in addition to saying thank you) is to include them in the process. If you have some good picture of them working or underwater share them. Last year (here at Isle Royale) we started sending a “picture of the day” our to the entire park staff so they could see what we were doing in their park. The response was great. So many individuals who had nothing to do with shipwrecks or diving mentioned to Steve Martin how much they enjoyed that or looked forward to it. Since I have been producing 3D for the Park Service, this has become even more important so those involved can see the format and why I have spent so much time and money shooting the past couple years.

I always love the first time someone in the parks gets to see good 3D. Its so different from anything they may have seen in the movies, because this is real. Its something they can identify with because its in their back yard. Its their park, their resources. So here I sit, cutting a “highlights” reel to show the park staff at some point during the project. In the back of my mind I hope this is a waste of time and the real highlights are yet to come WHEN the wind dies down.

2010-09-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

It Go Time

2010-09-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - The wind has settled, for the day, but the forecast is not good. We make an early break for the north shore to image one of the most impressive array of machinery in the park on the bow of the Emperor. The long boat ride has most of us dozing off, trying to say warm in the early morning. After a quick stop at Amygdaloid to change into our drysuits (and use the prettiest outhouse on the island) we are moored up to Emperor bow.

When the steel bulk freighter Emperor was launched in 1910 it was the largest ship ever built in Canada at 525 ft long. Seeing the site in the small, “visibility dependent” glimpses does nothing to underpin that fact. The sheer size of the machinery on the Emperors bow dwarfs the largest of divers. As Becky Shcott and ISRO Ranger and Park Dive Officer Steve Martin (no not him, the other one) slip into the water I am disappointed with the visibility. I swear, if its not the wind an underwater photographer is battling it’s the vis. We proceed over the folded and torn thick steel plating in the bow area and settled on the machinery.

This is what I had come for, the shot I was hoping to represent the massive scale of the these ships. I made a pass with the 3D camera. Not great. I motioned in Steve to hang by the windlass machinery for a sense of scale. As a side note, Steve has always been a quick study of my non verbal, sometimes frantic hand cues to swim, stay, hover, look at something. As underwater models go, Steve is not the best looking I have ever worked with (sorry Steve), but he is one of the most diligent and talented at staying in one spot. Hovering in one spot, looking like your actually investigating or examining something take after take after take is not all that easy. He pulled if off with style. Perhaps Steve’s’ greatest asset as a model is that he will stay planted “working” until I tap him and say otherwise. Nothing disengages a viewer quicker or ruins a shot faster than a diver who turns to see if I am still rolling, and stares directly into the camera with a deer in the headlights look. Not Steve. I could plant him on a feature, swim away and shoot an entire shipwreck and come back to find him still “investigating” the deck hoist.

We roll on a few other large features and swim around the bow structure. Every now and then out of the corner of my eye I see Becky poking into holes or areas worthy of exploring. She fights the urge to investigate and stays with me lighting and tending the fiber optic tether. Although not the vis I was hoping for or the time on the wreck we both wanted, I got the shot I came for. Time to move on while the weather window holds.

Visiting An Old Friend…Again

2010-09-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - I mentioned in an earlier post about returning to a shipwreck as re-visiting an old friend. You know how sometimes you run out of things to talk about with that old friend, conversation slows and it become a bit awkward. Welcome to my day, back on the America because its still blowing.

All is not lost, however. There are several shots that almost worked from our previous dives here two days ago that we can reshoot. Also, we have cleaned up the trim and cabling on the ROV so it’s not so “ghetto” as we say.

We spent a couple dives reshooting the ROV, although something still is off when it comes to style points. It seems to be sitting at an angle in the water and now one light is very dim. It looks a bit like a wounded robot who is trying to find its way out of the shipwreck, not a stout sophisticated machine investigating the dark recess of a sunken vessel. No matter, there is plenty of there shots to pick up on the wreck, so Becky Schott, WHOI contractor and co-owner Liquid Productions, and I move on.

On our second dive we decent down the stern of the vessel and pass through a slight thermo cline. Always the enemy of descent, the temperature drops from 51 to 42F. To the casual observer, the question may be posed, “what difference does that make, its all cold anyway?”. Correct. However for some reason it does. Somehow as your drysuit constricts even tighter against your body, the cold seems to work its way deeper towards your core. At first its noticed on anything exposed, which in water this cold is only our lips. Soon your arms begin to feel the temperature drop, then it creeps into your chest where it settles. After a few minutes of tying to ignore the chill, you begin to slightly shake and loose some dexterity in your finger. Holding the camera in a tight grip to frame a shot begins to be ache. Its starts to become difficult to turn around or change direction while underwater. All the dreaming of tropical beaches doesn’t help.

After dropping to the stern at 70’ and setting up a couple shots, we headed for shallower, “warmer” water. As we swam back up the ship to we hit a current running sideways to the ship which made shooting even more difficult. I attempted to pick up some shots on the shallow deck machinery on the bow, but between the current and not feeling various extremities anymore, I was done. Very rarely have I ever reviewed footage after a dive that “wasn’t working” only to be surprised an have it look great. Part of the discipline is knowing when your done, and I was, so we surfaced. May a great deal of time pass until I see you again my old friend America, so we have something new to talk about.

Hello Wind

2010-09-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - There are some project when you wake up and look out the window and just know how the day is going to go (or not go as the case may be). Generally its all about observing if the trees stand gracefully at attention or dance in a breeze. Of course, depending on where you happen to be staying, this requires a bit of interpretation. Staying in a protected forest, away from the water, slightly inland at Isle Royale and waking up to trees swaying in the wind is does not require much interpretation. Its blowing.

Although the winds are up, the day may not a compete washout because although Isle Royale is surrounded by Lake Superior, its shore line is a labyrinth of shoals, reefs and barrier islands often provide safe passage depending on wind direction. The island tracks in a northeast, southwest fashion. Because of that, if the wind is out of the north, you utilize the south shore for transit and diving. If the wind is out of the south, the north shore becomes your friend and protector. It seems the worst wind to have (based on my “local” knowledge) is a southwest wind. With this, not only are the 10 shipwreck sites exposed, but there is no protection as you run to them. Today’s forecast – Winds out of the southwest, 15-25 knots, seas 4 to 6 feet. Hello wind.

Fortunately for us, in addition to the shipwrecks of Isle Royale, the deep waters surrounding the island have long supported a historic fishing community. By 1894, there were forty boats operating on the island and many of these families continued fishing for several generations. Today, one can still find the remnants of those communities in one form or another. As part of capturing the entire story of Isle Royale we turn our 3D cameras “in air” to Washington Island, a historic fishing camp of the Silverton family. Nets, floats lines and other fishing gear still lay in the fish house where they were left decades ago. You could not fabricate a better set on a movie lot with kink of authenticity. An amazing time capsule of history.

The Weather Makes Me Nervous

2010-09-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - Today the weather looks good which brings up the first “director” call of the project. Option # 1 - to take advantage of the weather and make the 2 ½ run for the north shore of the island and dive any of the 3 shipwrecks there. The whims of Superior are tricky and it could be hard to get back. However, the cameras and ROV have been bench tested in the dorm, but not wet tested. 2 ½ hours is a long way to run the first day out. Option #2 – stay local, dive the 182ft wooded steamer America, which is generally reserved as our “bad weather” wreck. I placed my bet on good weather in the coming days and stayed local - insuring these systems are fully operational before we head further afield. Wrong move? The forecast seems to be betting against me, but time will tell.

To me, being back on a shipwreck your familiar with through previous dives always feels like seeing an old friend. Although the remains of the vessel rarely change much, each dive reveals something overlooked in previous dives, thus adding to experience much like new stories or catching up. The America is a shipwreck’s shipwreck. It looks and feels like a shipwreck. Minus some salvage activity post sinking and the superstructure gouged away by the ice, its all there. Staircases, galleys, engine and bunk rooms. You can swim down the passageways from the grand staircase into the great room while passing the remains of dinning tables and serving chests on the way. It’s a great dive. As I mentioned, generally its considered a “weather wreck” due to its protected location. Cant get out? Head to the America. Also, its close to Windigo where the majority of boaters make port when on the West End, so it has constantly been the parks front runner in dives per year by the visiting public.

Today’s objective was simply to image a couple shots of the remotely operated vehicle on the grand staircase and gets some 3D of the site. The more important task was to water test, trim the ROV and cameras and dial in our rebreathers and drysuits in the cold water of Superior. I hope I made the right call to stay local.

How Long Will It Take To Splash?

2010-09-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - What would seem to the casual observer as an quick and easy evolution to assemble dive gear, build cameras and get in the water in fact is not. What I have learned (and come to expect) over the past couple of years is just how time consuming this progression can be.

As the flag flew at half massed outside the Windigo visitor center, we spent the entire day today building and testing cameras. At this point I should probably pause to mention that these cameras are not your typical HD camcorder available at the local Best Buy. The Woods Hole 3D systems we shoot with are custom build stereo camera rigs from the imaging chip and lenses up. The boards, camera controls and telemetry are designed and fabricated by the engineers at WHOI. Each system is controlled by fiber optic’s and have custom power supplies and communication software to make them image.

Now, take all that fragile electronics, wrap it in bubble wrap, then foam, put in a hard shelled Pelican shipping case and place it in the hands of FedEx to throw as far a possible while loading the delivery trucks. Don’t get me wrong, I love FedEx. They have been the backbone of hundreds of equipment intensive projects in my career, but I swear, the heaver the case, the greater the challenge to make it airborne in shipping. So here we were, tightening screws, realigning cameras, fixing broken camera supports, etc, etc, etc. No dives today.

Gear, Gear Everywhere

2010-09-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

Isle Royale National Park - Anyone who chases the dream of actually breathing underwater realizes it is equipment intensive. At a bare minimum, one needs a tank to breath, a regulator to move that air from high pressure to low, a mask to see, a buoyancy compensator to assist with neutral buoyancy, some type of exposure suit to compensate for the cold water and fins to swim it all around. Now, add to that any type of underway task, say shooting pictures or making a documentary and you have a very full boat. Consider spending two weeks on an island in the middle of Lake Superior, the next location for the 3D documentary Underwater Wonders in the National Park Service, and you end up with seven boats.

Today the 3D team from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute’s (WHOI) Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory (AIVL) arrived on the Ranger III from Houghton, MI to Isle Royale National Park (ISRO). A small advance team from my office along with ISRO Ranger/Divers have been setting up logistics and making some dives in preparation for the 3D shoot. We off loaded all the required production equipment and dive gear from the Ranger II and began loading, case by heavy case, into the smaller park boats. As we filled the first two boats (32’ and 26’ respectively), a third 24’ patrol boat came on-line to assist with the 2 ½ transit of equipment to Windigo, the furthest point away on the south end island – where we would be staging for the next two weeks. When the third boat was full, yet another 32’ Bertram joined into the flotilla. We loaded the crew aboard and slowly the vessels departed. The shoot was on.

Tortugas 3D Production Team

2010-07-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

Back: John Roark, Brett Seymour, Jon, Adam Sarafian. Middle: Becky Schott, Maryann Keith, Susanna Pershern, Jim Koza. Front: Blue and Janie Douglas

Why 3D?

2010-07-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

Dry Tortugas NP - I guess I have not really explained why I have been so passionate about this 3D technology in these posts. Although I will be the first to admit I enjoy technology, for me its not about jumping on some marketing bandwagon as the term 3D has become. The simple number letter combo has become the latest cash cow for big business which ironically could sink the whole visual experience for the masses, but that is a whole other post. When I first saw what Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory at Woods Hole was doing with 3D several years ago I immediately began to relive my first experiences in the underwater world. Seeing it brought to life on a screen in an immersive visual experience was revolutionary for me as a photographer and filmmaker. This truly is the next best thing to being there. An visceral experience where the viewer engulfed in the submerged world but is not wet, cold or trying to stay alive. Also, these cameras tend to see much better than the human eye with a much wider perspective. To me, this was a personal holy grail as tool to share the underwater experience with the masses who will never be as fortunate to swim in this world for themselves. As I mentioned in previous blogs, this is exactly why I became an underwater photographer and work for the National Park Service. Years ago I saw the direct benefit to the NPS by developing a 3D capability to engage the public to the diversity and spectacular underwater environments in their national parks which have been set aside for the enjoyment and protection of this and future generations. Its not about replacing a personal experience of diving these reefs and wrecks in the Tortugas but engaging and exciting the public to come experience it for themselves. If they cant make the journey, they should not be excluded…we can bring it to them in 3D.

Thats a Wrap!

2010-07-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Its kind of a cliché, but after a long filming project where everyone has worked so hard and on the last day, the last dive and even the last shot is one of the most spectacular of the entire production its very rewarding to actually say “that’s a wrap”. Today was phenomenal. We spent the majority of the day on the backside of an island called Loggerhead Key. If you can picture the most remote, uninhabited white sandy beaches with warm tropical water gently lapping the shore and vibrant coral reefs within snorkeling distance, you have only begun to image the beauty of Loggerhead. As Jimmy Buffett one wrote, for years it has been my “One Particular Harbor”

“I know I don't get there often enough but God knows I surely try it's a magic kind of medicine that no doctor could prescribe

But there's this one particular harbor so far but yet so near where I see the days as they fade away, and finally disappear”

After shooting in the coral reefs at Loggerhead we decided to follow up on a lead that Kelly Clark, a friend and fellow photographer who works at Fort Jefferson, gave us about the old coaling docks right next to the fort adjacent to the anchorage. Next to the moat walls surrounding the fort, this is the most popular destination for day trippers on the tourist ferries. With the entire 100 square miles of national park to shoot in, I found it hard to believe that something so close and easy would pay off. Of course, I was wrong. The coaling docks in the afternoon light were a paradise of corals and fish. Schooling bait fish by the millions pulsed in rhythm in front of the cameras creating highways of movement. Large barracudas, attracted by the reflection of the camera port swam within inches. Even the 5ft tarpon and snook, fish that don’t want anything to do with awkward humans underwater, swam gingerly past the cameras as if to pose because they knew how desperately we needed the footage. It was a spectacular day. It was a day in the Tortugas.

At the coaling dock everywhere I pointed the camera Maryann would yell into the diver communications from the boat topside “stop, stop, stop…this looks awesome”. The light was so good, the fish so cooperative and the coral so vibrant we stayed long enough to kill the batteries in the diver communications. Maryann and I were yelling camera moves back and forth to each other from the boat to the coaling docks because the camera monitor had also died. And for only the second time in thousands of dives, I drained my tank of every available breath. Literally when I could not breath anymore, I stood up, pulled my OTS full face mask off and said “that’s a wrap!” And yes, I was smiling!

Money Shot

2010-07-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

The WHOI crew left today with most of the gear except for the bare essentials to keep the 3D rigs rolling (which would fill a pickup). The Woods Hole 3D all-star, Marryann also agreed to stay on a couple days. Either she saw the potential of this wonderful place and wanted to capture it in 3D when the sun was out…or she simply had pity for me and the bad weather we have been stuck under until now. Either way, I’m just pleased she is still here and we are still shooting.

We finally got the money shots for the Tortugas part of the documentary on a shipwreck site called the Windjammer. The visibility was better than I have seen in it in years and we were there rolling in the soft afternoon sun to capture it. This particular site is the iconic Tortugas shot. A steel hulled windjammer type vessel called the Avanti that sank in 1907. Because of its structure which spans the sea floor to just above the waters surface, the marine life, both corals and millions of fish, make it the most visited site in the park to those who have boat access. This is the shot I have seen in my minds eye for so long. I have to say, to see it in 3D for the first time was a reminder of my first dive on it 16 years ago. Finally, its only day 11 of a 10 day expedition.

Sun!

2010-07-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Dry Tortugas NP - Today, the Tortugas finally returned to its hot muggy miserable summer self. I was smiling from ear to ear as I slathered myself in 45 weight sunscreen. Technically this is the last day of the shoot, however I have concocted a plan to keep the 3D cameras and Maryann Keith, the 3D specialist from Woods Hole, hostage through the weekend to pick up a couple more days of shooting. I kept telling the team that all the tape stock we have already burnt under the grey skies was merely scouting for these next couple days. This crew is far experienced to believe a word of it but I don’t care, at least the sun is shining and we are rolling!

Making It Look Good.

2010-07-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

John Roark and Maryann Keith from the Woods Hole Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory below deck on our camera/dive boat.

Celebrating our Independence at a Civil War Prison…Sort of

2010-07-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

Dry Tortugas NP - Today the grayness which has plagued this shoot continued, except we were also blessed with high winds and rain. The perfect mixture if you don’t want to shoot underwater. The production crew attended a small cookout hosted by the Park Service staff that reside and work on the island. There has always been a certain deserted island mentality to working here over the years. If you need it and I have it, its yours. Relying on a sense of community takes on a whole new meaning in the middle of the Gulf. Something that seems to be lacking in the typical US neighborhoods of today.

Here on a tiny rock 90 miles from Cuba surrounded by a very big ocean there were very few reminders of the 4^th of July. When your working 12-14hrs a day, every day of the week you tend not to recall what month it is, much less what day. Holidays are something that happen somewhere far away with parades and family cookouts. Even here, I had two very brief reminders of independence. First I thought about how much it would have absolutely sucked to be a be here during Fort Jefferson’s construction or its use as a civil war prison, as a prisoner or guard. Everything I have ever seen about the way of life during that period seemed difficult enough without being cut off from the world in the middle of the ocean wearing wool uniforms. The second salute to the 4^th was some random visitor belting out the star spangled banner with an operatic twist from a distant casemate within the fort. Considering the distance from the mainland and how depressing its been not being able to generate good footage, he actually sounded quite good. I guess everything in life is relative.

Long Days...Good Light

2010-07-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

MV Fort Jefferson

2010-06-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Our base of operations, the MV Fort Jefferson docked at Dry Tortugas National Park.

Traveling Lite

2010-06-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

Key West, FL - One of our five pallets of camera gear being loaded onto the MV Fort Jefferson in Key West.

Underwater Wonders 3D - Tortugas

2010-06-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

My first production when I graduated from film school was a public service announcement (PSA) with Gene Hackman about shipwreck preservation back in 1994. I was a summer volunteer in the National Park Service’s Volunteer in Parks (VIP) program at Dry Tortugas National Park with the Submerged Cultural Resources Unit, or SCRU. I was the project grunt with little responsibility except filling dozens of tanks nightly, holding the dumb end of the tape measure for archeological site maps and photographing the occasional site features. I even managed a small inventory of Nikons IV’s and V’s for the team. Sometime during that field project the SCRU staff photographer/producer came down for a couple weeks to shoot the Hackman PSA’s and a documentary about the park. I spent most of that time trailing behind him carry equipment, being yelled at and trying to act like I knew what I was doing.

Although I have been back to in the Tortugas several times in the past 16 years, this trip is different. This time I am working on my own documentary. I am here directing a talented 3D production team for the second shoot in the Underwater Wonders of the National Park Service which is a 3D film highlighting the spectacular diversity throughout the NPS. The crew consists of my stalwart production assistant Jim Koza, the new photographer with the NPS SRC, Susanna Pershern and a team from the Advanced Imaging and Visualization Laboratory team from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

From the earliest discussions of production design, the Dry Tortugas were always at the top of the locations list because the phenomenal coral reef environments, shipwrecks and historical Fort Jefferson. Ever since my first summer on this tiny island overshadowed by a fortification of 16 million bricks surrounded by tropical waters, I have wanted to make movies here. In fact, technically, my first NPS production was a type of video diary of spectacular (and often out of focus) underwater footage that I made for my mom (still my biggest fan) when I was here that first summer.

From my first NPS production, to my largest and most ambition to date, the Dry Tortugas have formed a type of bookends framing my career to date. I’m not planning go going anywhere, but its good to be back and tell the story of this underwater paradise through my lens. The fact that it’s a 3D lens makes it that much cooler!

TRADEWINDS covers 3D shoot

2010-05-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

Tradewinds, the local paper on St. John USVI, did a great job promoting the 3D shoot at Virgin Islands National Park.

Click here to read the entire article

Shooting 3D

2010-04-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

This shot was taken by my colleague and fellow underwater photography Susanna Pershern. We recently hired her on at the Submerged Resources Center and judging from both her shooting ability and the locations she put us on while filming she looks like a great investment in our future. In this image, I am shooting an isolated, but very healthy patch of elk horn coral.

A Family Adventure

2010-04-30T17:17:00.000-07:00

Last year I wrote a blog about my family being able to travel with me to the Bahamas for a catalog shoot I did for Ocean Technologies Systems. I said something like "would it be possible to run every assignment like this???". Well, lighting does strike twice (an hopefully many more times in my career) because Elizabeth, Cameron and Chase are able to join me and the NPS team here in the Virgin Islands for two weeks as I run the 3D shoot with Woods Hole. Although I haven't get to spend much time with them these past two weeks, it has been an awesome thing to come home to their waterlogged tales of high sea adventure and exploration at the pool or beach. Seeing the world through there eyes makes my life seem quite mundane.

Click here for web gallery of fun in the VI sun.

Hawksnest Bay, USVI

2010-04-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

3D Cinematographer Evan Kovacs from the Advanced Imaging and Visualization Lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution checks the setup on the underwater 3D camera system. One of the primary objectives on the shoot was to document the endangered species of elkhorn coral found at Virgin Islands National Park.

Underwater Wonders of the National Parks - 3D

2010-04-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

Although most of my post here deal with underwater photography, for the past couple years I have been working with the Advanced Imaging and Visualization Lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to develop 3D HD films for the National Park Service. Together we have shot 3D in Yellowstone NP, Lake Mead NRA and the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

Currently we are shooting underwater 3D in Virgin Island NP as part of a production titled “Underwater Wonders of the National Parks” that I am producing for the NPS. The concept is to bring the underwater world of the of the NPS to the public in an informative, engaging and most of all immersive experience though the use of 3D. Together with WHOI we have developed portable 3D viewing systems to bring into classrooms and conferences to reach a wide and diverse audience. Stay tuned to the blog for upcoming shoots in Dry Tortugas NP in July, Isle Royale NP in September and Channel Islands NP in November.

Fun on St. John, US Virgin Islands

2010-04-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

While working on the 3D shoot in the Virgin Islands National Park, Cameron, Chase and Elizabeth had some fun at the world famous Trunk Bay, St John. Many thanks to Stacy Granger for putting this together out of the kindness of her heart. (click below)

Trunk Bay, St. John, USVI

Reflections of Vietnam

2010-03-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam - I honestly had no pre-conceived notion of what the Vietnamese culture, people or landscape would be. Sure, I have seen Vietnam portrayed through the lens of films, but as a student of medium I tend not to build my worldview on that which is spoon fed to me by Hollywood. The culture was a fascinating mix of incredibly industrious individuals who lived against an ancient backdrop of pagodas and rice paddies. The urban settings of Ho Chi Min, Da Nang and Hanoi were frantic and energized with motor bikes, shops selling all manner of consumables and large billboards promoting socialist agendas. Yet just outside these mecca’s were rural communities struggling to exist and support each other. On any corner, on any roadside there were individuals making the most of what they were given. If they lived by a river and could catch fish, it was fish they would sell. If they lived by mountain made of marble, they carved and sold elaborate statues made of marble. Everywhere I traveled, someone was selling something. At times I would simply think, who is buying? Then I realized it’s the local community that’s buying. There is no “one-stop” shopping in the Vietnam I visited. If you want building lumber you go where the wood is. If you need the nails, that’s next door. A hammer or saw, that’s down the road a bit. Each one of these stops supports individuals, not the stock options of shareholders or overseas mass produced products. While the American viewpoint would simply dismiss this shopping “inconvenience” as annoying, to the masses around the world this is life. To them, this community is their lifestyle. As an outsider looking in, this community seems to instill a greater sense of purpose among the individuals. Sure they are poor. Sure they want to improve their quality of life for their family, but so many were grateful for what they had – and most did not have much. It made me think when America reflected this sense of individual industriousness and community and how in our great quest for convenience we seemed to have lost it. We always seem to refer to countries like Vietnam as “developing” - it makes me question the end goal if America is the model of “developed”.

Socialist Reminders

2010-03-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

Vietnam Story

2010-03-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Sac Son, Vietnam - We traveled north to visit one of Hanoi’s poorest areas, the Soc Son District were UniReach and its partners had assisted in the construction of a new school designed to be a prototype for inclusive school buildings throughout the country. Handicapped children have traditionally been ignored in Vietnam. Literally hidden away from society by family and overlooked by the socialist government. Today this prototype school educates 300 students, with 120 having special needs.

While we were there we encountered a recent graduate. Although 19, here physical impairments made her looks far younger. A girl had such a sweet spirit and a smile that lit up the room. The school had taught her a trade – sewing, and she had gone on to become a seamstress. Although a success story on the surface, after more discussion we learned she worked from 7am to 6pm seven days a week. For her labor, her monthly income was $30 – a staggering $1 a day. Due to here impairments she lives with here parents to which she gives all her income. When we asked her if she liked her work and what she wanted out of the future her countenance sank if only for a second – an expression I will never forget. Then, almost as if she realized she was required to be optimistic for the sake of foreigners or the cameras, she rallied, flashed a smile, and responded she didn’t know what the future would bring – after all she was handicapped.

Happy Socialists

2010-03-30T14:31:00.000-07:00