of comments, (blushing) !
first to answer some of the questions. I would not ever dare to trust anyone with the processing of this film, Even after this film was processed and images were shown to very important companies in anchorage, I was met with a bunch of thieves, United Bank of Alaska (now bankrupt) stole two albums, British Petrolium (like they have to steal?) they stole 75 images.
Alaska printing company stole a complete set of color seperations I had made, suddenlly when they called me to come pick them up, they dissappeared. Give us another negative, I said bye!
Graphics Art Publishinig Company Portand Orgeon, ripped me off big time, they published a huge white coffee table type book
Alaska's Arctic.
My images start at page 128.
Sommerville Mass. ?? ha ha I have worked in Somerville mass, Many times.
Have I ever considered writing a book, yes sure, but publishers want material, I am not going to trust anyone ever again, not unless I have solid proof of not just another scam. I have been published in many books, magazines, and other type of periodicals, and such.
Back out.. ... to the ocean ice.This is a different world out here, a different planet, a frozen planet of ICE. So much of your world doesn't apply here and so much of our world doesn't apply to where you live. But we have time tested tricks. to keep warm way out here, we do things that you would never think of. We have ways to keep warm you would never or could ever experience either.
18 whaling camps are spaced out 1/2 - 3/4 a mile apart along the lead opening, some families stay together, but all in all, over 600 people are living out here at this very moment in time.
Hunting for food to last until next year.
Why did I use film instead of digital ? well in 1982 there were no digital, now a days, ha ha ha. go ahead, bring that digital rig down to the ocean ice and mount it on a tripod in that wind @ 50 below zero. THAT CAMERA won't last 12 hours, never mind 12 weeks, out in that cold, NO PLACE TO GO to warm it up and if you did, once inside you would not be able to take that camera back outside for many hours due to the sweating of the camera once it gets back inside.
Out here, all the manufactures hype and advertisements do not mean squat.
I had to literally chip ice out of the viewfinder every morning once the sun came up to reveal a camera totally encased in ice some 1/16" thick. the controls would work, sluggish and the ice would crack when the focus ring or aperture ring or shutter controls were moved.
Changing film was an excercise in pure torture ! I would scream, when I had to change film, especially on this day. I remembe it well it was 60 below, actual temp, wth winds at 45mph or greater.
See that ice on the other side of the lead opening ? it is moving very quickly from right to left in this image due to the strong north wind. It is very easy to hallucinate out here,
do not watch that ice moving.They would alwys break out in great laughter watching me fall over because I was watching that ice too much. This is what happens, as you begin to focus and watch that ice, suddenly, it will STOP and you will begin to "feel" as though your moving in the opposite direction and I fell over, time and time again.
When the wind shifts to south wind, we must evacuate, run like hell, run for your lives, ice is coming and it will run right over everything in its path crushing without mercy anything and everything that is out there. so when that wind shifts, we have less than 20 minutes to scramble, 600 people trying to get off that ice as fast as possible this is what is heading our way
When we evacuate the ice. everything must be taken off that ice. every person must be accounted for, it is very easy to get caught on the wrong side of the ice. when this happens you usually find out, when it is too late. Drifting off to no where, no way to get back. some have survived this and lived to tell strange tales of their rescue.
This has to be a
first, delivering free 11 x 14 gorgeous color prints down to the ice to pass out to everyone, no charge !
This is another typical whaling camp, that wind is fierce, but this is home for 8 weeks or longer, and we wait, watch, listen, and hope we have a successful year, last year we caught no whales, no whaling festival, other villages shipped down at great expense shares to feed the village.
The tents in the background are for the women only, and the boyer. The hunters sleep at edge of the ice. NO TENTS !
The children when they play out often mimic their parents. It doesn't matter what the temperature is, these children will stay out and play out for days and days.
Out here on the ice. you experience some bizarre feelings, one side of your face is sweating from the blinding intense sun and the other side is being frost bit.
Wait,watch,listen. this is the Eskimo way, wait!
Always vigilant, ever watching, for any sign of animal activity. As far as the eye can see and out here that is a lot of distance to cover.
more to come soon!
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