We can plan our shots as carefully as we might, but luck plays its part too. There are always factors we cannot control, from people to weather to wildlife.
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Wilpattu National Park is one of the largest and oldest national parks in Sri Lanka. Its name is derived from the Sinhala words ‘Willu-pattu’, meaning ‘land of lakes’. The landscape is a mix of dense jungle, open grassy plains and the sand-rimmed water basins that gave it its name.
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When our tour company, Selective Asia, suggested we might like a stay at the unique Mudhouse in western Sri Lanka we were in two minds. Would we love the ‘back to nature’ vibe or would we find sleeping in the semi-open with few ‘mod cons’ too much of a challenge? But we took the plunge, booked a two-night stay, and it proved to be a great decision.
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I often feel the need to seek adventures abroad, especially in the tail-end of winter. So for most of February I have been in Sri Lanka, enjoying a mix of wildlife, culture and a bit of relaxation. This therefore will be a rather different monthly round-up from usual.
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All photographers recognise that juxtaposing opposites in an image, or in a pair of images, creates an interesting tension for the viewer. Life is made up of opposites: big and small, old and young, light and dark, and yes, full and empty.
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If you could choose a superpower, what would you opt for? Many of us, I think, would choose the ability to fly. Haven’t you sometimes watched a bird ride the thermals and wish that you could do the same? Or looked down at the earth from a plane and wish to be able to enjoy such views all the time?
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On the final day of our expedition cruise we enjoyed enjoy a final walk on Spitsbergen and, as on every day of this trip, some special wildlife sightings. Our last full day on board started well, with a sighting of a large pod of beluga whales off the port bow.
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Anyone who thinks of the Arctic as a bleak and desolate place, devoid of life, needs only to visit the bird cliffs of Alkefjellet to dispel that illusion. I have never seen so much activity, so much life, concentrated in one small area.
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We were to see Svalbard at its most dramatic and bleak today. Yesterday’s weather had been surprisingly (unnaturally) warm, but today, though still milder than we had anticipated, was much more mixed. But rain or shine, this landscape is unrivalled in its beauty.
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We were to experience a sense of peace on every day of this trip, the silence often only broken by the noise of the kittiwakes and other birds. Surprisingly today we were also to experience warm sunshine; not something I expected to find in Svalbard.
