An Island from another Continent

While I've had numerous assignments over my career none more interesting the the one I'm about to describe. I recently received an email from a young lady in Spain, she explained that she was a college student and asked if I might be interested in taking part in her school project; I'm normally wary of odd sounding emails from spamers or phishers but this time the email sounded sincere and the request was too odd to be a hoax. So I decided to respond.

It seems Lucia, the name of the young student, had contacted photographers from all over the world asking if they would be interested in taking part in her project, "An Island From Another Continent". The object was simple, she would send a stone from her native Spain and the assignment was to photograph the stone in a purely natural environment, no roads, power lines or anything else that would reveal the hand of man. And, there was catch, once the photographs were taken I am to leave the stone in its new home and send her a stone from here that she will place in her home. Hence both stones become islands from another continent.

So, over the next few weeks I will be taking my Spanish stone along with me as I photograph in several of the more famous locations near my home in Montana, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. My last shooting destination will be in Glacier and will become the stones new home. And, and ironic catch to the story, I've been to Spain as a matter a fact I was born there some 54 years ago but left when I was very young and really have no memory of it. Someday I hope to see the country of my birth and, with luck, visit the region were my Island from another Continent originated.

If you've experienced a similar unusual request and would like to share it with the followers of my Blog, please feel free.......I'm sure it will make someones day.

An update to the story; the little Spanish stone is in its new home in Yellowstone.  The images have been sent to Spain and will be used in Lucia's presentation on the 15th of December.  I guess this means the story has a happy ending....................

The Beginning!

By launching a Blog I hope to begin a conversation among fellow photographers, share knowledge and information and keep followers updated of my adventures across the natural world.

While teaching photography for the past 16 year I've had at least one "Ah Ha" moment each semester as a students approach or understanding of a problem has allowed me to see it in a completely different light. As such I hope to share and learn from the Blog.

So, lets get started; The world of photography has taken a quantum leap in the past 10 years, as a professional photographer how do we continue to capture images of the natural world in ways that we have yet to imagine?

Entering the Blogosphere

In the next few days I'll be taking my first baby steps into the world of the blogosphere, I hope you'll join me in my travels.