ISSUE # 04 * JUNE 2013
www.northernlandscape.org
NORTHERN LANDSCAPE
HAVING COFFEE WITH VOLUNTARYRANGER THIS IS (HI)STORY! FINISHES THE ROADTRIP ON RUSSIA!
NORTHERN WINDS: MODERN SLAVERY
FEATURED WORK JPG VS. RAW TUTORIAL THE BIG CHALLENGE
COVER
Britain’s Favourite View? by VoluntaryRanger Wastwater in the Wasdale Valley( in the English Lake District National Park)
2 • Northern Landscape Magazine
FROM THE EDITOR It seems like yesterday that I took over the group, but it has been already five months. So much has changed since we had that dead abandoned group to the active Northern Landscape community that we have today. One of those things that have changed was the monthly challenges. I try to do my best in order to assure that everything will go according to “the book” and that no one will ever get unhappy because something was not fair. In the beginning of this month, after the last BIG challenge was over, one user came to me asking what the criteria was in order to decide the second place in case of a tie (which happened on the last BIG challenge). My dear people, let me tell you what I felt when I read that question: I felt like I was free falling, like someone had pulled the floor from my feet, if you know what I mean. My first though: “DAMN IT!”. With so many things that I took care of and changed, so careful I was with everything so that there would not be any low pole, and I forgot to tell people what would happen in case of a tie on the second place. I felt stupid! I don’t know if anyone else out there had the same question, probably there was but they never came to me asking. This is a relevant question to talk about especially because we already had a tie on the first place and I did a tie breaker. So why not doing a tie on the second place as well, since there is a prize for the second place? This is a legitimate question, no doubt about it. So why didn’t I do it? There is a very simple answer my dear group members: time! Time is of the essence around here. It is not easy to have a family, run a multimedia company and still fit in time to run a RB group with a magazine, facebook profile, twitter account and own website. Therefore I did decide that there would not be any tie breaker for second places... It’s a question of saving time! Therefore, in case of a tie, the winner will be the one who have received the first vote first (that is how RB determines who gets ahead in case of a tie!). “Unfair”, many of you will say, but the truth is, I cannot clone myself. It’s like playing in the lottery, yes, but this is the way it is going to be, at least until I find more spare time...
Editor Chief
João Figueiredo
Test readers João Figueiredo
Graphic Artist João Figueiredo
Tutorials by João Figueiredo
Web site www.northernlandscape.org
E-mail contact info@northernlandscape.org
Featured artist VoluntaryRanger
Thank you for your comprehension! Your host João Figueiredo Northern Landscape Magazine • 3
02 About the cover 03 From the editor & technical data 06 Northern winds - Modern slavery: Is this the engine of our Northern lifestyle?
14 June features 82 The BIG Challenge ~ June 88 Featured artist - VoluntaryRanger 89 Having coffee with VoluntaryRanger + his Featured works
102 NLM photo tutorial #4 - JPG vs. raw: let the battle begin!
108 This is (hi)story! 120 Northern Landscape: Some facts 123 Back cover artist 124 Back cover 4 • Northern Landscape Magazine
INDEX
Northern Landscape Magazine • 5
Norden winds
Modern slave engine of our lifestyle? T
his is the question I have bee asking myself for a while. So for this issue of the NLM I decided to talk about this issue: modern slavery. Portugal was the very first country in Europe to end with slavery in 1761, after Japan had done the same in 1590. Many followed those steps but it seems that somehow slavery has never really ended, did it? The truth is that slavery is all over the place and all around our common wealth and life style her in the most northern countries of the globe. When you go to the super market or to the grocery shop to bring home things you consider to be essential or even traditional from your region/country, have you really thought about how well paid people in your country are and how come you can still buy those products at a very low price? Let’s make an exercise: ICA is by far the most widespread and popular supermarket chain
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in Sweden. They are simply a reference that I am using here due to their popularity but I could be using any other, like LIDL, NETO, CITY GROSS, etc. In any ICA shop, you can buy a 250g package of frozen Blueberries mixed with Raspberries for only 19,90SEK which is around 2,97US$ at the current exchange rating. Is it cheap or what? But how does this price reflects the product itself and the process of manufacturing? How do berries get on a nicely packed box on the freezer in every ICA supermarket all over the country? Somebody had to plant the berries, somebody had to pick them up, somebody had to transport them into a warehouse, somebody had to put all those berries into the washing machines who would later process them into boxes, someone had to put all those boxes into a freezer, someone had to pack all those boxes into bigger packages so that they could be stacked on a truck, somebody had to load the truck, somebody had to drive those
ery: Is this the r Northern trucks all over the country to every single one of the ICA shops, somebody had to unload all those trucks and put the packages in the freezers in every single ICA shop in the whole Sweden. Now, after all this, have you already stop for a minute and though about how come does 2,97US$ pay for thousands of people that collect the berries, people who manage warehouses, people who work for transporting companies, employees in all those ICA shops, pay for all the electricity spent during the freezing process, diesel and gasoline during the transportation process, pay for all other costs like insurances and others and on the top of it, still have to give profit to every single company involved in this process. Many of you will say something like “Off course 2,97US$ don’t pay for all this but those ICA shops sell thousands of boxes a day, and that will pay for it!”. I wish I
could be that naive. As a person who watches and reads the news almost every day, I know that this is a much complex and darker process than just selling thousands of cheap products in order to pay a big expense. Have you already met some local person, born and raised in the country that is in the field under rain and sun collecting these berries? I never have and I bet you didn’t! Not only I bet you didn’t but I can bet as well that you don’t know anyone born and raised in our countries that wants to do that for a living! Let’s find out why? A very quick search on the SVT (Swedish state TV) with the word “bärplockare” (Swedish for berry picker) brings me an endless list of articles and videos about only, and I repeat the word, ONLY bad news about this issue in the first page. I open a few ones and what do I see
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in the headlines? “Wage in Sweden, just a few Swedish Kronor” followed by a picture of a berry picker with two coins in his hand. Underneath the photo you can read “Flera brottsutredningar inledda. Nu utreds människohandelsbrott i Bulgarien efter att flera hundra bärplockare blev strandsatta i Sverige tidigare i sommar.”. Still in the same article you can read “Another berry picker who feels cheated is Stoyan Neydenova who says that they had to look for food in garbage cans. Stoyan also tells pickers became gun threatened.”.
18500SEK (around 2768,30US$ at the current exchange rate) under six month time. They were promised a house to stay with water, heating, feeding and transportation as well as an 8h working day with weekends off. Everything was in the contract that they still signed in Cameroon. Attracted by so much money, those people in Cameroon had to sell their own houses or family lands in order to get the money to buy a one way ticket to Sweden.
When they arrive to Sweden, the deal had changed. Suddenly they saw themselves In another article I can read: “Berry-pickers with a contract of 12 hour working day with families blackmailed at home”, “He was going no right to weekends or holidays, and just a to burn down our homes.” Today, more of the few Öre (cents of a SEK) per tree that was Bulgarian berry pickers who were stranded in planted. In the end of the month, they would Sweden were allowed get around 4000SEK. to go home. Many of The story does not end Every year, millions of peothem came here in here: The house given minibuses, recruited ple are treated like slaves, to them was nothing by traffickers in recent many of those come to but a very old house days blackmailed berfull with leaks in the isothe “northern countries” to ry-pickers’ families.” lation, no warming sysdo work that nobody else tem and the food given In a third article I can wants to do and most of the to them by their boss read that more than was rice and chicken times they end up being 6000 people comalmost every day. Even ing from Thailand are cheated by their own boss- worse, the chicken that expected to come for es. Everything in the name was supplied was still berry picking... It just of the quick and big profit alive! doesn’t stop. and cheap product in the When those man startUnfortunately this is not supermarket... ed to get angry and something exclusive asked for what had from berries. If you buy something else, you been promised in first place, their boss most certainly have the same stories behind would threaten them with information taken the products. It can be the case of wood. from Google Earth (in order to know where Wood that you buy in shape of a wooden did they live so that it would look like that toy, some piece of furniture, a frame, wood he had a spy in Cameroon) and threatened for your fireplace, etc. I will now tell about them of burning their houses with their famianother case also occurred in Sweden - No, lies in. this is not an attack to Sweden, but if I live here I will off course have more knowl- In the end, after all the trees had been platedge of what happens here in Sweden. ed (and before the 6 months had passed), Unfortunately these and other situations they were simply abandoned by their boss. are also happening in other countries... - Because they refused to leave the old house the case of around 40 people who were they were staying since they had no money hired in Cameroon for planting trees in the to go back home, their former boss started woodlands on Lapland, northernmost part to call the Police accusing them for tresof Sweden. They were promised a wage of passing. Things got so bad at a certain point
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that they were forced to take busses and trains to Stockholm in order to try to get in touch with the embassy.
You can see here a whole video of the tv show. And here you can see how did the 40 Cameroonian man received the new that they would be compensated. Yes, both are videos in Swedish, but the images tell a lot more than what words can say. Besides, those Cameroonian people speak English or French.
Yes, there is a happy ending coming! During that trip they manage to meet a person that heard their story. As amazing as it may sound, that person knew of another Swedish woman who is married to a Cameroonian man in Gothenburg, and they were willing to help in any way they could. Suddenly there Another case of unfair working conditions for was a new plan: Travel to Gothenburg. In the extreme profit is the case of Dole Food. USA fall of 2012 that couple decides to take con- citizens have probably never heard of this tact with the SVT (Swedish state TV) to see if story because Dole Food has been trying they could release the new in their evening to block (successfully) this story in as many news and they got an even better deal: The countries as possible. We are still going to SVT decided to have their story instead in talk about a Swedish person, but this time he a very famous investigation show called is going to be a big hero. “Uppdrag gransking” - Mission investigation”. In this show they did try to get in touch with Fredrik Gertten, born in Malmö (Sweden) is all parts but off course, a movie director and the they were threatened by author of the documenNot only Dole food has the Cameroonian former tary called “Bananas!*” boss of defamation and been using cheap and released in 2009. This trespassing. The new underpaid handwork (...) documentary talks about spread out in the whole the production methbut has well has been Sweden like fire in dry ods used by the North hay and it generated a using hazardous methods American company Dole huge debate in all cor- in their banana production Food. During decades, ners of society. Quickly in central America, caus- not only Dole food has an investigation was been using cheap and started by the authori- ing infertility and death in underpaid handwork their workers. ties and the media had (contributing this way to a new target now. You the increasing of povcould hear about the case every single day. erty in areas that are already poor) but has well has been using hazardous methods in The locals in Gothenburg quickly started a their banana production in central America, group to gather the money that should been causing infertility and death in their workpaid to the workers so that they could get ers. When in 2009 a group of workers from back home as well as they were supplying a banana plantation decided to move into them with places to sleep and food. This court against Dole Food, Fredrik Gertten initiative quickly spread all over the country decided to make a documentary about this and had the support of politics, entrepre- process. He travels therefore to Nicaragua, neurs and “usual” people as well. Recently, directly into the village where these people the authorities manage to obligate their for- live. Once over there, Fredrik starts to intermer boss to pay them what was promised: view the workers and the villagers, filming “Agreement: The workers from Cameroon their lifestyle and the banana plantations. who had been employed by the compa- The workers tell the filming crew that they ny Skogsnicke will get salary according to found out that Dole uses airplanes to pulSwedish collective agreements. It has been verize entire plantations with the pesticide unions and the employers on a central level DBCP, a long forbidden substance due to agreed.”. causing infertility, poisoning and death. Let’s
Northern Landscape Magazine • 9
see what Wikipedia says about this sub- site and see the official trailer as well as buy stance: the movie. Also in their official website you can read about other cases related with simi“In mammals it causes male sterility at high lar food scandals all over the world, related levels of exposure. After discovery of its or not with Dole Food like “Philippine banana deleterious health effects on humans, the workers demands answers for pesticide lawcompound was banned from use in 1979 by suits” for instance. the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The continuing presence of Thanks to these and many other cases, peothe chemical as a contaminant in ground ple get to buy the most traditional local prodwater remains a problem for many commu- ucts, in this case, berries in order to bake pies, nities for years after end of use.”. make juice, jam, whatever. And the worst part is that this is a process that is not exclusive to I am going to keep on quoting Wikipedia for ICA or Dole Food or any other company like I those who have never had the opportunity to already said, it is a process that repeats itself see the documentary in order to describe in in every single shop all over the world. a succinct and objective way: The most preconceived idea of modern slav“The film was criticized by Dole for contain- ery is what it is called nowadays as “Human ing “patent falsehoods”. After a screening at Trafficking” which consists basically in sellthe Los Angeles Film ing and buying people, Festival in June 2009, We are talking about an adults and children for Gertten was sued for the most various purdefamation by Dole on industry that makes 32 bil- poses. According to the 8 July. The lawsuit was lion dollars worldwide per UN, they can be: Bridepreceded by threats of year, in which 15,5 billion buying, child camel legal action from Dole child labor, are made in industrialized jockey, aimed against the LA child laundering, comFilm Festival, which countries! We are talking fort woman, commerresulted in sponsors about the world’s 3rd big- cial sexual exploitation pulling support and gest illegal industry right of children, debt bondthe film being removed age, exploitation, forced after drugs and counterfeitfrom competition. Dole labor, forced prostitudropped their lawsuit ing of products. tion, illegal immigration, against Fredrik Gertten kidnapping, military use and Bananas!* on 15 October 2009. of children, people smuggling, organized crime, sharecropping, and many others. We In September 2009, the Swedish parlia- are talking about an industry that makes 32 ment members Mats Johansson and Luciano billion dollars worldwide per year, in which Astudillo took the initiative of displaying the 15,5 billion are made in industrialized counmovie in the Parliament of Sweden, this tries! We are talking about the world’s 3rd being its premiere in Sweden. biggest illegal industry right after drugs and counterfeiting of products. In late 2010 a court in Los Angeles decided in favor of the movie crew, making it possible to Make no mistake, this is just another disrelease the film in the USA. A judge awarded guised (if you really want to describe it like the filmmakers nearly $200,000 in fees and that!) form of slavery. Before, slaves were not costs. Later on in 2011, Gertten directed the allowed to have families, reproduce, orgafilm Big Boys Gone Bananas!* about how the nize themselves in societies or organizations, company was sued by Dole.”. they were not allowed to rest, speak freely or ask for better working conditions. Many times Furthermore, you can visit their official web- they did not even have the right to eat
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or drink! Break any of these and other rules, and they would be brutally punished with violence or even murdered by their owners. With time there was an improvement of their life conditions as it is well known, especially during the 18th century, but that was just a part of the evolution process of slavery into what it is today. Maximizing the profit with no care for human factor in the production process. Slavery can be your neighbor who got into a bad deal with the bank and must have 2 jobs in order to not lose his house and keep food in the fridge, it can be the people who made your beautiful shirt made in Bangladesh, it can be the people who farmed the food that you buy cheap in your supermarket, it can be the women that is posing almost naked on the corner of a street, etc...
tight (pretty much does not matter which brand or store you buy, there will always be components made in countries that have “slave” handwork like China, Bangladesh, India, etc...), when it comes to food and clothes you actually have a very big spectrum of brands and shops which you can buy products with the certain that you are not financing any disturbing industry!
For starters, when you are at the grocery shop or in the supermarket, you can always chose to buy local. Buying local is the best thing you can ever do, even if that means pay more. Not only you will be supporting your local economy but as well you are sure that the production methods are fair and respect the national laws of your country in what concerns worker’s rights and environmental impact. In addition, by buying local Many of you will ask produced you will also “But what can I do be sure that the qualAs a consumer in a capitalagainst something so ity is always better than big, awful and so pow- ist society like the one we imported, especially erful? There are lots of have here in the “Northern if imported from the small things you can do Countries”, many times peo- other side of the world. to start to make a differJust think about how ence. And off course, in ple feel like they don’t have many months or weeks the end of the day it a choice, they just have to have those strawberwill mainly depend on buy it! You don’t! You do ries or those clothes your will and budget in a container, actually have a choice! You been (budget... another kind from warehouse to of slavery... but I am not can always chose where warehouse, from truck talking about it today...). and what to buy! to truck... Besides, buyBudget because you ing local means that can always make yourself a member of you are somewhat familiar with the producer associations that oppose to practices here and the methods used. described and that will mean to pay fees in order to support their activity. Will, because Furthermore, you can always buy products many of us waste time money every day that are labeled as “Fair trade” or in “Fair that we can put to good use, like support- Trade” shops. They are more expensive but ing associations that oppose to trafficking or there is a reason why! support fair trade for instance. Finally but not the least, you can plant and But there is more! As a consumer in a capi- grow your own vegetables or fruit! So many talist society like the one we have here in of them demand very little work like carrots, the “Northern Countries”, many times people tomatoes or strawberries! Many of the vegfeel like they don’t have a choice, they just etables or fruit we eat don’t even demand have to buy it! You don’t! You do actually a lot of earth. For instance, I am growing 6 have a choice! You can always chose where tomato plants in a 40cm tall plastic bucket in and what to buy! And while I know that when my porch. Using this technique that is great it comes to electronics, the choice is pretty for all of you who live in big cities, have small
Northern Landscape Magazine • 11
gardens or no garden at all, last year I got 3Kg of carrots, 260g of strawberries, 5,6Kg of tomatoes and 2,2Kg of beans and two onions! This year I decided to add to my collection Cucumbers, Collard greens, Leek, Redcurrant, Red Raspberry and Blackberry.
But yes, all this is still not enough to feed a family during a whole year. But still, it is a small step to make less pain in those who suffer at the hands of the huge economic interests and it still will help you to save some cash. Plus, at least, you still know what you’re If you ask me how much time do I spent eating, no pesticides, no burning marks from taking out weed from my plantations, the freezers, no wax, no chemicals, no nothing... answer is +/- 2h per month, since they are all planted in pots with bought soil from the I will provide you bellow with some useful gardening store and homemade compost links in case you wish to grow your own vegfrom egg shell and remains of vegetables or etables or fruit but have no idea how to start. old leaves. It’s surprising the amount of vegetables and fruit that you can get with little amount of effort! Cornell University - Vegetable Growing Guides The Royal Horticultural Society HGTV - The edible garden Ecosalon - The 10 Easiest Vegetables to Grow at Home Eartheasy - Top 6 most cost-effective vegetables to grow Better Homes and Gardens
WISH TO DEBATE SOMETHING?
MAKE YOUR S
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INFO@NORTHERNLANDSCAPE.ORG
SUGGESTION TO:
Northern Landscape Magazine • 13
June Featu O
ne more month, another batch of monthly features... That’s how it works here! Feel free to take a look through the best works of our artists, they have an amazing collection of works that show that our group is filled with truly talented people! The truth is, this magazine would never be as good as it is if it would not be for the amazing artwork that every day is submitted! Fear not, I am not complaining, there is always space for amazing artwork in this
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magazine... And now my dear reader, don’t wait no more, turn the page and enjoy our featured work from June!
e ures 117 FEATURES
30 DAYS
Northern Landscape Magazine • 15
pure lan
Mynydd Pen-y-Fal (Sugar Loaf Mountain)~ ~Steve Liptrot
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ndscape
Still~ ~Debbie Oppermann
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Fjord Mist~ ~Steve
Cow Green, Upper Teesdale, North Pennines.~ ~Ian Alex Blease 18 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Cornwall: Colours on the Coast at Bedruthan~ ~Rob Parsons
Halcyon Smiles~ ~sundawg7
Northern Landscape Magazine • 19
Sunrise on Fish Lake road~ ~Yukondick
SOMETIMES ITS BLEAK...~ ~johnrace
20 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Magical Night~ ~Evelina Kremsdorf
Waterfall on the River Tees.~ ~Ian Alex Blease Northern Landscape Magazine • 21
The Frozen World~ ~Evelina Kremsdorf
Winter Light in the Woods...~ ~GerryMac
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Forest road~ ~Henrik Hansen
Spahats Creek Falls~ ~Charles Kosina
Northern Landscape Magazine • 23
Whisper Of An Ancient Rock~ ~Evelina Kremsdorf
North side of Glencoe 2 ~ Ian Mac
24 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Summer~ ~John Dunbar
PROUD ONE..~ ~johnrace
Northern Landscape Magazine • 25
Snowy Glade~ ~sundawg7
Cloud On Alligin~ ~VoluntaryRanger 26 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Bla Bheinn, Isle of Skye ~ VoluntaryRanger
End of Day~ ~Kat Simmons
Northern Landscape Magazine • 27
Thames River Reflection~ ~Ludwig Wagner
Red Clay Hills_1~ 28 • Northern Landscape Magazine ~sundawg7
Summer candy~ ~LadyFi
Bluebell Sunset 2~ ~Ian Mac
Northern Landscape Magazine • 29
Trees in Mist 1 ~ Ian Mac North Uist: Perfect Calm~ ~Kasia-D
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Garibaldi Provincial Park mountains~ ~Charles Kosina
Sunset On The Moon~ ~Debbie Oppermann
Northern Landscape Magazine • 31
Dawn Light on Paps of Jura~ ~Kasia-D
The Five Sisters of Kintail, Highland, Scotland~ ~Justin Foulkes
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Pseudo Phlox Along The River’s Edge~ ~jules572 Highland Scenery~ ~Kat Simmons
Northern Landscape Magazine • 33
Pine Sentinel_1~ ~sundawg7
Striding Edge, Helvellyn, Lake District ~ Justin Foulkes
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On the Isle of Wight~ ~lezvee
Cul Beag - Scottish Highlands~ ~Kat Simmons
Northern Landscape Magazine • 35
Caledonian Wilderness~ ~Kat Simmons
36 • over NorthernMaiden Landscape Magazine Sunset Isle~ ~Bootkneck
Forest for the tree~ ~redtree
Along the shore of Lake Ontario~ ~PhotosByHealy Northern Landscape Magazine • 37
Ice Magic~ ~Evelina Kremsdorf
Serene Harmony~ ~Evelina Kremsdorf
38 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Fresh Snow on An Teallach~ ~Kat Simmons
Alaskan Range over Reflection Lake~ ~Graeme Hyde
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England’s Wilderness~ ~Aggpup Seven Sisters National Park~ ~Ludwig Wagner
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Cornwall: Sea Pinks at Bedruthan ~ Rob Parsons
Yamnuska at Dawn~ ~Yukondick
Fox~ ~Stephen Thomas
Northern Landscape Magazine • 41
Glenbuchat Vista~ ~Aggpup
Eureka!~ ~Kasia-D
42 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Loch Achtriochtan~ ~Roddy Atkinson
Loch Avon~ ~Kat Simmons
Northern Landscape Magazine • 43
Cairngorm~ ~Kat Simmons
Changing Weather~ ~Silken Photography
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Lovatnet~ ~John Thurgood
North Uist: Traigh Bhalaig~ ~Kasia-D Northern Landscape Magazine • 45
Islay: Morning Sunlight on Loch Indaal~ ~Kasia-D
Old Stalwart Maple~ ~sundawg7
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Loch Avon Beach~ ~Kat Simmons
Northern Landscape Magazine • 47
man to
Field of Buttercups~ ~Ludwig Wagner
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ouched
Tigh Mor,Trossachs,Scotland~ ~Jim Wilson
Northern Landscape Magazine • 49
Sunrise over Spurn Point~ ~John Dunbar
Stormclouds Over Oxford~ ~sundawg7
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Pastoral Autumn~ ~sundawg7
Thames RiverMagazine Boathouse~ Northern Landscape • 51 ~Ludwig Wagner
Aira Falls, Lake District, England~ ~Steve
Rural Delight_1~ ~sundawg7
52 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Stoer Head Lighthouse~ ~Kat Simmons
Awesome View~ ~MaeBelle
Northern Landscape Magazine • 53
Islay Sunrise~ ~Kasia-D
Llancayo Mill~ ~Steve Liptrot
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Summer’s Morn ~ jules572 Maligne Lake Boathouse~ ~Charles Kosina
Northern Landscape Magazine • 55
Narrowboat on the Oxford Canal~ ~Ludwig Wagner The Coast Road~ ~VoluntaryRanger
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Hare’s Gap, Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland~ ~Ludwig Wagner
Kilchurn Castle~ ~Bootkneck
Northern Landscape Magazine • 57
Midsummer~ ~Niko Mรถnkkรถnen
Mirrored~ 58 โ ข Northern Landscape Magazine ~Jamie Lee
The Burren~ ~PhotosByHealy
The Fisherman’s Cast~ ~Aggpup
Northern Landscape Magazine • 59
Across The Roaches~ ~Aggpup
Peace Beyond...~ ~GerryMac
60 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Coast 7~ ~BKSPicture
Northern Landscape Magazine • 61
The Lake District: Sunset over the Fells ~ Rob Parsons
Coast 10~ ~BKSPicture
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Panno of Kielder Water ~ Bootkneck
Shades of gold~ ~LadyFi
Old Man Views ~ Small Water~ ~VoluntaryRanger
Northern Landscape Magazine • 63
Darkroom Print 16~ ~BKSPicture
Windswept and Weather Worn~ ~Kathleen M. Daley
64 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Weir ~ Paul Woloschuk
Loch Etchachan - Cairngorms~ ~Kat Simmons
Northern Landscape Magazine • 65
Spring Trail_1~ ~sundawg7
lonely fence~ 66 • Northern Landscape Magazine ~BrokenBlur
Journey Into The Realms Above~ ~Evelina Kremsdorf
Buses Northern on the Denali Park• Road~ Landscape Magazine 67 ~Graeme Hyde
Windover Hill, East Sussex~ ~Ludwig Wagner
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Northern Landscape Magazine • 69
man m
Lowther Castle~ ~Bootkneck
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made
Ballintoy Harbour, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland~ ~Ludwig Wagner Northern Landscape Magazine • 71
The Ruined Blackhouse~ ~hebrideslight Swedish Harvest, HDR~ ~WPDWA
72 • Northern Landscape Magazine
Petrol Island Copenhagen, HDR, Nightshot~ ~WPDWA
Fortingall Church~ ~Roddy Atkinson Northern Landscape Magazine • 73
Cambridge Bound~ ~sundawg7
Bodiam Castle~ 74 • Northern Landscape Magazine ~Ludwig Wagner
doorway to “rob”~ ~Stuart Mcguire
Bridge to Bergen~ ~John Thurgood
Northern Landscape Magazine • 75
Stalwart~ ~John Dunbar
Ullapool Rainbow~ ~Kat Simmons
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road to the monument~ ~Stuart Mcguire
Street Market - Bergen~ ~John Thurgood
Northern Landscape Magazine • 77
A walk in the forest~ ~julie08
Free Your Mind ~ Evelina Kremsdorf
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Foggy road~ ~Henrik Hansen
Northern Landscape Magazine • 79
THE BIG CHAL 80 • Northern Landscape Magazine
29 ENTRIES 65VOTES 1 WINNER 5 DAYS FOR VOTING
LLENGE ~ MAY Northern Landscape Magazine • 81
BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE VIEW?
VOLUNTARYRANGER
TO THE GLORY OF THE MOUNTAINS
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HEBRIDESLIGHT
13 VOTES
9 VOTES
The BIG top ten
Northern Landscape Magazine • 83
REFLECTIONS ON THE LAKES
REFLECTIONS OF ULVIK - NORWAY
84 • Northern Landscape Magazine
VICKIE EMMS
ARIE KOENE
8 VOTES
6 VOTES
WINTER IN DUNKELD
WHISPER OF AN ANCIENT ROCK
GERRYMAC
6 VOTES
EVELINA KREMSDORF
5 VOTES
Northern Landscape Magazine • 85
HANGING FALLS OF ICELAND
THAMES RIVER BOATHOUSE
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SILKEN PHOTOGRAPHY
LUDWIG WAGNER
5 VOTES
5 VOTES
REFLECTION
O’BRIENS TOWER
4 VOTES
JOHN THURGOOD
GRAEME HYDE
4 VOTES
Northern Landscape Magazine • 87
VOLUNTARYRANGER
J
Featured artist
amie Green is the man behind the alias VoluntaryRanger. Read the interview and meet a man that done what many of us wish so much to do: Drop the safety of a secure income and do what it pleases us most in life.
Ladies and Gentleman, from the Lake District, England to the world, I present you Jamie Green aka VoluntaryRanger!
OLD MAN VIEWS ~ SMALL WATER # When did you join Redbubble? I joined RB in 2008 but in 2009 deleted that account and immediately reinvented myself as VoluntaryRanger.
# What can you tell us about yourself? I have lived in the Lake District of NW England 88 • Northern Landscape Magazine
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INTERVIEW for 15 years having moved from SE England. I have long been an ardent birdwatcher and keen fell walker. I got into photography in 2007 when I got my first digital camera, a Samsung S730 point and shoot.I was encouraged to join RB by a friend who thought I had a talent for it.I gave up my career as a civil servant in 2001 and then pursued a career as a folk singer, (I play guitar) I am also a Voluntary Ranger with the Lake District National Park Authority and undertake footpath patrols for the,checking for drainage and erosion problems and litter picking.I also get involved in work parties helping repair damage to footpaths,bridges and such like. I am also a chauffeur for my wife.Since 2010,I have largely retired from the music scene,although I have done some occasional busking. I now find time to combine my hobbies of fell walking and birdwatching with photography.
Having coffee with Voluntary Ranger + his Featured works Northern Landscape Magazine • 89
THE COAST ROAD
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# How does photography fit in your life? And where do you want to get with it? Photography is the 3rd of my 3 loves, (see above) I have a great love of landscape pho-
tography but since acquiring a new zoom lens,have been able to indulge myself with photographing birds and other wildlife.I am still on a learning curve.I’m happy with where I am,as it fits in perfectly with what I enjoy. I wouldn’t want to make a career of it. I am happy when someone likes what I do, any sales (and I’ve happily had a few) are a bonus.
BLA BHEINN, ISLE OF SKYE # What photographic gear do you have? Sony Alpha 350 DSLR with 18-70 kit lens
and circular polarising filter, Tamron 70-300 macro zoom, Sigma 150-500 zoom (my current favourite). I have 2 tripods,one light for the smaller lenses and a Slik D3 which I have had for over 20 years for my Nikon spotting scope and which the 150-500 lens fits on nicely.
WOODLAND CLEARING
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THE RIVER BRATHAY
DEVOKE WATER..THE BOATHOUSE # How does it feel to win our BIG CHALLENGE and have such a feature on our monthly magazine? I was overwhelmed to win the challenge,especially as there was such a high standard of entries.
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GRASMERE
FLATFORD MILL
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VIEWS FROM A LAY-BY IN SPRING
APPROACHING THE OLD MAN
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# Tell us about the winning shot! Wastwater on a calm day is one of the lovliest spots
in the Lake District.It’s about an hours drive from home.This shot had a special meaning for me.In Jan 2010 I broke my arm.It was a severe break and the surgeons wanted to see if it would heal naturally as the operation was complicated.I won’t bore you with the details but it wasn’t operated on until the October,and I got the all clear to drive again in Jan 2011 after 53 weeks!! This was one of my first trips out and the lake was just stunning.I couldn’t believe my luck.I took loads of shots but this was my favourite.
# Describe us how would your perfect photo be! My perfect photo would be from
the summit of Fairfield in the English Lake District with a cloud inversion in the valleys ,and the mountain tops standing out like islands with the sun relatively low in the sky throwing shadows on the peaks.I have seen this when I was walking in hill fog and came through the clouds at 2000 feet to be greeted with this view.My biggest regret was that I didn’t have a camera with me as I wasn’t expecting any views.
BLENCATHRA..THE SOUTHERN ASPECT
THE ROAD TO THE FELLS
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THE ROAD TO BLENCATHRA
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A COLD DAY AT COW GREEN
CRAKE VALLEY AND THE CONISTON FELLS
# Any other thoughts that you want to put out there? I love Indian and Chinese food, always go on holiday to Scotland and I am a great cook My heroes are Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen and I hate the rule of thirds and traffic wardens.
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WASTWATER IN JANUARY
THE HEAD OF THE DALE
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FAREWELL TO FEBRUARY....
THE ART OF FARMING Northern Landscape Magazine • 99
WANT TO BE FEATURED?
DON’T LOSE OUR NE
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BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE VIEW? THE WINNER OF OUR BIG CHALLENGE ~ JUNE
EXT BIG CHALLENGE! Northern Landscape Magazine • 101
NLM PHOTO T JPG VS. RAW: LET THE BATTLE BEGIN! Raw is not at all a new thing on the block. Despite that, there are still many photographers that don’t know anything about it and keep on shooting on JPG/JPEG like if there would not be anything else better out there. In this tutorial I will tell you about why should you be photographing in RAW instead of using JPG or JPEG. So hold on tight and get ready to discover a whole new world!
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TUTORIAL #4
E THE FINAL RESULT... PREPARE TO MEET THE POWER OF RAW! Northern Landscape Magazine • 103
O
nce I made the following question on my Redbubble Journal “Why should I photo in RAW?”. I didn’t see the point... It was just a lot of additional work and what for? On the top of that, I didn’t have my Adobe Camera Raw working properly, which means that I was using instead my camera’s software to handle the RAW files. I just couldn’t see the point... One day, by accident I opened one of those RAW files on Photoshop and a whole new world opened for me... It took me about 60 seconds to realize why should I shoot in RAW instead of JPG. But what is the difference then?
It’s basically the same thing. Probably the worlds most used software in photography.
A RAW file is like a bit of clay. You can shape it to almost anything you want, while a JPG file is a finished porcelain cup. Got the difference? No? Ok, let’s explain it better:
Oloneo PhotoEngine. Same thing as point 3, but much more powerful.
RAW is like the name says: raw! It is “raw” data captured from your camera sensor and it has not been “packaged” yet. Each camera manufacturer has a different RAW file format, because each manufacturer uses a different OS in their cameras (like PC vs Mac or like iPhone vs Android vs Windows Phone for instance...). Just to name the two most famous examples, Canon uses CR2 as a file format for RAW and Nikon uses NEF. Different names, but they all handle about the same thing: Raw data from your camera sensor. Think of is as a capture of “digital light” that is yet to be “printed” into a file. Another thing with the RAW files is that the EXIF information is recorded within the file. This means that if you are using some program like Adobe Bridge (but there are many others that you can also use), you can see things like the date, the aperture values, the the amount of seconds used to capture the photo, etc, etc... This can be very usefull in various situations.
A LIST OF SOFTWARE YOU CAN USE: Here are some programs you can use to edit your RAW files:
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Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop.
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Apple Aperture. It is a quite powerful piece of “machinery” to deal with your RAW files but it is Mac only.
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Photomatix. This isn’t really a RAW handling program. You can handle them, but this program is mostly made for tonemaping and not really for RAW handling (correction of errors, distortions, colors, etc).
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5-
Make a google search, you have no idea of how many free and paid programs you can find... But, what do you say to a little fight? RAW vs. JPG! Let’s do it!
RAW VS. JPG: FIGHT! For those who know or played the game “Mortal Combat”, this is where the epic soundtrack starts!
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A RAW file is not an image file at all, it is the raw digital information from your camera sensor waiting for you do whatever you wish with it and requires some serious good software to do so. A JPG file is a standard format readable file that any image program on the market or available open source can read.
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A RAW file has at least 8 bits per color – red, green, and blue (12-bits per X,Y location), but most DSLR cameras record 12-bit color (36-bits per location). A JPG file has exactly 8-bits per color (12-bits per location).
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A RAW file is by definition uncompressed (an 8 megapixel camera will produce a +/- 8 MB Raw file). A JPG file is compressed, therefore smaller and already processed/compressed by the camera (the camera will compress it and sharpen your image, even if you don’t want it. This way you will always loose quality!). So, the same 8 megapixel camera will produce JPEG between 1 and 3 MB’s in size.
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A RAW file has a higher in dynamic range (ability to display highlights and shadows) while a JPG file is much lower in dynamic range.
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A RAW file is a read only file. All editing you do is saved in an XMP file with the same name of the RAW file so that you always can keep the original and do theoretically an infinity of different photos out of the same file. In the end, you can also save it as a JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, whatever... A JPG file is exactly the opposite. Everything you make, there is no turning back besides the Ctrl+z.
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In most of the western countries (Australia and NZ included in this group), RAW files are the only ones admitted in a court as evidence.
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A JPG file is able to be manipulated, though not without losing data each time an edit is made (even if it’s just to rotate the image. No matter how many layers of editions you use for changing smoothness, color, red eyes, etc, a JPG will always suffer damages. In RAW you can control those damages!
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RAW allows you to fail as a photographer and still get the most professional results. By shooting in RAW, you don’t really need to worry about setting the white balance, having the right aperture or speed, and more. Why? Because you can do that later
on when editing the RAW without losing any quality! In the meanwhile, in the JPG world, what you see is what you get and there isn’t really much you can do about it! Imagine by using RAW, the amount of great shots you can still get even if the light conditions aren’t good of ir you forgot to change the white balance for instance.
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Here’s a small list of the things you can edit isolated in a RAW file that you cannot do with the JPG file: Adjustment of white balance, Improve the overall exposure, Adjust contrast, Brightness and contrast, Clarity, Reducing noise, Lens correction from a wide range of manufacturers, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks, Hue - Saturation and Luminance by color, and so much more... In JPG, all of these things are done globally (in the whole photo).
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“FINISH HIM”! Still wanting to shoot in JPG?
CONCLUSION: Seriously, if after this you are still not convinced of why should you shoot in RAW, I don’t know what to say anymore. So come on, if you have a DSLR don’t hesitate: Take the thumb out of your back side and get out of your comfort zone! Furthermore, see the example showcased here in this tutorial. Thanks to RAW I was able to take a job as a restaurant photographer without having to buy expensive material like flashes, reflectors, lights, etc... Thanks to RAW, I was able to execute the job perfectly just with my skills and my Canon EOS 550D. This way I didn’t have to constantly worry about changing things as shutter speed, aperture, white balance, (etc) and I could focus only in what I needed: the action that was going on around me in that restaurant!
EXCEPTION: Well, obviously if photographing for you is only for posting on Instagram and Facebook,
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forget about all this. Stick to your phone/compact camera... Shooting in RAW involves that you will spend the social media) and every-day programs do not read RAW. So, the usual JPG is just what you need so you ing shooting in RAW.
FINAL RESULT!
WANT TO SEND US YOUR TUTORIAL? MAIL US TO: INFO@NORTHERNLANDSCAPE.ORG
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d some time on the computer editing your photos. But this will also mean better results. Still, websites (like u can point, shoot and upload. If you are trying to learn HDR technique, then you definitely should be start-
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This is (h
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hi)story! The Road Trip to “The Pearl of Russia” part two
Follow Irina Chuckowree and Elena Chernysheva on a roadtrip from Moscow to one of the most beloved places in the whole Russia! We warn you that not all the links provided are in English. Some of them are in Russian but the alternative was not to present any link at all. Feel free to use an on-line translation service or just enjoy the images provided in those links. This is the first part of two of an adventure that you just don’t want to miss!
US IN THE MOST AMAZING OF ALL ROADTRIPS. NOW IT IS TIME TO SAY GOODBYE... Northern Landscape Magazine • 109
A
t last we are getting near our final destination – Lake Seliger known as “The Pearl of Russia”. I understand that it is impossible to see in one day all that this beautiful lake and the area around could offer. I have to resort to a “taster session” and to rely on my friend Lena to show me, in her humble opinion, the best of the best. After visiting the source of the Volga we continue on the road that skirts Lake Seliger on its
western side, and take a turn onto a dirt track that follows the edge of the lake on the north. The boundless expanse of water is overwhelming. The sky is still heavy with dramatic dark clouds from the recent storm (photo below). Eventually we arrive at a narrow channel connecting Lake Seliger with the Lake Sobenskoe and park the car on its sandy bank. We are
going to spend the night here, in the middle of nowhere, cross the channel in the morning and walk through the forest to a smaller lake Tryaskoe (or Troyaskoe). The locals also call it 110 • Northern Landscape Magazine
the Silver Lake because of its clear water and the fine white sand at the bottom. In fact, the lake water contains high amounts of silver salts that help to keep the water so clear. The first eventful day is almost over... We watch the sunset colours over Lake Seliger and settle for the night. The moon and the stars and their reflections in the lakes are the only source of light in the total darkness. Committed to an early start, we get up well before the sunrise, and only because we want to have the pleasure of witnessing nature waking up. There is also a selfish wish to have these precious morning moments to ourselves, without the crowds that would flock here later on. A thin mist is dancing over the lakes creating transparent shapes of mystical spirits (photo below). A few fisherman’s boats glide quietly in the channel past our campsite. (photo on the right) We should hurry. Lena explains that driving to the Lake Troyaskoe is a challenge for any car since the only muddy road leading there is often unus-
able because of the frequent rains. We decide to take a 7 km shortcut through the pine forest and reach the lake on foot. But the first act of bravery is crossing the channel between the two lakes barefoot. I carefully make the first steps into the water following Lena. It is rather exhilarating! The water is surprisingly warm and comes to just over knee height, but could be a meter deep in some years. With our shoes back on, we walk alongside Lake Sobenskoe for some distance enjoying the first warm rays of the sun. It is so calm, the surface of the lake is a perfect mirror. Northern Landscape Magazine • 111
Soon the path veers off into the deep forest. The forest floor is a springy carpet of moss, heather and blueberry bushes laden with delicious berries. Now and then we stray slightly off the path to fill our mouths. The mist from the nearby lakes still lingers between the trees here. As the sun rises higher, the forest is filled with magical patterns of light and shade. The tall slender pine trees and the ethereal shafts of light give an impression of a cathedral-like ambience (photo below). The air is so fresh and fragrant, is should be bottled and sold as a luxury item. This place is such a striking difference to the polluted concrete jungle of Moscow streets... We know that the area around the lakes has several camping sites, but this early morning it is easy to believe that we are the only two human beings in the whole world discovering this forest for the first time in history. I start thinking about a possible scenario of encountering a bear. What does one do in such a situation? I should have researched the topic beforehand. A sense of anxiety starts nagging me. And then... in the distance I see a still human figure between the trees... So unexpected! A bear would have been a much more likely possibility. As we approach closer, I make out a silhouette of a soldier... (photo on the right)
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Lake Sobenskoe at sunrise.
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This inaccessible forest was the site of a field hospital during the Second World War. Nearby the Soviet Army was fighting the Nazis that were advancing towards Moscow from the North. The war bore a heavy human cost to the population of the USSR. Millions died... Some of those who fell in battles or died from wounds in this field hospital, defending the beauty and integrity of this area, stayed here among nature’s splendour. We come closer to the monument and pay our respect... It is so moving to see this lone humble soldier in the wilderness of the pine forest, so far away from the hustle and bustle of human life... And yet, he’s not ignored and forgotten. Despite the difficulties of getting to this place, there are offerings of wild flower wreaths, cigarettes and vodka in plastic cups on the mass grave beneath the sculpture. (photo on the right) The unexpected encounter has left us rather quiet and for some distance we walk in silence. Our pace is fast: we want to reach Lake Troyaskoe before the influx of holidaymakers. The curves of the road take us through a fairytale forest, ever-changing from a sun-filled cathedral colonnade to an impenetrable wall of trees (photo below). Time and distance seem to pass quickly. Soon the trees
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step aside and give way to a blue-coloured vision – Lake Troyaskoe (photo below). It is a very small lake – only 0.8 km by 0.3 km, and in comparison with Seliger it’s just a dot on the map. The lake is completely isolated from other water sources. Such isolation has played a major role in its specific water composition that in turn has affected its flora. A rare Lobelia dortmanna has made its home here, which also indicates the purity of the lake’s water. The place is quiet. If there are any tourists around, they are still watching their last dreams. We relish the feeling of being alone with nature. Lena can’t resist the temptation and goes for a swim. She steps into the lake without disturbing the surface of the water and silently moves towards the water lilies. She feels so natural among these beauties – it is such a surreal image! Sparkling reflections are dancing around her on the water’s surface... With the blink of an eye she is transformed into a mysterious water nymph. I raise my camera and take a few candid shots (they are censored, sorry - you might have to use your imagination!). She eventually comes out on the shore, refreshed and invigorated. We take a walk around the lake and meet her favourite characters: an old pine that has been “pregnant” since the times of Lena’s childhood, a young pine growing on the stump of a long-dead tree, a comfortable bench that someone has thoughtfully placed by the lake... (photo below)
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I fall in love with this place and begin to wish to see it in autumn, touched by the golden fire of an occasional birch tree, and to witness the first snowfall... We suddenly realise that it’s getting late and we have to go back. Last shots are taken and last glances are cast, and we walk again on the already familiar road. This time we take our time and stuff ourselves with blueberries until we can eat no more and our hands (and tongues) acquire a vivid purple colour. To our delight we also find a few golden chanterelles. (Below: A village on Lake Seliger)
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Yet again we follow the snaking road around Seliger. On the last bridge over the lake we pause and wait for the sunset. As the sun disappears beyond the forest-clad horizon, we bid farewell to the lake with a sense of fulfilment and sadness... Good-bye, Seliger! Until next time! I am grateful to Elena Chernysheva for making this road trip a reality and for providing the photographs and valuable information.
PHOTOS BY ELENA CHERNYSHEVA AND IRINA CHUCKOWREE TEXT BY IRINA CHUCKOWREE
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MAIL US TO: INFO@NORTHERNLANDSCAPE.ORG
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Northern La Some facts The Hanseatic League
T
he Hanseatic League (also known as the Hanse or Hansa; Low German: Hanse, Dudesche Hanse, Latin: Hansa, Hansa Teutonica or Liga Hanseatica) was a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe. It stretched from the Baltic to the North Sea and inland during the Late Middle Ages and early modern period (c. 13th to 17th centuries). The League was created to protect economic interests and diplomatic privileges in the cities and countries and along the trade routes the merchants visited. The Hanseatic cities had their own legal system and furnished their own armies for mutual protection and aid. Despite this, the organization was not a city-state, nor can it be called a confederation of city-states; only a very small number of the cities within the league enjoyed autonomy and liberties comparable to those of a free imperial city. The legacy of the Hansa is remembered today in several names, for example the German airline Lufthansa (i.e., “Air Hansa”), F.C. Hansa Rostock, the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, in the Netherlands, the Hansa Brewery in Bergen, the Hansabank in Baltic states (now known as Swedbank) and the Hanse Sail in Rostock. DDG Hansa was a major German shipping company from 1881 until its bankruptcy in
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1980. Historians generally trace the origins of the League to the rebuilding of the North German town of Lübeck in 1159 by the powerful Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria, after Henry had captured the area from Adolf II, Count of Schauenburg and Holstein. Exploratory trading adventures, raids and piracy had happened earlier throughout the Baltic (see Vikings)—the sailors of Gotland sailed up rivers as far away as Novgorod, for example—but the scale of international trade economy in the Baltic area remained insignificant before the growth of the Hanseatic League. German cities achieved domination of trade in the Baltic with striking speed over
andscape the 13th century, and Lübeck became a central node in the seaborne trade that linked the areas around the North and Baltic Seas. The 15th century saw the peak of Lübeck’s hegemony. By the late 16th century, the League had imploded and could no longer deal with its own internal struggles, the social and political changes that accompanied the Protestant Reformation, the rise of Dutch and English merchants, and the incursion of the Ottoman Empire upon its trade routes and upon the Holy Roman Empire itself. Only nine members attended the last formal meeting in 1669 and only three (Lübeck, Hamburg and Bremen) remained as members until its final demise in 1862. Despite its collapse, several cities still maintain the link to the Hanseatic League today. The Dutch cities of Deventer, Kampen, Zutphen, and the ten German cities Bremen, Demmin, Greifswald, Hamburg, Lübeck, Lüneburg, Rostock, Stade, Stralsund and Wismar still call themselves Hanse cities. Lübeck, Hamburg, and Bremen continue to style themselves officially as “Free (and)
Hanseatic Cities.” (Rostock’s football team is named F.C. Hansa Rostock in memory of the city’s trading past.) For Lübeck in particular, this anachronistic tie to a glorious past remained especially important in the 20th century. In 1937 the Nazi Party removed this privilege through the Greater Hamburg Act after the Senat of Lübeck did not permit Adolf Hitler to speak in Lübeck during his election campaign. He held the speech in Bad Schwartau, a small village on the outskirts of Lübeck. Subsequently, he referred to Lübeck as “the small city close to Bad Schwartau.” After the EU enlargement to the East in May 2004 there are some experts who wrote about the resurrection of the Baltic Hansa.
TEXT AND PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA
WANT TO SEND US YOUR FACTS? MAIL US TO: INFO@NORTHERNLANDSCAPE.ORG
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Back cover artist
H
ebrideslight is starting to mean trouble here at the Northern Landscape group. Two months ago he won the BIG Challenge and got the big feature on our NLM. This month he got an astonishing second place with another breathtaking photo from the area of the Isle of Skye. 9 votes is a lot, and in some other month it would have been enough to bring home the cup again... Congratulations! Let’s see what he tells us on his profile page: “Photography from the very heart of beyond …. I always thought my main interest was landscape photography but I’ve come to realise that I have no ‘main’ interest and like to photograph anything and everything that catches my eye. That could be my downfall since it is difficult to develop a ‘style’ when you are skipping about all over the place. That said, when all my diverse photographs are collected together as in Red Bubble a sort of style does emerge, a sort of realism but with impact, at least that’s how I see it (at the moment!). For the time being I’ll put up a wide variety of photos and see where it all leads. Les Ellingham” hebrideslight Northern Landscape Magazine • 123
NORTHERN LANDSCAPE ISSUE # 04 * JUNE 2013
www.northernlandscape.org
TO THE GLORY OF THE MOUNTAINS BY HEBRIDESLIGHT I s l e o f S k y e , S c o t l a n d - F r o m To k a v a i g o n t h e S l e a t p e n i n s u l a o n t h e I s l e o f Skye looking across to Blaven at centre right and the Cuillins in the distance. The light on this afternoon was quite flat but these ‘rays of cloud’ could just about be made out and the composition was promising so I gave it a go with three exposures for a HDR. When it was all put together the sky just ‘popped’ and what I thought might be a disappointment turned into quite a decent shot. HDR using Photomatix and Photoshop Canon 40D with 10-22mm lens at 16mm ISO 100 f8 – 3 exposures at 1/1000, 1/250 and 1/90 sec
NORTHERN LANDSCAPE MAGAZINE - ISSUE #4 - JULY 2013