Fischer-ExoticPlacesFacesBookCOVER_07-14_case 2014-08-14 11:00 AM Page 1
George Fischer on his exotic world travels. For the first time, he shares some stories behind his stunning images, and provides tips
with him as he shoots from the sky. Gasp as he teeters on the brink of a crevasse. Shiver as he waits in the darkness for the perfect shot to emerge. Marvel as Nature’s forces wreak havoc with best-laid plans.
As you leaf through this book, you’ll meet Bedouins and camels, come eye-to-eye with wild buffalo and polar bears, and commune with folks in countless countries. You’ll slip and slide over treacherous terrain in the mountains, by the seas and in the desert. And you’ll feel the joy, the pain and the exhilaration that are woven into the images. George Fischer’s Exotic Places & Faces provides enchanting, poignant and sometimes humorous glimpses into the adventurous life of this celebrated Canadian photographer. It is a unique and personal offering.
$39.95
nimbus.ca
exotic places & faces
for capturing award-winning photos. Soar
Every photo tells a story that engages, entertains, amazes or amuses. But rarely do the stories behind the photos come to light—and they can be astounding tales. In this book, George Fischer brings to the page some of the untold sagas from behind the scenes. These include death-defying adventures; leaps of faith; Nature’s quirks; chance encounters; spiritual intervention; and “oops moments.” And for the first time, George also shares some secrets about his art—five top tips for creating those award-winning photos.
GEORGE FISCHER
Join acclaimed Canadian photographer
GEORGE FISCHER
exotic places & faces
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Great photography transcends the black box, the shutter, the technology. It delves into emotions and articulates the intrinsic stories. And that is the art. George Fischer
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Acknowledgements: Copy editor: E. Lisa Moses Photo credits: Sean Fischer, page 46 Evan Quick, page 86 Jean Lepage, page 168 Réginald Poirier, page 193 Evan Quick, page 220 Sean Fischer, page 254 Réginald Poirier, page 259 Thank you to Anthony Carter and Darrin Zweig of RBC Dominion Securities for their encouragement and sponsorship that helped make this project happen.
Rhythm and dancers connect in the tango on the streets of La Boca. BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Many waterfalls cascade down cliff faces within Fiordland National Park. MILFORD SOUND, NEW ZEALAND •
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The famous horns of the Torres del Paine Massif catch the warming sunlight. PATAGONIA, CHILE
copyright © 2014, George Fischer
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the photographer, George Fischer.
Fischer, George, 1954-, author Exotic places and faces / George Fischer.
www.georgefischerphotography.com
ISBN 978-0-9936941-0-3 (bound)
Photos by George Fischer Design and captions by Catharine Barker, National Graphics, Toronto, ON, Canada Printed in China
1. Travel photography. 2. Portrait photography. I. Title. TR790.F58 2014
778.9991
C2014-901390-6
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A semi-nomadic people, the Maasai are redefining their culture as the world around them changes. KENYA
18
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Delighted to be in daddy’s arms. SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
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Famous for its blue-and-white colour scheme, Sidi Bou Said is known as an artists’ haven and tourist town with excellent views of the Mediterranean. SIDI BOU SAID, TUNISIA 62
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The Serengeti provides important sanctuary for millions of animals, including approximately 200,000 zebras as they travel from the northern hills to the southern plains around October, and west and north after the mid-year rains. SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA
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Painted sÄ dhu (holy men) pray, chant and meditate at the Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Bagmati River. KATHMANDU, NEPAL
70
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A skilled fisherman takes precious time to repair his tools. Fishing is both an age-old tradition and the core of the country’s economy. SOUTH MALE ATOLL, MALDIVES
71
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The Yad Vashem museum, Israel’s official commemoration to victims of the Holocaust, looks out over the western slope of Har HaZikaron (Mount of Remembrance). JERUSALEM, ISRAEL
•
The banks of the Seine River are ideal for solitary repose. Construction of the numerous quays started in 1312, framing the activity and the famous monuments along the Seine. PARIS, FRANCE • 179
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A hot breeze tangles washing on the line. STONE TOWN, ZANZIBAR
282
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Keeping up with the chores in the town of Livingston, situated on Amatique Bay at the Rio Dulce. NEAR LIVINGSTON, GUATEMALA
283
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r bear la o p a h it to eye w bs in the frozen e y e g in m Co g her cu ut it makes for in t c e t o r p mom nic. B telling ic p h t o r n o w is e r arctic raising adventu ome. c o t s r ir a a ha for ye
On a sunny spring day at a temperature of -25 C (-13 F) my assistant, Reg, and I began a harrowing arctic escapade with five hours of hunting for photogenic polar bears—after enticing an Inuit guide to take us into this dangerous territory. We knew we were in the right neighbourhood when we spotted a set of tracks in the snow from a mother bear and two cubs. It took another three hours of following the meandering paw prints on the guide’s Komatik (traditional Inuit sled) hauled by a snowmobile to find the little family frolicking in the distance. With frozen fingers, I excitedly prepared my camera and a very long lens as we began stalking the bears. Circling them for half an hour—with
me on the sled towed by the snowmobile—we drove mom into protection mode. Every time we got within six metres (20 feet), she charged at us—and her giant strides quickly brought her so close I could almost touch her. The cubs watched from a safe distance. While we needed the power of the snowmobile to make a clean getaway when mama bore down on us, communication was a problem. Whenever our guide decided the danger was extreme, he would simply rev up the snowmobile to full throttle without notice, yanking my sled forward. I fell off the back of the sled three times—almost into the jaws of the giant bear.
After 20 minutes of circling, photographing and scrambling, we had exhausted our luck and headed back to Qikigtarjuaq. Halfway back, the snowmobile ran out of gas. Fortunately, this had not happened within sight of the bear, and we did have a spare can of fuel. This once-in-a-lifetime experience taught me that, while a polar bear may seem cute and cuddly, she becomes a deadly weapon when she hurtles her 225 kilograms (500 pounds) toward a target in defence of her cubs. My personal preference is the cute and cuddly version immortalized in this photo.
A mother polar bear gathers her cubs on the sea ice. For at least 20 months, cubs depend on their mother for survival. QIKIQTARJUAQ, NUNAVUT, CANADA • 292
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The Changing of the Guard is a dramatic scene. The Foot Guards, in full-dress uniform of red tunics and bearskins, stop traffic from the Victoria barracks on Sheet Street to Windsor Castle. WINDSOR, ENGLAND 294
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The beautiful traditional dress (traje), and a bright smile would beguile any visitor. ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA
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A charming visage peers out of a traditional Inuit anorak. TUKTOYAKTUK, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA
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Evening entertainment in the Plaza de la Independencia in the heart of the Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) historic district. PANAMA CITY, PANAMA
304
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Prayer wheels, in proper Buddhist practice, are spun clockwise while practitioners recite a mantra and visualize white light emanating from the millions of mantras written inside. NEAR KONGDE RI, NEPAL
305
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One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. William Shakespeare
336
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Hundreds of small falls, whose size and survival depend on rainfall, spill over the cliffs in Fiordland National Park at Milford Sound. MILFORD SOUND, NEW ZEALAND 337
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The peaks of the Torres del Paine in Torres del Paine National Park were referred to as ‘Cleopatra’s needles’ in a book published in 1880 by Lady Florence Dixie—thought to be one of the first foreign tourists. PATAGONIA, CHILE 360
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George Fischer is one of Canada’s most renowned and prolific landscape photographers. He is excited to show some of the images taken during his extensive travels in this, his 50th book. He has also produced over 50 art posters from various collections, and numerous prints. George’s work has appeared on the covers of countless international magazines and newspapers, and in the promotional publications of tourism agencies around the world. His book entitled Unforgettable Canada was on The Globe and Mail’s bestseller list for eight weeks and sold over 50,000 copies. Other titles in the Unforgettable series include: Unforgettable Tuscany & Florence, Unforgettable Paris Inoubliable, Unforgettable Atlantic Canada, The 1000 Islands—Unforgettable, and Les Îles de la Madeleine Inoubliables. His most recent publication was Canada In Colour / En Couleurs. Currently George is working on a few new books including Iceland, Saskatchewan, and Canada’s Exotic North. He resides in Toronto, Canada. See more of George Fischer’s work at georgefischerphotography.com
Born in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, in France, Jean-Louis Lepage travelled extensively across Europe between the ages of 18 and 25. He came to Canada in 1966, settling first in Montréal for 18 months, then moving to Toronto. JeanLouis has visited a different country every year for the past 25 years. Since 1991, he has worked as George Fischer’s assistant on more than 40 photography books from various countries. Jean-Louis has visited more than 85 countries. He tends to travel to the mountainous regions of Mexico in the winter and Europe in the fall. He resides in Toronto, Canada.
British travel journalist and photographer Peter Ellegard has been globetrotting for 30 years, visiting scores of countries. He has been features editor of an international travel trade publication, edited a consumer travel magazine, presented an 11-part TV series filmed across China and screened on Chinese national TV, worked with the International Olympic Committee for the Beijing Olympics, co-written guide books, undertaken photographic assignments worldwide and had many photographs published internationally. He has won awards for both travel writing and photography, including being named Travel Photographer of the Year in the British Travel Press Awards in 2009. Visit www.peterellegard.co.uk to see some of his work.
I am very grateful to the powers that be, which have allowed me to travel in safety and good health to the far corners of the globe enjoying my passion for capturing our beautiful earth and its inhabitants. It has been incredible, and I hope to share more journeys, photos and books in the future… Thanks to my boys, Sean and Ryan, for their sense of adventure and curiosity as they accompanied me to many of the destinations in this book; to my wife, Karen Green, for her patience and unconditional support; to my assistants, Jean Lepage, Réginald Poirier and Evan Quick, its been an amazing ride so far— I hope to do more with you… And as always, to Catharine Barker for being able to translate my images, thoughts and ideas into a work of art!
b George v 362
Fischer-ExoticPlacesFacesBookCOVER_07-14_case 2014-08-14 11:00 AM Page 1
George Fischer on his exotic world travels. For the first time, he shares some stories behind his stunning images, and provides tips
with him as he shoots from the sky. Gasp as he teeters on the brink of a crevasse. Shiver as he waits in the darkness for the perfect shot to emerge. Marvel as Nature’s forces wreak havoc with best-laid plans.
As you leaf through this book, you’ll meet Bedouins and camels, come eye-to-eye with wild buffalo and polar bears, and commune with folks in countless countries. You’ll slip and slide over treacherous terrain in the mountains, by the seas and in the desert. And you’ll feel the joy, the pain and the exhilaration that are woven into the images. George Fischer’s Exotic Places & Faces provides enchanting, poignant and sometimes humorous glimpses into the adventurous life of this celebrated Canadian photographer. It is a unique and personal offering.
$39.95
nimbus.ca
exotic places & faces
for capturing award-winning photos. Soar
Every photo tells a story that engages, entertains, amazes or amuses. But rarely do the stories behind the photos come to light—and they can be astounding tales. In this book, George Fischer brings to the page some of the untold sagas from behind the scenes. These include death-defying adventures; leaps of faith; Nature’s quirks; chance encounters; spiritual intervention; and “oops moments.” And for the first time, George also shares some secrets about his art—five top tips for creating those award-winning photos.
GEORGE FISCHER
Join acclaimed Canadian photographer
GEORGE FISCHER
exotic places & faces