AMAZING, AWESOME, ARTISTIC, ADMIRABLE

© Nick Brandt
Elephant drinking, Amboseli 2007 killed by poachers 2009
I  recently saw some photographs done by an amazing photographer. They came to me in an email and they took my breath away.

© Nick Brandt
Portrait of Lioness Against Rock Serengeti, 2007
I contacted the artist to ask his permission to post about his photos and advised him how I saw them. He said that the email pps file going around is stolen works and he didn’t want me to use them but he would send me some to use. 

© Nick Brandt
Cheetah and Cubs Lying on rock, Serengeti 2007
These photos are very important. Photographer Nick Brandt has a foundation called Big Life Foundation that was started almost a year ago that is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems in Africa.

© Nick Brandt
Zebras Turning Heads, Ngorongoro Crater, 2005
Poaching is destroying the animal populations to the point of no return. It is an ongoing battle to try and stop the poachers.

© Nick Brandt
Cheetah and Cubs, Maasai Mara, 2003
They need all the help they can get and awareness is always a big part of stopping any outrageous acts.

© Nick Brandt
Elephant exploding with dust, Amboseli, 2004
Poaching is such a no win for the locals. They poach for the money. But once the animals are gone there will be no more money, plus the tourist dollars will also be gone as there will be nothing to draw them there.

© Nick Brandt
Wildebeest Arc, Maasai Mara, 2006
Working with the local people, rewarding them for their help in catching poachers works much like our Crimestopper programs here work. Education is also key but hey, money talks.

© Nick Brandt
Lion Before Storm, Mas Mara 2006
There will be a new release of photos in September, 2011. Can you just imagine how beautiful they will be. 

Thank you Mr. Brandt for allowing me to use your photos and thank you for what you are doing to save these amazing creatures. 

© Nick Brandt
Abandoned Ostrich Egg, Amboseli, 2007
I am linking to Outdoor Wednesday over at A Southern Daydreamer for this week.

I am also linking to Watery Wednesday

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY, WATERY WEDNESDAY - YANN ARTHUS-BERTRAND

Welcome to Outdoor Wednesday hosted by Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer and Watery Wednesday hosted by 2Sweetnsaxy 
Remember to click on the photos to enlarge them for better viewing.

I have quite a treat for you. The photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand has given me permission to use his photographs on my site. As much as Yann is an amazing photographer he is also an active advocate for ecological issues. He is the chairman of the GoodPlanet Organization and has participated in the creation of the Action Carbone project in order to persuade governments, institutions and individuals to reduce their individual impact on the climate.

Now to take such beautiful photographs Yann realized he is creating a carbon imprint on the world and greenhouse gas creation. With this in mind he has financed projects to promote renewable energies and to encourage reforestation.

In 1994 Yann (also referred to as Yab as in Yann Arthus-Bertrand) started a project called "Earth from above" to survey the state of the Earth as we went into the 21st century.

On his site Yab states:
"Year 2000 was almost upon us, and I wanted to tackle an ambitious long-term project. Since the lions, nature has been one of my chief concerns, though I was then less committed to sustainable development and more interested in the preservation of exceptional sites. However, working on location soon made me realise that Man cannot be dissociated from the landscape. Gradually, I became convinced that supporting the theories on sustainability was the way towards a reasoned form of development.”

 This project was not an easy sell however and the response from potential partners was very low. Eventually they managed to secure enough support and they started to photograph from above...even if the first project was Club Med piece.

The team has been to over 150 countries to photograph the Earth from above. In his work we see mountains that should be covered with snow that are bare. Rivers that are drying up. Landscapes that should be forested and green that have been denuded.
Yab also photographs people and animals. I love his animal shots.

Please visit his sites and see what they are all about. If you do contact them please let them know where you saw the photos. The more we do this the more likely it is that photographers will consent to the use of their photos for non-commercial blogs. It is about spreading the word.
An exhibit of Yann's work will be at the New York Public Library starting on April 1st. 2010

Remember bloggers...never use someones photos without their permission.

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OUTDOOR & WATERY WEDNESDAY - AMAZING PHOTOS

I am very excited to show you these pictures today for Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer and for Watery Wednesday. Make sure you have a look at the other participants.

I was introduced to this amazing photographer via an email that unfortunately credited the wrong person for the photos. As I went looking for this person to obtain permission to use his photos (see the discussion on this issue here) it became apparent who the real photographer is.
His name is Clark Little and here is a little bit about him from his website:
Clark Little was born in Napa, California in 1968. Two years later, a move to the North Shore of Oahu (Hawaii) dramatically changed his future. In the 80’s and 90’s he made his name as a pioneer of surfing at the Waimea Bay shorebreak. Clark had a unique talent for taking off on hopeless closeout shorebreak waves and surviving in one piece.

I would like to thank Clark Little for allowing me to use these photos on my site. You should take a look at the rest of them at CLARK LITTLE PHOTOGRAPHY. His photos are available for purchase as well as some books and postcard images. What an amazing gift these would make.If you stop by his site tell him you got there from here. I think this helps bloggers get permission for use of photos like these because the photographers can see the up side to allowing bloggers to showcase their photos.

Did you like a post? Click on the SU button to Stumble it. Thanks.

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY & WATERY WEDNESDAY

I will be joining Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday

 I am also joining in with Watery Wednesday for the first time. When I saw these photos I knew I would have to do both.

Please visit these sites to see the other participants.

You can click on the word fullscreen to see the larger version of the photos . There are 24 pictures in all so make sure you click on slide show or one of the other choices to see them all. 

Mirror in the Water

Hey wait, don't go yet...did you leave me a note?