Greenland – Julie Stephenson

Jul 01

by Julie in Fine Art Photography, Greenland 0 comments

Vision – New Greenland photograph gallery

Click button to view new Vision - Greenland Gallery

Definition of vision 1a: the act or power of seeing: sight b: the special sense by ...

Nov 17

by Julie in Greenland, Inspirations, Motivation & Inspiration 0 comments

Wrinkles… wisdom.. fairytales and ‘Don’t be sad it’s over – be glad it once was.’

“Once upon a time there was a girl who…”…. You know how fairytales usually begin, and yet not all fairytales have the outcome of the ‘happy ending’ we hope for… even in the original fairytales from back-in-the-day which then were far less sanitised versions of the reality of life! I’ve been revisiting my images from Greenland and I recalled the day I felt such joy and child-like excitement when I saw these incredible icebergs. It was like fantasy land…. a land of towers… and maidens… and dragons… and men in leather on flying horses diving into caves and dungeons. It was the stage for fantasy and fairy-tales. Looking at these fantastic images on my computer I then recalled a few weeks ago a story of the hopes shared by a young woman - of a fairytale for her own life. I sat on the grass...

Photography fine art Julie Stephenson Antarctica greenland

Aug 31

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Greenland Photographs – Reflection

In the stillness I reflect.....
More photographs of Greenland coming soon. Click here to Pop your name on my notification list so you don't miss them.!!!

Oct 18

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Shamanic Totem

Oct 18

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Untitled 1

Oct 18

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Rising…

Oct 18

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Exposing ….

Oct 18

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My Shield..

Oct 18

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My shadow…..

Oct 17

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Entry within…

Oct 17

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I am both masculine and feminine…

Oct 17

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I am man….

Oct 17

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I am woman….

Oct 17

by Julie in Greenland, Uncategorized 0 comments

I breathe….

Oct 17

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I am ……Androgenous

Oct 12

by Julie in About Me, Fine Art Photography, Greenland, Iceland 2015 0 comments

The cumulation of images…greater than the sum of the individual items – A body of work.

Ok.... 2 weeks to go before we leave for our drive in Penny through India, Bhutan... and beyond... :-) (I will keep you updated when I can with sporadic wi-fi :-) ).... and time is running out for me to share the beginnings of a conceptual body of work which really excited me whilst I was taking the photographs in Greenland.
As a visual artist and philosopher ... my 'bodies of work' are conceptually based; meaning they have a voice. I have a voice through my work. I have a voice which is expressed through not only each single image and artwork; but amplified through the collection as a whole.
Over the past few weeks I have shared some images which are of a 'narrative' nature. Some go a little further and express an emotion I was feeling .... or were catalysts for my introspection. For me - a body of work is different.
A body of work is a collection of images which has a voice...which expresses a vision; a philosophy; poses questions; reflects a unified thought or concept.... and is where the collection of images and artworks is far greater than the sum of the individual items......MORE....

Oct 10

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Hot water…. icy water… doesn’t matter – I’m in!!!!

There is something about the ritual of immersion in water. .. perhaps even ceremonial at times. I love it. It fulfils something deep within me. The freedom I feel when I can feel water on my skin is impossible to describe. I often wonder about how much human experience is lost for so many who cannot experience the sensations of playing in water without clothes. I am privileged to have been able to experience swimming in so many environments without the encumbrance of clothing. Experiencing this nourishes me… and I feel happy. In Iceland there was a wonderful hot stream near the lava fields. It was the PERFECT temperature to float and soak… with the steam rising into the shivering breeze. Then there was a tub on field being fed by hot thermal water. …and I mean REALLY hot water!! 45deg hot. Once in though it was AMAZING as i just lay in the silence of the night. I then popped in again the next morning because we camped close by. In Iceland there were also the hot baths in Reykjavik. It was a cultural delight to experience women comfortable with their bodies – all walking around naked… showering…. talking to each other… helping […]

Oct 09

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

What isn’t really noticed….unless you really want to look – little icebergs completing the picture

It is easy to overlook something which takes effort and awareness to want to see.
In these images...it would be easy to just look at the larger iceberg or mountains; because they don't need any work to find ...but it is when one looks to search for something which takes more effort to find... to search for elements which create a 'relationship' between them.... to have the awareness to want to take the time to investigate the smaller icebergs and what they bring to the relationship within the image... that the richness of the relationship develops between them... the more dynamic, interesting and unifying it becomes.
The smaller icebergs offer so much to the whole.... there is a sort of communion happening within the image between them ...each apart - yet interacting and in balance completing and unifying the relationship between them.
When the smaller icebergs are omitted, excluded or I had not had the awareness to see them... something is just lost in the dialogue in the relationship between the elements ... and it seems nowhere near as rich when they are not there; as when they are present and actually noticed.
Click READ MORE below to view more beautiful images!

Oct 07

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

With fierce resilience still glowing….

Exposed in the wind and elements I remain standing and glowing with fierce resilience……

Oct 06

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

….Going to see a bear… a Polar Bear !!!

It was foggy. 100 mts visibility at the maximum. Hadleigh was about to pull the plug on the zodiac excursion; but he needed to keep the guests doing something before the afternoon shore excursion or iceberg photographing; so he continued on with the plan to look at the geology of the shoreline in the zodiacs.
I was excited. I could feel in my tummy that we were going to see a Polar Bear. I popped on my Polar bear fluffy white hat… and I said to Wendy (the Avian specialist from previous trips who was journeying as a passenger this tour) that “We are going to see a bear!”
Wendy said “It is good to be positive..but it is highly unlikely and the possibility of seeing a bear is next to zero in this location.” Wendy sort of giggled at my child-like enthusiasm.. not believing for a second that we were going to see a Polar Bear. From the ship ...
Click READ MORE Below to read more and see photographs of the Polar Bear!!!

Oct 05

by Julie in Greenland, Iceland 0 comments

Me in the landscape in Iceland and Greenland

Pop to this link by clicking here to see a page and gallery of me in the landscape ...so you can have an insight into how I experience life, the world and myself through my photography.

Oct 03

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

I want to follow the smooth path….

Oct 03

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Scars of time….

Oct 03

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Companions… moving….

Oct 03

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The past exposed in the present….

1.2 Billion year old rock.
3 thousand year old ice
last nights snow......

Oct 03

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Grown-up with a child-like imagination; Daugaard-Jensen Glacier at the head of North West Fiord.

Imagine if one night all the stars fell to earth
one unique for each to hold
just for one night…
in our hands
the knowing of the universe
shining brightly
for each of us to remember...
and then when the darkness leaves
and all the stars return -
that knowing is remembered in our heart
so that we each on earth may continue to shine as brightly
as the stars in the night sky.

Oct 01

by Julie in Greenland 2 comments

Dichotomy…

Whilst quietly looking at the icebergs … I could sometimes hear words… phrases and ideas came into my thoughts.
When I saw this exquisite iceberg I heard – ‘Dichotomy’.
I saw the dichotomy between strength and softness; stability and fluidity; large and small; dark and light; movement and stillness; air and water; solid and liquid; above and below; reality and illusion.
What word comes into your thoughts when you see this image?

Sep 30

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

By Stealth we slid past the icebergs in the stillness of the morning…

By stealth we slid past the icebergs in the stillness of the morning. Quietly navigating our way in the Scoresbysund Fjord system; slipping past them as they hung in the icy water…or was it they who stealthily slid past us?

Sep 30

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Sailing ….Observing… Solitary

Sailing is sometimes quite a solitary experience. I loved just standing on the deck - observing.... being by myself... solitary with my thoughts ...regardless of all that was going on around me.
I recognised that whilst watching this beautiful iceberg.

Sep 26

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Paid to ‘entertain the tourists’… the answer to survival in Greenland.

Unlike Antarctica, here in Greenland the land is dusted with the remains of previous cultures. Much of this history is yet to be determined and understood though; and at best – scholarly endeavors are perhaps a considered guess.
Hadleigh - our tour operator, is fascinated by the archaeology and history of this area, and tried to generate interest with the government of Denmark to investigate further the remains of previous cultures which scatter the landscape. Hadleigh was not successful though, and the stories of those who once lived in this extreme environment may perhaps melt into the rocky ground over time.
There are still however some traces of Inuit culture threaded into modern life in towns in Greenland. We visited a small community called Ittorqqortoormiit.
Ittoqqortoormiit is located on Liverpool Land near the mouth of the northern shore of the Kangertittivaq fjord in Scoresby Sund.
On the afternoon prior to our visit we watched a video on the life of those living in Greenland communities in 2013. I wished I hadn’t viewed it actually. It painted a very gloomy scenario of the current situation within these communities, and I suspect sculpted for me a preconception of the town we were to visit.
How does one survive totally from the land in a traditional way – from the earth and sea in accordance with the seasons; in our modern world today? How does one eat traditional food of whale, seal and Polar bear when there are quotas – and yet... Click READ MORE to read more and see more images..

Sep 25

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Zodiacs and Icebergs !!!!

"Starboard Cabins" proceed down to level 3 loading area. "Port Cabins" in 5 minutes. Photography Group 10 minutes. That was our call! Time to be close to the ocean and ice.
Beads of sweat were trickling down my spine as I stood in the chute where we were numbered and checked off - awaiting like parachutists to be spat out of the ship along the gang plank into one of 6 zodiacs; each escorting us through the magnificent ice.
Layered on my skin was a woollen baselayer; then my down vest; then my Quark coat; waterproof snow pants; bini; gloves; 2 cameras hanging on my double harness - each in a waterproof bag should there be any sea-spray; and last but not least - my 'muck boots - rubberised wet-suit material boots which were mandatory as well and actually not too bad..... oh not last - I nearly forgot; my life vest... which so many forgot only to realise when they were standing near the clipboard.
Hanging on THE clipboard to the left of our 'shute' was a piece of paper where we each had to initial we were disembarking; then initial we had returned. "Smiley" faces and other forms of hieroglyphics marked our departure and return. The ocean air and adventure brought out the playfulness in so many of us!
We were sailors - so we all used ... Click READ MORE below to read the rest of this post and go to the gallery of images.

Sep 23

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Ymer Island… walk along the tundra and beach…

My layers of Goretex and fleece were quickly stripped, as our group of 'long' walkers went for a long trek across part of Ymer Island in Eastern Greenland.
The geology of igneous rocks of the Paleozoic age; Devonian extrusive rocks; and Cambrian deposits exposed themselves and created for me a sense of the age of the earth and gave me pause to reflect on my own significance as I walked the landscape.
We crossed a peninsular where the sun shone into the pristine water, and the stones were round from the constant rumbling of the ocean waves. I spent some time watching the expanding circles join and expand; as I tossed small stones into the crystal water. The path of reflections where the light refracted, danced across the wavy lines in the sad below. I felt child like.
Evidence of volcanic and glacial history were prominent in the landscape. Traces of animal steps ghosted the sand.
Once again I carried my pocket canon G16 to create photographs of this remarkable environment. Walk with me across this beautiful landscape on this stunning day by viewing my images by clicking READ MORE below; and imagine walking this pristine landscape with me.

Sep 23

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Walking the tundra in the snow- a childhood dream….

Year 6. Mrs O'hare. Ashgrove State School. Geography lesson and studying the tundra. I thought to myself - "One day I would love to walk across the tundra..." Today was that day that wish from over 40 years ago flooded my thoughts... as the snow flakes adhered to the backs of my woollen gloves and perched on my black rabbit hat like adornments on a Christmas tree.
I had a wave of emotion as the icy wind rushed past my cheek and my feet stepped carefully across the soft moist landscape. My childhood imaginary wish was manifesting. It was a little surreal. I was walking across the tundra in Greenland. I felt so privileged and humble.
Dave was leading a group of "fast/long walkers" at a landing on Ella Island. For each of the land excursions we had a choice of either a "fast/long walk"; a "medium walk"; or a "contemplative walk". I was missing my running and gym so chose the "fast/long walkers" and I was so glad I did. Dave was our guide and we climbed up to this wonderful saddle in the ridge-line. It was magical. Another world of snow and ruggedness.
I left my 'big' cameras on the ship and carried with me my trusty Canon G16; because firstly it was snowing!!! :-)... (Click READ MORE below to read more and see more images)

Sep 22

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

The magic of Greenland…

What an incredible experience cruising around the east coast of Greenland on the Ocean Nova; walking the tundra whilst it was snowing; sliding in small zodiacs beside Majestic icebergs standing like fairytale cities; standing under swirling auroras; watching whales play; walking on 3 billion year old exposed rocks; breathing with the earth as the wind blew directly from the North Pole; hearing in my mind the chants of Thule and Paleo Inuit ceremonies and seeing their glyphs and symbols and myths; listening to the crunch of frazzle ice fracture as the bow sliced through the ice; I felt places which expanded the energy of the earth and others which were dying places where the remains of animals and humans congregated and transmuted into the elements of the Earth.
I have had the most wonderful and profound time exploring this part of the Arctic and would love to share with you over the coming weeks some of my experiences and photographs.
Max and I were members of a photographic journey with my friends John Paul Caponigro and Seth Resnick. It was wonderful to meet again some of my colleagues from previous photographic workshops and journeys.
In the late afternoon sailing north from Akureyri along the longest fjord in Iceland, we watched whales playing - a calf celebrating with its tail. I knew a wonderful journey was ahead.
During the night we crossed... to read more...

Sep 06

by Julie in Greenland 0 comments

Why to Greenland…..????

I’m writing this on the short flight from Reykjavik to Akureyri in Iceland – then to embark a small ship to the eastern fiords of Greenland. Max and I are travelling in a small group of photographers led by John Paul Caponigro and Seth Resnick. I haven’t been as diligent with my posts as I usually am – and I would have liked. I think I have been in an observation and more of a reflective mood. I’m finding that I haven’t quite tapped into my creative spark just yet and I’m regenerating my passion for words and images. I know the first group gathering will be to share why we each have embarked on this journey… And honestly I can’t answer that clearly right now. I’ve spent the past 18 months committed on a venture which sadly didn’t eventuate; so I’m in a bit of a space where I’m not too sure of my direction. I’m a little lost actually. Meandering finding my way. But i do have an intention though. I’m using this time to connect with the landscape and my intuition. … To distill what is important to me and work out where to now for me. […]

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