Backpacking
Thailand …This particular trip to Laos has begun for me in Thailand. The story I will be covering in a few days was filmed by a Human Planet crew a few weeks ago whilst I was in Mongolia, so I have taken this opportunity for independent travel by choosing to make my way to the […]
Hooked on Travelling
Mongolia …I am actually writing you this post from my home in Bristol, UK. I got back from Mongolia two days ago via a rather overdue trip to the tropical diseases clinic in London in order to have a small community of uninvited parasitic squatters exorcised from my backside. The good news for me was […]
City Slickers
Mongolia …Riding a horse in Mongolia has been a secret ambition of mine for a few years now. Well, to be more precise, riding a horse across Mongolia actually, an aspiration that I knew I would never realize on this short trip, but one that has since become a permanent fixture at the top of my […]
No Place Like Home
Mongolia …For some people who were brought up living sedentary lives, the urge to travel is irresistible. I think that I am one of those people. I have long maintained that this desire stems from an undeniable fire within the souls of each and every one of us that compels us to search out new […]
Praying for Rain
Mali …Another day, another awe inspiring location that would sit quite comfortably amidst the pages of Lord of the Rings. We’re guests of the Dogon people this week, camping by a small village at the base of a huge escarpment facing the desert plains of the Sahel. There are strict rules to living here. I’m […]
Extreme Makeover – Mosque Edition
Mali …This week I didn’t expect to be back in Africa, especially not Mali, the country Abbie has been calling home for the last 3 weeks, but thanks to a small political situation caused by a disagreement over the ingredients of this locality’s fabled mud plaster I am currently in the 45 degree desert heat […]
Sisters’ Meal Festival
The story behind the image …A lot of people have been asking me about this image, a cropped version of which appears on the masthead of this blog, so here’s the story of how it came about. I shot this photograph in 2007 whilst on a 2 month tour of south west China. It was […]
Famous for 15 Minutes
Brazil …Arriving at a sleepy southern Brazilian beach 5 days ago, none of our team could have predicted the scenes that would be surrounding us today. Back then, the area around our hotel resembled the opening scene of 28 Days Later due to fact that we have chosen to come here in Brazil’s winter season […]
Bye Bye Bayaka
Central African Republic …It’s the end of our time with the Bayaka and tomorrow we’ll be heading off to Cameroon and then home sweet home to the UK, but before I go I thought I’d leave you with one more picture from our Bayaka jungle home. That’s Mongonjay with his wife and child standing outside […]
Meditation
The story behind the image …I shot this picture a couple of years ago whilst on a 4 week trip through the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Bhutan can be a complicated country in which to travel since, as a visitor you are required to take a guided tour as your means of travel through the […]
Honey Honey, How You Thrill Me
Central African Republic …When I was a child I spent quite a lot of time up a certain willow tree in our family’s back garden. There’s a particular kind of comforting solitude that can only be found up a tree. I think it has something to do with the fact that as you sit there, […]
Amongst the Forest Spirits
Central African Republic …Often, when people seek out jungle dwelling tribes to photograph, the reality of their experience in the field doesn’t quite live up to the expectation they may have initially brought with them en route to their destination. It’s 2009 after all, and the heyday of those kind of cultural expeditions has passed […]
Welcome to the Jungle
Central African Republic …Arriving in the 30 degree heat of Cameroon yesterday was a sensational change from the biting winds of Mongolia. In fact, if you’d have asked me last week to describe the complete antithesis of Gobi desert calm, then the heaving sweaty crowds of Douala airport baggage reclaim would have borne an uncanny […]
The Storm That Never Came
Mongolia …Good news for Mongolians today. A terrible snow storm that has been threatening to bring the whole country to a standstill never appeared as forecast by experts. Good news for me too. Now the sun is out, planes are flying and I am currently sprawled across three Aeroflot seats at 37 000 ft looking forward to […]
Life Between the Rushes
Mongolia …After spending a little time in rural Mongolia you will soon realise that the pace of life in this enchanting place is beautifully slow and serene. Offering up this aspect of the human condition to the viewing public is a very hard thing to do in both photography and film because our media has […]
What’s in a Camp?
Mongolia …Just in case you were wondering, here’s a little glimpse inside a base camp on a Human Planet shoot. As you can see we have 3 gers (a Mongolian tent) between our team of nine – Director, fixer, cameraman, sound, cook, guide, 2 drivers and me. Right to left we have the kitchen ger, […]
The Perils of Filming in the Desert
Mongolia …Filming in the Gobi Desert is an unpredictable science as our cameraman Terry discovered to his misfortune today. What for him began as a serene day of filming the scavenger wildlife attracted by a nearby camel carcass, ended up as race against the clock to reach poor Terry as both he and his camouflage […]
Absolutely Amazing!
Mongolia …Today was a great day. This morning I got up. Had breakfast. Brushed my teeth. Picked up my cameras, and then rode across a snowy Gobi Desert on a camel. Today just entered my top five best days of traveling. . . . Interested in more stories from Mongolia? Try HERE TASEARCHMONGOLIA
Practical Alchemy in the Arctic
Greenland …We’ve all heard our fair share of urban myths. Whether we ever get to test the authenticity of them is another thing, but I’m a firm believer that if you are presented with an opportunity to do so, you can enrich your life no end. Obviously I share this belief with the producers of […]
Pink Snow and Blue Icebergs
Greenland …Greenland. Oh my God! What an amazing and extreme place. This was the first time that I have ever been to the Arctic. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting. Cold? Yes of course, but I don’t think anything can quite prepare you for the astonishing panoramas that hide quietly around every frozen […]
Time Lapse Tutorial
Tips and techniques …Time lapse photography can be a lovely way to spend a quiet afternoon somewhere. Whilst others might go fishing, I prefer settling down with a flask of tea and my tripod, giving myself the time to really appreciate the environment I find myself in. Time lapse is an important part of my […]
A Short Film Shot With My New Camera
Niger …Last year I was lucky enough to receive one of the first new Canon 5D mark II cameras when they came out. Niger was to be the trial run for this new SLR which also shoots high definition film, something I am very excited about. With the help of BBC cameraman Toby Strong and […]
A New Camera But No Clothes
Niger … My time in Niger didn’t start as planned. After 4 days travelling from Ethiopia, via London to pick up a new camera, I arrived in the capital Niamey with some new bags under my eyes. Unfortunately, they were the only personal bags I’d be seeing for a few weeks since my luggage never […]
A Footprint in the Sand
Will Mother Earth miss us when we’re gone?
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Mar 17, 2009 | Categories:Comment, Travel, View the complete Archive | Tags: Asia, BBC, BBC Earth, BBC Human Planet, blogsherpa, dinosaurs, disappearing culture, Gobi desert, Human PLanet, Human Planet BBC, indigenous, Mongolia, nomads, Planeta Humano, sand dunes | 3 Comments »