June 2024 News
Apologies for the delay in what should have been an April edition of this newsletter. A lot has happened since the beginning of the year, so please bear with me!
Conservation Exhibition at Dubai International Airport
In April I was hoping to share news of the opening of my most meaningful exhibition to date, titled “The 11th Hour” & “Moments in Time” . The exhibition visually draws attention to the effects of what humanity is having on our planet’s most iconic species and was set to open at the world’s busiest international airport, Dubai’s DXB.
Irony, however, was to play its part and major floods at the airport, in the desert environment of Dubai of all places, were to force its postponement!
After substantial cleaning up operations I am now thrilled to impart that after two years of discussions, planning and installation, I am truly proud to have nineteen of my premier works on display across 50 meters of premium wall space.
The 11th Hour Exhibition and Moments in Time Exhibition
The opening of this exhibition signals achieving one of my life’s key objectives of being able to reach huge audiences in order to relate important stories and narrative around our planet’s most iconic species. In this endeavor, I would be hard pressed to find a better opportunity than being afforded an extended exhibition of prime wall space at DXB with close to 90 million passengers a year passing through this giant aviation hub.
On 11 June, alongside Monique, we walked down the massive airport corridor viewing the artworks that celebrate the magnificence of those who could not speak for themselves. It is an exhibition that does not shy away from the truth of loss, but equally it also embraces accounts that inspire hope.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to Dubai Airport’s CEO, Paul Griffiths, who along with his team, have been so incredibly supportive of the project right from our initial discussion of the concept nearly two years ago.
Chris Fallows, Paul Griffiths CEO Dubai Airports, H.E. Jamal Al-Hai, Deputy CEO at Dubai Airports.
L to R , Michael Markland CEO Kashaf Global, Neel Shukla CEO Four seasons Ramesh Gallery,
Chris Fallows, Paul Griffiths CEO Dubai Airports, H.E. Jamal Al-Hai, Deputy CEO at Dubai Airports.
Exhibitions of this scale do not happen in spaces like this that normally command a very high dollar premium with brands like Armani, Rolex and Ferrari dominating them, and certainly not with narrative asking us to question our way of living.
As such I am humbled that the DXB team has recognized my work to being of a standard worthy of this space, but more importantly saw value in aligning our respective narratives and objectives.
Through the leadership of Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports has made significant inroads to powering the airport using renewable energy, finding innovative ways to recycle the monumental waste produced by travelers, and are a devoted signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration. This declaration commits the airport to doing whatever it can to reduce, and hopefully stop, the catastrophic trade and trafficking in endangered wildlife species that I have on too many occasions been a devastated witness to.
Adding a “Why” to DXB’s sustainability efforts
The exhibition is thus as powerful a “WHY” as there can be, to add credence to DXB’s and anyone else’s efforts to sustainable progress and protecting biodiversity. In this regard I hope the 11th Hour exhibition paves the way and is seen as an example for more airports or high traffic locations in seeing value in using art works celebrating our planet to do the same.
The exhibition was produced and sponsored by DXB and Kashaf Global’s, Michael Markland. Michael has been unbelievably supportive of Monique’s and my conservation objectives and is a rare example of a very successful human who supports without expecting anything in return.
The art works have been beautifully printed, framed and curated by Dubai’s multi award winning interior decorator and creative, Neel Shukla who has also been incredibly supportive to furthering my work’s objectives in the region.
In addition to viewing the framed works, passengers can read in both English and Arabic the often moving story relating to each works creation.
Narrative in both English and Arabic hopefully inspiring sustainability across cultures
Narrative in both English and Arabic hopefully inspiring sustainability across cultures
My Trees, a conservation program in Northern Zimbabwe, is nominated as being the beneficiary of any donations raised by the exhibition. There is a call to action QR code that takes passengers to My Trees work where they can donate. My Trees has already made significant strides in Zimbabwe towards planting over a million trees in deforested areas, bridging human wildlife conflict and finding ways to sustainably employ local communities adjacent to very important wildlife corridors.
Whilst I am humbled to this being a significant endorsement of my work, it is in essence an exhibition about incredible creatures that underpin all life on earth.
Dubai Arts Club
Whilst in Dubai I was also afforded the opportunity to present my work at The Dubai Arts Club, and I would like to thank the distinguished audience in attendance.
Dubai Arts Club
It is always humbling presenting in these prestigious locations when one considers our daily life spent oft in remote locations in tiny tents or bobbing on the ocean.
Speaking of which, we have done our fair share of both this year.
Humpback Whale Super Groups
Starting in late December 2023 and early January 2024, we had some truly, truly epic experiences with super groups of humpback whales.
Bear in mind that in the early 1990’s we hardly ever saw any humpback whales, and to now have groups that may number over 150 around us in an area not much bigger than a few football fields, is testimony to the fact that when we commit ourselves to conserving a species, we can make an incredible difference.
Just fifteen years ago scenes like this didn’t exist
In this endeavor Monique and I explored a stretch of about 150km of coastline often sleeping on the deck of our boat and waking up to the most wonderful sounds of literally hundreds of whales around us.
One of the things I avoid in life is conforming to the mundane. As such we tried to spend time on both calm and very rough days at sea to combine the very different moods created. Being on a small boat on one of the worlds roughest stretches of coastline is invigorating, which in turn promotes creativity, despite the very difficult shooting conditions.
Although rough conditions result in a poor success rate, when you do nail the shot, I believe the discomfort is more than worth it.
Wild weather, incredible mood and breathtaking scenes
Wild weather, incredible mood and breathtaking scenes
Likewise, the extremely calm days offer their own beauty and by using long lenses and very shallow depths of field it affords very moody expressions and a different look to an oft mundanely photographed subject.
At all times, whilst I love and appreciate a great wildlife photograph, I am looking at creating an art work with a strong creative rather than technical slant.
These many opportunities, afforded on varied breathtaking canvasses, allowed me to create works that without significant good fortune in my future endeavors, I will struggle to surpass.
It is my hope above all for those who purchase or display the works that they do justice to what many would agree is the symbol of the ocean, a whale’s tail lofted high.
Whether this symbol is a salute to their return, or perhaps a middle finger in defiance to our effort to wipe them out, is for you to decide.
Drought-hit Botswana
The next chapter in our journey took us to climes that could not have been more different to that of the ocean, Botswana. Our time here was intended to be spent photographing black-manned lions in what should have been the wet season. Instead, we were met by parched landscapes and animals struggling to survive.
A lioness gazes out over a parched Central Kalahari
Botswana was in the tight grip of its worst drought in at least 40 years.
We left the Central Kalahari early as quite simply we could not find or track any lions. They had splintered into small groups and vanished into the dunes looking for prey that had in the absence of water done the same.
At the same time we heard of a drama unfolding to the north of us. Twenty-five thousand zebra, and over one thousand elephants had converged on the Boteti river expecting to find water. They had arrived months earlier than normal as everywhere else was dry. Tragically, they had made a grave error as even here, little water was to be found.
It was a very powerful scene, with dust and fur an unwilling pairing in a very harsh landscape.
Dust and Drama
Every day brought greater drama with tens of thousands of zebras fighting for small shrinking pools of muddied water.
A sizzle of Stripes
Often, elephants would chase away the herds and command the last available water for hours on end.
The one shining light was, ironically, human intervention whereby local lodges were desperately pumping boreholes in an attempt to stretch the limitations of survival of these desperate animals, until hopefully, late season rain may fall.
It was quite something to witness, and once again another powerful tale as told through the lens as to the rapidity and effects of climate change on our planet.
Amazing scenes of humans helping wildlife
The Cape of Storms
Returning home to Cape Town we experienced yet another massive cut-off low weather system battering the city. This afforded me some awe-inspiring photographic opportunities of a volatile ocean venting its fury.
Storms of this nature usually happen every ten or more years, but we have had three in the past eighteen months. I know this as for the past 35 years as a photographer obsessed with the beauty of photographing storms, I have paid significant attention to their frequency and intensity.
The beauty in the violence and the message in its increasing frequency
Finally sharks …
I continue to be devastated about the decline, and complete loss in some areas along our South African coastline. But on the positive side, we have been fortunate enough to spend some exceptional times with the great white’s closest relative, the magnificent mako shark.
The magnificent Mako
On several occasions over the past few months, Monique and I have headed out to sea, far offshore, to areas where I have previously captured images of arguably the most spectacular of all sharks, the magnificent mako shark. But this time, in the complete darkness.
The dark backdrop really amplifies the shark’s incredible design and coloring, and it is about as intense an experience as you will ever have, diving along with them after nightfall.
It’s hard to believe there is a more beautiful assassin
Sandi and the Salty Sea Dogs
Finally, the best for last, as I share with you the effort of my incredible wife and partner of a thousand or more amazing adventures, to reach and inspire a new audience.
In May this year Monique published her first book called, Sandi and the Salty Sea Dogs. It is a story that at its core is about introducing kids to the marine eco system, and how each species cannot survive without the other.
Sandi and the Salty Sea Dogs
The story follows the true journey of our dogs that join us out at sea, something they have done on hundreds of occasions over the past ten years.
In this time, they have encountered orcas, great white sharks, mako, blue and bronze whaler sharks, sperm whales, pilot whales, tens of thousands of dolphins, super pods of humpbacks and much more.
What has been fascinating is seeing how interested the dogs are in these animals, and reciprocally how aware the wild animals are in them, but not as a meal as you may think!
The book has real photographs of the dogs interacting with these animals, amazing sketches and perhaps most engagingly, QR codes which kids can scan within each chapter that takes the young audience to a video and on a real adventure at sea with the dogs interacting with wildlife.
I am extremely proud of Monique (and our dogs) in this endeavor. I know how dedicated Monique is to conserving our natural world in her oft silent and behind-the-scenes way, despite being incredibly experienced and accomplished on both land and ocean.
And so, as the first half of 2024 slides by, we both say thank you to the many who have helped us achieve significant objectives this year.
To those who have purchased my fine art works, thank you. I hope it is a contribution to not only inspiring you to see more of the natural world, but also to a greater good, the virtues of which I look forward to sharing with you as another milestone of conservation in the next newsletter.
Best regards,
Chris