Editorial Travel Photographer Susan Seubert on visiting 7 countries in 1 Month

September was a whirlwind of airplanes, trains, boats, buses, cars and globetrotting. I left PDX on the first and landed in Ireland, on the 2nd. After a quick city glimpse and a Guinness in Dublin, I boarded the National Geographic Orion. It whisked us off to a week of exploring the coastal villages and isles of Wales and England in true National Geographic style.

The most photographed of all the Georgian doors in Dublin

The Library at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

The Library at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, Europe

Our first stop in Wales at the lovely seaside town of Llandudno

Llandudno, Wales, Europe

We spent the afternoon exploring Conway Castle

Hiking along the Pembrokeshire Coast, Fishguard, Wales

St. David’s Cathedral in Fishguard, Wales

Bodnant Gardens, Llandundo, Wales

Bodnant Gardens, Llandundo, Wales

The town of Fowey, England

Dartmouth Castle, England

 

Delta’s new non-stop service from London’s Heathrow airport got me home to Portland in time to do my laundry, repack, say hi to my family, and complete a photo shoot for Travel Oregon before my next flight to British Columbia for a National Geographic Travel feature story on Vancouver. There I spent 6 days exploring the food scene, hiking in the rain forest, and rediscovering one of North America’s most vibrant, and one of my favorite, cities.

Photographing kayakers in False Creek, Vancouver, B.C. Yes – I had to wear lifesaving gear in the form of a onesy.

Photographing on top of the aerial tram at Grouse Mountain, Vancouver, British Columbia

BTS at 49th Parallel Coffee in Vancouver, B.C.

On September 18 I landed in Bordeaux, France, to rendezvous with my husband. We had rented a beautiful apartment directly on the quai where we could take endless walks after dinner to admire la Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d’eau at dusk. Bordeaux still seems refreshingly undiscovered. From there we also took a train day trip to St. Emilion, one of the finest wine producing regions in the world.

People enjoying a sunny afternoon and an art installation at Place de la Bourse, Bourdeaux, France.

The Chartrons neighborhood, Bordeaux, France

The view of the Garonne River from our fabulous apartment in Bordeaux, France.

The Miroir d’eau at Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux

Porte Cailhau, Bordeaux

Men sitting outside the landmark 14-16th century Gothic Church, Basilica of St. Michael, Bordeaux

The flea market at Place Meynard with Basilica St. Michael in the backgound, Bordeaux

Fresh fish at the Marché des Capucins, Bordeaux, France

Chocolate Shoes! These are 100% chocolate and are made by Cadiot-Badie, a chocolate shop that has been making confections since 1826 in Bordeaux.

The wine shop, L’Intendant, Bordeaux, France

Le Miroir d’eau at Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux during the blue hour.

The train station in St. Émilion, France

The grapes are ripe at Chateau Ausone in Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France.

Grapes at Chateau Ausone, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, France

The view of the town from the bell tower of the monolithic church in St. Émilion, Bordeaux, France

Saint-Émilion has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The vineyards date back to the Romans, as early as the 2nd century.

After several days of eating our way through the markets and cafes in Bordeaux, we took an EasyJet to Venice. There we caught up with some curators and other folks associated with my show at the European Cultural Center at the 2017 Venice Biennale. We had rented an authentically Venetian apartment directly on the Grand Canal. The building had once housed a Doge and has a very beautiful, private courtyard, making for a quiet stay on a very busy waterway.

The private courtyard entrance to our apartment on the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

The view at bluehour from the Ponte dell’Accademia, Venice, Italy

Classic Venice!

Basilica San Marco as the crowds assemble for the day, Venice, Italy

The view from the Bell Tower at San Marco, Venice

Caffé Florian in San Marco, established in 1720, is still a beautiful place to dine.

Even the nuns are taking selfies at San Marco.

The Bridge of Sighs, Venice, Italy

My favorite part of the trip was exploring Venice without a guide. The clothes hanging out to dry remind me so much of the photos of the Tibetan prayer flags at Everest Base Camp.

The magic hour on a small canal, Venice, Italy.

Deep fried artichokes at Gam Gam Kosher Restaurant just outside the Jewish Ghetto, Venice, Italy

Cicchetti at Cantina Do Mori, located near the Venice Fish Market. Cantina Do Mori was founded in 1462 and remains a fantastic place for a glass of wine and cicchetti.

The wines on display at Cantina Do Mori, a Venetian institution.

My head is still spinning from jet lag, but already I’m looking forward to heading to Washington D.C. on Sunday, then on to Maui where I’ll be based for 4 weeks.
Merci, Mille Grazie, Mahalo nui loa, and thank you for visiting my blog!

Multimedia Photographer Susan Seubert at Maine Media Workshops

Last week I had the pleasure of attending Bob Sacha‘s class, “New Media, New World,” at the Maine Media Workshops.  The goal of the class was to produce a one minute multimedia piece.  In today’s world, it’s important to understand how to distill a lot of information into a small amount of time and space.  Working with my Canon 5D Mark IV, a shotgun microphone and a Zoom audio recorder, I had one day and two meetings with my subject to capture enough audio and video to create an interesting piece.  It was fast paced and crazy.  My subject was a recovering alcoholic who runs a dog-sledding business in the winter on the central coast of Maine, and here it was, the middle of August. It took 4 days, but I was able to complete my mini-documentary!  It’s slightly over one minute, but Bob granted us all a few seconds grace period if it would finish the piece nicely.  Below is the result.  I’m working on two other projects, and look forward to getting those finished and uploaded. However, I’ll likely be a bit behind schedule as this weekend I am headed to Wales and England for National Geographic Expeditions to teach photography on their ships.  Follow me on Instagram for images from the Expedition, or better yet, jump on a plane and join us!  Thanks for visiting.

Commercial Photographer Susan Seubert Photographs the Oregon Solar Eclipse

Greetings fellow Earthlings!  The eclipse on August 21, 2017 was the first eclipse to pass over the entire continental United States in more than a century, and millions of people donned their safety glasses to witness the event.  Because I live in Oregon, the path of totality was less than 50 miles from my home, so off I went, iPhone in hand.  “Leave taking pictures of it to the professionals,” my wise father advised, which I did, except that I didn’t.  I have a small GoSky spotting scope with an attachment for my iPhone so with a little planning, I made a very easy setup that included a tripod and some solar mylar, courtesy of the Oregon Tourism Board’s glasses that they had distributed for the event.  After all, our great state was the first to get a glimpse of this celestial event, so why not make sure everyone can watch?  Thank you, Travel Oregon! Unbelievably enough, the weather was perfect for viewing in the Willamette Valley.  It was a spectacular sight to see the moon block out the sun for a total of 1 minute.  I, along with the small crowd that had gathered at Linfield College, was stunned at the beauty of it.

Below are a few photographs of my simple but effective setup, along with some images of the event.  I hope you enjoy the photos as the next one that we’ll have a chance to see here in Oregon won’t happen until October 5, 2108. For more photos, follow me on Instagram! Thanks for visiting.

The GoSky spotting scope, iPhone, iPhone attachment plus mylar glasses to use as a filter over the camera lens, set up on a tripod.

I had to make up a dark cloth so I could see the screen in order to get the camera and scope in the proper position.

The action begins!

Totality!!!!

This phase is known as the “Diamond Ring” effect, as the glare from the surface of the moon looks like its namesake.

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Travel Photographer Susan Seubert in Arctic Svalbard and the Fjords of Norway

Velkommen! I recently returned from an epic adventure to the Svalbard Archipelago and the beautiful Fjords of Norway with National Geographic Expeditions.  This trip was phenomenal because we not only explored the land of the midnight sun where we hiked on the arctic tundra and took a late night stroll on the fast ice, we also witnessed a polar bear take a bearded seal.  Polar bears are difficult to see under any circumstances but to actually witness a successful hunt is truly a rare event.  After heading south past Bear Island, we arrived at the northern end of mainland Norway with our first stop in sunny Tromsø.  From there, we took the ship into many of the infamous fjords with towering, snow-capped mountains, beguiling forests and quaint fishing villages, whose residents welcomed us with open arms and loads of Norwegian waffles!

Below is a collection of images that tell the story of our journey by ship as we explored this beautiful area of the world. Enjoy!

The entrance to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Longyearbyen, Norway.

Signs warning of the presence of polar bears on the edge of the town of Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway.

Our first evening in the land of the midnight sun and the ocean conditions couldn’t be any better! Gorgeous sunshine and glassy water welcomed us to our adventure in Svalbard.

A late night champagne toast on the bow to welcome everyone on board the National Geographic Orion. The sun never sets here at this time of year. Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Our first steps on to the arctic tundra were at Daudmannsoya where we saw our first reindeer and some interesting earth formations.

Our first arctic fox at Daudmannsoya. You can see this fox is losing its white winter coat.

Our next stop was to observe a group of walrus hauled out at Poolepynten, Svalbard.

These giant blubbery animals come out of the ocean to rest and weigh in on average at about 2,000 lbs.

The next day we headed to Hornsund to investigate the fast ice and look for polar bears.

Another sunscreen-worthy day in Hornsund!

Our ice class ship had no problem negotiating the ice floes. Here we saw some fresh polar bear tracks on the ice, seen right at the tip of the shadow of our bow.

The ice cracked as we began to park the ship in the fast ice.

Scanning the horizon as this is prime habitat for the giant fuzzy bears.

Our first polar bear of the trip! We spotted this one that was very far off in the distance, in front of a glacier. He quickly disappeared behind the hill.

Because of the fantastic weather, we were treated to a bbq on the aft sun deck of the National Geographic Orion.

Later on, we were able to find ice that was thick enough for us to get out and explore. Of course, we sent the polar guards first to examine the fresh bear tracks.

After the all clear from our guards, everyone came out on the ice for a fun group picture!

After dinner, I joined one of our Norwegian spotters out on the observation deck to keep an eye out for bears. Difficult to believe that this is in the late evening!

The emblematic reindeer grazing on the tundra at Camp Miller, Bellsund, Svalbard.

These reindeer are smaller because they have to survive during the dark winter months. During summer, they shed and grow new antlers.

We had headed back to Hornsund to spot bears. We found this one swimming in open water at about 5am. We watched it as it headed towards the ice where some seals were hauled out. It caught one and proceeded to have a great meal. A very special experience!

The polar bear as it is eating its lunch and an ivory gull tries its best to get some of the meat.

Polar Bear, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway, Europe

We pulled away after watching this bear catch and eat a bearded seal. Amazing!

Bjørnøya, Bear Island, lies half way between Svalbard and mainland Norway. Its sea cliffs are home to large bird colonies.

As we approached Bjørnøya, a large group of Fulmars joined the ship. They were so close that you could almost reach out and touch them!

This marks the beginning of our adventure into Norway’s beautiful fjords. We started in Hellmobotn, which is at the end of Tysfjorden, and home to a picturesque village.

We offered a range of hikes, one of which took us to the base of this tremendous waterfall.

Under the beautiful sun, we hiked in our first forest of the trip.

Cod hanging to dry in the village of Hellmobotn.

The glaciated walls of the fjord are very visible in Hellmobotn.

Picturesque buildings can be found throughout the fjord systems in Norway. This was taking as we were transiting out of Tysfjorden.

We awoke the next day at Lonkanfjorden, where one could hike, kayak or take a cruise in a zodiac.

The kayaks being prepared for the morning adventure!

Hiking deep in to the fjord at Lonkanfjorden.

The quaint fishing village of Skrova in the Nordland county of Norway.

Skrova is popular as a place where Norwegians have family summer homes that line the beautiful bay.

Skrova is also an active fishing village, where cod is air dried using traditional methods. These were harvested shortly after we photographed them.

We continued to be blessed with beautiful weather as we made our way into Trollfjord.

Guests line up to watch as we enter this narrow fjord where the ship eventually noses in to the steep wall, in order to have our youngest guest pick a leaf from a tree.

Getting close to the narrowest part of Trollfjord, at only 100 meters wide and 72 meters deep.

Our morning start in the fishing village of Vega, Norway. In 2004, Vega’s cultural landscape was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage Site list as representative of “the way generations of fishermen/farmers have, over the past 1,500 years, maintained a sustainable living in an inhospitable seascape near the Arctic Circle, based on the now unique practice of eider down harvesting.”

Throughout our visits in the fjords, seeing houses with green roofs was not uncommon. According to our guide, this is done for purposes of insulation.

We were lucky to come across a man with 4 Lundehund, otherwise known as Norwegian Puffin Dogs. These animals were once used to hunt puffin birds for humans. As a result, they have 6 toes and can splay out flat. Although these were almost extinct at one point, they now number about 1500 worldwide.

One of the highlights of our visit to this island village was being treated to a local seafood tasting, which included sea urchins collected in the bay.

Although not a traditional Norwegian dish, this village is practicing sustainable seafood by looking to the Japanese for inspiration.

We were welcomed to this tiny fishing village on the island of Smøla by the owner of this house, Peggy.

Peggy’s home was at one point the family home of her husband’s, and now serves as their family’s summer home.

This village was built before the industrial revolution and although not on the lee side of the island, it allowed the fishermen to see the weather before deciding whether to head out to work in the morning.

This is Peggy, one of the warmest people I have ever encountered.

We were able to explore this tiny island on foot where photo opportunities were everywhere!

Our group hiking towards the House of Prayer where we were treated to a very nice history lesson from one of the villagers.

We were welcomed with a seemingly endless supply of fresh Norwegian waffles and home made strawberry jam. Delicious!

Peggy, along with her friends, acted as our hosts.

Today we got an early start as we had to catch the bus to the base of the Birksdal Glacier. It was a beautiful hike through the mist on a well paved road to get to the base of the glacier.

Briksdalsbreen is an arm of the great Jostedalsbreen Glacier, and located inside the Jostedalsbreen National Park.

In Leon, we were lucky enough to be one of the first groups of visitors to ascend the Sky Lift which offers amazing views through the mist of the villages below.

The heart-stopping vertical Leon Sky lift is not for the faint of heart.

The National Geographic Orion parked at Leon, at the base of the Sky Lift in Nordfjord.

The last stop on our journey, the quaint town of Bergen, Norway.

After our morning guided tours, we explored the town on foot, including the famous fish market.

Strolling past the beautiful Hanseatic buildings of Bryggen, a World Heritage Site, was a fine way to end this incredible trip.

 

 

Susan Seubert at the 2017 Venice Biennale: Virtual Tour

My show at the 2017 Venice Biennale opened last week and there was much rejoicing.  This is a true milestone in my career as an artist, so a group of us gathered, drank Prosecco and toasted to the beautiful city of Venice.  I’ll be heading back later this year to the Palazzo Bembo, where the show, “Personal Structures,” will be on display until November 26th.  If you are going to be in Venice, this 15th century building is about a block from the Rialto Bridge and admission is free. If you can’t make it, here is a 360 degree view of the installation of my work, from the, “Asphyxiation” series.  You can also look at the work on my web site here.

 

Susan Seubert at the Froelick Gallery and the Venice Biennale

For Portland Photo Month the Froelick Gallery has mounted an exhibition of my photographs entitled, “Not A Day Goes By.”

The 2016 rise of a racist, xenophobic, sexist, bigoted, extreme-right political climate in the U.S. presidential political cycle profoundly depressed me. Climate change in both its literal and figurative sense was being denied as a hoax. Lies and fake news were accepted as “politics as usual.” It seemed to me that America was smothering all the positive ideals historically it has stood for. Unbearable emotional pain motivated me to explore showing this issue visually as suicide.

The show is a body of work produced to illustrate suicide. The images in the series, “Manner Of,” present common objects used to take one’s life. The muted black and white palate and soft image quality of the print rendered on tissue paper is then further obscured by the encaustic medium. This treatment of the photograph underscores the veiled nature of the option of suicide. The portraits of people with their heads wrapped in plastic illustrate acts of asphyxiation. The cool tonality combined with the highly reflective, almost mirrored surface of the work adds a performative aspect to the piece: a glimpse of the viewer’s image is reflected, offering a space to contemplate suicide.

You can read a review of the show by Bob Hicks on Oregon Arts Watch here.

Five works from the “Asphyxiation” series will be included in the Personal Structures show, curated by the Global Art Affairs Foundation, at the 2017 Venice Biennale, and hosted by the European Cultural Center at the Palazzo Bembo.  This work will be on display from May 13 – November 26, 2017 in Venice.  For more information, you can download a press kit here.

 

artist: Susan Seubert, title: Asphyxiation #16, size: 40×30″ (101.6cm X 76.2cm), year: 2017, medium: metal photographic print

“Manner Of: Noose”, From the series, “Manner Of,” as part of the show, “Not a Day Goes By.” 12×12″ digital pigment print on silk tissue, edition of 10, 2017, artist: Susan Seubert

 

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Travel Photographer Susan Seubert in the Antarctic

The bridge in the early morning hours as we head towards the Antarctic Circle

I recently returned from an epic journey with National Geographic Expeditions where we traveled to the Antarctic Peninsula, the island of South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.  The seas were calm for most of the voyage, making for an excellent experience exploring this remote area of the Earth. As the on-board National Geographic Photography Expert, I have the privilege of leading the photography component of this departure. I lecture on the ships about photography and help people improve their technical and storytelling skills so that they return home with a great collection of images.  Below is a selection of some of my favorite moments from this fantastic adventure.

Please enjoy the pictures and thank you for visiting!

Watching Type A Killer Whales in the Southern Ocean from the National Geographic Explorer, a ship in the Southern Ocean, Antarctica

A Crabeater Seal hauled out on the ice in Skog Bay, Antarctica

A beautiful iceberg in Skog Cove, Antarctica

A Skua flies through an opening in a large iceberg in Skog Cove, Antarctica

Sailing through fast ice, Antarctica

Adventures on the Fast Ice, Antarctica

Sunrise on our way to Booth Island, Antarctica

A Gentoo penguin colony on Booth Island, Antarctica

Port Lockroy, Antarctica

Two porpoising Gentoo penguins and a humpback whale feeding in Cierva Cove, Antarctica. This is a once in a lifetime image!!

The remains of whaling at Danco Island, Errera Channel, Antarctica

Porpoising Gentoo penguins in Cierva Cove, Antarctica

Point Wild, Antarctica, where Ernest Shackleton’s men spent 137 days awaiting rescue.

We had a persistent rainbow at Gold Harbour as seen from our ship, South Georgia

A rainbow and King penguins on the beach at Gold Harbour, South Georgia

Over 500,000 King penguins at St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia

An illustration of the density of King penguins at St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia

An Antarctic fur seal pup at St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Molting Elephant seals at St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia

A Macaroni penguin shows off its crest at Hercules Bay, South Georgia

Dramatic light at Hercules Bay, South Georgia

Hiking a scree slope in the snow from Maiviken to Grytviken, South Georgia

A large King penguin colony at Right Whale Bay, South Georgia

Wind gusts up to 80 knots at Right Whale Bay, South Georgia

The colorful houses in the morning light as we pull in to the harbor at Stanley, Falkland Islands

The classic whale bone arch in Stanley, Falkland Islands

The quaint town of Stanley, the capital city of the Falkland Islands

A sheep herding demonstration at Long Island Farm outside of Stanley, Falkland Islands

Long Island Farm outside of Stanley, Falkland Islands

Wool from the farm at Long Island Farm outside of Stanley, Falkland Islands

Carcass Island, Falkland Islands

Magellanic penguins molting on Carcass Island, Falkland Islands

A Rockhopper penguin and Black-browed Albatross colony, West Point Island, Falkland Islands

Black-browed Albatross chick being fed, West Point Island, Falkland Islands

Black-browed Albatross chicks waiting to fledge, West Point Island, Falkland Islands

The amazing group of people that I work with on board the National Geographic Explorer on our last night after 3 weeks together exploring the Southern Ocean