AV News 190 - Novembert 2012
Land of Cold Coasts
Bill Bruce
I was thrilled to read the results of the RPS 20th International Audio Visual
Festival and discover that I had won the Special Award for Best Photography
for a second time. The first time
was in 2008 with my sequence
'Arctic Dreams'. It is very
satisfying to receive this award
from a group of respected fellow
photographers. Unfortunately I
was unable to attend the
Festival and to see all the
presentations on the giant
screen and with good sound. My
usual view of my work is on my
17" laptop screen. Thank-you,
the award is much appreciated.
Svalbard has again helped me to win with its special magic and beauty as
portrayed in the 'Land of Cold Coasts'. This Arctic archipelago in the far north,
first cast its spell over me more than twenty years ago and during many
expeditions there over the years has provided me with wonderful images that
I have been able to use in both books and presentations. The title 'Land of
Cold Coasts' is in fact the translation of the old Norwegian word 'Svalbard'.
The photographs were
taken on my 10th visit in
2008 on an expedition
cruise,
this
time
accompanied by my wife.
We had beautiful autumn
weather (not always the
case in these parts) and
lots of ice, which meant
some very fine polar bear
encounters.
In producing the presentation my aim was to capture the spirit of the islands
experienced during such a cruise in a relatively short sequence and to find
music that intensifies the atmosphere. I again succeeded in this with the music
of the young award-winning Norwegian acapella group PUST, this time with
their composition 'Kry'. Their song 'Innocent' was used in the second part of my
winning sequence in 2008.
My presentation at the 19th Festival in 2010, 'Togetherness - A Walk in the
Midnight Sun' features a sequence of photographs, taken during the same
2008 expedition, of a polar bear mother and her cub exploring the ice in the
special light of the midnight sun.
Page 28