Walt Hampton, J.D.

Creating the Work & Life You LOVE

Journeys on the Edge
August 7, 2009

Two months ago, my wife Ann brought home a beautiful coffee table book from the library called: Galen Rowell: A Retrospective.  I was so captivated by the images – so vibrant, so awe inspiring were they – that I couldn’t put the book down.  I carried it everywhere with me.  When the time ran out, I asked Ann to renew it.  And when the time ran out again, I went on line and ordered a copy to own.  I simply can’t wait until it comes.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Galen Rowell, I encourage you to visit the website that hosts his work:  www.mountainlight.com.  Galen was the preeminent outdoor and adventure photographer, the first and best of his kind.  He believed that to capture the best images, one needed to truly be in the outdoors: not an observer but  a participant.  He referred to his images as “dynamic landscapes” capturing the convergences of light and form.  He believed in pre-visualizing the magic that would illuminate the high and distant places that were the subjects of his explorations, living by the credo “luck favors the prepared mind.”

Sadly, Galen died long before his time.  But I had the great fortune of studying with him while he lived in the Berkley hills of California.  His energy was unstoppable and his sense of the possible unmatched.  For him, living was an action sport. He would often say that the best photographs – the most compelling images – could be found at the edges of things: land and sea, mountain and plain, the clearing storm, the oncoming dawn.

Perhaps the same can be said of life:  it is best experienced out on the edge. These are the edges I endeavor to explore in my photography – and in my life. These are the edges I hope to explore in these pages. The edges of our work, our creativity our physical abilities.  These are the edges that all of us should explore for full and vibrant lives: lives lived in a dynamic landscape.

The photograph that accompanies this post was made on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania – the largest unbroken caldera in the world – late in the afternoon as a storm was clearing over the basin.

May we all seek out those journeys that push the edges of what is possible in our lives.

Welcome.

NorongotLightbox13

4 Comments

  1. Vernon Galp

    Fantastic Walt. Fantastic website. Fantastic story. Fantastic picture. Looking forward to the next one.
    Fantastically yours
    Vernon

    Reply
  2. Earis & Rick

    Finally a blog that’s worth following. We can experience what it’s like living on the edge through your blogging. To many more life on the edge experiences; L’chayim!

    Reply
  3. David Turner

    I think we have heard before “Rarely see and seldom photographed.” Thanks for the great efforts it takes just to get to these remote locations and thanks for sharing these wonderful images. I look forward to seeing more as they afford the chance for a vicarious adventure.

    DTT

    Reply
  4. cstrain

    great story Walt. It makes me want to take up photography

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

DOWNLOAD your FREE BOOK!

The-3-steps-to-living-an-inspired-life

DOWNLOAD Your Free E-Book NOW! Click Below And Get Going!

Click on the button for your copy of journeys!

Journeys-On-The-Edge

You’ll Get A Signed Copy!

Click on the button for your copy of my brand new book “The power principles of time mastery!”

The Power Principles of Time Mastery

You’ll Get A Signed Copy!

REGISTER HERE

Free Online Training Workshop

Thanks for signing in to the workshop!