Just back for a week or so from Marrakech where I caught up with travel professionals - suppliers - from all over the world. Some of the connections really were on the same wavelength as us: experience rich travel, not run of the mill stuff, and so exciting that it's worthy of trying to capture the moment photographically.
As a result I've come back with some fresh ideas, still requiring research but nevertheless some inspiring ideas to explore, recces to take in:
Australia - lots of ideas, mainly in the Northern Territory and Western Australia and South Australia. Still to be narrowed down...
India - there's no end to ideas here but some potentially interesting cultural and charitable combis.
Asia - still researching the perfect Snow Leopard trip but I think I'm getting closer!
Antarctica - aiming for Xmas 2012, another small vessel trip but different yet again to what we have done before.
Africa - safaris are getting so damned expensive if you want access to really good game. And we're always trying to get away from paying for luxurious accommodation and instead putting the 'luxury' into 'raw, barefoot, real bush and outstanding game interaction'. So some fresh suppliers for us to put to the test.
And Marrakech itself was a first for me. Not having much downtime at all, it was full on meetings, but I did mange to get down to the medina for a longgggg coffee break people watching, and I spent a couple of hours on an unrequested personally guided tour by a chap that introduced himself as Bob Marley. Bob was quite a character and he thankfully saved me from becoming completely lost in the maze of souks and with him as a 'minder' I had the confidence to shoot some of the big cat and zebra skins and dried chameleons which were unfortunately on display. Quite a place and next time it will be worth getting out of town for a bit of exploring as well. Marrakech seems a great place to go in Europe for a short haul cultural and photographic fix. Alas, not that much warmer than London at this time of year!
Julie
November 2011
New Ideas from Marrakech - 28 November 2011
Putting something back: 20 November 2010
This week I hosted a fundraising fashion show in conjunction with Amanda Thompson, the very talented designer behind Pussy Willow. I had asked Amanda back in July whether she would do a show with me to raise funds for the Pakistan flood victims and she very generously agreed. So we had an exciting evening of Autumn-Winter fashion, held at the B2 hotel, with pro models, music and catwalk.
The evening was a great success. Thankyou to everyone who attended, who donated online and who bid enthusiastically at the auction!
The floods hit Pakistan four months ago, back in July but of course they are so widespread that a third of Pakistan was under water, impacting 20 million people including three million kids under five years of age. Action Aid reckon it will take two years to make any real dent in restoring the crops, schools, businesses, bridges and roads etc. Water borne disease is an immediate problem, getting the kids back to school will take time and helping marginalised groups (HIV, minority religions, the very ill and isolated) is a priority of Action Aid who have had people on the ground doing good work in Pakistan in any case. We know our modest proceeds from the event will make a difference as Action Aid keep their overheads low and they put the funds immediately to good use. Sums as low as £30 can buy hygiene or food kits, £50 can get a household kit (mosquito net, torch, plastic sheets, mattress, gas cylinder). And they teach people how to protect themselves from future flood damage.
www.justgiving.com/calvertpercivalfloodrelief2010
Once again, a really big thankyou to everyone for your support. And thankyou to Adam for being ready with a lens....
Julie
November 2010