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Photographer’s Note

As a saw a pic. from Svalbard here on TE today. I thought it to be a good idea to present you to this photo from the Polar museum in Tromsoe (main town in our northen region).
The Polar museum focus on our country’s different activities in the Polar region, as here by reconstructing a hunters cabin as they could be in the period 1900 – 1930. The hunter had to stay in his cabin throughout the whole winter often alone or maybe together with one or two other hunters. Their cabins was often very simple but still had to withstand the very cold winter and also visits or worse attacks from ice bears. In fact even today some ice bears have “specialised” in breaking in to cabins to catch all supplies they must find inside.

Svalbard is an international island region, where Norway has the right to administrate and maintain the juridical questions connected with the group av islands. The islands is situated between the northen part of our mainland and the north pole.

The "capitol" Spitzbergen is a small community where traditional mining and a flourishing tourist industry are the main focus area.

You reach Svalbard by boat or with a regular domestic flight. I was there in 2000, and even for us who lives in the high north it is still regarded as quite exotic to visit the place.

More from Spitzbergen

(The picture is posted under Svalbard - as the story "belongs" there)

carper has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

cdewet (0) 2003-11-02 4:22

A great mood, ambience and feeling of texture and the "then" time conveyed with this picture. Like the framing of the window with the poultry. Pity the goose is amplutated.

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maciekda (19599) 2003-11-02 4:55

I like the mood of this picture, it is like a journey in time, very nice picture, if you stood 2 steps to the left would be even better... but still very goos, well captured!

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hantulaut (3396) 2003-11-02 5:03

What i noticed in here, i like warm tonal colour coming from bulb light from ceiling wall (about 2200 K). Its creates "oldie moods" pretty strong. Nice shoot.

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CoolDan (2490) 2003-11-02 5:22

I agree with cdewet, but it's a very nice picture. Belles couleurs chaudes. Well done.

amzamz (852) 2003-11-02 7:35

...very nice display, Jack! I haven't been to this museum. I like the colors and the birds. When I was in Svalbard, I was told that the whalers would use puffins as torches... I am not sure this is true, but they must accumulate some fat in their body I guess.

clodreno (0) 2003-11-02 7:43

Very nice picture Jack. Is it a real person behind the window or dummy from the museum?

quegardens (1469) 2003-11-02 10:04

Good compositional presentation of that museum lodge Jack....it gives us the feeling of being out in the woods,alone in the cabin somewhere in the wilderness.
That the kind of place you would find Canada's legendary Jackrabbit Johansen(originally from Norway) who cross-country skied in the backcountry until he was 112 years old. See here JackRabbit Any relation to you?

Edwin (2039) 2003-11-04 5:05

Confronting and interesting subject Jack. I like the atmosphere here. Also appreciate your note, thanks!

Norway is still on my to-visit list and your documentary shots (and notes) are very welcome ;-)

mcreider (673) 2003-11-05 12:39

Fantastic - how this traditional world has survived up to our days. And you've capturedd it perfectly

touristdidi (8561) 2003-11-09 11:19

Wow, what a horrible life that would be for me! Did they get cabin fever, where you go crazy from isolation? Good photo, good look into another world.

carper (65622) 2004-08-24 9:19

Again one of your first ones,
Very good composition, the lines , the colours, it looks so old, the atmosphere, wonderfull shot, I like it very much, good job Jack