Vanuatu
138 creative works found
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In 2003 I experienced a life changing event when I travelled to Tanna in Vanuatu in the Melanesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean with two friends. Tanna is populated by about 10,000 Ni Vans who mostly live in subsistence farming communities. Tourism infrastructure and foreign investment have been limited to less than 50% which has largely preserved their way of life from too much foreign influence. The last time foreigners descended on mass was in WWII when the American soldiers practically took over a few of the islands. This overwhelming influx of the modern world on a traditional culture permanently altered it when a number of cargo cults started up fashioning themselves on American military camps. Many Ni-Vans so overcome with the amazing technology and physical power of these soldiers decided being American must be pretty good so henceforth considered themselves adopted Americans. To show how American they were they rebuilt their villages in the style of the military camps, saluted the stars and strips and even made planes and jeeps out of bamboo. Mixed into this infatuation was aspects of ‘Kustom’ (native) religion and Christianity into a cult called the John Frum cult (short for ‘John from America’). Ever since WWII the John Frum followers have been waiting for the second coming of John Frum with his ship full of cargo for the faithful. Just before my trip the cult had become so troublsome that the army had been called in to disperse them. They did this by simply burning the village down so people would be forced to go home to their native villages (the village happened to be constructed on the side of an active volcano as well which didn’t impress the authorities much either). On their previous trip my two companions were invited to go and speak in the John Frum Village and meet their leader the prophet Fred a rare privilege for an outsider. I spent two weeks in Tanna climbed an active volcano and spent time getting to know the locals who kindly put us up in their village while we ministered to the local church. Two of the people I got to know the best were Jeremy a boy who took me under his wing and Willie an inspirationally spiritual man who was a church leader down there. I took this shot of my friends on the second last day I was there in the local river just below the village of Lonimilo. Having never been out of a western culture before experiencing village life, food, water (yuck), music (with no radio or TV the sound of acoustic guitars and singing were almost constantly in the background, yum) and living with such beautiful family oriented people profoundly effected my whole way of seeing the world. Jeremy and Willie’s smiles kind of sum the whole thing up. P.S. I don’t really see myself as a portrait/ people photographer but the bubble is such a great place to try out new things I thought I’d post it and see what people think. The shot was taken with my first ever SLR camera that I bought duty free on this trip. To get this shot I got into the river with Jeremy and Willie paranoid I would slip on the sloping bottom with my new baby, fortunately I kept my feet and got the shot, a precious memory. I’ve also been really inspired by Melinda Kerrs work too. To my great surprise this shot won the ‘B&W – Character – People Shots’ groups Indigenous People Competition in August 2008. It was also a finalist in the Black and White groups Emotion competition back in May 2008.
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photograph – Mt Yasur, Vanuatu / My film Vanuatu
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Moorish Idols Zanclus cornutus Family Zanculidae at Million $ Point Santo Vanuatu / View my underwater collection here Take a look at my other photos / Add me to your watchlist / / !
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the sunset just got more and more red
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Macro shot taken of some coral in Vanuatu.
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The Cascade Waterfall in beautiful Vanuatu.
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From loss comes life. Soft coral and a featherstar make their home on a shipwreck off Santo Vanuatu. / View my underwater collection here Take a look at my other photos / Watch my video Dive the Coolidge Add me to your watchlist / /
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Tanna – Vanuatu
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And the winner is...
by Travis EastonJumped on to rb tonight and got this bmail: Congratulations! You are the winner of the Indigenous People competition in the BW Ch…
Jumped on to rb tonight and got this bmail: Congratulations! You are the winner of the Indigenous People competition in the BW Character group. Your image Jeremy and Willie has been voted the winner! I will be sending you along an interview to be posted in the winners forum in a few weeks. Until then, congrats. Beatlephan89 Far out my first competition win, how amazing. Slightly bizarre too as my photographers heart is firmly in the landscape genre. Generally I go to great lengths to avoid people or any sign of them in my landscape work (I think they wreck it). I’ve only posted two portrait pics on rb so to have one of them win a comp is….. far out. Thankyou so much to everyone who voted for it and who have left such encouraging comments, over 100 hits today which has made this pic my second most popular, and the second one to pass the 1,000 views mark. Made the home page a little while back too so it’s popularity has surprised me greatly. Thanks all Trav
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About this photo Pools in tropical rainforest at Mele, Vanuatu.
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Photograph – Mt Yasur, Vanuatu / My film Vanuatu
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Blue Seastar Linckia laevigata taken at Hideaway Island Vanuatu / View my underwater collection here Take a look at my other photos /
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Macro of a head of stoney coral. / View my underwater collection here Take a look at my other photos /
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One of the many beautiful gorgonian fans that we saw on a dive on Hideaway Island, Vanuatu. There was an amazing variety of colours among them. This one even had a few feather stars perched on top.
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photograph. / The boar tusks are a sign of wealth.
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Red Headed Honey Eater in Santo Vanuatu /
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I snapped this Ni-Van at the Toka ceremony Tanna Vanuatu August 2006 / !Take a look at my other photos / Add me to your watchlist! / /
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Balloon corallimorph Amplexidiscus fenestrafer CORALLIMORPHS – Family: Actinodiscidae / Taken off Hideaway Island Vila Vanuatu / View my underwater collection here Take a look at my other photos /
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Take a look at my other photos / Add me to your watchlist / /
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Take a look at my other photos / Add me to your watchlist / /
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Big day in bubbleland
by Travis EastonBeen a good day in RB land, got my second home page feature with Jeremy and Willie...
Been a good day in RB land, got my second home page feature with Jeremy and Willie so thanks to everyone that has commented, faved added to watchlist and generally been encouraging. Also had my first pic to pass the 2000 views mark today with Wave Rock passing this mile stone. I know, I know number counting and self congratulation is kinda daggy but it is nice all the same and is also a good excuse to thank all you inspiring fellow artists in rb land too. Sharing the Love. Trav
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In 2003 I experienced a life changing event when I travelled to Tanna in Vanuatu in the Melanesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean with two friends. Tanna is populated by about 10,000 Ni Vans who mostly live in subsistence farming communities. Tourism infrastructure and foreign investment have been limited to less than 50% which has largely preserved their way of life from too much foreign influence. The first European to visit Tanna was Captain Cook who came across it after seeing the orange glow of the erupting Yasur volcano reflected in the clouds. This same volcano is still erupting today and is an amazing sight. Just before we visited a huge storm beset the region wiping out many crops. Near the ash laden slopes of the volcano the ground level had risen almost two meters overnight wiping out one of the local towns as well. The government soon supplied the starving locals with additional rice but there was still some hardship despite their happy exteriors. It was therefore an added bonus for us to be able to bring in some extra food and supplies while ministering to the local churches. I took a few hundred balloons with me to give to the kids who were delighted and delightful in the many games they played with them. Needless to say I was soon very popular with the kids which made me miss my own even more. I had played with this gorgeous girl over a few days before asking if I could take her picture which she unselfconsciously posed for. A beautiful people in a beautiful place.
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Get in early for Christmas
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On the ferry to Hideaway Island, Vanuatu. A group of about 6 kids jumped on the boat with us, helping carry our luggage and hold the boat while we disembarked.
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