One day not too long ago I was working on some pictures I had made of the Great Ocean Road in Australia, one of the most photographed places in the world. I started wondering where the least visited places in the world were and found Tuvalu. Further reading told me of their plight. Since I work a lot in Infrared photography I decided to look it up and found there are no IR photographs of Tuvalu. That’s when I decided I need to go there and photograph Tuvalu in Infrared. Rather than make this just a travel and photoshoot situation, I want to draw attention to Tuvalu. I want people to learn about this little-known country. To that end, I want this to be a journey that people can take with me; either physically or virtually. So, I set up a Gofundme page to start this journey https://gofund.me/8d3f55e0
What is Tuvalu?
Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country, and the most remote country on Earth. The archipelago of six coral atolls and three islands covers an area of just 26 km or 10 square miles. It is located about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It is home to about 11K people.
Tuvalu has the honor of being the least visited country in the world. It is also, unfortunately, a country that will be gone in less than 20 years.
Why is Tuvalu disappearing?
To the inhabitants of Tuvalu, Global warming is not a pseudoscience or political theory, but rather a reality. Two of the nine islands of Tuvalu have already largely disappeared. Scientists say that if the Earth's temperature raises by just 2 degrees Tuvalu will disappear completely. Many experts predict that the Island chain of Tuvalu will be gone forever within 20 years.
Who am I?
My name is Dan Wampler. I am a photographer and a traveler. I am an internationally published digital artist who works with Natural color photography and Infrared photography. I teach photography online and in workshops, and operate as a lead for African photo safaris.
What is Infrared photography?
Infrared photography is an art form of creating images using a portion of the light spectrum that we cannot see. This involves using a camera that has been modified to capture light in the Infrared spectrum.
What do I want to do?
I want to acquire the funding to travel to Tuvalu, with a small group and capture the beauty of this disappearing land and its people. I would like a group of photographers and hopefully, a videographer to accompany me on this journey. If you are someone in that category and are interested, please contact me. Since Tuvalu has not been photographed in Digital Infrared, I will get to be the first person to do so. Upon my return, I will have a book based on my journey, as well as a photographic series of the country for everyone to see. With a little luck, future generations will know what Tuvalu looked like long after it is gone. Hopefully, we can draw a little more attention towards saving areas like this. After costs are covered, a donation will be made to try and help the country and people of Tuvalu. The target for the journey is September 2025
I need your help. Use the link https://gofund.me/8d3f55e0
Thank you.