Finn Beales - Lets Get Lost: The Worlds Most Stunning Remote Locations

the worlds most stunning remote locations

curated by

FINN BEALES

We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.

T.S. ELIOT

W e can travel the world in the blink of an eye today. Image-sharing platforms offer up mesmeric views of the world that we can journey to in our minds, but why do photographs of far-off places capture our imagination so vividly?

Perhaps we are simply seeking an escape from the rigours of everyday life, but I think its more than that. Our curiosity to explore runs deep; its hardwired. Exploring improves our understanding of new places and can also lead to a more profound perception of ourselves. Unfortunately, however, Im not sure the algorithmic funnel that is social media is of that much value. Our engagement is reduced to the double-tap, the hurried comment Wow! before we scroll down and teleport elsewhere. How trivialized the privilege of journey-making has become, and how marked was that full stop called Covid-19?

The global pandemic gave me time to ponder. Perhaps getting lost is the privilege today. I mean, its virtually impossible to do! Global positioning systems, mapping, photo sharing, 24-hour news channels... the list goes on. Our awareness of the world has never been greater, but how deep does that awareness run and what happened to our ability to wonder? Getting lost forces us to consider our situation and become more aware of our surroundings which is no bad thing. Getting lost is part of a process: it helps us determine that which we find of value. And, when we find what we are looking for, it can be the most rewarding form of discovery.

I think photographers are good at getting lost. We feel the need to immerse ourselves in our surroundings when making work. We need to feel a place, and that means relying on all the senses to explore somewhere properly. Only by letting go and simply connecting with space and time can we find the pictures were looking for.

This book opens the door to a number of the worlds most remote places, as seen through the eyes of some superb photographers. It is a place where they can tell their stories unhindered by character counts or algorithms, and gives space for their photographs to breathe.

Split across six distinct environments Mountains, Wilderness, Coast, Ice & Snow, Lakes & Rivers and Forests each entry showcases a remarkable part of the world. And each of the photographers I have chosen details their journeys and experiences, and how they set about capturing them on camera, before kindly offering up some tips for improving your photography along the way. In pursuit of these images, their experiences range from flying over frozen monuments (pre-drones!) to hiking up erupting volcanoes or photographing magical glaciers after dark. Many of the locations featured are tricky to reach, so I hope you will experience them through the incredible photographs and the first-hand accounts of those who have made them.

Life is a homecoming, so enjoy the journey and remember its ok to to get a little bit lost along the way.

coordinates

46.5981 N, 11.7242 E

The Dolomites were formed around 250 million years ago during the Triassic period, resulting from the collision between Africa and Europes tectonic plates.