Tales from Germany, Part 2: Dogs

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"Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?"
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2006

Following on with the “Tales From Germany” series, today I’ll tell you some great stories about dogs and how influential they are in Munich’s society. Some local folks even told me that there are several scientific studies analyzing this close relation between humans and canids in Munich, and the main character of another highlight photo (the opening image of this post) from my exhibit in Germany is a… GERMAN Shepherd .

At least in that city, dogs have free access to shops and restaurants, get to ride in subway trains (but they’ve gotta pay for the ticket!), swim in the parks' lakes with the owner and ride convertible Mercedes-Benz... At the entrance of every urban park there are some dispensers from which dog owners must pick up a disposable bag with a built-in “poop scoop” and step-by-step instructions on how to collect the doggie’s excrements.

My firsthand experience with the subject was kind of hilarious. Every morning I’d go out before sunrise to photograph in a nearby natural area, Park Feldafing, almost always under below-freezing temperatures. One of these days I was shooting tree shadows with snow knee-high when I noticed an elderly lady shouting at her dog who had something in its mouth: "AUS! AUS! AUS!", she'd yell. In Brazil, "AU! AU!" is how dogs bark (like "WOOF! WOOF!" in English), but no, she was not trying to communicate directly with her four-legged buddy. The furball had just picked up something it wasn’t supposed to, and she was saying in proper German that he should put it out. So that was my first practice of "Learning German, Lesson 1": "AUS" = "OUT"...

Shooting snow landscapes and learning German
at Park Feldafing!
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2006

*FYI: In German, dogs bark "wau wau" or "wuff wuff"...

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Tales From Germany, Part I: "München Mag Dich"

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“München Mag Dich”
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2006

As some of you know, last year I spent three months in Germany photographing and exhibiting my work by invitation of Munich’s Department of Culture. Since in a few days I will be celebrating the first anniversary of this event, the next posts of FotogramaBits will tell some behind the scenes stories about my adventures in Bavaria and the Villa Waldberta.

Among the 28 photos that made it to the final selection, the picture above was one of the most appreciated by visitors of my exhibition. Therefore, I found it interesting to tell details about how this image was accomplished, showing how persistent and creative a photographer must be when searching for a good photo situation.

At first I was determined to photograph a tree from above, in the early morning or late afternoon, with its shadow projecting on snow. I almost drove people crazy trying to get what I needed in order to achieve my goal: A helicopter? A hot air balloon? A crane? A church tower in the middle of nowhere? A flock of birds feeding under the tree, with its shadows also projecting on the ground? Or maybe some typical Bavarians herding cattle under the shade? Time was short, there were many uncertainties and costs involved, so that I ended up quitting on the original idea.

Some time later I was shooting in town with Juliana, a long-time friend who helped me as an assistant during some assignments. In the middle of the afternoon she wasn’t feeling so well, and didn’t want to join me on the last visit that we had planned for that day, to Olympiapark (where the 1972 Olympic Games were held). I was also about to give up, since I was pretty tired too and didn’t believe that any interesting shot could come from there, but ended up going on my own. I paid 4 Euros to get up on the tower that provides a panoramic view of Munich and the Alps, and was very surprised to get – almost entirely by chance – an image very similar to the one I wanted, of a tree seen from above. It was a very complicated shot, since there was a glass protection and its concrete frame sticking out right underneath, so I had to stand on my toe tips and stretch my neck in order to get a proper shooting position.

Besides the visual beauty, this photo was successful for showing a couple holding hands and forming the letter “M” as in “Munich” (the city’s motto for the 2006 Soccer World Cup was MÜNCHEN MAG DICH – “Munich Loves You”)…

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Heading Down South

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. Harvest – oil on canvas by Flávio Scholles (2006)
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2006

After spending most of January photographing nature in Northern Brazil, now it’s time to head South and shoot some artwork. I’ll soon head to Dois Irmãos (Rio Grande do Sul State), where I’m going to photograph paintings made by artist Flávio Scholles, who I met in Germany and whose main subject is the life of German immigrants in South Brazil. See you next week!

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Atlantic Forest, Twenty Years Later...

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. The imposing forest at Cardoso Island
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2007

Atlantic Forest. The world’s second most threatened tropical forest, that used to live where nowadays 70% of the Brazilians live, from which only about 7% of the original area is left, that has a deforestation rate 2,5 times more intense than the Amazon, that bears one of the globe’s highest biodiversity, and that… is still beautiful!

To me, the last part of the trip through Brazilian ecosystems had a very special taste. After all, it was due to a visit to the caves of PETAR back in 1986, organized by a teacher at the school where I studied, that I decided to turn into a biologist, became fond of working as a naturalist guide and took my first attempts towards the world of nature photography. Yes, today I can say that the whole story of my professional career – and much of my personal interests – arose after that trip. Until 1991, the last time when I had been there, I traveled to PETAR about four times per year organizing itineraries and guiding groups through my good ol’ tour operator Caiguá Turismo Alternativo. And it was in this same region – at Fazenda Intervales – that I developed researches on bats for my Bachelor’s degree.

Gallery at Água Suja Cave, PETAR
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2007

But leaving good memories aside and coming back to January 2007, on our itinerary we visited the Cardoso Island State Park and PETAR, which together with other conservation units – including Fazenda Intervales – form one of the most significant continuous stretches of Atlantic Forest protected in conservation units, with approximately 120,000 hectares (297,000 acres) and some hundreds of limestone caves.

This was the only part of our whole trip when the rain decided to fall nonstop, messing up some of our activities (and photo opportunities...) but, at the same time, telling us firsthand the meaning of the expression “rain forest”!

Late afternoon at the beach... (Marujá, Cardoso Island)
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2007
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Cerrado: The Jalapão

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. Mauritia palms (“buriti”) grow mainly in humid areas,
forming the so called "veredas"
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2007

Following on with the sequence of stories about the trip through Brazilian ecosystems that I did in January, today I’ll talk about the region known as the Jalapão, which is turning out to be one of the country’s most promising ecotourism destinations and, surely, a place much sought after by nature photographers.

Located east of the State of Tocantins, on the border with Bahia, Piauí and Maranhão States, the Jalapão has an area of approximately 53,000 km² (20,500 sq mi) covered by typical Cerrado vegetation, with plants such as the “buriti” (Mauritia palm), the “lixeira” (Curatella rough-leafed tree) and the renowned “capim-dourado” (Syngonanthus golden grass) – from which the region’s most typical handicraft is made.

Articles like baskets, purses, jewelry and ornaments
are made from the golden grass
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2007

Beyond doubt, the coolest way to know the Jalapão is by staying at Korubo’s safari camp. The whole staff and operation are prepared in such a way that visitors feel entirely at ease and see the region’s highlights, without leaving the environmental awareness behind.

Great panoramic view aboard Korubo’s safari truck!
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2007

For nature photographers, maybe because the time of year was not the best, I didn’t feel any special potential for wildlife photography (but please keep in mind that I might be spoiled by living near the Pantanal!). The best shooting opportunities were the beautiful landscapes with rivers, waterfalls, mountains, tablelands and dunes.

Velha (“old lady”) Waterfall, whose impressive volume of water
highly contrasts with the desert-like landscape that surrounds it
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2007

The only con is that, pretty much like it has been happening with the Amazon and other parts of the Cerrado, the huge soy bean crops – without proper environmental care – pose a serious threat to this ecosystem. The hope now lies in the creation of more conservation units, such as the Jalapão State Park, which can control potentially impacting activities and ensure the maintenance of singular environments found in the region.

A single tree entirely surrounded by soy seeds...
PHOTO: © Daniel De Granville, 2007
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