Alessio Andreani

Alessio is the first Nikon user to contribute to the project. He noticed with FF Nikon bodies, the old Manual lens will not focus to infinity, which is a spot of a problem for a landscape photographer :S. He discovered an adapter that contained a corrective lens that can be fitted between the lens and the camera body. He ordered it, it fixed the problem, and he has kindly included this in the box that is being posted around. Thanks for that Alessio, very kind - and I'm sure it will come in useful again before the project is complete. Alessio has delivered his imaged and the glass is on it's way back to the US to complete it's scheduled tour.

Alessio Andreani with the lens in Italy

California to Italy

Not the intended route!  The lens was supposed to do a bit of a tour of the US, but due to contributors circumstances and availability, we are back in Europe.  The lens is currently in transit on it's way to Loreto, Italy, to meet a young landscape photographer who's photographs I first viewed in a local newspaper, and then on the front page of 500px, and then in a million blogs since.  This is the first image I saw of Alessios ... one of many jawdroppers.

Enjoy your trip by Alessio Andreani
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Alessio's personal website can be found here

Alan Sailer

I can confirm Alan met up to all expectations and delivered a beautiful looking high speed image for the book. It was also very nice to talk to Alan online, who is elite in his niche field, and donates all the money he makes from his hobby to charity. I forgot to link to his Flickr before ... here is the link I would very much recommend an hour or two browsing through his stream, and viewing all the photos in high res. I think Alan may also be winning the "most creative portrait" competition. The bar has been set now!

Alan Sailer and his new monicle

Canada to California

Super excited about this next leg!  The lens is on it's way to meet Alan Sailer in California.  I love niche types of photography, Alan specialises in super high speed images.  Inanimate objects, blown into smithereens by one of many methods, usually involving high speed projectiles.  Colorful explosions frozen in time.  His flickr is just jam packed with amazingness.  Here is a nice example.

Mutant Strawberry Death by Alan Sailer

Shayna Hartley

Shayna was also nice and snappy in getting the lens shipped on.  Thanks Shayna.  Hope you enjoyed your time with it.  Your portrait shot made me laugh a little bit .... either the lens has grown during it's travels, or you have really small hands ;)

Please check out her blog.  She has a fantastic collection of nature photos
http://shaynahartleyimaging.tumblr.com/

Shayna with the lens in Ontario

Iceland to Canada

That's enough Aurora for one project. Well, I could quite happily just look at Aurora pictures all day long, but I am a bit weird.  Larus was super snappy in getting the lens shipped out.  Thanks Larus, we might have had a little trouble getting the lens into Iceland, but there was no trouble getting it out :)  Next up is a young lady named Shayna Hartley, a nature photographer from Ontario in Canada.

As usual ... a photograph by Shayna.


And a paragraph written by Shayna

Hi! My name is Shayna Hartley, I am a 22 year old photographer from Ontario, Canada. My passion lies with wildlife and nature related subjects, although I do venture in to other genres from time to time. I have always been interested in art, but hadn't really delved in to photography until my late teens. My camera has brought me close to the things I love most, wildlife and the outdoors, and has created some amazing opportunities and memories that will last forever. In the next five years I would like to find myself finished a degree in photojournalism, travelling, and enjoying life and the beautiful things that I find along the way.

Best of luck!  Can't wait to see what you track down.

Lárus Sigurðarson

Well ... although not the original plan, a lucky clearing of the weather in Iceland occurred at the time that Lárus had the lens, which exposed the Aurora, so he took the opportunity and went out to shoot it. Not only did he deliver a great looking Aurora image for the book, he also managed to take a picture of himself with the lens under the Aurora.

Lárus with the lens under the Icelandic Aurora

It was nice to get a quick turnaround on the lens for one leg.  I still very much doubt that the project will be completed in under a year.  Lárus was also speedy in shipping to Canada where the next photographer awaits its arrival.  Cheers dude!  Thanks for participating.