Banff Mountain Book Festival 2006
Thursday, November 2, 10:30 – 11:40 a.m.
Max Bell Auditorium
John Beatty — Wild: Spirit in the Land
British photographer John Beatty is widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting nature, travel, and adventure photographers to have emerged in recent years. For the past 22 years he has travelled across 38 countries — always returning with stories of worlds few have encountered. His major expeditions have included seven months spent in Antarctica and a 400-mile traverse of the Greenland Icecap.
He has enthralled audiences at international film festivals with his multimedia presentations, receiving accolades from the media and the public. His work has appeared in all the major outdoor magazines in Britain, and he has published features in European, Japanese, and American publications. Beatty has produced six books on outdoor and adventure subjects, including The Pure Land: A Celebration of Wild Places (Thames and Hudson) and Sula: The Seabird Hunters of Lewis (Michael Joseph).
From the Himalayas and the windswept Outer Hebrides to the Galapagos Islands, Beatty’s photographs take the viewer into a closer connection with the wild places of the earth. His work is a tapestry of intense images, drawing his audience into the emotional essence of his subject, whether it is a surfacing killer whale or a ladybug landing on a grass blade. His obvious respect for nature, its creatures, its plant kingdoms, indigenous peoples and the remains of extraordinary civilizations, is reflected in his conversation and enthusiasm.
Wild: Spirit in the Land is a multimedia presentation that flows with images of the natural world — its timeless rhythms, beauty, and simplicity.
Robin Beatty, an accomplished musician and the son of John Beatty, created the soundtrack for Beatty’s multi-media show “Wild — Spirit of the Land.” He will be playing live guitar music in Banff.
The best show I have seen…. A truly professional show which takes audio-visual presentations into a new dimension.
— Alistair MacDonald, BBC producer
It goes without saying that the quality of your pictures is superb but what is even more important is the way you brought them together and the sensitivity you displayed in choosing the musical accompaniment. It really did provide a superb creative experience.
— Sir Christian Bonington, mountaineer and author