David Mathre Photography - 15-January-2017

Six-Years Ago (15-January-2011) — Chile

Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 20: Puerto Natales, Chile. Hostage Day 4.

Day four in Puerto Natales. The Chilean Red Cross and Military organized safe passage out of Puerto Natales for the departure for all of the tourists being held against their will in southern Chile. We first had to get to the Red Cross refuge center that was set up in the E3 elementary school to register. Then it was a lot of waiting as the Red Cross tried to organize lists and priorities to depart. There were nearly 1000 folks in the refuge center. A doctor gave me some antibiotics for my upper respiratory infection (that was turning into walking pneumonia. This also moved me up the list so I was with the 2nd group to depart. While at the refuge center, we got a certificate from the Gubernator of Southern Chile stating that we had been detained against our will. This is a series of snapshots taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera documenting the day. Freedom at last. I ended up sleeping in the Punta Arenas airport lobby before getting the first commercial plane to Santiago the next morning. The road between Santiago, and the Santiago International Airport were still being blocked by the protesters. I have to thank Thom Hogan, Rob Noonan, Wilderness Travel, the Chilean Red Cross, and the Chilean Air Force for getting us out safely.

Individual images from the slide-show can be viewed here.

One-Year Ago (14-January-2016) — Pacific Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 10: Crossing the Pacific Ocean.

Brown Booby with a Flying Fish for Breakfast. Image taken from the deck of the MV World Odyssey while crossing the Pacific Ocean. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (147 mm, ISO 400, f/5.3, 1/1000 sec).

Brown Booby with a Flying Fish for Lunch. Image taken from the deck of the MV World Odyssey while crossing the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to Japan. Semester at Sea -- Spring 2016 Voyage -- Day 10. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (147 mm, ISO 400, f/5.3, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre) — Brown Booby with a Flying Fish for Lunch. Image taken from the deck of the MV World Odyssey while crossing the Pacific Ocean. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (147 mm, ISO 400, f/5.3, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Six-Years Ago (14-January-2011) — Chile

Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 19: Puerto Natales, Chile. Hostage Day 3.

The southern Chile protesters drove around in vehicles with black flags or southern Chile flags. This was our third day where we were not allowed to leave Puerto Natales. Basically, we were being held hostage until the central government and President restored the gas subsidy to the region.

Strikers on Patrol in Sports Car, Driving Through Puerto Natales. Snapshot taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 125, 5.3 mm, f/5, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)

Refuges Living Rough on the Street of Puerto Natales Cooking Lunch. Snapshot taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 49.2 mm, f/4.9, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)

Hotel and Rainbow. Snapshot taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 5.1 mm, f/5.4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Ten-Years Ago (14-January-2007) — New Jersey

Backyard Winter (Loss of Nature) in New Jersey.

Some Cat’s (and a John Deere) parked in the mud on a misty winter day. There used to be trees here, soon to become a housing tract. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and a new 12-24 mm f/4 DX lens (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4, 1/200 sec).

Six-Years Ago (13-January-2011) — Chile

Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 18: Puerto Natales, Chile. Hostage Day 2.

Tangled web of power, phone, and cable lines shot from my hotel window. This was the 2nd day we were held and not allowed to leave Puerto Natales. We were the luck ones that found a hotel where we could stay. There were nearly 1000 others that were staying in an elementary school that was converted into a Red Cross shelter, or just living rough in the open. In addition there were several thousand more stranded in Torres del Paine National Park (Parque Nacional Torres del Paine). At this point, I needed to see a doctor for a bad cough that turned into walking pneumonia, but there wasn’t a doctor or pharmacy available. Also, the US State Department didn’t really believe that we were being held against our will — all having to do with issues of fuel subsidies provided by the central government to the residents of southern Chile. The new President canceled the subsidies, and southern Chile went on strike and wouldn’t let the tourists (one of their main sources of income) leave… Image taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 19 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec).

Tangled web of power, phone, and cable lines shot from my hotel window. Image taken with a Leica D-Lux 5 camera (ISO 80, 19 mm, f/4, 1/640 sec). (David J Mathre)