aD rOt W i s tNs U N D E R Australia and New Zealand
DOMBROVSKIS : JOURNEY INTO THE WILD
Talisman 2
by Margaret Kalms Sometimes conventional, un-manipulated photography is so stunning it catches your breath! Peter Dombrovskis’ photographs, now showing at The National Library of Australia (NLA), fit this description. Peter Dombrovskis - Journeys into the Wild, is an exhibition of 70 photographs, chosen from a collection of over 3,000 large format slides held at the NLA. Dombrovskis was dedicated to showing the natural landscapes that he loved. Most of the photos were taken in South West Tasmania with a few from Macquarie Island and Fraser Island. Most Australians had never seen such primal landscapes before. His iconic calendars and books, published in the 1980s, were immensely popular and continued to be published by his widow, Liz Dombrovskis, right up until 2008. In the 1980s, Peter Dombrovskis’s photographs were influential in the campaign to save the Gordon and Franklin Rivers from being dammed for hydro-electricity. This was a controversial development and even became political. Photography as environmental activism! Bob Brown selected the original photograph, ”Morning mist, Rock Island Bend, Franklin River, Tasmania” for the campaign poster. The photos range from close-ups of cushion mosses and fungi to vast dramatic scenes. He was a very considered photographer, planning his trips carefully. He had to. He went to many isolated places, sometimes hiking for days at a time. He needed to carry all his food, camping gear and photographic equipment. His pack would have been cumbersome and heavy. He had to be prepared for all conditions from bright sunshine to howling winds, to rain and snow! And his camera was heavy, a large format Linhof Master Technika 5 x 4 inch with three lenses; 90mm, 150mm and 300mm. Dombrovskis often waited for hours for the perfect light such as in Morning light on Little
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Richea Scoparia in bloom at Barn Bluff - Cradle Mountain Lake
Horn, Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania. The region was isolated with no trails. He did bold and dangerous feats such as climbing up cliffs or canoeing down uncharted rapids such as First Split from lower basin, Gordon River, Tasmania. When I saw First Split, I though Dombroskis would have done the splits himself just getting into that position!
When you visit, take your time to absorb the photographs, to really see them. Each one is carefully composed and has exquisite detail. You will see unusual plants from this corner of ancient Gondwana. I was privileged that I didn’t have to get tired, cold, wet and hungry in order to see these magnificent scenes. They transported