Interview with Hal Gage; Published in our print edition #10

I think my work touches on the relationship between all of these elements; the imagined, death and the landscape. The theme of death is something which has come about indirectly, as a result of my interest in other ideas such as dystopia, memory and the uncanny. 

American photographer b. 1959. Born Harold L. Gage Jr, (goings by Hal) . From an early age, Hal Gage showed a love of art and music. In high school and college he studied drawing, painting, and music theory and ultimately public communications with an emphasis on television broadcasting.

In 1977, Gage was introduced to photography by his painting mentor, thereafter focusing his interest on photography. Gage has mounted dozens of solo exhibitions and been in hundreds of group exhibitions between 1979 and the present. In 2004 he mounted his first museum exhibition, “Ice: a personal meditation.” It subsequently toured the state of Alaska to museums in Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, and finally to Portland, OR. In 2011 Gage mounted two followup series titled “Strangers: Tidal Erratics of Turnagain Arm” and “Ice Abstractions” that toured in Alaska. Most recently the series, “Flow: Glacial Silt Patterns” is touring Alaska. It was featured in the LensWork anthology, Seeing in Sixes, and several exhibitions and competitions nationally and internationally. 

Hal Gage has published 5 books of his work: Ice: a passage through time; Strangers: Tidal Erratics of Turnagain Arm; Gravel Quarries: Alaska; Urban Dance; and Train Trip. Gage has won several national and international awards including the Sony World Photography Award in landscape photography. He has twice been honored with a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Fellowship, and produced four public art commissions in Alaska and Washington. His work has been exhibited extensively throughout Alaska, and has shown in Canada, Eastern and Western Russia, England, Germany, East Asia, and numerous venues throughout the United States. He lives with his partner the writer Jean Ayers, in Anchorage, Alaska. [Official Website]

I’d like to begin by discussing your interest in landscape photography, specifically your connection and love of Alaska. Was photographing the Alaskan landscape what kicked off an interest in environmental photography?

I was born and raised in Alaska. I have travelled the world, but home will always be Alaska. Living here has instilled in me a deep connection to nature. When the land speaks to you, it tells you things about the world around you and about yourself. As I travel the world, I am stunned by the beauty I encounter and shocked at the degradation I all too often find. As an artist, I make images that reflect my experiences both externally and internally. While working among natural landscapes, one cannot help but be moved to action when encountering our own impacts on the land. As a species, our biggest and most dramatic impacts have been in global climate change. Although often subtle and difficult to express visually, it is the one social issue that affects everything. So, with that in mind, all my work has an environmental or social aspect to it.

Nature is obviously of utmost importance to you when looking for specific subjects to photograph. Your ‘Hawaii’ series is particularly interesting when dealing with close-up images of growth and moss. Are these earlier and more abstract compositions together with your background in painting what inevitably led you to create bodies of work like ‘Glacial silt patterns’?

For better or worse I am a pattern guy. I see them everywhere. Finessing them into a rectangular composition is my way of finding order in chaos. I started my artistic life in painting and drawing. In high school I became involved in graphic arts. At university I discovered my love of photography. Each stage informed the other. My work often has a graphic quality to it, and I am heavily influenced by my 2-D design background.

The Glacial Silt Series is a natural culmination of all that. The designs and patterns, which are subtle in-situ, come out later in processing. Once I realized they existed, I could see them and extrapolate what they would look like in the final image, aiding my composing.

Continuing on from my previous question of focusing on compositions and patterns, I am interested in bodies of work like ‘California’ and the various black and white desert images. Could you tell us a little bit about how you came to shoot these images and what drew you to find compositions within this landscape?

The sand dunes of Oceano, California have been a perennial subject with West Coast Landscape school of photography giants like Edward and Brett Weston, Ansel Adams, Winn Bullock and Morley Baer. It’s a form of pilgrimage. Once I found the location (which was no small feat), I worked in the late afternoon sun and at sunrise to get the best contrast. Because they are on the Pacific coast, the wind continually sculpts these dunes and erases all traces of man or animal’s trespass. I like to work low and expand my composition to the horizon. This makes for both grand landscapes and intimate detail studies. The textures and patterns are a natural magnet for my eye.

Moving on to your most recent body of work published in Dodho magazine’s 10th edition, this project not only showcases the power of slow-moving glaciers but aims to discuss the global ramifications of rising temperatures. Are you currently invested in creating photographic projects that deal with more environmental issues like this?

For the last 30 years, I have focused a great deal of my artistic energies on photographing ice and the environment it is found in. Glacier ice was a natural part of that series. Once I felt good about my survey on that subject, I looked for anything else I could say about glaciers and the state of our environment. After looking at the towering walls of glacial ice and all its intricate patterns and shapes, I looked to my feet. There I found a microcosm of the grander structure of rivers, canyons and alluvial fans that enshrine the earth at a human and global scale. These flowing rivulets are emblematic of the demise of the glacier that was its source. Their intricate patterns put me in mind of fingerprints, the last vestige of a once majestic glacier.

I continue to work in this vein. Although I photograph all that I see and come upon, there is always an eye toward making images that express my concern and alarm of environmental issues.

At first glance the photographs themselves are somewhat alien in nature and notions of the desolate landscape spring to mind. The images under this body of work are fluid in movement, and in my opinion feel like photographs that could transition into video. Are you open to the possibility of exploring video and continuing with this project, or is this more about your interest in highlighting an environmental issue?

I appreciate the insight, but I am a still photographer and have no interest in videography. Oddly, that was my major at university: video production and television broadcasting, but I never pursued that in my work life. I’ll leave video to others who come across this phenomenon and feel so moved.

But, to your insight: these images are of moments in time. They are constantly changing and morphing within milliseconds. They would make for interesting and probably mesmerizing short movies. It’s that quality that makes them very difficult to photograph with a still camera. Viewers often mistake these images as time exposures, but the opposite is true. They are made with short shutter speeds to keep the detail sharp.

I’d also like to know a little bit about the technicality of this project, what gear was used, if you encountered any problems while shooting and the planning of location(s)?

The glacial silt patterns were all photographed at the Matanuska Glacier in South Central Alaska. Because of the subject’s reflective qualities, I had to photograph on completely clear sky days so as not to get reflections of clouds. Or, for the more extreme closeups, I used a black covering to eliminate reflections. I use a Canon 1Ds mk 3 with a 100mm macro lens on a sturdy tripod. In this situation, polarizers didn’t have much effect, so I did not use any filters. I used Lightroom and Photoshop to process and print the images.

The best patterns are usually found on long flat gently sloping sheets of ice. The glacial runoff of ground-up rock (known as glacial flour) and high valley soils commingles with the melting glacial waters and creates these vast fields of mud, usually only a few centimetres deep. Because I am walking on a glacier, I wear crampons. Serendipitously, the spikes of the crampons raise my boots above the surface of the mud (which is sticky and can, if buried deep enough, make it nearly impossible to get your boot out).

Concluding this interview, I would like to ask you about any future projects that are in the works and if you are planning on continuing an investigation of glaciers and the natural landscape?

I feel that my work with glaciers and ice in general has come to a close. Old habits die hard, and I will probably continue to make images of that nature, but I feel that I have said what I want to say on that subject. What does the future hold? Some subjects include documenting abandoned salmon canneries in remote Alaska, altered landscapes by man for recreational uses, plus other ideas that have not made themselves apparent yet in my work. My bodies of work grow organically. From time to time I’ll look back through my catalogue of images and look for emerging patterns and collections. From there I’ll focus on that theme and fill it out over time until I feel I have a cogent statement to make. It keeps life interesting.

 

Francesco Scalici

A recent MA graduate from the University of Lincoln, Francesco has now focused on landscape photography as the basis of his photographic platform. An author for DODHO magazine, Francesco’s interest in documentary photography has turned to writing and has had various articles, interviews and book reviews published on platforms such as: ‘All About Photo.com’, ‘Float Magazine’ and ‘Life Framer Magazine’. Currently on a photographic internship, Francesco has most recently been involved in the making of a short film titled: ‘No One Else’, directed by Pedro Sanchez Román and produced my Martin Nuza.

More Stories

Calcio Storico Fiorentino by Marco Ponzianelli

Calcio Storico Fiorentino by Marco Ponzianelli

The Historical Football was born in Florence in the 16th century and it is a combination of soccer, rugby and wrestling world that nowadays is played in historical costumes.
Gigapolis by Markus Kaesler

Gigapolis by Markus Kaesler

Attracted by the dynamic pulsation of the cities, people float like magic into the big metropolic areas all around the globe.
Yonder, A poetic visual narrative by Jenny Papalexandris

Yonder, A poetic visual narrative by Jenny Papalexandris

The Yonder Series traces a poetic visual narrative along the Amtrak Crescent line from Penn Station in NYC to New Orleans in Louisiana. The thirty-hour train journey induces deep reverie and contemplation.
https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/bannerpr.jpg

We invite you to participate in the first edition of the Portrait Photography Awards. Our call is open to any artistic interpretation of portrait photography.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BAnImage.jpg

ImageRights provides intelligent image search and copyright enforcement services to photo agencies and professional photographers worldwide.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/mono2022.jpg

The best 100 images along with the winning images published in the yearly book “Monochromatic – Best Photographers of 2022”

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/banner24.jpg

Call For Entries #24 | After 23 editions and more than 100 published photographers, our print edition has proven to be a simply effective promotional channel.

Wrestling Scars by Steven Kruit

Wrestling Scars by Steven Kruit

It’s 5am in the morning, before the smothering heat of Delhi kicks in, and the pupils of one of the wrestling schools are already in a fierce training.
Annapurna Circuit by Adele Akhunova

Annapurna Circuit by Adele Akhunova

Sometimes it seems that the time flows according to the clock, but actually all those figures and clock hands do not have anything in common with the time.
A Nobel´s Mess  by Wiebke Bosse

A Nobel´s Mess by Wiebke Bosse

Wiebke Bosse is always looking for unseen, ephemeral moments and situations.At the Cercle Suédois during Paris fashion week, she had the incredible chance of shooting in the inspirational mess inside Alfred Nobel's former office.
Day of glory by Pierre Delaunay

Day of glory by Pierre Delaunay

Rugby is the most beautiful, the biggest, the noblest of sports. Cycling, boxing and sailing are approaching. They also demand that they go to the paroxysm of pain. But these disciplines are practiced solo.
Olympe Tits : Visual Artist

Olympe Tits : Visual Artist

Olympe Tits is a self-taught photographer. Born in Marseille, 3rd April 1992, she has now settled in Antwerp, Belgium. She combines this with a life as a contemporary dancer, teaching at the Royal Ballet school of Antwerp and choreographing for dance-theatre pieces.
Fine art; Solarized by Peter Dazeley

Fine art; Solarized by Peter Dazeley

Dazeley is an award winning fine art and advertising photographer, born and bred in London.Beingdyslexic Dazeley left school at 15 without any formal qualifications. ‘Dyslexia should be seen as a positive asset for a photographer, it gives me the ability to look at problems and objectives from a different point of view,’ says Dazeley.
Skin by Alberto Masala

Skin by Alberto Masala

This project, realized through the use of the drone, is inspired by the method of cataloging the use and covering of the soil known as the Coordination of Information of Environment, which was set up by the European Commission
Floral photography; Silent Beauties by Julija levkova

Floral photography; Silent Beauties by Julija levkova

Influenced by the Dutch Masters, Julija Levkova's still life floral photography captures the inherently magical beauty of the floral realm.
Winterscapes shake blur and A river of emotions by Abhijit Bose

Winterscapes shake blur and A river of emotions by Abhijit Bose

This series emerged from frustration and desperation. It took birth on its own as if the existence was there but denied consciously. Since we never care for our blind spot and pretend to be smart in every move, it rests there.
Frank Ross is out by Adrian Saker

Frank Ross is out by Adrian Saker

When everything falls silent and the world feels distant and its noise fails to drown out the quiet voice coming from within, anxiety creates a space for dialogue with our own mortality and with the knowledge that everything that is, will ultimately one day be gone.
Paranapiacaba by Miguel Melleiro Junior

Paranapiacaba by Miguel Melleiro Junior

Paranapiacaba is a small railway village located in the Atlantic Forest, in the city of Santo André - State of São Paulo - Brazil, has a population of approximately 1000 inhabitants
Sisters by Zuzu Valla

Sisters by Zuzu Valla

I became excited about bringing together sadness, mystery, tenderness and fragility all in women's body language. I also love to tell story trough the pictures.
For Sarah- the African princess by Dagmar Van Weeghel

For Sarah- the African princess by Dagmar Van Weeghel

There are other inspiring African ‘ Sarah’ like figures -who will make it out in the world through adoption and other avenues.
Street A Different visual Impact by Ranita Roy

Street A Different visual Impact by Ranita Roy

I’ve been shooting Street Photography since I started photography. I always believed in Street Photography as a powerful tool for growth which concealed many secrets in a simple walk. To me, Street photography is not only a genre but delicate visual poetry.
Har Ki Pauri, A holy place by Kaushik Dolui

Har Ki Pauri, A holy place by Kaushik Dolui

Har Ki Pauri, A holy place - Har Ki Pauri is situated on both sides  of the Ganga river, at the foothills of the Shivalik ranges.
Anja Matko ; String of life and other works

Anja Matko ; String of life and other works

Inspiration for this series she got from her own life and situations that was in at that moment. This series is about life, searching for the right path in your life, the obstacles you have to overcome to reach your goal.

Featured Stories

Fictional narrative photography; Birth Undisturbed by Natalie Lennard

Fictional narrative photography; Birth Undisturbed by Natalie Lennard

Birth Undisturbed is a fictional narrative photography series by Natalie Lennard, that brings scenes of natural childbirth into cinematic fine-art tableaux.
Irish Travellers by Joseph-Philippe Bevillard

Irish Travellers by Joseph-Philippe Bevillard

Since 2009, I have been documenting Irish Travellers using a b&w film medium format camera. But an unfortunate incident occurred when I realised I left my bag full of Hasselblad film cameras and lenses on the train from Venice to Rome in May 2018.
Black World by Erberto Zani

Black World by Erberto Zani

It is a dark world that millions of people are forced to work in, made of mines, dust and fear. Characterized by oppression, violence and trampled human rights; where the presence of enormous deposits of minerals transform into a curse for the people through the illegality caused by games of power and corrupt economies.
Sandro Giordano ; In Extremis (bodies with no regret)

Sandro Giordano ; In Extremis (bodies with no regret)

My photographs are “short stories” about a world that is falling-down. Each shot tells about worn-out characters who, in a sudden black-out of mind and body, crash with no attempt to save themselves.
Marine Species by Wesley Dombrecht

Marine Species by Wesley Dombrecht

The idea for the series ‘Marine Species’ started with my fascination for the sea, water and everything that lives in it. In this series I want to give the viewer a different look at a variety off sea life, that has been portrayed in a very aesthetic way, minimalistic, where the focus is on the subject, with a playful link incorporated in it.
Reflection by Lilyan Aloma

Reflection by Lilyan Aloma

I have spent the greater part of my life living in Manhattan, a city with a constantly changing visual plan that continues to inspire me to explore its physical complexity.
Unequally; Urban Women by William Guilmain

Unequally; Urban Women by William Guilmain

The urban space is unequally shared between genders. Patriarchal cultural codes make the street as a place dominated by men. If it is well accepted that men can stay in the street, women only cross it.
To The Northwest by Giacomo Infantino

To The Northwest by Giacomo Infantino

His research is based on the in-depth narrative of those places in my province, those peripheral sites to which he has devoted his attention and constant attendance.
Rohingya refugees by Joxe Inazio Kuesta

Rohingya refugees by Joxe Inazio Kuesta

We arrived at Teknaf, in the district of Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh) at noon, and that same afternoon we left for the refugee camps. It was raining, and the moto-rickshaw carrying us broke down halfway
Rodeo; Behind the chute by Leigh Ann Edmonds

Rodeo; Behind the chute by Leigh Ann Edmonds

Behind the chute project was selected and published in our print edition 18. The connection and reliance between humans and their livestock had me fully embracing the deep- rooted traditions of the rodeo and the people involved.
Glacial Silt Patterns by Hal Gage

Glacial Silt Patterns by Hal Gage

Over eons, glaciers travel from mountain tops in their slow, unrelenting march to the seas. Grinding rock to powder and carving valleys in their wake, they create the landscapes we see today
Belief – A Photo Story by Sauvik Acharyya

Belief – A Photo Story by Sauvik Acharyya

A series of pictures taken in North India, explores the myriad ways people worship and the media they use to search for the intangible higher truth or power.Through various rituals, festivals, fire, flowers and even alcohol, India spirituality moves ahead parallel to the nation's modern moorings.
Looking Out from Within by Julia Fullerton-Batten

Looking Out from Within by Julia Fullerton-Batten

During the days prior to the pandemic I was ultra-busy planning a photographic shoot with a large team of people, assistants, stylists, hair and make-up team, prop stylists, set designers etc.
Urban kaleidoscope by Shoji Fujita

Urban kaleidoscope by Shoji Fujita

Every time I look into my camera, it is as if I am looking through a wonderful world of kaleidoscope. As I spend time observing and capturing the sun's creations.
Creating stories; Sweet dreams of Simon McCheung

Creating stories; Sweet dreams of Simon McCheung

I used to draw my inspirations for concepts from my own recent and childhood dreams. Most of which I don’t actually remember the context, sometimes I remember objects, people or locations, however the one thing that always gives me the lasting impression was the last feeling you get during and after the dream.

Trending Stories

Gennadiy Chernomashintsev ; Fashion Photography

Gennadiy Chernomashintsev ; Fashion Photography

I was born in USSR in 1968, now live in Ukraine. I work as art director in DOMINO magazine (Ukrainian magazine) and as freelance fashion photographer.
Perpetual Motif by George Vogiatzakis

Perpetual Motif by George Vogiatzakis

A vicious circle. A perpetual motif, whose beginning may be in the photo shooting, in the previous unanswered question that I had raised or in the phrasing of the question itself. A paradoxical, a tormenting process.
Portrait Photography ; Tatsiana Tsyhanova

Portrait Photography ; Tatsiana Tsyhanova

Tatsiana Tsyhanova – the famous belarusian photographer, who earned a lot of worldwide awards in genre of Portraiture photography. Her photos take part in exhibitions in France, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Belarus, Turkey etc.
Buddhism; Who are we by Viet Van Tran

Buddhism; Who are we by Viet Van Tran

Reality I also can’t explain this matter , beginning is the meeting and rather interesting talk with a monk at an exhibition about Buddhism at Ha Noi, 2005.
Car model; Moving India by Carsten Bockermann

Car model; Moving India by Carsten Bockermann

On my trips to India I noticed a certain car model that was to be seen everywhere and easily transcended the boundaries between social classes. It was driven by businessmen, government officials, taxi drivers and politicians.
Fishermen of Guanabara Bay by Andrew Christian Johnson

Fishermen of Guanabara Bay by Andrew Christian Johnson

It is estimated that between 5000 and 18,000 registered/unregistered artisanal fishermen operate in the bay. Fishermen have borne the economic cost of its environmental degradation more than any other group.
Southern Province by Vassilis Konstantinou

Southern Province by Vassilis Konstantinou

In the context of this wandering, the photographer direct his gaze and lens to things simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar, focusing on the intermediate zones between the past and the present
Ripe by Evelyn Bencicova

Ripe by Evelyn Bencicova

Youth has no age. Powerful personality remains strong despite the time which is passing. RIPE portraits woman of great courage and character, ladies who are not afraid to display their natural beauty and ageing. 
The Fine art of letting go by Shira Gold

The Fine art of letting go by Shira Gold

How do we make the choice to let go? What provokes our physical or psychological decisions to detach? Many of us were raised believing that mementos hold meaning or proof of experience.
Inland by Nuno Serrão

Inland by Nuno Serrão

I miss the feeling of wonder I had when someone asked me: What do you want to be when you grow up? That’s the hardest part of being grown-up. To find new dreams when I know what it feels like when you have to let them go.
The beauty of tribal dances by France Leclerc

The beauty of tribal dances by France Leclerc

The beauty of tribal dances project was selected and published in our print edition 20. As the sun is setting in the tribal areas of East Africa, one can often hear the sound of beating drums and joyful voices coming from the villages.
Poetic lyrics : Il pleut sur Nantes by Philippe Marchand

Poetic lyrics : Il pleut sur Nantes by Philippe Marchand

Barbara was a famous French singer who died about ten years ago. Her very evocative and poetic lyrics are still very successful all over the world.

Other Stories

stay in touch
Join our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest stories, opportunities, calls and more.
We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use
We’d love to
Thank you for subscribing!
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted.
- Between 10/30 images of your best images, in case your project contains a greater number of images which are part of the same indivisible body of work will also be accepted. You must send the images in jpg format to 1200px and 72dpi and quality 9. (No borders or watermarks)
- A short biography along with your photograph. (It must be written in the third person)
- Title and full text of the project with a minimum length of 300 words. (Texts with lesser number of words will not be accepted)
This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Contact
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Get in Touch
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.