Letter to Michael

Sorry I haven't been in contact like I said I would.  Life has been unbelievably hectic for really wonderful reasons I wanted to share as it involves you directly!

You'll remember Sue went to both the Arctic and Antarctic on her travels and they were the best travel experiences of her life. Her eyes would light up whenever she spoke of her adventures there and her photos were unbelievable.  I got to edit her photos from both places and dreamed of going myself one day.  However, the cost of getting on the ship  is very, very high and I wondered if I would ever get the chance.

Then, out of the blue, an educational company who a good friend works for contacted me and asked me if I'd like to go on an Arctic expedition with them as  their nature photographer and researcher - totally for free!!   If the trip is a success, there will be the chance to go to Antarctica too and several other destinations around the world.  An absolute dream come true!!

The only challenge was that I needed to have the latest, mirrorless camera and my camera and some of my lenses are very out of date.  

So, thanks to your amazing generosity, I was able to go out and get all the photographic equipment I need. Without it, I would really have struggled to afford it. The process of deciding which camera and lenses to get has been unbelievably exciting.

I've had a chance to really get to use the new camera and lenses over the past few weeks and it's blown me away with what it can do. It somehow knows when you are photographing an animal and focuses on the animal's eyes without you having to do anything. It's total magic and takes all the stress out of photographing wildlife.  Photographing polar bears is going to be a cinch with it.

So I just wanted to thank you again for all you've enabled . I appreciate it more than words can say.  I know Sue, wherever she may be, will be absolutely and thoroughly delighted too.  I really have a wonderful sense of that.

I leave for the Arctic tomorrow and will be away 3 weeks or so.  When I get back, I'd love to take you out for lunch and regale you with my adventures and show you some of my photos.

I hope you are doing really well.

G