ENCHANTED ISLAND...Easter Island
For those unfamiliar, Easter Island is one of the most magical destinations on the planet. Located nearly 2300 miles west of South America, it’s an island not easily reached. When I visited, there were only two flights in and out each week. Rapa Nui, the name given to the island by its inhabitants, is now more popularly called Easter Island. It’s best known for the amazing moai, monolithic statues carved from volcanic stone to honor their ancestors. These mammoth blocks of stones weighing up to 14 tons and standing 13’ tall were moved to various ceremonial sites along the shores. Perhaps most astonishing, these tasks were carried out around 800 A.D. As you might imagine, an adventure to such a remote location requires a good bit of planning and as always, luck in the weather department plays a significant role. I had four evenings to capture the night’s sky and on the last night, the weather God’s finally came together and granted my wish for this view of the milky way. As soon as I snapped the shutter, I knew I had captured something special.
ARTIST STATEMENT: As though by a magnet, I’ve always felt the world pulling me, luring me to explore its mysteries and wonder. For a long time, I put my dreams on hold. Then one day in my practice as a radiologist, I met a patient whose journey would forever change my outlook.
In the Fall of 2006, a man came to me with a nagging discomfort in his chest. At 38 years old, he was so young that I thought surely it must be something benign or otherwise inconsequential. In a matter of a few short hours, his CT scan revealed that he was suffering from terminal lung cancer. His story is a reminder to us all that each day must be viewed as a very special gift.
I’ve witnessed hundreds of patients whose lives have been abruptly changed by a life-altering or life-ending diagnosis. At times we may convince ourselves that we are immortal, and that cancer or some other catastrophe only affects others, but we have no guarantees in this life. Time is too short to get lost in a blur of days, weeks, and months.
And so, I began to think more seriously about all those overseas adventures waiting for me, and soon enough, I grabbed my camera and voyaged to all 7 continents. I’ve observed Tibetan monks in prayer, hiked up the Virunga mountains of Rwanda to marvel at the Silverback gorillas in their natural habitat, and watched Bengal tigers cool off in a shallow lake to escape India’s searing heat.
I’ve met people, young and old, who have lived amazing yet ordinary lives. Along the way, I’ve spent several decades honing my craft as a portrait photographer. Whether I’m making candid images of women immersed in prayer in Abu Dhabi or portraits of television actors in my Venice Beach studio, I’ve continuously sought to capture life’s fragility and beauty.
There are no rewinds in life, so find the time to discover your inspiration, explore the extraordinary, create the unimaginable, and then leave nothing on the table.
~ Harv Greenberg, M.D.