NSS News Diciembre 2011 Olargues

8/3/2019 NSS News Diciembre 2011 Olargues

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12 NSS NewS,December2011

WhenIfirstreceivedmyinvitationtotheconferenceinsouthernFrance,itsoundedtoogoodtobetrue:aweekofcavinginsomeofFrancessmostbeautifulcaves,in

thecompanyofmanyoftheworldsmostaccomplishedcavephotographers.WithouthesitationIknewIcouldntpassupsuchanopportunity.

Franceisacountryrichincavesandkarst,withover70,000knowncaves.Thatthereareover130showcaves,aboutasmanyasintheUSA,isatestimonytotheirbeauty.ModernspeleologystartedinFrance,andtodaytheFdrationFrancaisedeSplologie(FFS)boastsamembershipofabout7,500caversaboutthenumberofNSS Newscopiessentouteachmonth(thoughourmembershipisabout9000when

youincludefamilymembers.)Notsurpris-ingly,Francehasmanywell-knowncavephotographers,severalofwhomteameduptoputonthismeeting.ThekeyorganizerswerePhilippeCrochetandhiswifeAnnieGuiraud,MichelRendaandhiswifeMarieRenda,andDanielChailloux.

ThelocaleforthemeetingwasabeautifulvillagenamedOlargues,withtheclassicoldstonebuildingswhichtypifysmallFrenchvillages.Somestructuresinthevillage,suchasthePontduDiable,datetothe12thcentury.Thetownhasacoupleofrestaurantsandsomenicepatisseriesoffering

upsuchlocaltreatsasEscargot-rouquefortcheesepastries.Andyes,astastyastheysound.

ThevenueforourmeetingwastheCampotel,afacilitywithnumeroussmallroomswithbedsfor3to5people,andamainkitchen/diningroomarea.Amodestfeeof160Euroscoveredlodgingandmeals

The First International Meeting of Cave Photographers-Olargues, France, August 2011

Dave Bunnell (uncredited photos by author)

fortheweek,withallthewineandbeeronecoulddrink.Actually,Philippeprovidedthelatterathisownexpense,twomicrobrewsmadeinhishometownofMontpellier,about90minutesfromtheconferencesite.

Thereweresome65peopleinatten-dance,including39photographersandassistants.MostwerefromSpain,Germany,andItaly,withothersfromCanada,Hungary,Romaina,Slovenia,Switzerland,andevenapairfromJapan.TheUSwasrepresentedbymywifeElizabethandI,KevinDowneyandhiswifeHilda,andDanLegnini.Other

attendeesfamiliartoNSS NewsreadersareChrisHowesandJudithCalfordfromtheUK(whoalsoproduceacavingmagazine,Descent)andUrsandSueWidmerfromSwitzerland,whopublishtheSpeleoProjectscalendareachyear.

TheweekkickedoffwithaSundayeveningreceptionandbarbecuefromthetownmayor,followedby5daysofcaving.Therewere12cavesopentovisitationduringtheconference,onguidedtrips.Halfofthesewereavailableeveryday,wherasanothersixwereonlyopenonceduringtheconference.Forthelatter,youcouldonly

picktwotovisitduringtheweek.Manyofthesecaveswerenormallyquitedifficulttogetaccessto,soitwasarealtreattobeabletovisitthemduringtheconference.Twoofthemwerenotedforrareformationscoloredgreenorblue,andImadevisitingthesemytoppriority.AfterthecavetripseachdaywehadvarioustastydinnerssuchasseafoodPaella,Moules(muscles)inHerbesduProvence,grilledmeats,etc.Followingdinners,eachnight3or4photographerspresentedsomesortofslideshowormulti-mediashow.IpresentedonecalledNatural

BridgesauNaturel,notsomethingIcouldlikelyshowatanNSSConvention,butthiwasafterall,France.

Cave Trips

Mostofthecavetripswerewithina20to75minutedriveoftheconferencesitemanyonthelimestonemassifknownastheMontagneNoirorBlackMountain.UnlikeanNSSConvention,therewerenocompetingeventsandIwentcavingeveryday.Oneachtripthereweregenerally8peoplesplitintotwogroupsof4,whichmeantyou

wereoftensharinganareawithothercavephotographers.WhenpossibleItriedtoteamupwithothersusingradioslavesaswecouldworkwithoutsettingoffeachothersflashes.

AguidebookpreparedbyPhilippeandAnniefeaturedcolorimagesfromeachothecaves,andacouplethingsIveneverseeninanNSSConventionguidebookEachcavewasratedaccordingtofourlevelsofdifficulty(thoughbasedontheverticalworkrequiredonly,andnotconsideringtheamountofcrawling).Ofparticularinteres

The village of Olargues in southern France was the site of the meeting.

Photographer Philippe Crochet offers a toastChris Howes and Judith Calford, famedphotographic duo from the UK


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NSS NewS,December2011 13

Sergio

Laburu-FUE-

espeleofoto.com

forphotographers,atableofPhotographicInterestlistedandratedona5-pointscale,thephotogenicqualitiesofeighttypesoffeatures:pits,water,chambers,formations,aragonite,color,andpearls.

HeresabriefsummaryofthecavesI

visited.

Aven des Crozes

ThisisoneofaboutadozencavesinFrancewithblueformationsandhighonmylistasitisapparentlyoneofthebetterones.Itwasoneofthemorephysicallychallengingwithdescentsthroughrifts,crawling,chimneying,etc.ItalsoservedasagoodintroductiontocavinginthisregionofFrance.UnlikeourpracticesintheUS,theFrenchareverymuchintomodifyingcavestomaketraveleasier.Thisofteninvolvesfixedmetalladdersatclimbs,u-shapedpiecesof

rebarsetintherocktomakeclimbseasier,cablesslungacrossbodiesofwater,andcrawlwaysdugouttomakethemeasier.Severalspotsonthisandsubsequenttripsmightotherwisehaveinvolveduseoffullverticalgear,butinstead,weworeharnessesandcowstailsandclippedintofixedlinesforsafety.

OurguidesonthetripwereDanielChailloux,knownforhisexcellent3Dphotography,andoneofthemainexplorersofthecave,aswellasJean-MarieChauvet,bestknownasoneofthediscoverersoftheGrotteChauvet,whichcontainstheoldest

knownpaleolithicpaintingsyetfoundinEurope.Jean-Marieis alsoanexcellentphotographer,buton thistripwasdoingsomevideography.

Anhourandahalfoftravelledustothefirstoftworoomswithblueformations.Thefirsthadawallofthemabout15feetlongand4feethigh,coveredwithbluehelictites,stalactites,andpopcorn.Intermingledweresimilarfeaturesinpurewhite.Nearbyweresmallerspraysofneedle-likeblueformations.Inasecondsmallroomjustbeyond,a2-foothighbluecolumngavewaytoboringoldmassesoflargewhitehelictitesandother

bizarreclustersofcrystals.Mostofuseworkedinpairsdoingmostlyclose-ups,butItriedtogetoverallareashotstoshowtheformationsincontext.

Thefloorsneartheformationswereflaggedoffwithsmallcableswithsmallredflags,andin thesedelicatechambersahelmets-offpolicywasineffect.Thisisa

policyIapplymyselfwheneverIamphotographingdelicateareas:withjustahedlampon,youhaveamuchbettersenseofwhereyouarerelativetodelicatestuffontheceiling.Ahundredorsophotoslateritwastimetoleavefortheeveningmeal

Grotte de Pousselires

Thislargecavesystemisknownforlargenumbersofwhitespeleothemsanddeflectedstalactitescoveredwithsmallfilamentoushelictites.Itinvolvedadescentofsome300verticalfeetthroughbreakdownthathadbeenthesceneofextensiveexcavationthathadpaidoffwithmilesofcavebeyond.Oneofthemostfunpartswasatraverseofabout100feetoverariftsome60feetdeep,involvingrepeatedclippingandunclippingwithyourdoublecowstails.Aseriesofstanchionshadbeeninstalledto

maketraveleasier.BeyondledtoseveraformationroomssuchastheCometRoom,withtrailsmarkedwithcableselevatedabousixinchesofftheground,withreflectors.UnfortunatelymywifedidntcomeonthisonesomyphotographywasmorelimitedButfortunatelyIstillendedupwithanicmodelformyphotos,asthetripleaders

The 12th century bridge in Olargues, a wonderful place for a stroll

Juan Perez on a line strung over a pool in Grotte de Pousselires

Right: Spanish caver Maria Moreno on a ladder series in PN77

Michel Renda (left) and legendary caver Michel Siffre


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daughterManonhadcomealongandwasotherwiseunoccupiedwhilewewereshoot-

ingphotos.Andevendressedinred...Oneofthefamousformationsinthiscave,whichourleaderswereunabletolocate,isthespiderformation,astalactitewhosetipbranchesaclusterofsixteensodastraws.FortunatelyIobtainedanimagefromoneoftheotherphotographerswhowentonalatertrip,toincludewiththisarticle.

Grotte de lAscenscion

AftertwodaysofrelativelyhardtripsIwasreadyforaneasycave.Thisonehadnovertical,justashortsqueezeintoapleasantwalling-heightstreamwaythatcontinued

about700feetwithlotsofflowstoneanddraperies,allverywetandactive.Themarble

wallsandformationsremindedmeofsomeofourcavesinSequoiaNationalPark.Perhapsthemostphotographedstretchwasanareawitharcing,parallelsetsofdrapes,alltranslucent.

ThiswasanicesocialtripwiththeWidmersandChrisandJudith.Despitebeingashortcavetherewasplentytophoto-graph,includinganupperlevelboots-offareabehindalargefree-hangingflowstone

mound.LaterIfoundoutthatwehadmissedafossilturtleshellsaidtoexistinthecave.Foracavewithsucheasyaccess,itwasinverygoodcondition,probablybecauselikemostofthecaveswevisited,ithadagate.

Grotte Verte

WhileFrancehasseveralcaveswithblueformationsthereisapparentlyjustonewithabundantgreenformations.ThisisthecavefromwhichthecoverofthesecondeditionofCave Minerals of the Worldwastaken(whilethethirdeditionfeaturedoneoftheblueformationsfromsouthernFrance).

Remarkably,thegreenformationsarefoundinonlyonetinychamber,onlyabout10feetwideand25feethigh,inamuchlargercavesystem.Itisratherlikeageodeinanareathatisotherwisecompletelydevoidofdeco-rations.Thegreencolorisfromthecoppercarbonatemineralmalachite.

Toreachitinvolvedadescentofabout200feetthroughaseriesofsmalldropsinapitbrokenupwithledgesandbreakdownchockstones.Nolessthansixrebelayshadtobenegotiatedinthisshortdistance.Midwaydown,onemustleavethepitseries,asitthencontinuesdownamuchlargershaft.

Instead,oneclimbsupashortrope,goesthroughagate,anddescendsanotherropeof75feetwhichlandsnexttoatent.Infact,thetentisacomfortablewaitingroomwithchairsandastove,builtbytheassociationwhichmanagesthecave.HereonemustwaittheirturntoascendintoLaGeode,asonlytwopeopleatatimeareallowedintheroomabove.Herewewereinstructedtoleaveourdirtyouterwareandourharnesses.Justoutsidethetentisthebaseofaseriesofladdersthatclimbabout50feetupintotheGreenRoom.Beforeascending,ahoseisusedtocleanonesboots.

AsIwasascendingthenarrowladdersIwishedIdbeenabletoclipintotheropethatranalongside.Buttheyweresolidlyanchored,providedsolidfooting,andexcite-mentgrippedmeasIascendedtotheroomwhichIdlongedtoseeformanyyears.Iwasnotdisappointed.Noneofthephotoshadquitepreparedmefortheamazingcollec-tionofhelictites,stalagmites,stalactites,andflowstonethatcoveronefullwalloftheGreenRoom,northeamazingdiversityofgreenishhuesthatcomprisedthem.Mixedinwiththegreenweresomerangingfrom

purewhitetoyellowtolightgreen,andanamazingvarietyofhelictiticforms.

IwasintheroomwithaGermanphotographer,MichaelShopper,whospokeexcellentEnglish.Ourallottedtimewasjusonehour,asthereweresixotherstovisittheroomonthistrip.Ratherthanassisteachother,andsincethearealentitselfbesttoclose-ups,itprovedeasiesttopropflashesonledgesontheportionsoftheroomwhichweredevoidofformations,oronthefloor.managedtoshootoverahundredproperlexposedphotosinthattime,aboutathirdinstereo.Fortunatelybothofushadradio

slavesandcouldeachdomultipleflashshotatthesametimewithoutsettingoffeachothersflashes.

ThetripendedupbeingmuchlongethanexpectedforonememberofaSpanishcavingteamwhomissedtheturnoffandstarteddescendingthelargepit.ShethencamebacktothesurfacewhereMichaeandIhadalreadyreturnedafterourvisit.Thoughtousitseemedratherlatetoheadbackin,shewentdown,hadaquickvisittotheroom,andwasbackupinabout1.5hours.Que Macha!

Aven des PerlesAsmallgemofacave,thisonewa

enteredbydescendingasolidlyconstructed60-footladderforwhichmostusedanascenderforsafety.Iinsteadusedmymicrorackandthisprovedmuchquickeonthedescent.Thecaveisprotectedbyadedicatedgroupofcaverswhorelyontwogatesandsecrecy.Mostofthecavesflooriscoveredinflowstonewithmanyclustersoffinecavepearls.Onegroupissortoroundedwithhexagonaledges,andreddishincolor,whichIcalledtheraviolipearls.The

The 60-foot ladder in Aven des Perles

Dan Legnini reviews his shots of the pearlsin the Aven des Perles

Thinking outside the box: a tripod in use toposition a ash for backlighting a helictite.

ChrisHowes


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Sue Widmer in Grotte de lAscension (Urs Widmer)

Blue owstone on draperies, Grotte des Ecossaises (Kasia Biernacka)

The same spot in Grotte de lAscenscion as shot by two photographer

working independently. Above, Judith Calford, shot by Chris Howes, us

strong backlight and a weaker frontlight (directed mainly at the model,

also giving detail above the bacon strips).

Below, photo by Dave Bunnell of his wife Elizabeth in the same spot us

just a single backlight ash. The detail on the model is all from light re

ected back off the bacon, and relied on some post-processing of the le to bring out.

Kasia Biernacka in the Aven des Roses (Marcin Gala)


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he ravioli-shaped pearls in Aven des Perles (Dave Bunnell)

Annick Normandin in Aven des Crozes (Luc Le Blanc)

ubmerged pearls in Aven des Roses (Ovidiu Guja)

Spider formation in

Grotte de Pousselires

(Ovidiu Guja)

Crystals in Aven des Crozes (Roberto F. Garcia / Lorenzo Saezespeleofoto.com)


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Juan Perez in Aven des Crozes (Sergio Laburu - FUE- espeleofoto.com

lizabeth Rousseau in Aven des Crozes (Dave Bunnell)

Close up, Aven des Crozes (Dave Bunnell). Also visiible in photo below.

Juan Perez in Aven des Crozes (Sergio Laburu- - FUE- espeleofoto.com

Roberto Garcia in Aven des Crozes (Roberto Garcia-espeleofoto.com)

Close up, Aven des Crozes (Dave Bunnell)


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Images from The Grotte Verte. Below left, Michael Shopper arrives at th

top of the ladder climbs into La Gode. Photos by Dave Bunnell except

the closeup photo on the left, taken by Josep Herrerias and Sergio Lab

of the Espeleofoto team


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trailiswellmarkedwithcordsasinmanyoftheotherdecoratedcaverooms.Therewerealsosomeveryfinesetsofdraperiesandsomeoutstandingmixturesofred-orangehues,sotherewasmuchtophotographinthisshortcave.Forthisonetherewere12ofusallowed,sothoughwetriedtospreadout,youweresometimesworkingquitenearbyotherphotographers.OnceagainIwashappytobeusingradioslaveswhile

workingnearother!

Other Conference Caves

InadditiontothefivecavesIvisited,thereweretripstosixothercavesinthearea:SourcesdelaDouch,GrotteduPN77,GrottedesEcossaises,GrottedeCabrespine(partofwhichisdevelopedfortourism),GrottedeLauzinas,andtheAvendesRoses.

Final Day

Onourlastday,Saturday,nocavingwasscheduled.Instead,variousphotogra-phersgavetalksontechniquesforthefirst

halfoftheday.MostinterestingtomewasPhilippespresentationoftheuseofasupersnootmadefrompvcpipe,whenyouwanttoilluminateyourmodelinabacklitshotwithoutwipingouttheeffectsofyourback-light.ChrisHowesvolunteeredthathehadsometimesplacedaflashinsideaWellingtonboottoproducethesameeffect!Aftera

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freeafternoon,therewasagalaeveningofpresentations.Thelatterwereheldinthevillagesgymnase,withahugesilverscreensetupforaseriesof3Dslideshows.TheaudienceincludedmanyfolksfromthevillageofOlargues.Tostartoff,aspecialprogramwasheldforwhicheachphotographerorphototeamhadearlierthatdaypickedtheirtwofavoritephotosmadeduringtheweek.Tomakeitevenmoreformal,Philippeshotniceportraitsofeachofus,shownjustbeforeourtwophotoselections,andwehadtoeachgetupinfrontoftheaudience

andexplainwhywepickedthetwophotoswedidandwhatwelikedaboutthem.Notacompetition,butanicechancetoseewhatothershaddoneduringtheweek.Myguesswasthatatleastathirdofwhatwasshownwouldhavewonribbonsinourphotosalon.

Followingthiswastheeveningsmainaffair,asetofshowsbytheLaSalle3Dteam,mostlyfocusedoncavesofsouthernFrance

(someoftheseIhadseenattheNSSConvention,buttheywereallwellworthasecondviewing).Perhapsmostamazing

wasashowofphenom-enalclose-upsofcolorfulmineralspecimens.Thedepthoffieldonthesewasamazing,achievedbyshootingupto40separateframeswithfocusatdifferentlevelstoyieldoneulta-sharpphoto.And,allin3D!Anotherhighlightamongthe3DshowswasoneoftheGrotteChauvet

composedofimagesthatJean-Mariehadshotsoonafteritsdiscovery.Youcouldreallyseehowtheartistshadusedthecontoursothewallstoenhancetheirpaintings.

aCknowleDgemenTs

SpecialthankstoPhilippeandAnnieandtherestforputtingonwhatwasperhapsthemostfuncavingeventIveeverattendedTheirhopeisthatanothergroupwillorganizeasimilarmeetingatadifferentlocationandprospectivefuturevenuesincludeSpainandtheUK.Forme,itwasdefinitelyinter

estingtoseehowothercavephotographersworkwhilegettingtovisitsomecavesthathadbeenonmyWishListforyears.

Thanksalsotothephotographerswhorespondedtomyrequesttosubmitphotosforthisarticle,putforthtothefullgroupothosewhoattended.Manymorecanbeseenonthesewebsites:www.espeleofoto.comwww.wildplacesphotography.co.uk,wwwintech.ro/photography

We cavers made ourselves at home at the Campotel. Gear could becleaned in the river just behind it. No decon required!

Group shot of all those at-

tending the conference

The caterer prepares a seafood paella

NSS News Diciembre 2011 Olargues

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