Madagascar
Elijah Nouvelage takes us off the coast of Africa to show us life on the island.
by Elijah Nouvelage “I was intrigued by its seeming remoteness and wondered if it was as off the well-beaten traveler circuit as its location might suggest.”
I’ve used Hipstamatic almost exclusively for my iPhone photography for years so it was an honor to be asked to share some work from a recent trip to Madagascar here in the virtual pages of Snap Magazine. This seems like a particularly appropriate relationship given that this issue is dedicated to the idea of Muses, and travel most definitely is mine.
right off the bat let me say this – if possible, Madagascar should absolutely be seen in person. That said, I’ve tried as best I could to capture its varied textures, rich color palette, and its friendly, casual intimacy in my images. madagascar had always interested me in an abstract “someday, bucket list-y” kind of way. I knew of its famous lemurs and baobabs, and I knew of its unique biodiversity, (approximately 80% of its plant and animal life is endemic to the island). In addition, I was intrigued by its seeming remoteness and wondered if it was as off the well-beaten traveler circuit as its location might suggest.
“Madagascar’s Wildly Varying Geography Made Every Other Day Feel Like an Entirely New Adventure.”
So I did what I normally do, which is to say I did almost no research and then flew across the planet for a month and a half.
it wildly exceeded my expectations. No matter where you were, every day at dusk rich golden hues washed over the land like a photographer’s dream. The many different and unique species of plant, animal, and insect life made the days (and nights) interesting and exciting.
madagascar’s wildly varying geography made every other day feel like an entirely new adventure. From the deep blood red earth and green pastures and hills of the central highlands to the copper brown of the Tsiribihina River, to the greens and teals of the Mozambique Channel. I witnessed two exorcisms, spent days in a wooden sailing canoe out at sea, experienced some of the best snorkeling of my life, ate fresh seafood like a king, and made some wonderful friends in spite of our communication issues. I can only hope that in some small way these images convey the depth and breadth of those experiences.
