Mike Talladen - Light Writer

The Amazon River / Peru / 2015 September⠀ _____⠀ ⠀ I left the Peruvian Amazon with the desire to do what I can with what I have to build positive change, returning home to find the world's attention fixed on Indonesia, whose rainforests were burning stronger than before. This triggered my desire to travel to Sumatra, Indonesia in search of answers. Now our eyes turn back to the Amazon. Copied caption from @rainforestalliance below:⠀ _____⠀ ⠀ The lungs of the Earth are in flames. 🔥 The Brazilian Amazon—home to 1 million Indigenous people and 3 million species—has been burning for more than two weeks straight. There have been 74,000 fires in the Brazilian Amazon since the beginning of this year—a staggering 84% increase over the same period last year (National Institute for Space Research, Brazil). Scientists and conservationists attribute the accelerating deforestation to President Jair Bolsonaro, who issued an open invitation to loggers and farmers to clear the land after taking office in January.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ The largest rainforest in the world is a critical piece of the global climate solution. Without the Amazon, we cannot keep the Earth’s warming in check. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ The Amazon needs more than our prayers. So what can YOU do?⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ ✔ As an emergency response, donate to frontline Amazon groups working to defend the forest. ⁣⠀ ✔ Consider becoming a regular supporter of the Rainforest Alliance’s community forestry initiatives across the world’s most vulnerable tropical forests, including the Amazon; this approach is by far the most effective defense against deforestation and natural forest fires, but it requires deep, long-term collaboration between the communities and the public and private sectors. ✔ Stay on top of this story and keep sharing posts, tagging news agencies and influencers. ⁣⠀ ✔ Be a conscious consumer, taking care to support companies committed to responsible supply chains.⁣ Eliminate or reduce consumption of beef; cattle ranching is one of the primary drivers of Amazon deforestation.⠀ ✔ When election time comes, VOTE for leaders who understand the urgency of our climate crisis and are willing to take bold action—including strong governance and forward-thin
My heart burns in the fires of Amazonia. A childhood dream of going to the amazon forest was finally realized in 2015. It set me on a path to use my photography for something greater than myself. It absolutely breaks my heart to see how much of Amazonia is burning, how fast it is being destroyed; thousands if not millions of species of all kinds are being wiped out. These fires have been raging for years, only now it is faster, stronger, wider. The forest can only take so much before it is gone, and the world will suffer for it. I imagine we will suffer in ways we cannot even imagine. I imagine the indigenous people who have lived off the lands of Amazonia, fleeing from the only home and life they knew. I imagine all the animals, insects, and plants - including the ones still yet discovered by science - disappearing from the face of this one planet we all share. I imagine a future when we westerners finally realize the tragedy of not having clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, enough food to eat, enough land to roam. Only then will the greedy fully realize nothing else really mattered, only then will those who looked away for so long realize they should have stepped up, only then will we all truly know - like so many others have already been enduring for far too long - what suffering truly is. The fires in the Amazon are not alone, they are not the first, but they are a scream, a cry for help. Mother Earth does not need us, we need her.
Five Years From Mexico⁠ 3/3⁠⠀ .⠀ ⠀ A FB memory popped up last week and the words I wrote five years ago really hit home for me. "In one week I leave the country for the first time in my life. Excited as I am to be traveling to Guanajuato, Mexico for a wedding, the trip already feels a little bittersweet. As a photographer I am constantly searching for light, and doing so for a job that evolves around love can prove to be a difficult task when the lights in my life are flickering, leaving me blundering around in the dark. We all meet darkness throughout our lives, we just have to fight through it and keep searching."⁠⠀ .⠀ ⠀ With the recent loss of my dog Riley, I've been struggling in my day to day. Depression has creeped back in heavier than usual, inability to focus or form coherent thoughts at times, a massive lack of sleep, and a brand new form of feeling alone have all played to the tune of mourning after 13 years of companionship. It's made moments of joy and serenity harder to come by and harder to fully appreciate when they do. It's left me thinking back on all the things I did wrong with her, wondering what I could have done differently, and if I made the decision I made to end her pain when I did.⠀ .⠀ ⠀ The first few days were a strange mix of emotions at first. A relationship had ended, I'd never been out of the country or traveled solo until this trip, I didn't speak Spanish, and it was one of the first weddings I shot as a lead on my own. ⁠I was worried my current emotional state would bring failure. It came to a point where I decided to just embrace the present, camera in hand I explored the city in search of literal light as well as inner peace. In the end I killed it at the wedding and came home with some valuable lessons.⠀ .⠀ ⠀ We all mourn, stress, and suffer in different ways for different things and emotional distractions come in all forms. The only thing we can change is how we exist in the present. Whether you're in a foreign land or stuck inside your own head, keep searching for your light, old and new, and stay vigilant in your heart and mind, hard as it may be. You never know what you'll find or what you can achieve when you embrace the p
Five Years From Mexico⁠ 2/3⁠⠀ .⠀ ⠀ A FB memory popped up last week and the words I wrote five years ago really hit home for me. "In one week I leave the country for the first time in my life. Excited as I am to be traveling to Guanajuato, Mexico for a wedding, the trip already feels a little bittersweet. As a photographer I am constantly searching for light, and doing so for a job that evolves around love can prove to be a difficult task when the lights in my life are flickering, leaving me blundering around in the dark. We all meet darkness throughout our lives, we just have to fight through it and keep searching."⁠⠀ .⠀ ⠀ With the recent loss of my dog Riley, I've been struggling in my day to day. Depression has creeped back in heavier than usual, inability to focus or form coherent thoughts at times, a massive lack of sleep, and a brand new form of feeling alone have all played to the tune of mourning after 13 years of companionship. It's made moments of joy and serenity harder to come by and harder to fully appreciate when they do. It's left me thinking back on all the things I did wrong with her, wondering what I could have done differently, and if I made the decision I made to end her pain when I did.⠀ .⠀ ⠀ The first few days were a strange mix of emotions at first. A relationship had ended, I'd never been out of the country or traveled solo until this trip, I didn't speak Spanish, and it was one of the first weddings I shot as a lead on my own. ⁠I was worried my current emotional state would bring failure. It came to a point where I decided to just embrace the present, camera in hand I explored the city in search of literal light as well as inner peace. In the end I killed it at the wedding and came home with some valuable lessons.⠀ .⠀ ⠀ We all mourn, stress, and suffer in different ways for different things and emotional distractions come in all forms. The only thing we can change is how we exist in the present. Whether you're in a foreign land or stuck inside your own head, keep searching for your light, old and new, and stay vigilant in your heart and mind, hard as it may be. You never know what you'll find or what you can achieve when you embrace the p
Five Years From Mexico⁠ 1/3⁠⠀ .⠀ ⠀ A FB memory popped up last week and the words I wrote five years ago really hit home for me. "In one week I leave the country for the first time in my life. Excited as I am to be traveling to Guanajuato, Mexico for a wedding, the trip already feels a little bittersweet. As a photographer I am constantly searching for light, and doing so for a job that evolves around love can prove to be a difficult task when the lights in my life are flickering, leaving me blundering around in the dark. We all meet darkness throughout our lives, we just have to fight through it and keep searching."⁠⠀ .⠀ ⠀ With the recent loss of my dog Riley, I've been struggling in my day to day. Depression has creeped back in heavier than usual, inability to focus or form coherent thoughts at times, a massive lack of sleep, and a brand new form of feeling alone have all played to the tune of mourning after 13 years of companionship. It's made moments of joy and serenity harder to come by and harder to fully appreciate when they do. It's left me thinking back on all the things I did wrong with her, wondering what I could have done differently, and if I made the decision I made to end her pain when I did.⠀ .⠀ ⠀ The first few days were a strange mix of emotions at first. A relationship had ended, I'd never been out of the country or traveled solo until this trip, I didn't speak Spanish, and it was one of the first weddings I shot as a lead on my own. ⁠I was worried my current emotional state would bring failure. It came to a point where I decided to just embrace the present, camera in hand I explored the city in search of literal light as well as inner peace. In the end I killed it at the wedding and came home with some valuable lessons.⠀ .⠀ ⠀ We all mourn, stress, and suffer in different ways for different things and emotional distractions come in all forms. The only thing we can change is how we exist in the present. Whether you're in a foreign land or stuck inside your own head, keep searching for your light, old and new, and stay vigilant in your heart and mind, hard as it may be. You never know what you'll find or what you can achieve when you embrace the p
160 / 450 Views _____ Earlier this year someone said, “If you see something that turns your head, you’ve gotta stop and grab it.” I’ve been trying to follow this motto as best I can ever since… While driving to Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, I watched the sky breathe over the Spanish Peaks. I was already delayed from other stops I made in the morning, but there was no way I could pass up this view. As soon as I saw a decent spot to stop, I was out of my car with my camera on the corner of 160 and 450 photographing this scene. Arriving at Great Sand Dunes later than planned was well worth it.
Under the Surface with Uncle E _____ All my life my uncle shared countless stories of his travels around the world, with tales of his diving days at the top of my list. He got into the scuba industry before it was commercialized: started snorkeling in 1957 and got his first scuba tanks in 1966. In 1969 he received the title of Instructor and helped spearhead the diving classes at NIU’s P.E. department for four years. During his time at NIU he helped develop various training techniques that became part of the official PADI sport diving instructor manual. In 1973 he became a Master Instructor. After that he ran his own business running private and semi-private dive courses in Florida as scuba diving became more and more commercialized. _____ In all these years I’ve never been able to join him in the water, nor have I shared a trip to our family lake, but that finally changed last month. He brought a bunch of his old snorkeling gear and gifted me my first set of fins, mask, and snorkel. We snorkeled in two locations in the lake during our time up north, and it easily became one of my favorite memories in life. _____ Thanks for always being the best Uncle 🖤
World Elephant Day // Ethical Tourism⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀⁠⠀ ⁠⠀⁠⠀ The tourism industry is unsurprisingly no stranger to human-wildlife interaction. We as humans have been taught for generations that animals are for entertainment. What better way to connect people with nature than to turn animals from lands far, far away into an attraction? With travel a lot easier, so many of us are able to see these animals in their homelands. The term "sanctuary" is thrown around a lot, offering visitors the chance to get closer, to take selfies, to pet, to ride, all at the expense of the animals' suffering.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Pictured above; a Sumatran elephant being prepped for a ride. The kind of "training" used to make these animals submit to this is far from ethical. The use of bull hooks, pulling on ears, even punching the elephants were some of the interactions I saw while visiting this facility. Shrinking habitats create more and more human-wildlife conflict. Their jungle homes are being transformed into oil palm plantations or new homes for a growing human population. The increase of interactions between elephants and humans has resulted in practices like poisoning drinking holes in an effort to eliminate what some - out of ignorance and/or lack of respect - consider to be pests.⁠⠀⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀⁠⠀ ⁠⠀⁠⠀ To avoid losing more elephants in the wild, programs like this have become more and more common, but unfortunately these facilities are often understaffed, under-resourced, or both, leading many of them to open up to tourism in an effort to raise more funds. There is good intention behind these programs, but a lot of positive practices are left to be desired; Elephant Walks instead of Rides, positive reinforcement training instead of submissive torture, better diets for the elephants, etc.⁠⠀⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It is not just elephants who suffer - we need to do better. When traveling to areas that offer activities involving animals, whether in the wild or in captivity, do your research, educate yourself, and put your money in ethical programs. And if you see something being done that shouldn't, use your voice to speak up for the voiceless!⁠
Lucky 13⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ One week ago today I had to say goodbye to my best friend, my constant companion, my daugher, my loving and loyal baby girl, Riley. I knew her days were numbered once she was diagnosed with a rare form of canine cancer back in May, I knew her 13th birthday would be her last, I just didn't know how long she would have.⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ I've been meaning to sit down and write a long post, a eulogy of sorts, a public goodbye, but I just haven't had the willpower or the emotional energy to really sit down and put all these thoughts into words. I'll get around to it. For now I'm just taking things one day at a time, knowing her pain and suffering has ended. She was a once in a lifetime pup and she lived a full and happy life.⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ I will see you again, Riles, somewhere out there in the Fog and Fields Eternal. I miss you so, so much.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀
Backyard Inspiration⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ I fell in love with this little outdoor bar + taco joint while visiting Marfa, TX earlier this year. I've been wanting to find coffee bags to mimic this set up, even though I know it won't look nearly as good without the desert sand and sun throwing the light around as seen here. Thanks for the good times, Al Campo!
Little Blood Swan _____ Testing out the Sigma 150-600mm without a tripod at 600 range.
The tides of depression have been hitting me hard lately. ⠀ I spent some time last week writing down a lot of the things that came or have crossed my mind. I don’t often share this sort of thing, but am sometimes reminded that sharing can be helpful - if not for me, for others. The countless others who struggle, how many of them feel alone in their internal war, how different everyones battle can be.⠀ ⠀ These are all the thoughts my mind can easily slip into, drowning in the current of self doubt, self loathing, and a thousands shades of negativity. It can hit me as calmly as a streams gentle flow, or with the force of an ocean storm. It can last for a few hours, a few days, weeks. There are times I can feel it coming, and times I’m caught blindsided by its volley. My depression has evolved overtime, and so too have my coping mechanisms. Adapting to the change has been just as important as accepting the reality of the struggle. It can be exhausting, sometimes so badly that giving up feels like the only path to freedom. ⠀ ⠀ What am I doing with my life?⠀ Is the road I’m currently on the one I really want to take?⠀ Do I know what I’m doing?⠀ Am I good enough?⠀ Do people even care about the work I do?⠀ Am I doing it because it keeps me going?⠀ Is this really what keeps me going?⠀ Am I worthy?⠀ ⠀ I’ve grown to believe I’ve become stronger over the years, but is that simply because I wanted to believe, because I needed to believe, or do I truly believe?⠀ What is strength, what is weakness?⠀ ⠀ It may be true I don’t know what I’m doing with my life and that’s okay. We are thrown into this one life we have and so often wonder what the point of it all is. Maybe there is no point, but that doesn’t mean it’s pointless. Is it not enough to just do our best; to do, to try, to fail, to dream, to succeed, to live, to repeat? ⠀ ⠀ So much of life exists in the unknown. There is so much to experience, to feel, to share, to give, and reminding myself of this has been the real path to freedom for me. ⠀ ⠀ We are all enough, and we have so much ahead in the great unknown. Keep swimming and wading through the fear and pain; the moments of joy may feel too few, but they are worth it.
Lots of emotions this past week...⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ I went up north with with family last week to visit our old stomping grounds. In a sense, my sisters and I grew up here, my mom and uncle grew up here. It was the first time we've come here together in a long time, the first time I came here in the company of my uncle, and it was the first time Riley was able to enter this lake. ⁠⠀ _____ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ There is so much to share from this trip, but for now I'll focus on Riles. I can't begin to express how grateful I am to have been able to give her the chance to come here with us. After being diagnosed with cancer this past spring and watching her health deteriorate over the summer, I worried she wouldn't make it. It was such a gift to be able to watch her rolls in the grass and moss along the shore, to play fetch and swim in the water, to wander the woods, to bask in the northern sun.⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ I don't know how much time she has left, but it continues to be a great comfort knowing she's spent so many days of her life filled adventure, and now I can put to rest the dream of bringing her up to this sacred place.
International Tiger Day, huh?⠀ _____⠀ ⠀ I've been seeing tons of tiger posts today because of International Tiger Day, and figured I'd jump on board to share a little info on a small non-profit I support. I had to do some digging to find these photos way back when I was visiting this sanctuary in Wisconsin. Unlike most sanctuaries, this one in particular is not open to the public. Valley of the Kings is a place where big cats and many other animals go after being rejected by their "owners" once the realization of having a large, exotic animal is not a good idea.⠀ _____⠀ ⠀ What does it mean to not be open to the public? The owners didn't want this to be a place of entertainment. They have members who donate for financial support, and they allow member visitation once a month. The rest of the time is just caring for the animals as best they can, which I appreciate. Not all sanctuaries are able to operate this way, and opening to the public as a way to raise funds is their only chance of bringing in enough cash to care for the animals - but far too often not enough education is put in place for visitors in these scenarios. ⠀ _____⠀ ⠀ The owners of VotK are both farmers and veterinarians with experience with exotic animals. In fact, on top of being a sanctuary, they are still a functioning farm with horses, goats, chickens, etc. It's definitely an interesting combination, and an honor to be one of the few to roam their property for a close look at the animals who had no where else to go. While I am happy they are under great care, it still saddens me that it has to be this way. ⠀ _____⠀ ⠀ There have been a lot of reports of population rises for tigers lately, but not enough mention on specifics. There are six remaining subspecies of tiger; Bengal, Indochinese, Malayan, Siberian, South China, and Sumatran tiger. Three species - Balinese, Caspian, and Javan tigers - have been extinct for some time, with the others not far behind them if we do not act. Some predictions say all tigers may be extinct within the next decade. All are endangered, and the South China and Sumatran tigers are critically endangered. We must act, we must educate, we must protect their homes.
Excitement No.3 - Tahuayo Tributary, Peru // Sept 2022⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Keeping details of this trip pretty close to the chest for now. Lot's of time and planning still ahead for this one, and a ton of moving parts involved. It's been too long since I've been in the Amazon and I'm so happy I finally have a return trip in there works. ⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ This shot was taken somewhere along the Tahuayo Tributary, a few hours off the Amazon river, en route to the ARC. More on that later.
Excitement No.2 - California Coast // July 2020⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Can't wait to hit the west coast next summer! Camping in the redwoods, soaking in Big Sur views, salt swims, and a certain sunshine I have yet to find elsewhere. ⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ This will be the first camping trip with one of my very best friends, and hopefully a few others who join us. It's been a long time coming, Jon. I'm really looking forward to finally sharing a campsite with you, sharing stories and survival tips, and cruising through some redwoods on our longboards.
Excitement No.1 - Conover, WI // July 2019⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ It's been ages since I've been to this lake way up north with my family. Unfortunately, we will be missing one of my sisters this time around, but something entirely new for me is the addition of my Uncle E. He used to tell me stories of the days he scuba dived all over the place, before scuba diving was even a commercialized practice. He spoke of lakes, oceans, various countries, alternate universes for all I knew, describing worlds I could barely imagine.⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ That's part of why I've always loved being underwater. It's sadly a rarity that I'm able to spend proper time below the surface - what better way to break the dry season with a dive back into these crystal clear waters of family tradition? ⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ This place helped build my endless desire to explore, and I can't wait to return. This weekend can't come soon enough! (says the small business freelancer who is neck deep in deadlines) _____ Click the link in my bio to read the blog on how I started using Hiraeth as my brand name and more about the magic of this place up north!
Sumatran Orangutan // Sumatra Feb 2017⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ This adolescent orangutan will stay with it's mother until it's about eight years old. Female orangutans typically reproduce just once every six to eight years, usually having one offspring at a time. The length of time between new offspring, the dependency of their young, and the increasing loss of their habitat has made sumatran orangutans critically endangered, just like the sumatran elephant, rhino, and tiger. ⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Shrinking habitats create more and more human-wildlife conflict. Their jungle homes are being transformed into oil palm plantations or new homes for a growing human population. I saw this particular orangutan and several others while exploring the Gunung Leuser ecosystem. Our guides were incredibly knowledgeable and respectful of all wildlife in the jungle, making sure we took every precaution to reduce the chances of unwanted human-wildlife interaction. Orangutans share 97% of our DNA, making them susceptible to illnesses we carry, so touching and feeding them is out of the question (as it should be anyways) but some guides try to lure animals like orangutan in closer with food as a means to give their tourists a better experience. Sadly, practices like this have left both humans and orangutan injured for a variety of reasons. Always remember to respect their home and their space, observing and photographing from a distance. ⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ When traveling to areas that offer activities involving animals, whether in the wild or in captivity, do your research, educate yourself, and put your money in ethical programs. And if you see something being done that shouldn't, use your voice to speak up for the voiceless!⁠⠀ _____⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Click the link in my bio to shop prints and learn how bookings and print sales help benefit the wilderness.⁠⠀⁠⠀