I am veery pleased to release the  Water the Essential video presentation from Soho White City with Vaughan James Callum Roberts, Amber Nuttall and others. A very big thank you to all the people that made it happen. 
Water is the most precious resource with have and it unites all 7.7 billion people on this planet. It`s up to all of us to create a sustainable water future. We can all make a difference, but we have to do something now. Please watch it and share it.
#watertheessential

I am really excited to announce that I will be presenting Water the Essential at Soho White City in London on the 2nd of July. Along with Callum Roberts author of Oceans of Life and Amber Nuttall from the Blue Marine Foundation, we will discuss potential action plans to created a long term water sustainability both on land and in the oceans.

​If you are interested in coming please RSVP me below. The numbers are limited. 

Water the Essential how can we create a sustainable water future?
Enjoy and evening of presentations with Vaughan James a photographer with his project Water the Essential, raising awareness of water issues around the world, along with Callum Roberts, author of Oceans of Life and Amber Nuttell, ambassador for the Blue Marine Foundation. 
 
But more importantly how can you get involved, to help create a sustainable future?
How can you start your own project or support others?
 
Vaughan James
Vaughan James is a photographer, working on his ongoing project Water the Essential, with the goal to raise awareness of water issues around the world. 
 There are 7.7 billion people on this planet and the one thing that unites us, is not race or religion but water, and it`s up to all of us to do something about.  
Through the exhibition of his photographs he is engaging people in discussions about water and what it means for life on this planet.

• https://www.vaughanjamesphotography.com/water-the-essential.html

 
 
Callum Roberts
Callum Roberts, is the author of Oceans of Life which details the state of our oceans and what we can do now, to protect the future of life in the sea.
 He is an internationally renowned marine biologist and author, who is also a consultant for the Blue Planet TV series and is working with organizations to make a change. 
He is also a professor at the University of York in the Environment and Geography department. Currently, Callum's research focuses on human impacts on marine ecosystems.

https://www.york.ac.uk/environment/our-staff/callum-roberts/

• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/scienceandnaturebookreviews/9314994/Ocean-of-Life-by-Callum-Roberts-review.html

 
Amber Nuttall 
Amber Nuttall is an ambassador for the Blue Marine Foundation, which was founded in 2010 to enable the creation of Marine reserves and establish models of sustainable fishing. 

She has raised money for marine conservation by paddle boarding from Source to Sea, on the River Thames and is the first woman, to paddle the English Channel and 
circumnavigate the island of New Providence in the Bahamas. Inspired by her childhood experiences in the Bahamas, she works tirelessly to protect marine life and educate people on what they can do to create a sustainable planet.

• https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/about/

 I just had the privilege of going to Copenhagen to hang a picture for a customer. The weather was not great with a sideways rain and a chilling wind but it`s alway exciting to visit a country you have never been to before. The people were very friendly and helpful as I navigated my way through the tube system. Unfortunately I didn't have much time to take photographs but here are a few I took while I was there. As Christmas arrives the decorations come out but sadly it seems in almost all European cities, there are homeless people, sleeping where they can, like here in the slightly warmer entrance to one of the main stations. Its definitely a city with a creative feel though, especially all of the new contemporary architecture surrounding the city. It will be nice to go back when there is more sunlight. After all at this time of year it doesn't get light till after 9am and it starts to get dark around 3pm.

It is a great privilege that my photographic Art project Water the Essential has been chosen for the St Moritz Art Masters. I am also delighted to be exhibiting at the Hauser Hotel right in the centre of St Moritz.
 
A big thanks to Markus Hauser and his family, who run one of my favourite hotels. I would also like to thank Monty Shadow, whose vision over the last ten years has created one of the great events in the Engadin. He truly has a deep passion to support artists and find innovative ways to exhibit art.
 
The St Moritz art masters is now in its 10thyear and has become an institution of the St Moritz landscape and opportunity for those who love art to truly explore some interesting works. St Moritz itself is a beautiful place of discovery where the peace of the mountains truly transforms ones spirits to a calmer frequency. For me it is great pleasure to work in St Moritz, as I see the cycles of seasons and observe the rhythms of nature. At the heart of all this, is water.
 
This year, however has been unique and we have experienced the hottest summer on record and everything has suffered, from animals, plants to people escaping wild fires. It has never been a better time to take water and the environment seriously. We are entering a period where we need to act now and make serious changes and protect and preserve what we have and to help with the rejuvenation of what we have damaged, for ours, and our children’s future.
 
The deeper goal of my work, is to encourage a mindful contemplation of nature and to realise there is no separation between ourselves and our environment. We can create a positive change, by acting individually and collectively. Our legacy will be what we leave behind intact but also to change the paradigm that we should integrated the environment into our lives.
 
The St Moritz Art Masters starts on the 31stof August till the 9thof September. If you have a chance to escape and charge your batteries in the mountains, come and explore some fantastic art, please join us for a fantastic 10 days and engage in an open dialogue of the big issues that face the 21st century.
 
I will also be supporting the Water Survival Box Charity, which gives immediate relief to people suffering the after effects of a natural disaster.

To the brave few.
It’s not easy being an artist.
Somehow, the point is to put ideas out there 
that can change the world.
A friend of mine, Libby Woolf, a great writer who supports the journey of other artists, just did a story on me and I really appreciate it. 
And all of this would not be possible if my friend, Kaye Llewelyn, who is also a great artist, hadn’t recommended me.
So let’s all help each other 
Have a read and let me know what you think.

Christmas is a great time to be in St Moritz and its not just for skiing. So often I have been to ski resorts just to ski and eat well. Don’t get me wrong the skiing in Sankt Moritz is fantastic and world beating. There is also more sunshine there than just about any other ski resort which is very welcome after weeks of grey skies in Zurich. But some times the smallest things are the best. Simply going for a walk in the snow is glorious. I got up early to take these pictures and had a pleasant walk on the half Island of Silsersee in Sils. It was a truly mindful experience.  Walking on snow at minus 9 you can hear the crunch of snow under your boots.  If you stop you can experience true silence as the surrounding snow absorbs all the sound. Just looking out across the lake to the sides of the great mountains is breathtaking. Slowly watching the sun come up over the mountains gives a great sense of anticipation. The early morning light is so subtle and has many different colours that normal daylight does not hold. But there is a small window of less than half an hour to literally see the world in a different light, with soft purple pink light reflects off the water and then it’s gone.
 I also love the transitional nature of the water on the lake as small patches of ice float on the mirror surface of the lake. Most of the lakes in St Moritz are already frozen but here it’s like watching a giant slowly going to sleep.  Even just watching the snow-covered trees is mesmerising. What I love is see the tree from a distance then slowly approach it observing how the ice and snow form on its delicate branches.  Ice crystals refract the light in a way that no lights on a Christmas tree can.
On the white snow if you look carefully you can see the footsteps of animals. At the edge of the lake ice is forming in skirts. But the thickness of the ice is not yet strong enough to support the weight of human, the footprints show a daily traffic of smaller creatures that have discovered a new path to travel. Being there alone is like deep meditation, the chaotic world of the city disappears and the chatting monkey is silenced.  I said to a friend the thing I love about being in the mountains is this sense that there is a much bigger force that will be around a lot longer than me. The question is though in what state will this beautiful place be in the future?
Many years from now, will these photographs be a distant memory of something that no longer exists?
This is the focus of my project Water the Essential. The goal is to raise awareness of water issues around the world. What exists now may not exist in the way we know it in the future.  We have a responsibility for the next generation to preserve what we have and also to carefully manage our water resources. We also need to think of water as a universal key to our very existence and indeed everything that lives on this planet.
 
Thanks to the Hotel Hauser  who are supporting the Water the Essential project
You can see my Photographic light boxes near the end of January at the Hotel Hauser. We are also supporting the Water Survival Box Charity, which provided clean drinking water and shelter in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters.
If you have a chance I highly recommend visiting St Moritz. The more I go there the more I want to stay and explore.

What should I cook, a Turkey or a Goose?
How many people are coming for Christmas day?
"Would you like another glass of Champagne darling?"
"Thank you yes, this wrapping paper is simply divine."
 
Everyone is running around buying stuff for Christmas. It’s exciting and be honest, you know that after the holiday period, half of it will be in a landfill. May be the most exciting thing is just the buying of it, because after its unwrapped it sits on the floor and gets thrown in a cupboard or a box. Many of us also have financial pressure to keep up the pretence of Christmas, so the very thing that is supposed to make us happy is making us more stressed out. So less is maybe more. Less consumption and more genuinely trying to help others.
 
Its sounds a bit cynical but the best part of Christmas is sharing good times with friends and family. Unfortunately we aren’t all so lucky. Some people have absolutely nothing and they don’t have the means to drag themselves out of this situation. So if you have a chance, help a little, give a little and make it better for those who have less.
 
I started these two photo series a long time ago but some how they relate to each other. Think of it as my Christmas cards. The first series was of homeless people around the world. It started in 1991 in Los Angeles where I noticed homeless people everywhere. However the longer I lived there the people became invisible as if they didn’t exist.  The irony is that no one wants to exhibit these pictures either. But what is truly sad is, that these people were once like you and me, but events and circumstances led them to this place on the street.
 
The other series is La Dolce Vita, which is a sarcastic statement on the ideals of fashion and consumption. I was in Paris in 2014 and was amazed by the exquisite shop windows of the great fashion houses. They use mannequins that represent bodies and people that don’t exist in the real world. It was like the famous Greek sculptures of men raised from the seabed over 2000 years ago. Something we could aspire to but never be.  Also the dream to be part of it and never succeeding leads to unhappiness. Just as the homeless didn’t meet their dreams, whatever they may be.
 
Our friends Shannon and Alex organised a fantastic Charity Christmas concert with the children in the neighbourhood singing and playing music. At the same time they raised a significant amount of money for Room to Read, which is a fantastic charity whose goal is to educate girls in poor countries. Everyone had a good time and we all contributed and it brought our community together in a genuine way. The charity I am working with the Water Survival Box is providing immediate shelter and drinking water to people in the aftermath of a natural disaster. This is something hopefully we never need, but let’s face it no one is immune to natural disaster.
 
So buying less and giving more at Christmas may be more fulfilling and you have the opportunity to genuinely help.  You can also make a donation, but often the most valuable thing is your time to help others. Merry Christmas and may it be merry for others who need it.
 
Here are some charities to look at but there are many more

I am getting ready for yet another exhibition that opens tomorrow night and I am always nervous. Maybe it is the curse of an artist. Creating work is one thing but presenting it to the public is another.  I am lucky to have these first world problems. Meanwhile the people that the Water Survival Charity helps have absolutely nothing.  Most have lost everything due to a natural disaster and don’t have shelter or clean drinking water. They are merely trying to survive.
 
One of the first things that happens, after a natural disaster is that people get sick from a lack of clean drinking water. We only have to look at the recent hurricanes in the Caribbean to see the suffering and challenges they face.  In Puerto Rico alone thousands of people are drinking unsafe water causing outbreaks of Diarrhoea and other water born diseases. Thankfully with the water filter in the survival box, families can have access to clean drinking water immediately.
 
If you have a chance come and see the exhibition. Get an understanding of what the Water Survival Box Charity does and if you can, support the charity.  Whether
You make a small donation or get involved everything helps. You only have to raise 200 francs and you can make a meaningful long lasting difference. You can provide clean drinking water for a family of 5 for up to five years.
 
 
Its at Photobastei from the 16th till the 26th of November.
 Sihlquai 125 8005 Zurich
Open from Wednesday till Saturday 12 to 21om and Sunday from 12 till 18 pm

I had the privilege of being invited to St Moritz to discuss the Water the Essential and the Water Survival Box charity exhibition at the Hauser Hotel over the winter. Of course it was also the school holidays so I had to take my two assistants William and Oliver down with me. St Moritz is normally a winter destination or in the middle of summer. I never really thought about going there in October, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s the low season so the town was very quite but the weather was amazing. The rich autumn colours paired with the beautiful clean air and soft light made it perfect for taking photos. Through the thoughtful guidance of the staff at the Hauser hotel, I was directed to some of the most special places in St Moritz and the surrounding countryside. With both boys in tow, we set out to explore some of the small lakes that litter the landscape. We took a pleasant walk through the forest that lead us to the first lake Lej Nair. It was like being in a fantasy novel, with the mirror beauty of the small lake. We were almost expecting to see a white unicorn. The second prize was that my 8 year old saw a dear darting through the forest. It doesn’t matter where you go in St Moritz you can always take a stunning picture. Just waking up in the morning and looking out the hotel window was breath taking.
 
Markus Hauser took time out of his busy schedule to show me some of the less known places that are absolutely stunning. In particular is the Cascata da Bernina in Morteratsch, which flows down from the mountains to the valley. At every stage there are small waterfalls and exquisite aqua and emerald pools, filled with some of the cleanest water in Europe.
 
 The irony of the trip is that looking at the pictures afterwards was somehow disappointing. Actually being there and experiencing it was the most important thing. Anyway I will keep you posted about the Water the Essential exhibition in December and I would strongly encourage you to stay at the Hauser Hotel and experience their warmth and hospitality.
 

Through Rotary Switzerland a new charity has been launched to support the work of the Water Survival Box Charity which is currently based in the United Kingdom. I had the privilege of being invited to be one of the founding members of the charity. 

It was a beautiful sunny evening last Thursday in Luzern when Rotary founded the Swiss  Water Survival Box.  It was somewhat ironic, considering the suffering of the victims of the hurricane in the Caribbean.
 
Thanks to the hard work of their members they have raised enough money to send 220 boxes to Hurricane victims in the Caribbean. Already plans are being made to dispatch 500 boxes which will be flown into the island of St Croix and then distributed to Tortola, St Martins, St Barth, Turks and Caicos and Anguilla. These boxes can’t come soon enough as access to clean drinking water and shelter is very limited or nonexistent. It is with the help of the Rotary and the donations from the public that we can help these people.  Please check out the Water Survival Box Charity and see how you can help by making a donation.
Lets face it none of us are immune to natural disasters.