{"id":33186,"date":"2019-09-06T03:50:34","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T10:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=33186"},"modified":"2019-09-04T11:36:49","modified_gmt":"2019-09-04T18:36:49","slug":"photos-inspire-a-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2019\/09\/06\/photos-inspire-a-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"Photos inspire a dream"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cCuriosity,\u201d photo by Liron Gertsman.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most important issues we should be grappling with nowadays is the preservation of our habitat. At the forefront of the nature preservation movement are photographers and one of them is Liron Gertsman, a young, award-winning local nature photographer whose solo show, Essence of Earth, is at the Zack Gallery until Sept. 22.<\/p>\n

The show is sponsored by Esther Chetner.<\/p>\n

\u201cEldad Goldfarb, executive director of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, approached me about this upcoming sponsorship opportunity, aware of my own concern about climate change and my passion for photography,\u201d Chetner told the Independent<\/em>. \u201cThough I\u2019ve traipsed parts of the globe enjoying the wonders that photo details can deliver, I\u2019m not at all technically trained nor technologically nimble\u2026. I recognize the remarkable quality of Liron\u2019s images, and see value in making his work accessible to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calling Gertsman a \u201crising star,\u201d Chetner said, \u201cEncouraging this type of exquisite work is another way to help people appreciate our natural world more deeply and then, hopefully, to work toward preserving such essential global health and diversity. The more we see and appreciate about our natural environment, the more we will all be inclined to proactively protect it.<\/p>\n

\u201cJewish values are quite aligned with environmental stewardship, and so having Liron\u2019s work displayed at the JCC seems like an appropriate fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of the proceeds of the exhibit will benefit the gallery, and another part will go to the Nature Trust of British Columbia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are several charities concerned with nature preservation in B.C.,\u201d Gertsman said, \u201cbut I like the Nature Trust because they purchase land specifically to build and maintain a treasury of wild areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 19-year-old photographer is passionate about preservation. (See jewishindependent.ca\/tikkun-olam-through-photos<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Liron Gertsman has loved nature and photography all his life. (photo by Ian Harland)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve loved nature and taking photographs all my life,\u201d he told the Independent<\/em>. \u201cRecently, I started moving toward doing it professionally, like giving photography workshops or guiding people on their bird-watching expeditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

His photographs are like a guided tour. \u201cI want people to witness nature,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to share with them what I see, even if they can\u2019t travel themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

To cover some of his costs, he has, at times, formed partnerships with companies and organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI choose companies focused on nature conservation,\u201d he explained. \u201cThey would subsidize some aspects of my trip, or sometimes an entire trip, in exchange for photo use and social media marketing, usually through my Instagram account, which has close to 50,000 followers.\u201d<\/p>\n

For instance, in May and August of this year, Gertsman partnered with Ocean Outfitters, an ecotourism company based in Tofino.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are Tofino\u2019s first carbon-neutral ecotourism company, and they have committed to donating $200,000 a year for multiple years towards restoration of the Tranquil Watershed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Gertsman\u2019s photos at the Zack Gallery are full of life and colour. His birds seem to soar through the gallery space. His landscapes are like windows, looking out into the British Columbia wilderness. Stars twinkle in the night sky. Pink crags reflect in the still surface of the lake. Waterfall gurgles across the boulders. Owls hide in the grass, and gulls skim over the rippling wavelets. But the beauty and serenity of his images filled me with apprehension. Could we lose all of this gorgeousness? The night after I visited his show, I had a dream, and Gertsman\u2019s imagery figured heavily in my dreamscape.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, Grandpa?\u201d a girl asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cA picture archive,\u201d the old man replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s not a memory crystal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s from the 21st century, an antique. Two hundred years old,\u201d he said, inserting an outmoded device into a slot of his com-link and opening the files. Hundreds of pictures appeared on his screen. Nature, when it flourished.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d his granddaughter said with interest. \u201cWhat are those?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBirds,\u201d he whispered reverently. In the image, hundreds of small dark bodies hurtle across the peachy sky, their wings pumping so rapidly, the image blurred.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike a hologram in a museum?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Only they were alive. Flying.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why is the wall pink? Why would they paint it pink?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
\u201cSandpiper Sunset,\u201d photo by Liron Gertsman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The old man glanced at the wall of the cave that housed the archives. Nobody lived on the surface of the earth anymore. Nobody could survive the toxic environment. People inhabited underground caverns such as this one and, mostly, they didn\u2019t bother painting the walls. There were few resources anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a wall, it\u2019s the sky,\u201d he said. He had been very young when the last of humanity had moved underground, but he still remembered the sky. Scientists said that, in a few more generations, they could live outside again, but he wasn\u2019t sure his granddaughter would last that long. He certainly wouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur teacher said the sky should be blue,\u201d the girl insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe sky could be any colour. This is probably sunset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is sunset?\u201d She had never seen the sun.<\/p>\n

He sighed, but, before he could explain, her gaze had skipped to another image.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like a fountain,\u201d she marveled, \u201cbut what are these green blobs?\u201d<\/p>\n

The old man winced. \u201cTrees. Bushes. It\u2019s not a fountain. It\u2019s a waterfall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her finger zeroed in on another image. \u201cI know,\u201d she said triumphantly. \u201cThese are dogs. Strange dogs, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are not dogs. These are bears. The mother bear is\u2026.\u201d He contemplated the animals on the screen, trying to remember his own textbooks. He had never seen a living bear either. \u201cI think she is as big as I am,\u201d he said at last. \u201cMaybe bigger. And the little bears are probably your size.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo huge?\u201d She eyed him with doubt. \u201cThey lived outside, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019d like it outside,\u201d she said. \u201cEverything is different. I like it better here.\u201d She climbed off her chair and started to leave. \u201cWe have everything here.\u201d She went out into the corridor. \u201cI think it\u2019s all fairy tales anyway,\u201d she called back.<\/p>\n

The old man remained still, staring at the closed door with sadness.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Essence of Earth opened at the Zack Gallery. To see more of Gertsman\u2019s work, visit lirongertsman.com or instagram.com\/liron_gertsman_photography.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Olga Livshin<\/strong> is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at olgagodim@gmail.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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