Renowned Cariboo photographer Chris Harris will talk about the development of his latest book Motherstone: British Columbia’s Volcanic Plateau in a presentation this Friday evening, March 25, at the Williams Lake Library.
The presentation starts at 7 p.m.
Harris will provide an overview on the process of going from an original idea to a finished book, notes the Cariboo Regional District Library system announcement.
Motherstone refers to a large area of volcanic activity that spans the edge of the Chilcotin Plateau to the Coast Mountains in the west to the North Thompson River basaltic columns in the east.
Over two years, Harris explored on foot and by horseback the 15 million-year-old volcanic plateau and its mountain ranges, which we know as the Cariboo Chilcotin, to take the photographs that appear in Motherstone. The text was researched and written by B.C. author Harold Rhenisch.
“I would say that some of the most powerful experiences were when I stood on ‘unaltered ground,’ landscapes that were built and sculpted for millions of years and have never been touched by mankind and have never been photographed,” Harris says. “Just to stand in those places was a very powerful experience.”
Harris says the idea for Motherstone came from an image he took 15 years ago when photographing for his book Chilcotin.
“Every picture in Motherstone has a story behind it and I will be happy to share them with the audience,” Harris says.
Harris, a professional freelance nature photographer, also has an exhibition of photographs taken for Motherstone on display this month at the Station House Gallery in a show which he calls Magma.
The gallery show runs until April 2.
Since leaving a career of wilderness guiding, pioneering outdoor adventure tourism, teaching, and educating youth in the outdoors both in the school system and working with youth at risk, Harris has been one of this country’s foremost and most respected
Motherstone: British Columbia’s Volcanic Plateau, published in Oct. 2010 is Harris’ 11th independently published book. The book follows on his work of the last six years to bring conscious awareness to the imperative need to protect British Columbia’s biodiversity and beauty, and to understand its global significance.
Chris Harris is represented internationally by five major stock agencies, and his images are sought after as representative of British Columbia.
