Peter Dombrovskis & The Wings of Fire Series
What I Learnt:
History has numerous examples of people who toiled away in obscurity during their lifetimes and then were discovered, given critical acclaim and became famous after their deaths. Vincent van Gogh is probably the most famous example of this group of people.
Now Peter Dombrovskis certainly wasn’t obscure during his lifetime and he definitely had made a name for himself in the field of landscape photography. For instance, his most famous photograph ‘Morning Mist, Rock Island Bend’ is widely believed to have been critical to galvanizing public support to save the Gordon River in Tasmania from being dammed.
And yet, for someone as technically skilled, creatively gifted and dedicated as he clearly was, Dombrovskis is relatively unknown to the general public. At least outside Australia. It is shocking how short his Wikipedia entry is. And most of his books are unavailable on Amazon (imagine that!). In fact I was extremely lucky to get a copy of ‘Simply’ at a price I consider a steal.
Dombrovskis was born in a refugee camp in Germany and died at the age of 51, doing what he probably loved doing the most, taking photographs in Tasmania. I have a feeling that his work will be admired and studied many years from now. What a rich life he must have led!
I only got to learn about Peter Dombrovskis thanks to this video by Joe Cornish. Yes, the one known as the ‘greatest living landscape photographer in the UK’. And if this post has piqued any interest at all in Dombrovskis, I strongly urge you to watch the video. Joe has spoken about him with more clarity and passion than I ever could.
PS - Joe, if you ever see this post.. ‘Thank You!’. And if you do know Joe, please tell him I said so. Haha.
What I Learnt:
My son is fascinated with the ‘Wings of Fire’ novel series by Tui T. Sutherland. I think he has read most, if not all, of the novels. And over the last few months, he has collected all the comic books… oops, I meant the ‘graphic novels’. I often see him drawing dragons and if he continues with it, he might have a future as an illustrator.
So I decided to see what the fuss was all about. And instead of watching something on YouTube, I asked him for the first book in the series. Have to say, I quite enjoyed the books. But what I loved was his excitement that I was interested in something he likes. He enjoyed guiding me through the intricate world of dragons, with their legends and backstories. And then discussing theories and going down plot rabbit holes. I also know he likes the ‘Wait, be patient’ role that is his for once.