By Parnia Mazhar
Opinion Editor
Much like those who delve into the icy depths of the ocean, those who are exposed to Northern Waters will be left breathless.
The Northern Waters author event, hosted by {Pages}, turned out to be an eventful night, filled with fascinating stories and captivating presentations of the breathtaking photo book; however, its rocky start almost made the event not worth attending.
Slater Trout and Connor Davidge created Northern Waters, which showcases beautiful photos and short stories of their fascinating adventures across Norway and Iceland. The two presented their compilation at an open showing on Nov. 21 at the Manhattan Beach bookstore, {Pages}.
Northern Waters is filled with over 160 photos, along with engaging captions, each more breathtaking and inspiring than the last. All of the photos were very inspiring as they captured each of the duo’s adventures in the most vivid and aesthetically pleasing manner possible.
Throughout the event, the two friends told unbelievable stories about their adventures which seemed to come straight out of a fictional story; like how they got lost by the deserted Navy Douglas Super DC-3 airplane in Sólheimasandur, Iceland as temperatures were slowly dropping. The risk-factor displayed throughout the book adds a unique quality that makes it even more engaging as a whole.
Through the pictures shown at the event, the reader could truly feel the risk and courage that was required to create every single photo in the book. The writer, Davidge, was actually posing in a large number of the photos, right under gigantic waterfalls and jagged cliffs, which made the book even more dramatic and exciting.
However, even more unbelievable than the book itself is the story behind it. According to Davidge and Trout, the two decided to take this trip just a few weeks in advance, for the sole purpose of doing something fun and having a crazy adventure. The outcome of this decision and the success of their spontaneity is one that others can only dream of.
Although, bombarded by technical issues and an audience that only focused on socializing with one another, the night began about an hour and a half late. This event was a bit bothersome, to say the least, and the efforts to repair the glitches were not treated with urgency.
In addition, most of the audience there, being made up of 23-year-old Davidge and 20-year-old Trout’s close friends, seemed more interested in the free drinks and social aspect, rather than the book itself. This was a shame because the masterpiece that was presented deserved everyone’s full attention and felt underappreciated.
Despite some difficulties at the start of the event and the lack of a well-deserved interest shown from the audience, the Northern Waters author event was a success, as the authors showcased their wonderful adventures across the sea.
The book costs $39.99 and is available in hard copy at {Pages}.
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