Sebastian Copeland

Sebastian Copeland (born 1964) is an award winning photographer, polar explorer, author, lecturer, and environmental activist.[1] He has led numerous expeditions in the polar regions to photograph and film endangered environments. His documentary Into the Cold was a featured selection at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival and was released on DVD timed to Earth Day 2011.[2]

He has addressed audiences at the United Nations, The World Affairs Council, The General Assembly on Climate in New Orleans, The George Eastman House, and Fortune 500 companies such as Hewlett Packard, Google, and Apple Inc., as well as colleges and museums. He is actor Orlando Bloom's cousin.[1]

Early life and education

Copeland is the son of the director of the Lille National Philharmonic Orchestra, Jean-Claude Casadesus. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the UCLA Film School.[1]

Career

Copeland began his career in New York City directing music videos before moving on to commercial directing as well as professional photography with credits including fashion and advertising, album covers, and celebrities. His music video work has included work for Branford Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr. and Hall and Oates.[1]

His career in still photography has ranged from celebrities to ad campaigns for Hollywood Studios such as Universal Studios, Disney, Warner Brothers and Paramount Pictures. His studio credits include promotional work for The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Pirates of the Caribbean and Seabiscuit. His celebrity subjects include Kate Bosworth, Salma Hayek, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sandra Bullock and Orlando Bloom.[1]

In recent years, Copeland has focused his work on climate change. His prints have appeared in exhibitions including the United Nations (Solo Show, 2007), the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Peabody Essex Museum as well as the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, among others. His works can also be found in private collections in Europe and the United States where several have been included in The Natural World Museum in San Francisco’s permanent archive. In 2006 and 2007 prints from his first book, Antarctica: The Global Warning, were selected to tour with the International Photography Awards' "Best in Show" world tour. Antarctica garnered much attention, winning Copeland the 2007 Photographer of the Year award in the book category.[3]

His photographs have been published in GQ, Marie Claire, Men's Journal, Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, Elle, People, USA Today, W, Interview Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, The New York Times, House & Garden and National Geographic.

Copeland writes for Men's Journal and Huffington Post. He has made keynote addresses at the United Nations, The Planet Workshops,[4] Google, Apple, UCLA and the Hammer Museum. Copeland has been featured on TV and radio including on Larry King, CBS, NPR, Air America and Al Gore's 24 Hours of Reality.

He is also on the Board of Directors for Global Green and Shine On Sierra Leone, a non-governmental organisation providing educational support for the children of war-torn nations.[1]

Arctic and Antarctic expeditions

In 2008, Copeland and partner Luc Hardy led a group of nine children from international backgrounds to the northernmost Canadian arctic.

In 2009 Copeland mounted an expedition to the North Pole to commemorate the centennial of Admiral Robert Peary’s expedition in 1909.[5] Footage of the expedition was used in the documentary Into the Cold: A Journey of the Soul, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2010.

In 2010, Copeland traversed 2,300 kilometers of Greenland's ice flats from south to north on a Kite skiing expedition. His expedition was meant to raise awareness of global warming. He documented the journey with his camera and posted live updates through Facebook and Twitter.[6] The expedition lasted 44 days[7] and earned Copeland and partner Eric McNair Landry the new kite skiing distance World Record by covering the longest distance in a 24-hour period: 595 kilometers.[8][9]

Copeland led the Antarctica 2011–2012 Legacy Crossing. Over 82 days between November 4, 2011 and January 24, 2012 Sebastian and partner Eric McNair-Landry were the first to cross the Antarctica icecap from east to west via two of its poles. They used kites and skis, setting three new polar records in the process.[10] Pulling 400 pounds (180 kg) of supplies each, they were the first to reach the Antarctica Pole of Inaccessibility (POI) from the Novolazarevskaya station on Antarctica's East coast by non-motorized means and without assistance. They were also the first to link the POI to the South Pole without motorized transportation. On January 24, 2012, they finally reached Hercules Inlet, effectively linking the eastern and western coast of Antarctica after covering an adjusted distance of about 4,100 kilometers.

Recent activities

Copeland is a mountain and climbing enthusiast.

After two trips to Antarctica, in 2006 and 2007, he decided to try to combine fine art photography, adventure and environmental concerns. In 2007, Copeland released his first book Antarctica: The Global Warning followed in 2009 with Antarctica: A Call To Action.[11] Copeland was named 2007's International Photographer of the Year in the book category.[12]

In 2013, in Copeland completed his second documentary, Across The Ice: The Greenland Victory March.

Copeland currently lives in Los Angeles.[1] He continues to lead expeditions to remote parts of the world to which he hopes will increase awareness of global warming.[13]

Awards

Copeland was named German GQ's Man of the Year for environmental leadership in 2008.[1] Copeland received the German Gala award in 2010 for his environmental engagement. He received the Global Green USA Founder's Award in 2010.

Selected photography awards

Book awards

Selected film awards

Into the Cold

Other

Photo Exhibitions

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Sebastian Copeland". DLD Conference. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  2. ↑ "A Journey of the Soul". Into The Cold. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  3. ↑ "Professional Winner Page". Photoawards.com. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  4. ↑ http://www.planetworkshops.org/en/370/videos/
  5. ↑ "Cynthia Ellis: Tribeca Festival Interview: Sebastian Copeland Goes Into the Cold". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  6. ↑ "Expedition To The Third Pole By Power Of Kite - Technorati Sports". Technorati.com. 2010-06-03. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  7. ↑ "home « Sebastian Copeland Adventures". Sebastiancopeland.com. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  8. ↑ "Polar News ExplorersWeb - Greenland ski wrap-up: New kite world record". Explorersweb.com. 2010-06-17. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  9. ↑ http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/10000/farthest-distance-kite-skiing-in-24-hours
  10. ↑ http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/travel/Antarctica_Legacy_Crossing_Sebastian_Copeland_and_Eric_McNair-Landry_sets_three_world_records_112788.html
  11. ↑ http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/antarctica-photos-47121804
  12. ↑ IPA 2007 Photographer of the Year Competition Winners, International Photography Awards, archived from the original on 2007-08-12
  13. ↑ Truitt, Brian (2010-04-25). "For Sebastian Copeland, going 'Into the Cold' is a way of life". Usatoday.Com. Retrieved 2012-12-19.

List of polar explorers