Melrakki: the hidden lord of Iceland

¡¡¡¡¡ WE HAVE SUCCEEDED !!!!

Thanks to all of you who have contributed to my project “MELRAKKI”. We have succeeded. I can only have words of gratitude. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Now, in the remaining days, WE WILL TRY TO COVER THE COSTS OF TAXES AND DISTRIBUTION. For this we will try to reach the second target: 10.000 €. If we achieve this, it will also allow us to choose higher quality paper and finishes. In addition, if we reach this goal, all the backers will receive a a bookmark or a watercolor postcard painted by me with the theme of the Melrakki project.

You are about to be part of this tribute to the arctic fox, the most hated and misunderstood inhabitant of the land of fire and ice.

After 10 years photographing Icelandic arctic foxes in the wild I want to publish a book about nature and adventure. About hunting and survival. About light and darkness. About foxes and man. A love letter to a misunderstood inhabitant of this majestic land.

Why this book is needed

The Arctic fox is the only mammal native to Iceland. It arrived before the retreat of the ice some 12,000 years ago. Even so, Icelanders have historically considered it a pest to be eradicated. After 10 years of photographing this mammal I could only try to do my bit to help change this view of an animal that to this day is still hunted by people appointed and paid by the government and local authorities.

But... What does Melrakki mean?

Melrakki is the first name by which the Icelanders referred to the Arctic fox. It comes from Old Norse and is a union of the words melur (gravel plain) and rakki (dog).

But perhaps if you are new to Arctic foxes you will be more struck by the color than by the name. Weren't Arctic foxes white?

It is true that the vast majority of arctic foxes in the world have white fur. However, in Iceland the "blue morph" variety stands out, with a brown color that varies in shade in different individuals.

Get exclusive rewards

Below you can see in detail everything you will find in the rewards bar:

• Melrakki Book::

The fruit of this campaign and a dream come true. Take your copy of Melrakki, designed with love and with a careful selection of my best photographs.

The book will be in landscape format and hard cover. It will have 120 pages with quality paper and will use materials that are as environmentally friendly as possible.

This reward can be ordered in English or Spanish. Don't worry, we will check which version you want once we reach our goal.

• Film "Hornstrandir: On the footsteps of the arctic fox ":

This 24-minute film is the "television" version of the book. First came the arctic fox and then the human being. Whichever end of the shotgun they find themselves at, foxes and humans in Iceland have more in common than it may seem. Whether their bonds are forged with love, hate or simply survival, foxes and humans are essentially the same: Icelanders.

This film has English subtitles (audio is in Spanish).

• Arctic fox film collection:

To date I have authored and co-authored three arctic fox related films. This reward will give you access to all of them, plus bonus material such as interviews, travelogue, illustrations, photo gallery and deleted scenes.

All films have the option to activate English subtitles.

• Fine Art Photographic Prints:

Users of this reward will be able to choose from a handpicked selection of photographs from the project for printing. The reward includes the photograph + print on Fine Art paper and there are three print size options depending on the reward chosen.

• Your Logo:

This reward is intended for companies, brands or entities that want to gain visibility by including their logo in the book.

• Sideral book (only in Spanish):

Sideral is the result of almost 10 years photographing the sky. It is a book about the stars through the eyes of photography, science, nature and myths. You can see more about the book here.

Please note that this book is only available in Spanish

• Wildlife photography online course - ONLY IN SPANISH :

Reduced price access to my most requested course to date: In this course you will see how to get the most out of your photographic equipment to obtain photographs of great technical quality and of course, I will share with you my best practical tips to help you achieve more personal results.

Please notice that this reward is only in Spanish (it has no subtitles).

• Talk about the arctic fox: only in spain

This reward is designed for associations and groups or entities related to photography and nature. It consists of a one to one and a half hour talk for your members in which we will talk extensively about the arctic fox and show high quality photographs.

Please notice that this reward is only available for Spanish backers.

• Wildlife photography course: only in Spain

This reward is designed for associations and groups or entities related to photography and nature. It consists of a 4 hour wildlife photography workshop. This workshop can be done in classroom or online mode depending on where your association is located.

Please notice that this reward is only available for Spanish backers.

About the author

My name is Marta Bretó. Nature photography is my passion and my profession. I am in love with wild places and I love to explore them with my camera.

I am a Technician in Physical and Sport Activities in the Natural Environment, Graduated in Photography and Digital Creation and Postgraduate in Advanced Audiovisual Postproduction by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

I teach and guide photographic trips in INDOMITUS, from where I organize trips, workshops and photographic excursions related to nature.

If you want to know more you can consult my CV.

What will your contributions be used for?

All funds will be used for the printing of book. I am organizing this crowdfunding as a pre-sale, with the idea of guaranteeing the minimum number of books necessary for the printer to start production. The funding goal on Verkami coincides with the minimum order of the printing house excluding taxes. If we were able to exceed the funding goal, we could print more books, add some details or ensure its distribution in Iceland.

Why crowdfunding?

As a creator, I believe that crowdfunding is the best way to publish a book, as it gives the author total control over the content and the final quality. Also, as a photographer I love the final result to be as close as possible to how I see it in my mind, as well as being very rigorous with the ecological impact that any detail in the book may entail.

As a buyer, supporting this kind of project is a way to get a unique book, with a small number of copies and a higher quality than larger publications. Of course, you will also benefit from a discount on the price at which the book will be offered after its release.

Calendar

The book design is 90% finished. Even so, there are still many details to review. A scientific review as well as a spell check is also needed, as well as ensuring a good distribution to Iceland for the English version of the book. That is why I prefer to proceed with caution and state the delivery of the book by January 2025, although you may very well receive it sooner. Don't worry, we will keep you informed at all times of any progress on the project.

+ Info

If you want to know more about the project you can click on the following links:

• Follow me on Facebook

• I am also on Instagram

• Do you want to join me in one of my arctic fox photo tours? Check my website

• Interview I did after winning the Conservation Photographer of the Year award for this same project. read