Arctic Fox Workshop Review April 2026

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A few days ago, I received some absolutely wonderful feedback and a quite extensive review from a participant from a prior year’s Arctic Fox workshop in northern Iceland. They have told me they are more than happy for me to share their review here on my blog (thank you, Andrew).

Hi Josh, what can I say? The trip with you to the Arctic Fox surpassed all my expectations and then some. I didn’t tell you, but I did a lot of research before I chose to join your trip. It was not just your photographs (which are so much better than anyone else’s from this place, and now I understand why), but also the recommendations and word-of-mouth about your professionalism and approach.

For me, spending time in the field with you defined what the workshop experience should be. I have been on over twenty wildlife workshops around the world in the last ten years with nearly as many different workshop leaders, and what immediately sets you apart is your intimate understanding of the wildlife (in this case, the Arctic fox). I don’t mean just where to find them, but how they behave, how they move through the landscape, and how to position everyone to get the best possible photographs. Your professionalism in positioning and ensuring everyone gets the best images is unmatched. Most leaders care only about their own photographs. I watched you stand back many times after positioning everyone to ensure everyone maximised the moment. That is a testament to your professionalism.

From a technical standpoint, your guidance is exceptional. Whether it’s about exposure in the snow or making the most of conditions, you have a way of simplifying complex decisions in the field so that the camera gets out of the way. More importantly, you teach why, giving participants like me the confidence to adapt when conditions inevitably change.

But what truly elevated the experience was your fieldcraft. Every detail, from approach routes to time spent with a subject, was handled with a level of care that prioritises the welfare of the wildlife above all else. It’s a philosophy that not only leads to better images but also leaves all with a deeper appreciation for the environment we were working in.

I also noticed a quiet intensity to your own workflow. You don’t rush, you don’t force situations, and you don’t rely on luck. Instead, you create the conditions in which luck can occur. I can see that this comes through preparation, knowledge, and an extraordinary level of patience. Being around that mindset is as valuable as any photograph you come away with.

In a place as raw and unpredictable as Iceland, your kind of leadership makes all the difference. You didn’t just guide me to a location. You showed me how to truly see it. Thank you. For anyone serious about photographing Arctic fox in Iceland, it’s hard to imagine a better person to learn from. If anyone is on the fence about joining one of your trips, please have them contact me anytime. In the meantime, please sign me up for next year. I can’t wait to go back! Andrew from Australia

Canon Auto Focus Explained in Detail: EOS R1 and EOS R5 MKII March 2026

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I missed this video when it was initially published, but it’s an excellent, updated 2025 deep dive that explains, in layman’s terms, the Auto Focus Menu System in Canon Cameras. Primarily, this relates to the EOS R1 and the EOS R5 MK2. If you are looking for clear explanations of each Auto Focus sub-menu, this is an excellent video, broken down into chapters for easy navigation.

Photograph of the Month April 2026 – Ocean Maelstrom

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The photograph of the month for April 2026 comes from my recent private winter landscape extension workshop in the south of Iceland and is of a frenzied sea state at the seaside town of Vik. Gale-force offshore winds had whipped the sea state into a chaotic, frenetic maelstrom, creating incredibly dramatic (and scary) conditions. We stood mesmerised from the safe vantage of the breakwater as we photographed this powerful display of Nature’s fury. I had specifically chosen this breakwater as our vantage point, away from the main town, as I knew this was where the seas were at their most dramatic. This particular photograph is my favourite from the session as it captures the wind, power, drama and fury of the ocean. The decision to crop this to a panorama was an obvious and easy one, as the crop plays symbiotically with the natural line of the incoming wave. This was a rare opportunity to photograph the rare wrath of Mother Nature.

Departing for Svalbard in Winter, March 2026

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It is nearly 3am here in Sweden, and in just a few moments, I am leaving my apartment for the five-hour drive to Oslo airport and the subsequent 3-hour flight to Svalbard. I will be in Svalbard until the 15th of April, leading a private snowmobile expedition and a boat expedition north of Longyearbyen. I have a really full schedule whilst in Svalbard, so blog updates and podcasts are likely to be a little slow during this time. As always, I will do my best, and I do have several posts drafted for upload over the coming week. Stay tuned for those. See you in Svalbard.

Asia Pacific Photography Awards 3rd Place Nature Category 2026

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The 2026 Asia/Pacific International Photography Awards have been held, and the results were announced today, 30th March 2026. This year, I entered the Animal/Nature category with five photographs as a bit of a last-minute decision. Quite honestly, I was lazy and did not put in any real effort into my entries this year, spending only a few moments to grab some favourite shots from my Lightroom library and export the required JPEGs. I only skimmed the rules and did not spend any time pondering my entries as I was packing for three months of travel and had other things on my mind. I did not watch the live judging either this year, as it was around 3am in Sweden, so I awoke this morning to the surprising news that I had jointly won 3rd place with my friend Phillip Bartlett and another photographer, John Peters. Congratulations to them both! And congratulations to the overall winner and all those who did well with their entries this year.

This photograph of the Arctic Fox has been one of my favourites for some time, so I was very pleased to see this image take out a coveted Gold Award and overall 3rd Place in the Animals / Nature Category. For me, this is a very simple yet powerful photograph that conveys both the harshness of the fox’s environment and the incredible toughness of this animal, enabling it to survive and thrive in such conditions. It was fascinating to listen to the judges’ comments on this photograph, as it clearly split the panel.

What surprised me the most this year was that the image I felt was, on reflection, my strongest did not do particularly well, scoring a Highly Commended and not even making the top twenty, and thus going no further in the competition. Whilst a highly commended is nothing to be sniggered at, this was a timely reminder that the judging in photography competitions is totally subjective and that the same image in different competitions will get totally different results. It is worth remembering that the benefit of entering these competitions lies in the peer review process (judges’ comments). Of course, one doesn’t have to agree with a judge’s comments, but there’s an opportunity to learn if you are willing to listen and at least consider them.

Over the years, I have been entering photographic competitions I have learned that judges’ comments are a direct reflection of their own interpretations and experiences and are often a useful counterpoint to my own. Judges often bring up elements I had not considered during either the capture or post-production phases of a photograph, and I find it almost always helpful (and, at the very least, interesting) to hear my peers’ interpretations of my work. The key to growing as a photographer through competition is being open to a judge’s comments and not being closed off to their opinions. After all, they are only opinions, and those are something we all possess.

I have heard judges make comments about photographs that I know are totally factually inaccurate (and even laughable on occasion), and I have likewise heard judges’ comments that absolutely, perfectly frame and nail an image critique. The key to using judges’ comments for our own growth is knowing which are valid and which should be discarded as the voice of inexperience. The toughest part of this process is always separating ego from the equation and remaining truly objective about our own work. You have to have the courage to stand by your decisions and convictions as an entrant, but still be open to taking criticism on board when flaws are pointed out (rightly or wrongly). It can be tough to be truly open and objective to critique of our personal work. This is a skill few ever master.

So why didn’t this image of the Impala in morning fog do better than a highly commended award? Quite honestly, I cannot say. Since the photograph failed to make the top twenty, there was no opportunity for judges’ comments, and thus, I have no feedback I can take on board to potentially grow from (or at least consider). I can only surmise that on the given day, it failed to excite the judges sufficiently. This result doesn’t mean I will dismiss it as a ‘bad photograph’ or one that ‘doesn’t make the cut’ as it is still, to my mind, a highly evocative image that captures the impala in a way that presents them as fragile and delicate in the morning fog.

If you are interested in the judges’ comments on the top ten photographs in each category, you can view them on YouTube on the Asia / Pacific Awards YouTube Awards channel. Please note that their videos are age-restricted, so I cannot embed them here on my blog or directly link to them. Congratulations again to all the winners and all those who entered this year’s awards.