Month: June 2018

Emperor Penguin Expedition 2018 SOLD OUT

Posted in Antarctica, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife Photographs, Workshops and Expeditions1 Comment

The 2018 expedition I am leading this November to the remote sea ice at Gould Bay in Antarctica to photograph Emperor Penguins is now sold out – my thanks to all those who are joining me for this incredible experience. The Emperor penguin is considered by many photographers to be the Holy Grail of wildlife photography. No other animal live so far south in Antarctica and is so difficult to visit. This will be my third expedition deep into Antarctica for Emperor penguins and I have been eagerly looking forward to this trip since I last returned from Gould Bay in 2016 (Read the Trip Report).

New Design Workshops and Expeditions

Posted in News and Updates, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Workshops and Expeditions1 Comment

Livebooks have just completed a brand new re-design of my workshops and expeditions page at my main website www.jholko.com. The new look has been designed to make browsing on mobile and tablet devices even easier and to give a more holistic view of whats on without having to scroll down the entire page all the time. Each workshop or expedition now also has its own dedicated page and a supplementary gallery as well as a place to register and download a complete PDF itinerary. If you stop past to check it out please drop me a note and let me know what you think.

Behind the Scenes – Making of the Polar Bear Foot Photograph

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Video, Wildlife PhotographsLeave a comment

Of all the many thousands of photographs I have taken of Polar Bears over the last years this one of the large male bear climbing an iceberg covered in snow out on the frozen sea ice in winter as the polar night descends is my favourite. There is something about the bears gesture, the crunchy snow and ice stuck to the bears rear paw, and the simplicity of the composition that speaks to me on a very visceral and emotional level. I think its also that we don’t get to see the full face of the bear, but instead just enough to know its there. We get a hint of it, without getting the full picture and that leaves the imagination to fill in the blanks. Anytime you can successfully accomplish this in a photograph you create something powerful.Recently I was going through some B-Roll footage from the Ghosts of the Arctic short film in preparation for my recent talk at the Victorian Association of Photographic Societies (VAPS) convention and came across a short segment that caught the actual moment the bear climbed the ice and dragged its paw, revealing exactly when the photograph was taken. I decided to share the video (raw, ungraded and without stabilisation straight from the Red Epic – I just added some music) as I think its interesting to see how brief a period of time this moment was and how a few seconds either side would have been interesting, but no where near as powerful. You should be able to pin point the moment I clicked the shutter. A couple of interesting side things to note are how much larger the male is than the female and how the moment the female wakes and climbs over the ice the male immediately rises to follow. My sincere thanks to Abraham Joffe and his team at Untitled Film Works for allowing me to share the footage. Enjoy.

Namibia October 2018 Desert Fire Safari – Two Place Availability

Posted in Africa, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs, Workshops and ExpeditionsLeave a comment

In October this year I am leading my semi-annual (every two years only) workshop to the immense and wondrous deserts of Namibia. Dates: October 6th – October 18th 2018 – Only Two Places Remaining before it will be sold out. On the South Western Coast of Africa, where the icy Atlantic ocean meets the world’s oldest desert lies a place that is known for its landscapes as much as the Serengeti is known for its abundant wildlife. The unique combination of desert, grassland and cold ocean current form a one-of-a-kind terrain found only here. For this reason landscape photographers from all over the world journey to the Namibia Desert to try and capture its ethereal beauty.

In this captivating region of Namibia lies a maze of mountainous valleys that look like they were carpeted from slope to slope by ivory coloured grass, criss-crossed by ancient riverbeds and dotted with a collection of photogenic acacia trees. The final unique touch is added by the large snake like dunes that rise from the grasslands like the roof of some subterranean world. These stark and compelling landscapes are something to behold with the human eye, but when it’s sweeping meadows, barren mountains and blood red dunes are captured and transformed into a two dimensional image, it becomes obvious why this place is so beautifully addictive to photographers.The goal of this safari is to photograph the breathtaking desert landscapes and wildlife of Namibia. We have complete flexibility to stop to take photographs at any time along the way with plenty of room for gear and equipment – so bring what you need! This safari has been designed to a good balance between flexibility, photographic opportunities and comfortable accommodations.This new safari has been custom tailored and tweaked to take in the very best of Namibia and includes such iconic areas as the mystical Deadvlei, the ghost town of Kolmanskop and the Dune landscapes of Sossusvlei. We will also visit Etosha at the best possible time for wildlife. We also have opportunities for photography flights from helicopter over the spectacular Skeleton Coast. We have even arranged an internal flight to minimise driving time!This exclusive safari is for a strictly limited number of just 10 participants (only two places remaining) plus leader and guide and is dedicated to the photography of desert landscapes and the wildlife of Namibia. You can download a complete PDF itinerary HERE.To get an idea of the sort of photographs you can make on this workshop check out the Namibia Portfolio page on my website and the article f11 Magazine published on my Namibia work. If you are keen to join and secure one of the last two places please drop me an email at info@jholko.com to secure your place.

 

Fine Art Limited Edition Prints now for Sale through Melrakki Publishing

Posted in Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Prints, Wildlife PhotographsLeave a comment

Over the last few years I have often been asked if I would consider selling small prints of my work, suitable for the average home or office space. To date, I have only made my Limited Edition Fine Art prints available through galleries in large sizes and this will remain the case going forward for my 20″ x 30″ inch, and 40″ x 60″ inch and larger prints.

I am excited though to now be offering Limited Edition Fine Art A2 16.5″ x 23.4″ inch prints directly for sale through my online store – Melrakki Publishing. These slightly smaller prints are printed on exactly the same paper as my large gallery prints and are printed to the same exacting standard of perfection. Like my large gallery prints these smaller prints are also Limited Edition with each print hand signed and numbered. These prints are a more intimate offering designed to showcase the highest possible craftsmanship of each photograph in a smaller footprint – more suited to the average sized home. They are perfectly suited to framing and sized for the average wall space in either the home or office.

My large gallery prints are limited to just ten in 20 x 30″ inch or only five in 40″ x 60″. These new 16.5″ x 23.4″ inch prints will likewise be limited to just twenty five of each photograph and only select photographs will be made available. You can check out the currently available selection over at Melrakki Publishing. Each photograph is supplied with a certificate of authenticity with security hologram and is carefully packed for shipment anywhere in the world.

Unlike my large gallery prints which typically escalate in price as each edition is sold the 16.5″ x 23.4″ inch prints will each be sold for the same price (without increase). Thus you can purchase No. 25 for the same price as No. 1 was sold for. Once all 25 are sold there will be NO MORE – EVER. The prints are priced to enable most people to start collecting without the price being the primary barrier to starting a fine art print collection.

The first prints are now available at Melrakki Publishing Online. As a result of pre-orders some prints are already well into their editions, so please contact me if you would like to know what the next number is in the edition. Once sold out, they are gone forever….