A few days ago two new images of the upcoming Canon EOS R3 leaked and sprung up on various equipment and rumour websites around the internet. This new leak gives us a look at what ‘might’ be the rear of the camera. It should be noted that Canon has not made any further announcements since its initial development announcement several weeks ago; where it showed us a picture of the front of the camera.

It appears from the newly leaked photographs that the R3 will have a fold out LCD screen. However, despite these photographs being leaked by reputable source I actually find it hard to believe that the R3 will have a flip out screen. A flip out screen makes little sense in a Sports / Wildlife camera. Yes, there are occasions when it can be useful for wildlife or sports, but on the whole a flip out screen is more of a compromise and liability in my experience (unless you are shooting video). The R3 will certainly be video capable; but its focus is most definitely going to be as a stills camera. Canon already has many video offerings in the market and an R3 that was focused on video makes little sense at present.

Flip out screens take significant real estate away from what could have been a larger LCD screen (due to the flip out mechanism itself), are a liability in freezing conditions as they tend to break, offer additional egress points for water and offer no advantage over wireless remote shooting with an iPhone or iPad device.

A couple of other things to point out is the massive viewfinder window. This is most likely for the eye AF point selection. We also get the same AF ON button feature from the EOS-1D X Mark III.

Take these photographs with a large dose of salt and put me in the camp of hoping they are faked (as I don’t really want a flip out screen). I have heard that availability for the R3 will be in 2021 – but that timeline has not been confirmed by Canon. We also need to keep in mind that Canon has stated that this new R3 is NOT a replacement for the 1DX MKIII.

Canon EOS R3 Features that are confirmed:

• Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Sensor
• Eye Control AF, Dual Pixel CMOS AF
• Subject Tracking with Deep Learning
• Continuous Shooting Up to 30 fps
• Integrated Vertical Grip
• Weather-Sealed Construction

Of the last weeks I have received many emails from international friends and clients asking ‘How we are doing in Australia?’ and ‘If we can travel’ yet?. The short answer to the first question is that by world standards we are doing extremely well with very little COVID across the country. We have been fortunate to have been able to keep our outbreaks more-or-less under control. This is more due to the populations general willingness and acceptance to wear masks and social distance than it is from anything our government has or has not done. All of our recent cluster outbreaks have started due to an escape of the virus from our hotel quarantine system (where incoming repatriation travellers are housed for 14 days). One of the biggest problems we have continually faced here in Australia is our governments continual mismanagement of hotel quarantine (they have just made a complete pigs breakfast of the entire management situation). To this end, we are just now today entering yet another 7-day lock down here in Victoria because of yet another escape of the virus from our bungled hotel quarantine system. We have around 25 cases as of today in the state I live; which is nothing by world standards; but still of serious concern considering we were COVID free just a few days ago.

The situation with international travel into and out of Australia is that all non-repatriation travel is banned. All non-Australian residents are banned from coming to Australia until further notice. Australians are banned from leaving the country without express special permission from the government. Permission can be granted on either bereavement purposes or for legitimate business reasons. My business, Wild Nature Photo Travel, has applied for an exemption and has been approved for international travel. I can now apply on a case by case basis to leave Australia for my business and will be doing so as required. I have received my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and will in two weeks time be fully vaccinated.

The Australian governments roll out of the vaccine has been nothing short of appalling. Only a tiny percentage of our population is currently vaccinated; although this is finally starting to improve as of two weeks ago when more vaccine was released.

Recently I cam across a brand new digital platform that has an all new take on generating revenue through the concept of displaying curated art digitally on peoples flat panel displays in their homes. The company is called WindowSight and they provide an opportunity for artists to share their work and get paid ‘per view’. This is a very different take to the more or less defunct stock image market and is the first company I have come across that actually offers something fair and tangible to the artist on an ongoing basis.

The company offer the opportunity for any artist to submit their work and subsequently get paid as people view it around the world in their homes. The concept of being paid per view is not new, but this particular take on it is the first I have seen that offers a revenue sharing system for artists.

Signing up as an Artist (or a user) is simple and straightforward. If you are keen to get paid for your art you can use the following link that includes 3 months premium user access for free. https://windowsight.com/invite/POLAR That gives you the ability to try it and see if it is suitable for you.

To be clear, I am not affiliated with WindowSight in any shape or form. I just think this is a really interesting and unique way to earn revenue from art and am currently in the process of trialling the platform with some of my own Antarctic photography. If you give it a try, please let me know what you think. I will do a follow up post with my own experiences once I have had more time to see how it goes.

The Captain Suites and all Mini-Suites are now sold out on my 2023 December Return to Antarctica expedition. Availability of twin-private cabins is now also limited. Twin-Share and Triple share still has some good availability.

Our ship for this expedition, the newly refitted Polar Pioneer, with a capacity of just 52 photographers means we will all be able to all land at the same time and spend hours ashore at each of our landing locations. Our choice time-slot of December 8th – December 21st 2023 is absolutely ideal for both ice and snow; whilst providing us a fantastic opportunity for a potential landing at Deception Island and a subsequent cruise through the spectacular Lemaire Channel – a landscape photographers paradise.

Antarctica is one of the most exciting destinations on the planet for both landscape and wildlife photography. The enigmatic white continent is without doubt the premiere and sought after location for Polar Photography on our planet. With its monumental icebergs, towering mountains and glaciers and plethora of wildlife it offers the intrepid photographer a unique and powerful photographic experience.

Wether you are a seasoned Antarctic veteran, or a first time traveller, this expedition is sure to offer you unparalleled and unique opportunities not offered anywhere else. You will be one of just 52 photographers on a dedicated expedition designed solely to offer the best possible photographic experiences – A return to the Great White Continent! If you are considering your first Antarctic expedition; be sure to read our guide on how to choose the right expedition for you. Download HERE.

For more information, or to book one of the remaining places please drop me an email to info@jholko.com. Bookings are on a first come, first served basis.

I had announced that my previously delayed exhibition – Frozen in Time – would subsequently be held in June of this year. Unfortunately, I have had to take the difficult decision to again delay my upcoming exhibition to an unspecified date. The exhibition was originally planned to open June 4th 2020 and run a full month in Melbourne at the Sun Room Gallery at Sun studios in South Melbourne before it travelled to NSW and then onto the United States. The ongoing pandemic caused a 12 month delay that has now ballooned out to an unspecified date in the future.

New dates will be announced as soon as they are confirmed. The exhibition will still include approximately three dozen of my photographs from both the Arctic and Antarctic captured over a period of ten years. More details to come soon…