In late September 2023, I ran my Greenland East Coast Winters Cusp expedition to Scoresby Sund, the world’s most extensive (and spectacular) fjord system. This expedition was carefully timed for late September to ensure actual sunrise and sunset for optimal light. Journeys to this part of Greenland in June / July and August usually just result in overhead harsh light 24 hours a day, so the choice of time of travel is crucial for photographic expeditions to this part of the world. Proper darkness also provides opportunities for Aurora photography, something we took advantage of on several occasions. Scoresby Sund is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best place in the world to photograph monolithic icebergs, many of which can dwarf skyscrapers. The incredible sizes, shapes, textures and colours are a photographer’s dream, and the transient nature of icebergs makes each photograph unique – something exceptional these days in a world saturated with Instagram hot spot locations.

The map below shows the route we traversed for the duration of the expedition. Whilst we flew into Greenland (Constable Point) via private charter flight, we did return sail across the Denmark Strait (the stretch of water between Greenland and Iceland). Our return sail this year was a race against a furious oncoming storm (the Icelandic Coast Guard was reporting waves in our wake of more than ten metres). Mercifully, our race across the Denmark Strait saw us beat the storm, and we pulled into the safety of the big fjord in the north of Iceland in time to seek shelter.

This trip report is going to be a little different to the usual. Rather than write up my experiences, I will include the highly detailed PDF report that my expedition leader prepared day-by-day throughout our voyage (thanks, Jordy!). The report is split across two different PDF Files due to its size. Download Trip Report Part A HERE and Download Trip Report Part B HERE. Likewise, I am including one of the photographs below of Musk from my friend Marc, who assisted me with guiding me during the expedition. Both of the trip reports also contain a great many photographs taken by Jordy throughout the trip, as well as the history of many of the areas we visited.

I will be returning to the east coast of Greenland in September of 2024 to guide another expedition into this remote and spectacular region of Greenland. As of this writing, only a few places remain before the tour will be sold out. If you want to see and photograph incredible monolithic icebergs as they drift slowly and silently down the Scoresby Sund fjord system, then please drop me an email to register your interest. This is an incredible opportunity to explore one of planet Earth’s remaining unspoiled gems.

The photograph of the month for November 2023 comes from my recent Finland extension workshop (Read the Trip Report) and is of a European Pygmy Owl. This photograph was pure serendipity as I had gone into the evening hide to try and photograph an Eagle Owl (a nocturnal bird). Whilst darkness descended and I waited for a potential Eagle Owl sighting, this European Pygmy Owl flew down and landed briefly on a nearby branch. It only stayed a moment or two before it disappeared into the darkness of the night and forest, but it was an incredible few seconds and a fantastic sighting. It was so dark when I shot this that all I could see was a faint outline and silhouette of the owl on the branch. I could not tell what species it was, only that it was owl-shaped. This photograph of the Pygmy Owl would have been impossible just a generation of camera equipment ago. Shot at ISO12,800 at f4 at just 1/20th of a second, handheld with the Canon EOS R3 and Canon RF600mm F4L IS. The combination of the image stabilisation in the lens, working in conjunction with the IBIS in the EOS R3, enabled me to hold the camera and lens steady for a pin-sharp image, even at just 1/20th of a second. No flash or artificial lighting was used for this photograph. The EOS R3 locked focus on the eye of the bird in virtually total darkness – an incredible feat of technology. I also discussed the making of this photograph in Podcast Episode 83.