Photograph of the Month June 2026 – Reindeer on the March

The photograph of the month for June 2026 comes from my recent snowmobile expedition to Svalbard this April (Read the Trip Report) and is of a group of Reindeer walking beneath the mountains. This photograph is a wonderful example of why it’s always a good idea to have both a short lens and a longer lens when photographing wildlife. Opportunities such as this offer chances to tell the environmental story of the wildlife in the landscape. During this encounter, I had predominantly been photographing individual Reindeer with the Canon RF600mm F4L IS lens, but saw an opportunity to capture the entire group as they formed a near-perfect line beneath the mountains. Fortunately, I had my 100-300mm lens with me and was able to capture the entire scene. By switching to a shorter lens, I was not only able to capture all of the Reindeer, but to place them below the mountains to help create a wonderful sense of scale. This photograph ended up far more powerful and evocative than the 600mm shots.