Before I left for the Arctic this year for two months photography I was invited to participate in a project for a magazine called ‘Dispose‘. Dispose distribute throwaway disposable film cameras to a wide range of people living across the world. They ask contributors to document one day in 27 exposures. From the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep, these individuals shoot a minimum of one photo per hour including one self portrait. This was a fun project for me and it was great to be shooting film again – even if it was on a disposable camera. I chose to document my time spent between life aboard M.S Origo and Polar Pioneer in Svalbard. I am also excited to have been asked to work on another project with Dispose later this year in Antarctica. You can see the photographs from my time in the Arctic at Dispose’s website.
Category: Landscape Photographs
Landscape Photographs from around the World
October Photograph of the Month – Feeding Frenzy
One of the most amazing wildlife encounters I experienced during the two months I recently spent in the Arctic was whilst cruising around the base of one of Svalbard’s largest glacier fronts –Lilliehöökbreen. As we cruised slowly along the glacial front we discovered a wonderful archway shape in the deep blue ice with thousands and thousands of Kittiwakes engaged in a feeding frenzy at its base. The glacial face at Lilliehöökbreen is extremely active with chunks of ice the size houses and cars regularly calving off into the water below. These ice chunks stir up the marine life near the surface where the birds take advantage in a massive feeding frenzy. We were fortunate to have some wonderfully overcast skies which really makes the blues iridescent in the glacial ice. The Kittiwakes also help give a sense of scale of the massive glacial front.
September Photo of the Month – Top of the World
During my recent time in the Arctic I was primarily focused on wildlife photography – specifically Polar Bears, Arctic Fox, Walrus and sea birds. My photograph of the month for August of the large female Polar bear strolling on the pack ice under the midnight sun is one of my favourite wildlife images from these recent trips. I did however, also shoot landscape images and one of my favourites and my photograph of the month for September is this image I titled ‘Top of the World’. Photographed from the crows nest of the M.S Origo as we cruised slowly north into the pack ice around 80º North of Svalbard. I used a Sigma 15mm Fish Eye lens for a super wide angle of view and to create a feeling of curvature of the earth. I feel that this photograph captures the essence for me of what it is like to be on board ship high in the Arctic – a truly incredible experience.
I am currently working on a full report of my trips in the Arctic this year and I hope to have them finished and online in the next week or so.
New Zealand South Island – February 2014 Exclusive Photography Workshop
A few months ago I posted that I was very pleased to be joining forces with professional New Zealand Nature Photographer Phillip Bartlett for a future workshop in the South Island of New Zealand. There has been significant interest in a photography workshop in the South Island of New Zealand and Phillip and I are very pleased to now be offering a dedicated workshop for a small exclusive group of photographers in February next year.
Our workshop will take us on a photographic journey into ‘Middle Earth’ – The spectacular South Island of New Zealand. The South Island of New Zealand is home to some of the most spectacular scenery and landscapes in the world. It is no co-incidence that Peter Jackson chose the South Island of New Zealand to film the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings movies. Perhaps nowhere else in the world can one see and photograph precipitous alpine mountains plunging into temperate rain forest and wild ocean beaches in so short a space. New Zealand is home to an incredibly diverse range of subject matter in a small island. Glaciers, waterfalls, spectacular valleys, imposing mountain ranges and black pebble beaches. It is an island of ever changing weather and spectacular light conditions. It is a country made for photography.
This workshop is about photography and lots of it. There will be no formal classroom sessions or lectures and no formal instruction. Rather, we will work side by side, sharing our knowledge, vision, philosophy and experience together in the field. We want everyone to make great photographs so the emphasis is on being out in the field when the light is best. We will be on hand for any advice or instruction and we will work together as a team. There will be opportunities for image processing instruction in Adobe Lightroom as well as image reviews at the end of a days shooting. This workshop is for dedicated landscape and nature photographers who are willing to work for their images. With a small group of photographers (just nine in total) we can gurantee a more personal and intimate experience than bigger tours can provide. We will be travelling in large 4-wheel drive vehicles to give us plenty of space for camera equipment and gear. So bring what you need!
This photography tour will last for twelve days (eleven nights). We will be staying in good hotels and guest houses that are functional and clean. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included. However, this workshop tour is all about photography and we will be putting in long hours in the field in order to ensure we get the best possible light for photography. We may take food and drink with us into the field to ensure we are in the right locations to get the best possible light. Also included in the tour is a private chartered helicopter ride with the doors removed for photography over the spectacular Southern Alps. Flying in a small mountain helicopter with the doors removed for photography over the snow capped mountains and glaciers of the Southern Alps is a breathtaking experience and promises to be a real highlight of the tour. We have also included a privately chartered boat in the small fishing village of Kaikoura for photography in the bay of Dusky Dolphins as they leap from the water whilst majestic Albatross follow along hoping for a free meal. If we are lucky we may even encounter Sperm whales cruising off the continental shelf and Sea Lions basking in the sunshine on the coast.
The workshop will run from February the 15th 2014 – until February 26th 2014. Due to prior expressions of interest and bookings there are only 3 places remaining on this workshop before it will be sold out. A detailed itinerary can be downloaded HERE. If the idea of travelling with a small group of dedicated photographers through the South Island of New Zealand appeals to you then please contact me at info@jholko.com if you would like additional information or to register for your place. Bookings are taken on a first come, first served basis and once all positions are filled thats it. To get an idea of the spectacular scenery we will encounter and photograph Phillip and I have put together a short video. Just click on the image below to view the video. New Zealand.
X-Rite Photo Webinar : Processing Images with Ice and Snow
Earlier this year I did a free Webinar with X-Rite and Nik Software on how I process photographs with Ice and Snow. The webinar covered my own personal workflow for working with images that contain snow and Ice to really get the most from them. I discussed my use of the X-Rite Colour Checker Passport as well as how I implement the Nik Software Plug ins into my workflow. You can download a copy of the Webinar directly from X-Rite’s archives HERE.
I will be doing a follow up Webinar with X-Rite and Moab paper on processing ice and snow images later this month on the 25th of September at 7pm EDT. In this new Webinar I will give more examples of how I utilise the colour checker passport in my workflow and how I process my own photographs to really maximise the texture and tone in the ice and snow. I will also talk briefly about printing images with ice and snow and the importance of paper selection to match the photograph. You can Register Online and the Webinar is free. Due to bandwidth limitations between Australia and the USA I will be pre-recording the Webinar, but will be online during its presentation to answer any questions or queries.
Edit – In case you have stumbled across this page with a search – you can view an archive of the webinar HERE
www.WILDNATUREPHOTOTRAVEL.com 