Deception Island is an island in the South Shetland Island archipelago off the Antarctic Peninsula. It is renowned as one of the safest harbours in Antarctica and has been for me a regular stopping point during Antarctic expeditions. The island itself is actually the caldera of an active volcano and geothermal sulphur still rises along the waterline. 
The volcano caused serious damage to local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969. The island is perhaps best known historically for its whaling station; although it is now regarded as a tourist destination with a scientific outpost. Interestingly there are various countries that havee claimed sovereignty over the Island but it is thankfully administered under the Antarctic treaty system.
I have been fortunate to visit Deception Island and Whaler’s Bay now on several different occasions. In fact, I actually posted a series of images here on my blog I titled ‘Made of Steel‘ from my first visit back in 2011. There is a palpable sense of grim history to this location and I have heard many first time visitors remark on the impact this location has had on them. Having visited this location many times now it remains for me one of the most sombre locations I have ever photographed with its dark whaling history. I feel a strong sense of foreboding at Whalers Bay, although I have enjoyed the photographic opportunities at this location very much. Whaler’s Bay is in many ways a a stark reminder of the way we were. Its rusting whaling remnants are a poignant reminder of humanities injustices on Nature. It is said, that at the height of the whaling in this area there were so many whales slaughtered that the bay turned red with blood. Now, many decades on from the injustices of human action the rusting remains of the whalers activities serve as some very interesting photographic subjects. 
These three photographs were made during my recent expedition to Antarctica at the end of 2014 (the first photograph of the photographer on the beach was taken in 2011). They summarise for me the feeling of this abandoned location and capture something of the haunting atmosphere that seems to hang so low over the land. Interestingly all of these photographs were made during heavy snowfall. I have visited Deception Island in a range of different weather, but it is the images captured in the driving snow that best convey the feeling of this location for me.
Category: Antarctica
South Georgia Island and Antarctica Expedition 2014 Report
In November 2014 I led an extensive twenty-one day landscape and wildlife photographic expedition with good friend Andy Biggs to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica. The purpose of this extended expedition was to provide the definitive Antarctic and sub-Antarctic experience. We planned to take in the best of the Falklands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica and experience not only the diverse landscape and wildlife, but also some of the historic relics and history of these amazing places.
Our expedition saw us cover more than 3400 nautical miles in a round trip from Ushuaia, to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, The South Shetland Islands, Antarctica and finally return to Ushuaia. We experienced the full range of weather and conditions from brilliant sunshine to gale force winds on our approach to Antarctica. As a photographer who prefers the drama of overcast skies and storm conditions I relished the opportunities that we had to shoot in inclement weather. Those of us who preferred calmer conditions were likewise blessed with some wonderful weather during much of our time in the Falklands and South Georgia. Unfortunately for me, I did suffer (not alone ) a good dose of seasickness during this expedition that more or less confined me to cabin during our sea days on this expedition. This was the first time I have succumbed in such a manner to sea sickness and I can now completely sympathise with anyone has been unfortunate enough to suffer from this uncomfortable condition.
In the Falklands we visited West Point Island and New Island where we photographed majestic Black Browed Albatross and Rock Hopper Penguins. Rock Hopper Penguins are the rock stars of the penguin world and are extremely photogenic with their wild hair and cool looks. We were fortunate to have some fabulous light and incredible access in the Falklands and were able to photograph nesting Black Browed Albatross up close. Some of us were also fortunate to see and photograph the very rare Striated Kara Kara. Although I did manage to grab a couple of snaps of this rare raptor for documentary purposes the images themselves are more record photographs and not considered compositions. Nevertheless it was a real thrill to see and photograph this rare bird of prey.
We also stopped in Stanley, the capital of the Falklands where we refuelled on coffee and took in some local sights. Keen to make our way to South Georgia our stay in the Falklands was brief and we were soon underway for three days sailing to South Georgia Island.
South Georgia is one of the most remote islands on the planet and is a full three days sail from the Falkland Islands. It is also host to an incredible biomass of wildlife that makes it not only unique but also incredibly special. The sheer mass of wildlife on tap in South Georgia is a wildlife photographers dream and the opportunities are infinite. South Georgia is nothing short of a complete sensory assault with tens of thousands of nesting King Penguins, penguin chicks, Fur Seals, Elephant seals and a virtual cornucopia of birdlife. At first blush South Georgia can be so overwhelming that simply making sense of it can be difficult and it pays to spend some time simply enjoying the experience as well as photographing.
South Georgia island is strictly controlled in terms of number of visitors permitted on the island, where they are allowed to land and the hours they can be ashore. The purpose of these restrictions is to keep South Georgia as pristine as possible and to give wildlife a chance to rest away from the disturbance of human visitation. As such it is not permitted to land in South Georgia before 4am and you must depart by no later than 10pm. In order to take advantage of the best light possible we frequently commenced our zodiac operations at 4am so that we could not only maximise our time ashore but also ensure we experienced the best of the light available. These long hours usually enabled us three landings per day which meant we could squeeze in a great amount of photography during our time in this amazing location.
Our first stop in South Georgia was Grytviken where we explored the old whaling remnants that lie scattered amongst the small settlement. Fur seals and elephant seals greeted us as our zodiacs landed amongst the rusty whalers remnants. I chose to focus my efforts at this location on a very playful baby elephant seal wallowing in the shallows of the harbour. This photograph was taken with a Canon EOS1DX with a 16-35mm F4L IS lens in an Aquatech underwater sports housing with wide angle dome port. The seal seemed intent on kissing the camera and I had to wipe seal slobber off the dome port on several occasions. My sincere thanks to Aquatech for the loan of the underwater housing for the duration of this expedition.
One of the greatest attractions in South Georgia are the majestic King Penguins. These elegant birds are the Kings of South Georgia and can be found by the tens of thousands at Salisbury Plain, Gold Harbor and Saint Andrews – all of which we visited during this expedition. Larger than the Gentoo, Chinstrap, Rockhopper and Macaroon they are also the most colourful and to my mind at least, the most elegant and photogenic.
We also visited Little Moltke harbour, Hercules and the Drygalski fjord in South Georgia. All of these offered incredible landscapes and wildlife opportunities. I hope to share more photographs from these locations over the coming weeks and months.
As we sailed from South Georgia Island to Antarctica through the Scotia sea we passed gigantic tabular icebergs slowly drifting out of the Weddell Sea. The largest of which measured an enormous twelve kilometres on the ships radar. Icebergs of this size and magnitude generate their own local weather system and are always dramatic to photograph.
Our approach from South Georgia to Antarctica presented us with nearly 50 knots of howling wind which prevented us from landing at Deception Island. However, we were able to land briefly at the historic Point Wild in rising Catabolic winds. This is the first time I have been able to actually place a foot on rock at this location having been blown out on all other attempts. Point Wild is home to a colony of Chinstrap penguins and was the location where Antarctic explorers huddled for three months before rescue.
During our time in Antarctica our most southerly point was the breathtaking Lemaire Channel which we cruised through during a magnificent polar sunset. The Lemaire channel is always a dicey bet this early in the season but with the experience of our Russian Captain we were able to navigate the ice strewn waters and experience one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever witnessed in polar waters.
We also explored Neko Harbour, Paradise Bay, Cierva Cove and more. We cruised on zodiacs amongst spectacular icebergs as well as landing and exploring on foot. We were regularly greeted during our landings by our comedic friends the Gentoo penguins.
Our final landing in Antarctica was at the penguin festooned Cuverville Island. Cuverville has become one of my favourite landings in Antarctica with its stunning dramatic scenery, extensive Gentoo penguin colonies set against precipitous mountains and incredible glaciers hanging between mountains. It provides the perfect backdrop for Antarctic photography. Add a liberal dose of inclement weather and the island comes alive with drama. Cuverville was our coldest landing with 20-25knott winds and a significant wind chill. The resulting images bore out a taste of just what Antarctica can truly be like. It is hostile in its magnificence.
There were some fantastic photographs that resulted from this expedition by many of the photographers who participated. Personally, I shot over 7,500 images during the course of the expedition and as is usual it will take me many months to mine the jewels from this expedition. For now the photographs in this report are just a few of my initial favourites. During the course of the expedition the ships crew prepare a report of the previous days activities as well as what to expect for the coming day. You can download the daily trip reports as a SouthGeorgiaReport PDF.
We also had a videographer aboard to document our expedition and I hope to share the video from this expedition in a few months once all of the editing and post production work is complete.
If you are interested in travelling and photographing in South Georgia Island I will be leading a dedicated fifteen day expedition in November this year that departs from the Falkland Islands and that will spend more than eight days in this wondrous location. There are now only two places remaining before this expedition will be sold out. If you would like any additional information you can register your interest by dropping me an email at info@jholko.com
January Photo of the Month Winner: Fred Jennings
Congratulations to the first print winner ‘Fred Jennings’, for the photograph of the month for January 2015: ‘Maelstrom’
What Fred said: I know I won’t be the first, but what really impresses me is the layering of the different levels in the berg. I image the history stored in these layers over thousands of years and wonder what had transpired in the world during each of these layers. The movement of the snow blowing off the top of the berg is in such contrast to the timeless movement of the berg.
Great colour and great photo, I wish I cold learn directly from you. Thanks for sharing such a great story.
Congratulations Fred, you were the first, and your print will be sent to you next week.
Keep an eye out on my blog for the next print giveaway with the February photograph of the month. Remember the best way to get instant updates is to subscribe via email.
January Photo of the Month – Maelstrom
My first photograph of the month for 2015 is an image I titled ‘Maelstrom’ of a large tubular iceberg on the edge of the Weddell sea in Antarctica. It was photographed from the fly bridge of the expedition ship in howling katabatibc winds – probably the strongest winds I have experienced to date in Antarctica (just standing on the deck without holding on was all but impossible). The winds (in excess of 50 knots I was told by the Captain) were whipping the fresh snow off the top of the iceberg like a vapour trail. There are a combination of factors in this photograph that really work for me, but its the drama that sets it alight and really makes it sing. I have been fortunate to photograph a great many icebergs over the last few years and it is the images that were shot in dramatic weather that really stand out for me. They are far more evocative than images of icebergs under blue skies or in fine weather.
Don’t forget! You can win a free 13″ x 19″ Fine Art Print of this photograph including shipping anywhere in the world. All you need do is to be the first to comment on this post on the home page with your thoughts on why you like this photograph or why you would like to own a print of the image and then share the post with your preferred social media outlet.
2014 A Retrospective and What’s in Store for 2015?
As has become a tradition for me I like to do a “What’s in Store” post here on my blog for the coming year as well as reflect back, and wrap up the year that was. 2014 was a huge year for me both with destinations visited, sheer number of international miles travelled as well as competition results. 2014 also marked the year I finally visited Africa and completed the seven continents. I have no idea how many actual miles I covered in 2014 in total, how many aeroplanes I boarded, how many times I went through airport security or how many tens of hours I spent waiting around in airports for connecting flights, but it was a lot – an awful lot. I wish I was better at taking advantage of layover time to catch up on email and office work but the reality is I am usually in a semi-vegitative state from jet lag and in no fit state to focus on any actual work. The positive flip side being I have such a love and passion of photography in the Polar regions that I could not ever imagine doing anything else. Airport layovers are therefore nothing more than an unfortunate means to a much loved end. 2015 will certainly have its fair share of flights and layovers and I am trying to work through as much office work as possible in the next few days before I board the next plane.
Over the course of this year I published my favourite twelve photographs here on my blog. Please be sure to check them out and let me know what you thought. I don’t think I have an overall favourite this year, although I definitely have a soft spot for this photograph of the giant sand dune and ghost forest I photographed in Namibia early this year. To those of you who have emailed me asking if and when I will be offering a future Namibia workshop the answer is unfortunately not in 2015 as I have too many other commitments. However, I am tentatively planning a future workshop for early April 2016 and will have more to say on this at a later date.
In competition terms, 2014 was my biggest year yet and winning the 2014 Canon APPA Professional Science, Nature and Environment photographer of the year as well as the highest scoring print in this category was a massive honour and thrill that I am still buzzing from. To pick this award up after already winning the Science, Nature and Environment category at the Victorian State Awards as well as 2014 Epson Professional Creative Photographer of the Year, Highest Scoring Print of the Year and overall win for Epson 2014 Professional Victorian Photographer of the Year was just about the perfect result and I quite honestly couldn’t be more thrilled. It was all topped off with wining the 2014 Travel Photographer of the Year in the Wild and Vibrant category a couple of weeks ago; which was just about the perfect news to receive on returning from Antarctica. It was a fantastic year and I have been really humbled by the results – thank you.
2014 was also my biggest year yet for workshops and expeditions. The year kicked off with an ‘almost’ local two week New Zealand South Island workshop which included helicopter time over the spectacular southern Alps. We visited Milford Sound, Queenstown, Kaikoura, Mount Cook and a great many other off the beaten track locations during the workshop and were treated to some fantastic weather and light (Read the Trip Report). New Zealand is a country made for photography and it is always fantastic to return to this wonderful country. Below is a short snippet of raw video from the workshop.
Daniel Bergmann and I then ran our annual Winter Iceland workshop (Read the Trip Report) that included destinations in both the north and south of the Island. Iceland in winter is an incredible experience and this workshop provided us with wonderful opportunities in a snow covered landscape. I then backed up Iceland in Winter by flying straight to Africa for two back-to-back Namibia overland Safaris (Read the Trip Reports). Namibia was a truly amazing experience and its ancient landscapes are ideally suited to the intrepid landscape photographer – even if it is hot!
After a short break, I then returned to Iceland for the Summer season and lead two back-to-back Ultimate Summer workshops that saw us circumnavigate the Island twice and photograph a great many of Iceland’s incredible locations (Read the Trip Report). I never tire of returning to Iceland and eagerly look forward to each return visit. The 2015 Iceland Highlands workshop is sold out, but I will soon be announcing the 2016 schedule for those of you who would like to get the drop on securing an early place. Just drop me an email to register your interest – no obligation at this point.
After Iceland I led a two week expedition that departed from Isafjord in the north of Iceland and sailed across the Denmark Strait to Greenland and Svalbard ‘The Jewels of the Arctic‘. During the expedition we explored and photographed many of Greenland’s incredible mountain lined fjords, rugged landscapes and arctic tundra slopes before we sailed across the Greenland sea to Svalbard (Read the Trip Report). Greenland has some of the most amazing geology of any place I have ever visited and in combination with gigantic icebergs it offers unique opportunities for photography.
In November I travelled to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica for a twenty one day expedition that saw us photographing in some of the world’s best locations for wildlife. We sailed from Ushuaia aboard our expedition ship stopping at several places in the Falklands along the way. We then spent several days in South Georgia before sailing to Antarctica. I have really been enjoying seeing the fantastic photographs being shared on social media taken by all who participated on this expedition – and although I suffered quite badly from sea sickness during this voyage it really was remarkable. I hope to post a trip report as well as more photographs over the coming weeks. In the meantime, this was a photograph I made at Grytviken in South Georgia Island of a very curious baby Elephant Seal. The photograph was taken with a Canon EOS 1DX with a 16-35mm F4L IS lens and an Aquatech Underwater Sport Housing with wide-angle dome port. My sincere thanks to Aquatech for their support with equipment for this expedition. 
At the conclusion of this expedition I travelled with friends to the Argentinian side of Patagonia to spend some time hiking in the back country and relaxing before I led one final expedition for the year to the Antarctic Peninsula. This was the second time I have been to Patagonia; although it was the first time I have visited the Argentinian side. Last year I spent a week on the Chilean side of Patagonia and it was interesting to experience the difference between the two areas. In terms of sheer impact, I have to say I prefer the Argentinean side; although both are spectacular and both are equally exposed to ferocious winds. Patagonia is a wild place and you have never truly experienced the power and ferocity of Nature’s winds until you have travelled and hiked in this area of the world. I took the opportunity to put down my cameras whilst in Patagonia and although I made a few photographs I really took the opportunity to have some down time and just share the experience with good friends. I really needed time to recharge my batteries before the final Antarctic expedition and Patagonia was the perfect experience.
The final expedition to Antarctica proved about as perfect an experience as one could hope for in terms of weather. This was the first time I can recall visiting Antarctica and not loosing any time or landings due to wind and weather. Although I prefer moody, dark and overcast skies for my photography it was nice to see some blue sky and visit a few new locations during this trip. This photograph of the old whaling ship ‘The Governor’ was taken at Enterprise Island and is a good example of the kind of weather we experienced. This was the first time I have visited Enterprise Island but it will most certainly be on the hit list for future expeditions.
All up I led a total of nine separate international workshops and expeditions in 2014 spread across more than ten countries (not including some local private workshops to the Great Ocean Road as well as one-on-one Print workshops). A brief count tallies up more than thirty international plane rides and more than thirty thousand exposures (wish they were all keepers!) and a lot more than thirty hours of lost sleep. It was a fantastic year and I just want to thank all of you who I was fortunate to meet, travel and photograph with throughout the year. It was real privilege to share in such remarkable destinations with so many fantastic photographers – thank you.
2015 is shaping up to be an even bigger year than 2014 in terms of both miles and locations and I am really excited about whats in store. In February I will lead a sold out trip to Yellowstone in Winter. Yellowstone in winter has long been on my wish list and I am very excited to be travelling to the USA again with such a small group of fantastic friends and photographers. We are looking forward to photographing Bison, Elk, incredible snow covered landscapes and with a little luck perhaps even Wolves and Lynx.
In March I will lead my annual Winter Aurora workshop to Iceland (Sold Out) with my good friend Daniel Bergmann. We have a slightly different itinerary in store to last year and will be visiting both the south east and south west coasts during this workshop. At the conclusion of this trip I am going to fly over to Svalbard and spend some time in the backcountry via snowmobile photographing Polar Bears and Arctic Fox in winter. I will then fly back to Iceland to continue my Arctic Fox project in the north of the country. I hope to share a lot more of this project over the coming year as I continue to assemble the images but you can get a preview on my website in the Arctic Fox Project.
In May I am going to make the short hop across to the South Island of New Zealand to co-lead a Masterclass workshop with friend Phillip Bartlett. The South Island of New Zealand is breathtaking and was made for landscape and Nature photography. We have some really exciting locations lined up for this trip that include helicopter access into the remote back country. Click on the image below for a video preview of whats in store.
In July I will head back to Svalbard to lead my Wild Polar Bears expedition (Sold Out) from Longyearbyen up to the permanent pack ice. At the conclusion of this trip I am flying to Iceland where Daniel and I will lead our Iceland Highlands expedition (Sold Out). We both then return to Svalbard for our Kingdom of the Ice Bear expedition. Untitled Film Works will be joining us on this expedition and will be producing a short film of our experiences as we photograph the King of the Arctic. This will be the second film Untitled Film works will have shot and produced for me and I am looking forward to working with them again. You can watch the first Polar Photography Experience movie by clicking on the image below.
In November I will travel to the Falkland Islands (our departure point) with Norwegian friend Ole Jorgen for a dedicated fifteen day photographic expedition to South Georgia Island. Unlike the expedition I led this year which also took in Antarctica this new expedition will focus solely on the wilds of South Georgia Island. We have secured a permit for a much longer stay than usual and will instead have ten full days of photography in this incredible location. We intend to explore many of the more rarely visited and out of the way locations as well as some of the major highlights. It is sure to be an absolute wildlife fiesta. There are currently only two places remaining on this expedition before it will be sold out. 
At the conclusion of the South Georgia expedition I will remain in the Falkland Islands for a one week extension to photograph at two of the worlds best hot spots for Birds – Sea Lion Island and Saunders Island. This will be a very small group of photographers and we will move between the islands via small charter plane. The Falklands is a world class location for photographing Albatross as well as King Penguins and Rock Hopper Penguins and I am looking forward to returning to this remarkable area.
I then have one final expedition to Antarctica for the year that will take me right through until Christmas and wrap up 2015. Its going to be a very busy and hectic year and I am keen to get make a start in Yellowstone in just a few weeks time.
In other projects, I am also aiming to finalise and publish my book ‘Extreme Latitude’ early next year. This long overdue project has been sitting ‘mostly’ finished on my hard drive for the last couple of years and it is time to pull it all together and complete it.
A final sneak peak into 2016 for those of you who have managed to read this far: I will be announcing at some stage next year a unique once in a lifetime expedition to travel deep into Antarctica via snow plane and snow mobile to live, camp and photograph with the mighty Emperor Penguins. The expedition will likely be early November 2016 and be strictly limited to a very small number of photographers. I will have more to say about this opportunity next year.
Lastly, I want to wish all of you a very safe and happy New Year and may 2015 be one of amazing light and experiences for all of you.
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