Category: Iceland

BLUE BERG WINS EXTREME ENVIRONMENT PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR 2011 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

Posted in Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Uncategorized9 Comments

I am extremely pleased to announce that one of my two finalist photographs on display at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart has won the Extreme Environment Photograph of the Year 2011 People’s Choice Award.

I was having a late Sunday morning breakfast this morning with my two kids at a cafe in Healesville when I received email notification that ‘Blue Berg’ had won the award. The announcement was also made this morning on ABC Radio in Hobart (You can download an excerpt of the Competition Winner Announcement courtesy of the ABC Radio – winners are announced at the end) and a Government media press announcement was made at the conclusion of the awards – an excerpt of which is included below: You can read the full release HERE including the  announcement of the other two winners of the Trafalgar prize and Wayne Papps Memorial prize. I was fortunate enough to attend the opening of the exhibition a couple of weeks ago and was amazed by the incredibly high standard of all of the photographs as well as the diversification of photographers. I am extremely honoured and humbled to have had two of my photographs selected as finalists and to have been awarded the People’s Choice Award.

Excerpt from Media Release: Winners of the 2011 Extreme Environment Photographic competition were announced this morning by Sir Guy Green, Tasmania’s Honorary Antarctic Ambassador. The competition attracted entries from across the globe, and finalists have been on display at the Bond Store at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery since the 6th of May.

The popular People’s Choice Award of camera equipment from FujiFilm was awarded to J Holko for ‘Blue Berg’.

These awards are prestigious and much sought after evidenced by the large number of quality entries received each year said Sir Guy Green, chairman of judges in the competition. Judges also included Richard Bennett of Richard Bennett Photography, Martin Walch, Associate lecturer in Fine Arts at UTAS and Rosemary Miller, Director, Salamanca Arts Centre.


EXTREME ENVIRONMENT EXHIBITION NOW OPEN IN HOBART

Posted in Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Media, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized3 Comments

I flew down to Hobart on Friday for the opening of the Extreme Environment Photographic competition at the Tasmanian National Museum. The exhibition opened to the public at 10am and I was surprised to find on my arrival shortly after 10 that  it was packed with people, media and even a politician or two. Unfortunately I missed the start of the ministers speech but did manage to grab a few quick snaps of the opening along with the exhibition.

Exhibition Opening

EXTREME ENVIRONMENT PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBIT TO OPEN THIS FRIDAY

Posted in Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized2 Comments

The 30 Finalist photographs in the 2011 Extreme Environment Photographic Exhibition go on display this Friday from 10am at the Tasmanian National Museum in Hobart. I have two photographs in the exhibition and will be flying down to Hobart for the opening this Friday morning. Finalists images can also be viewed in low resolution on-line, courtesy of 936 ABC Radio Hobart during the period of the exhibition at www.abc.net.au/hobart.  I always enjoy my time in Hobart – its a wonderful city and there is nothing quite like some of the world’s best seafood caught that morning and then cooked at one of the many fine restaurants on the wharf. Unfortunately, other commitments mean this is going to be day visit only with no time to escape into the countryside for photography. If you have an opportunity to visit the exhibition please let me know if you enjoyed it.

Extreme Environment Photographic Competition – Finalist

Posted in Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized4 Comments

I am pleased to announce that two of my Iceland photographs “Well of Life” and “Abandoned Blue Berg” have been selected as finalists in the Extreme Environment Photographic Competition.   These two photographs will form part of the Extreme Environment Photographic Exhibition, to open at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery from 10:00 am on Friday, 6 May, running until Sunday 15 May.  Admission is free to the public during normal Museum opening hours. Finalists images can also be viewed in low resolution on-line, courtesy of 936 ABC Radio Hobart at during the period of the exhibition at www.abc.net.au/hobart. Both of these photographs are also available to view in high resolution on my Portfolio website at www.jholko.com under Iceland.

Iceland – Selfoss : The Essence of Iceland

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Without doubt one of Iceland’s most well known and famous landmarks are its waterfalls. There are waterfalls almost everywhere and if you have read and followed my blog you will have already seen numerous posts about them. They really are nothing short of breathtaking.

One of the most unusual and beautiful is Selfoss. Selfoss is a short ten minute walk up from the mighty Dettifoss – Europe’s largest waterfall by volume. What makes Selfoss so unique and other worldly is the way it cascades down both sides of a deep rocky canyon. I have not seen such a geological feature anywhere else in the world and as far as I know it is unique to Selfoss and Iceland.

I was fortunate enough to visit both Dettifoss and Selfoss twice during my time in Iceland last year. On both occasions I was blessed with wonderful and interesting light. The purpose of dual visits to these falls was to shoot them from both sides as there is no bridge near by to cross. Its a long drive along a horrible dirt road to get to the other side. I must admit that I was so tired from the long arduous hours of shooting under the midnight sun for days and days on end that I have no actual memory of taking this photograph – I must have been on auto pilot by this point in my trip. It was one of around 50 frames I shot from this side of Selfoss. Regardless I am extremely pleased with the result. The long exposure has softened the water in contrast to the rocks and caught the incoming storm clouds streaking across the sky. For me this photograph captures some of the essence of Iceland. As I have blogged about already – I cant wait to go back. In fact, plans are afoot for a trip in June/July 2012 after Antarctica. A high resolution version of this photograph is also on my Portfolio website at www.jholko.com