Iceland Winter 2017 – The Frozen North Expedition Open for Bookings

Daniel Bergmann and I are pleased to be announcing our 2017 Iceland Winter Workshop. The workshop will run from the 23rd of February 2016 until the 5th of March 2017 and will focus on the incredible northern landscapes of Iceland as well as the Aurora Borealis. We will be travelling in a highly modified Icelandic Super Jeep (very large modified 4-wheel drive) so that we can get off the main bitumen road and into the more interesting areas for photography and experience the true splendour of Iceland in Winter. We will be focusing our efforts in the Northern part of Iceland in some of the less visited and more spectacular winter locations. In winter the northern landscapes are covered in snow and the light is often soft and ethereal. There are fantastic opportunities to create wonderful images of the winter landscape.

Godafoss in Winter from the top of the fallsIn late February the darkness of the Icelandic winter is starting to lift and the days are becoming longer. We will have up to ten hours of good light during the day and with a little bit of luck the spectacular Northern Lights will increase our photographic opportunities well into the night. Winter conditions in Iceland can be stunningly beautiful: the glacial lagoons freeze, some of the waterfalls are partially frozen, the glaciers appear more blue with fresh snow on top, the landscape of the north is covered in fresh snow and with fewer visitors. With true darkness in winter comes the possibility of seeing the awe inspiring Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). We plan to make photographs of them whenever there are clear skies and intense Aurora activity.Aurora over ReykjanestáThis photography workshop will last for 11 days (10 nights). We will be staying in good hotels and guest houses that are functional and clean. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included and will generally be held at the hotels where we are staying. However, this workshop 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 get the best possible light. There will be some moderate hiking on uneven ground and a reasonable level of fitness is recommended. There is no obligation to participate in any hikes and every effort will be made to accommodate any requests.
Iceland-7910-EditThis is a unique opportunity to travel and photograph with two experienced professionals who have a combined total of more than 40 years of photographic experience and can take you to the best locations that are off the beaten track, and at the right time – when the light is best. You’ll be spending 10 days with others who are just as passionate about photography as you are, and to ensure everyone gets plenty of individual attention, the maximum number of participants is capped at twelve.Iceland-7629-EditYou can download a complete itinerary and information PDF HERE. The workshop is fully inclusive of all meals, accommodation and ground transportation as well as all tuition and image reviews. Our 2014, 2015 and 2016 workshops sold out in just a few days so if you would like to join us you can register your interest by dropping me an email or by filling in the registration form on my website at www.jholko.com. You can also visit the Iceland Portfolio on my website at www.jholko.com for more images of Iceland in Winter.Iceland-7851-Edit

Photo of the Month March 2016 – Arctic Fox Fight

I am currently in Iceland and have just completed another ten days in the remote north of this amazing country gathering images for my project on the Arctic Fox. This was most likely my last visit to this very difficult to reach area of Iceland in winter as I now have all of the photographs I feel I need to complete the project (the project will be released later this year in book form and a portfolio of prints is available to purchase now). I am going to miss spending time in the field with these incredible animals, but am looking forward to completing the book project when I get back to Australia. This particular photograph is of a male and female Arctic Fox pair that were play fighting in fresh snow about fifty metres from my snow blind. This was also one of my winning photographs in the 2015 Global Arctic Photographer of the Year Award. This photograph is also available to purchase as part of the newly released Arctic Fox Portfolio collection. Details are on my website at www.jholko.com.

I will be leaving Reykjavik tomorrow and kicking off my annual winter workshop with Daniel Bergmann. We are looking forward to frozen waterfalls, snow covered landscapes and with a little luck the Aurora Borealis (northern lights).Hornvik-9988-Edit

Iceland in Winter – Arctic Fox Project Update

Just over thirty six hours ago I wrapped up my Weddell Sea Antarctica expedition (full report will follow) and began the long journey from the South Pole to the north. I am now in Iceland and about to head to the remote north west (after a few hours sleep) and take a small charter boat to the remote Hornstradir nature reserve where I will spend the next ten days working on my Arctic Fox project. Iceland is a very special place to me and its remote north eastern peninsula holds a very special place in my heart. It is an area of incredible beauty, solitude and peacefulness where I feel at home with my thoughts and at peace with the world. The winter months are brutally cold but bring with them a white wonder that perfectly juxtaposes the severe cold and biting winds of this exposed peninsula. These remote areas are becoming exceptionally rare on our planet and I cherish the time I get to spend in them.

This is the third year of the project and I hope to gather the remaining images I need to complete the book during this trip (A Portfolio of prints of the project is already available through my website). I am very much looking forward to getting out into the remote wilderness and spending time with these amazing animals again before I kick off my Iceland winter workshop with Daniel Bergmann.

Announcing Open Edition Fine Art Portfolios

I am extremely pleased today to be announcing the availability of Print Portfolios. Fine art photographic prints of my photography have been available for some years now through galleries both here in Australia and overseas. This is the first time however that I am offering Portfolios of my work directly through my website.

Portfolios are a collection of loose, unbound original fine art pigment on paper prints that when viewed as a group form a collective project. Each portfolio contains a title page, then typically a colophon and statement about the project. A selection of finished fine art prints forms the project body of work. The photographs themselves are intended to be seen as a group, such as one would find in a book. However, they are loose prints designed to be held in the hand and kept together in a fine art package.

Each portfolio cover is made from custom embossed acid-free archival art paper. The assembly uses only archival, acid-free materials to ensure the long life of the prints contained inside. Prints can be stored in the portfolio cover, or removed, matted and framed.

Portfolios are printed on 100% cotton acid-free A4 Museo Portfolio Rag 300gsm Fine Art paper with a Canon IPF6350 Large format printer using Canon LUCIA long-life pigment inks. Each print is made with the same exacting care and meticulous attention to detail as my large format prints that are available exclusively through galleries. Portfolios are individually numbered, open edition and are available for $250USD each including shipping anywhere in the world.

The first two Portfolios to be made available are on the Arctic Fox and the Polar Bear. Each Portfolio contains six open edition fine-art prints as well as title page, colophon and statement about the project.

You can download a free high resolution Digital PDF preview of each Portfolio in the Store on my website. To order your portfolio please email me at info@jholko.com_H2_6917-Edit

 

 

Packing for the Desert of Antarctica and the Desert of Namibia

In a few hours I will start the trek to South America where I will lead a twelve day photography Weddell Sea Expedition to Antarctica. On this expedition we are looking forward to giant tabular icebergs in the Weddell Sea as well as vast Adelie Penguin colonies. At the conclusion of this expedition I will travel to Iceland (poles apart) where I am going to spend ten days completing my project on the Arctic Fox before guiding my annual Winter Workshop with friend Daniel Bergmann. At the conclusion of our workshop I am flying to Lofoten where I will lead a new workshop for landscapes in winter with my good friend Martyn Lucas. I then fly to Namibia for a ten day workshop in the oldest desert in the world – the Namib. Its going to be quite the adventure!

This extensive travel schedule means I need to pack my Arctic / Antarctic winter gear as well as clothing suitable for the deserts in Namibia. I have juggled this packing challenge before (two years ago when I co-led a trip to Namibia with Andy Biggs) and found that it was possible to survive in Namibia with just a couple of pairs of light weight trekking pants and shirts (which thankfully don’t take up much space). As a specialised Polar photographer it does feel a tad strange to be packing a wide brimmed sunhat and sunshirts with my arctic boots and winter clothing. The issue of packing is somewhat compounded by the fact that Antarctica, Iceland, Lofoten and Namibia require very different approaches in terms of camera gear which adds both weight and complexity. Perhaps doubly so as I am carrying long and heavy telephoto lenses for my project on the Arctic Fox.

Two Canon EOS 1DX’s and a EOS 5DSR  will be my cameras of choice for these trips. Although the new Canon EOS-1DX MKII has been announced it will be some time before actual delivery and as such I will continue to shoot with the EOS 1DX as my primary cameras.

Gura Gear Bataflae 32L: (carry on luggage – Believe it or not this does all fit in the one camera bag!)

  • Canon EOS 1DX Pro Body Camera x2
  • Canon EOS 5DSR Body
  • Canon 16-35mm F4L IS
  • Canon 11-24mm F4L
  • Canon 24-70mm F2.8L MKII Lens
  • Canon 70-200mm F2.8L IS MKII Lens
  • Canon 6000mm F4L IS MKII Lens
  • 1 x Spare Battery for the 1DX’s
  • 2 x Spare Batteries for the 5DSR
  • Leica Ultra-Vid HD Binoculars
  • Cable Release
  • Assorted CF and SD Cards totalling around 100 Gigabytes
  • Rocket Blower and Dust Cleaning paraphernalia
  • Complete LEE Foundation and Filter Kit with Soft and Hard ND Graduated filters and LEE Polariser

On my last visit to Namibia I carried two TSE lenses specifically for photography at Kolmanskop ghost town in Namibia. This abandoned town is the ideal location for Tilt and Shift lenses and I found them extremely useful during my time there. However, I decided against TSE lenses for this trip as I am already carrying an extensive array of lenses and I want to try a different approach to this location on this trip.

Gura Gear Chobe Bag: (carry on luggage)

  • 15″ Macbook Pro with Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CS6 with the Nik Plugin suite
  • MacBook Power Adapter
  • Canon 200-400mm F4L IS Lens with inbuilt 1.4 TC (Watch the Unboxing Video)
  • 1 x LACIE Thunderbolt External 1TB Hard Drive for in the field Back Up.
  • Various Power Adapters / Chargers and Associated Cables
  • Canon 1DX / 1DS MK3 Battery  Charger
  • Sandisk USB CF and SD Card reader
  • Passport / iPhone / Wallet
  • Portable battery for charging iPhone and other devices
  • A lot of these items I store inside Gura Gear Etcetera cases inside the Chobe. (These cases are fabulous for organising accessories)

On top of the above I have two North Face duffle bags with the rest of my clothes and gear. Getting all of this to Antarctica and then onto forward destinations is always a challenge, but once on location the benefit of having the right equipment makes all the hardship worthwhile. See you in South America…