A couple of years ago I did a short video where I demonstrated some techniques that utilised the Nik suite of plug-ins for processing photographs with ice and snow. Specifically, how you use the Tonal Contrast filter in Color-EFX Pro to ensure you had both tone and contrast in your snow and ice (without tone and texture in snow and ice all you have is a flat white scene). Google (who owns Nik) has more or less abandoned the entire Nik suite in recent times (and updates have been non-existent) so I have likewise abandoned Nik and switched over to the Luminar plugin by MacPhun. As a result of this switch I wanted to demonstrate how you can not only achieve the same effect as the Tonal Contrast filter in Nik with the Luminar suite, but actually have even more control over the results. As an added bonus the Luminar plug-in also runs a lot faster than the old Nik plug in. The short video below demonstrates how to achieve wonderful texture and tone in your snow and ice in just a few steps. Just click on the image below to watch the video.
Category: Video
Digital Trends – Feature Interview with Polar Photographer Joshua Holko
Two days ago I returned to Punta Arenas at the bottom of South America from my expedition to photograph the world’s largest Emperor Penguin colony at Gould Bay in a very remote part of Antarctica. To date this trip represents the most complicated, most logistically difficult, and most weather dependant (as well as highest cost) trip I have ever undertaken. This was an absolutely life changing experience that I will have a full report on when I return home around the middle of December. In the meantime, I have uploaded a couple of video snippets I shot during the expedition that will give you some insight into what the expedition was like. Just click on the images below to play the videos.
I also wanted to share a recent interview I did with Digital Trends on Polar Photography, my thoughts on wildlife photography and global warming. My thanks to Bill Schiffner at Digital Trends for the interview.
During the 2016 PhotoPlus show in New York City, Digital Trends sat down with the winner of the 2015 Global Arctic Photographer of the Year award, Joshua Holko, and talked to him about how he got into photographing polar bears in the Arctic and penguins of the Antarctic (far treks from his home in warmer Australia), the effects of global warming, and his methods. Holko runs photography workshops and expeditions to some of the world’s wildest and remotest regions in both the Arctic and Antarctic.
You can read the full interview online: Digital Trends Interview with Joshua Holko
Tomorrow I am leaving South America and flying to the Falkland Islands where I will board our ship Polar Pioneer for my last expedition of the year to South Georgia Island and Antarctica – Photographers First Light. I am looking forward to sharing this expedition with all aboard and special invitees the Canon Collective. Having Canon Australia aboard for this expedition is going to be a fantastic boon for all aboard. Canon are providing access to a wide range of some of the latest professional camera equipment (including Canon EOS 1DX Mark II and 5D MKIV cameras and a wide range of Professional L series lenses) for our exclusive use in the field during the expedition. I will have no internet for the next few weeks so this will be my last planned update until I return in early December. See you in time for Christmas.
Arctic Arts Presents at Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik Iceland
The Arctic Arts Project of which I am a project photographer is in final preparation for The Arctic Circle assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland, where we will be co-presenting with Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, Earth Vision Institute and Stefansson Institute. With Photographers: Kerry Koepping, Örvar A. Þorgeirsson, Joshua Holko, Iurie Belegurschi, Carsten Egevang, Andy Williams and Marc Muench. Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend in person due to my other travel commitments. However, I can share a preview of the video we will be showing at the Assembly. Just click on the image below. Read more about the Arctic Circle Assembly HERE.
Kingdom of the Ice Bear – Movie Release
In August this year (2015) I took a small film crew (Untitled Film Works) with me on a photographic expedition to the very edge of the permanent pack ice, high above the Arctic circle. At our most northerly position we were a mere 500 nautical miles from the North Pole. The film crew documented our expedition as we searched for and photographed the increasingly rare, elusive and threatened Polar Bear. During the expedition we also photographed stunning Arctic landscapes as well as other Arctic wildlife including Walrus, Arctic Fox, Reindeer, and more. It was our intention to capture and share the experience of what it is actually like to travel on a dedicated photographic expedition with a small group of passionate photographers. I am now thrilled to release the short movie of our experiences – Kingdom of the Ice Bear. Be sure to dim the lights, crank up the volume and enjoy. My sincere thank you to Untitled Film Works and all of those participants who partook in this extraodinary expedition – thank you. Just click on the image below to play the movie.
If you are interested in travelling to the Arctic to Photograph Polar Bears in their natural environment I will be leading two expeditions in 2016 (Sold Out) and 2017. Please email me for additional information or to register your interest.
ViewBug Wanderer Photo Contest – A Judges Thought Process
I recently judged the Wanderer Photo contest for ViewBug website and was subsequently interviewed a few days ago by Laurie Rubin on my thoughts on what makes a winning photograph and what I look for when judging photography competitions. The interview is now online and can be viewed HERE or by clicking on the image below. Enjoy.
www.WILDNATUREPHOTOTRAVEL.com 