Category: Workshops and Expeditions

Workshops and Expeditions around the world.

Wrangle Island The Russian Arctic Trip Delayed until 2022

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Russia, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs, Workshops and ExpeditionsLeave a comment

My planned expedition to the Russian Arctic and Wrangle Island next year (2021) has now been delayed until 2022 . This delay is an indirect result of the ongoing COVID-19 situation with all ship charters being pushed back.

The Wrangle Island expedition crosses the Arctic Circle and includes the isolated and pristine Wrangel and Herald Islands and a significant section of the wild North Eastern Siberian coastline. It is a journey only made possible in recent years by the thawing in the politics of the region and the retreat of summer pack ice in the Chukchi Sea. The very small distance between Russia and the USA along this border area was known as the Ice Curtain, behind which then and now lies one of the last great undiscovered wilderness areas in the world. The voyage journeys through the narrow Bering Strait, which separates Russia from the United States of America, and then travels west along the Chukotka coastline before crossing the De Long Strait to Wrangel Island. There we will spend four to five days photographing under the guidance of local rangers on the nature reserve. Untouched by glaciers during the last ice age, this island is a treasure trove of Arctic biodiversity and is perhaps best known for the multitude of Polar Bears that breed here. We hope to photograph this beautiful mammal in its native environment. The island also boasts the world’s largest population of Pacific Walrus and lies near major feeding grounds for the Gray Whales that migrate thousands of kilometres north from their breeding grounds in Baja, Mexico. Reindeer, Musk Ox and Snow Geese can normally be seen further inland. A visit to massive bird cliffs on nearby Herald Island is also planned. Full details are available on my website at www.jholko.com/workshops.

 

Arctic Fox Expedition Adobe Spark Presentation

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For those who are interested in a future expedition to the remote north of Iceland to photograph Arctic Fox in a beautiful winter setting I have put together a short Adobe Spark Presentation and Website  with some teaser photographs and some information on the expedition. Of course, more photographs are also available on my website at www.jholko.com.

Iceberg in Antarctica

COVID Update Polar Bears of the High Arctic 2020 Delayed until 2021

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife Photographs, Workshops and ExpeditionsLeave a comment

As a direct result of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis that originated in China and the continual travel bans and closure of countries around the world my 2020 Polar Bears of the High Arctic expedition to Svalbard is being delayed until 2021. Full details are on my website in the Workshops link.

 

Photo of the Month May 2020 – Wild Wolf

Posted in Finland, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs, Workshops and ExpeditionsLeave a comment

The photograph of the month for May 2020 comes from my Finland workshop in September last year to photograph Wolves and Wolverines (Read the Trip Report). Photographed from a ground level hide in no mans land between Finland and Russia during the first late Autumn snowfall; this photograph captures for me the very essence of a wild wolf. The gesture with the raised paw and angle of attack of the animals head in combination with the intense glare makes for a powerful and emotive photograph.

By way of a little back story to this photograph – I had actually dragged a small portable ground level hide into this location specifically for the clean and distant forest background in combination with the soft grasses in the foreground. I was then very fortunate to have this young wolf approach within 600mm range just as the first snow was beginning to fall. Finland has very quickly become one of my favourite destinations on the planet for wildlife photography and I am looking forward to returning later this year (assuming we are all able to travel!).  I will have a video on the post production of the photograph in Adobe Lightroom in coming days.

Workshop and Expedition Bookings COVID-19 Update 2020

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It is fair to say that the pandemic and global shutdown that is currently ongoing has made for a rather troubling start to the 2020 year. There is a lot of uncertainty and doubt around the new self isolation, social distancing and travel restrictions that are in place around the world. And, there is of course obvious doubt and concern around current and future travel – wether it be personal or business.

There have been a number of enquiries made over the last couple of weeks to my Wild Nature Photo Travel business regarding how to safely book onto a future workshop or expedition to both avoid missing out on a place and to avoid any potential financial loss should a trip fail to run. Given the current state of affairs I am now holding places on future trips without deposits and without further obligation at this point. This allows anyone to safely put their name down for a future trip without the concern of having to place a non-refundable deposit.  Trips will then be formalised much closer to their planned starting date and payments arranged at this time should anyone wish to proceed. There is absolutely no obligation to proceed if for any reason you are prevented from travel, or choose not to travel for any reason. In effect, this new system allows anyone to hold a place on any trip without deposit and to cancel for any reason up to the point payments will be finalised (typically 90 days prior to commencement of a workshop/expedition).

This new booking methodology is being put in place immediately to ease any concerns regarding wether an expedition or workshop will proceed and will apply to all future bookings from today (10th April 2020) until further notice. If there are any queries or questions regarding holding a place on a future trip please do not hesitate to drop me an email at any time.

For workshops and expeditions where payments have already been received each trip is being dealt with on an individual basis in the interests of the attendees and the successful execution of the trip. In some cases this will mean deferral of the trip until a later date.