Category: Workshops and Expeditions

Workshops and Expeditions around the world.

Self Isolation Freedom Day!

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

Today is Freedom Day! After fourteen days of self isolation after my return from the East Coast of Greenland I can finally emerge from my home office and makeshift bedroom and enjoy the newly imposed restrictions here in Australia – fate it seems is not without a sense of irony. Freedom day includes a photograph I made in September last year by the shores of a placid lake near the cabin we were using on my Finland workshop. With a soft fog slowly rising at dawn and perfectly still waters the scene was set for some wonderful landscape imagery. Finland in Autumn has quickly become one of my top favourite destinations for both wildlife and landscape photography.

The photograph was taken hand held with the Canon EOS 1DX MK2 with the Canon 16-35mm at ISO800 f11 at 1/500th of a second. I will be returning to Finland in September this year (provided the world returns to some sense of normality) to lead another workshop to this amazing location for Wolves, Wolverine and Bears (only two places remaining).

Self Isolation Day Fourteen – Big Brown Bear

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Day fourteen of mandatory self isolation (freedom tomorrow!) includes a photograph I made in September last year of a large adult male Brown Bear emerging from the forest on the Finland / Russia Border. I had actually positioned myself in a small portable ground level hide along a game trail where I had seen wolves the evening before in the hope they would come back (they did just before dark). I had not expected this large fellow to come wandering out of the forest! The bear came within just a dozen feet of my hide on his way past which gave me a great opportunity to photograph him with the beautiful soft grasses in the foreground.

The photograph was taken from a small ground level portable hide, hand held with the Canon EOS 1DX MK2 with the Canon 600mm f4L IS MK3 at ISO1600 f5.6 at 1/400th of a second. I will be returning to Finland in September this year to lead another workshop to this amazing location for Wolves, Wolverine and Bears (only two places remaining).

Self Isolation Day Thirteen – Snowy Owl in Snowfall

Posted in Canada, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife Photographs, Workshops and ExpeditionsLeave a comment

Day thirteen of mandatory self isolation (Just the rest of today and tomorrow to go!) includes a photograph I made on my last Snowy Owl workshop in January this year (Read the Trip Report). 2020 was a low snow year for our workshop and we had to very much work around the little snow we had. We were fortunate to have one day with light snow fall; which was I felt our most productive and successful day. This photograph works for me both because of the added dimension of the falling snow, but also because of the soft grey trees in the background.

The photograph was taken hand held with the Canon EOS 1DX MK2 with the Canon 400mm f2.8L IS MK3 at ISO400 f5.6 at 1/1000th of a second.

Iceberg in Antarctica

Photo of the Month April 2020 – Finland Placid Lake

Posted in Finland, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Workshops and Expeditions2 Comments

The photograph of the month for April 2020 comes from my Finland workshop in September last year. It has also been a while since I have posted a landscape photograph as my image of the month. Taken very early on a still morning with rising fog by the side of a placid lake near our cabin, this photograph epitomises for me the peace, tranquility and silent beauty of the Finland forest in Autumn. This photograph really works for me on an emotive level. The soft distant trees in combination with the still lake and contrasting reeds gives a strong sense of peace and tranquility.

I will be leading another workshop to this part of northern Finland in October this year (provided the world recovers from the Chinese Wuhan COVID-19 pandemic) for a small group of just six photographers (only two places remaining). Although this workshop is dedicated to the photography of Wolves, Wolverine and Bears it should be noted that there are also many really superb landscape opportunities.

Self Isolation Day Nine – Snowy Owl Take Off

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

Day nine of mandatory self isolation (getting closer to freedom!) includes a photograph I made in January this year of a Snowy Owl on my Snowy Owl workshop in Canada. Snowy Owls are without doubt my favourite bird to photograph. They are incredibly majestic with iridescent yellow eyes. This particular photograph works for me because of the gesture and position of the bird as it takes off.

The photograph was taken hand held with the Canon EOS 1DX MK2 with the Canon 400mm f2.8L IA MK3.  Camera Settings: ISO800 f5.6, 1/1000th of a second. I will be leading another workshop for Snowy Owls in January 2021 (provided the world recovers from the Chinese Wuhan COVID-19 pandemic) for a small group of just six photographers (only one place remaining).