I was recently interviewed by StudioVox on my photography, thought process and background and the contents of the interview are now online. You can download a PDF of the complete interview HERE.
I am now in Iceland and enjoying a couple of days of R&R before Daniel Bergmann and I kick off our 2015 Highlands Workshop. Looking forward to getting off the tourist route and photographing in the highlands of Landmannalaugar and Veiðivötn in the heart of Iceland with a fantastic group of people. The 2015 Highlands Workshop has long been sold out – but there are still a few places on the 2016 Highlands expeditions. Don’t miss this workshop into the very best parts of Iceland.
I also have a single female twin-share place that has become available this year on my expedition to South Georgia in November. If you are interested in travelling and photographing in South Georgia please just drop me an email for further details. This expedition has an extended permit for South Georgia and due to ship logistics it will likely be the last expedition I lead to South Georgia on a small ship. If you want to get an idea what it is like to travel and photograph in South Georgia be sure to watch the short video.
Category: Workshops and Expeditions
Workshops and Expeditions around the world.
BBC News Features Travel Photographer of the Year Images
I just wrapped up my 2015 Wild Polar Bears expedition in and around the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic and was very pleased to learn on my return to Longyearbyen yesterday that BBC News had just featured the best images from the 2014 Travel Photographer of the Year Awards including one of my own from Svalbard.
I will have a full travel report later in September when I return to Australia on the Wild Polar Bear expedition. In brief: During the ten day expedition we encountered numerous Polar Bears on the pack ice around the archipelago including three individual bears on separate seal kills which resulted in some really incredible images from all participants. We also saw and photographed Walrus, Reindeer, Arctic Fox, numerous sea birds including the rare and angelic Ivory Gull as well as dramatic arctic landscapes. I am really looking forward to editing and processing some of the photographs from this expedition when I return to Australia as well as seeing some of the finished images from all aboard the expedition.
I am now headed to Iceland for my 2015 Highlands Expedition before I return to Svalbard for one more Polar Bear expedition (The Kingdom of the Ice Bear) this year. See you in Iceland.
Departing for Wild Polar Bears and the Iceland Highlands 2015
I am not exactly sure where the time has gone since I returned home to Australia from New Zealand a month or so ago, but tomorrow I will make the long journey back to Svalbard in the Arctic for my 2015 Wild Polar Bear expedition. I have been looking forward to this expedition for quite some time now and have been eager to get back to Svalbard and the land of the Polar Bear since my winter expedition earlier this year. Svalbard is an incredible place and one of the best places in the world to see and photograph wild Polar Bears living and hunting at the edge of the permanent pack ice. On this expedition we are using a small ice hardened vessel that will enable us to get in nice and close to drift ice around Svalbard. Importantly, it has nice low decks so we can get down to eye level with our subjects. With this expedition being limited to just twelve participants we will have plenty of room for everyone to photograph at once from both ship and zodiac and I am super excited to share this experience with all aboard. As well as Polar Bears, we will also likely photograph Walrus, Arctic Fox and a great many Arctic sea birds during our expedition.
After we finish up our Polar Bear Expedition I am heading to Iceland for my 2015 Highlands workshop. The Highlands of Iceland are the heart of the country and the jewel in the crown of Iceland’s landscapes. I am really looking forward to the opportunity to photograph in the highlands again with a passionate group of photographers and to be able to put the new Canon EOS 5DSR 50 mega pixel camera through its paces in this active landscape of colour and light. It has been just over a year since I was last in the Highlands and although I have visited this area many times it remains my absolute favourite place in Iceland to Photograph. The only thing better than actually photographing in this incredible location is getting to share it with other passionate photographers! The 2015 Highlands workshop has long been sold out – but if you are interested in photographing in this incredible part of Iceland I will be leading two workshops to the Highlands next year in late August and September with Daniel Bergmann and there are still a few places available. Just drop me an email to register your interest.Once we finish up our Highlands workshop I am heading back to Svalbard with Daniel Bergmann for our Kingdom of the Ice Bear expedition. Also accompanying us on this expedition will be a two person film crew from Untitled Film Works and we hope to produce a short film of our experiences during the expedition similar to what we produced in Greenland and Svalbard two years ago – Watch the previous video HERE. Both the Polar Bear expeditions have been sold out for many months, but there is a single place remaining on the 2016 expedition and details are on my website at www.jholko.com The ice conditions in Svalbard this year have been better than the previous ten years and I am hopeful we will have some really fabulous photographic encounters with Polar Bears during both expeditions.
In terms of equipment for these expeditions I am taking everything from 11mm (Canon’s new 11-24mm) to 600mm lenses as well as two Canon EOS 1DX cameras (specifically for wildlife) and the new EOS 5DSR camera (specifically for landscape).
Just as an aside: Over the last twenty four months of international travel the airlines have managed to destroy two of the expensive North Face Rolling Thunder duffles; which I had been using for my checked luggage. These are some of the toughest and largest rolling bags I have come across and come with a lifetime warranty (and to North Face’s credit they have replaced the bag both times). It amazes me that the airlines can actually be rough enough to destroy these bags (it really would take some pretty serious effort). Rather than risk a third bag I have switched back to the normal North Face Expedition Duffle (lets see how they go with this one). Whilst these duffles don’t have rollers, they are slightly larger and significantly lighter than the rolling version; which is always a bonus. I will carry both a Gura Gear Bataflae 32L and a Gura Gear Chobe for my camera bags as well as a large Ortlieb waterproof duffle for zodiac excursions. See you in Svalbard.
Iceland the Highlands Workshops 2016 Open for Bookings
I am very excited to announce that I will be leading two workshops to Iceland in summer next year with my good friend and Iceland local Daniel Bergmann. Both workshops will have an emphasis on different regions of the Highlands as well as different coastal areas. These are workshops that will get you off the usual tourist route and into some of the more inaccessible, interesting and least visited areas of Iceland. We all also visit a few of the iconic locations as well as a few tucked away gems we want to keep up our sleeves. If you have never been to Iceland before and want to avoid the tourist traps, or if you are an Iceland regular and want to get into new territory then these are the workshops for you.The first workshop will run from August 14th until August 23rd 2016 and will focus on the Highlands and Northern area of Iceland. We will also visit the precipitous basalt cliffs and rock formations of the Snaefellsness Peninusla, amongst many other areas. You can download a detailed itinerary and information PDF form for the first workshop HERE.
The second workshop will run from the 28th of August until the 6th of September 2016 and will focus on the Southern Highlands and eastern coastal regions of Iceland. Our intention on this workshop is to focus on some of the lesser known highland areas in the southern part of Iceland. We will also visit the precipitous ocean lined mountains at Stokksnes as well as vising the spectacular Laki Volcano and the world famous Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. You can download a detailed itinerary and information PDF form for the second workshop HERE.
We have chosen August and early September for these workshops as this is an ideal time to visit Iceland for photography. The days are still long with Sunrise around 5 a.m. and sunset just before 10 p.m. The best light for landscape photography is therefore during the evening and early morning. This means that we may have an early dinner and then head out to photograph and sometimes be out before breakfast for a morning shoot. On cloudy days we’ll have a more normal routine. What we’ll do exactly on any given day will be decided around the weather and other conditions and there will be small changes to our original plan to make the most of our time in each area.
A small group of participants (maximum of 12 plus leaders per workshop) guarantees a more personal and intimate experience than bigger tours can provide. This 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. We will be travelling in a large off road ‘super jeep’ 4-wheel drive to give us plenty of space for camera equipment and gear. 
Cost: The cost for each workshop is $7,450 USD. There is no single supplement and single rooms will be provided wherever possible.
Duration: 11 days/10 nights for each workshop
Includes: Accommodation for ten nights in single rooms. Food and beverages (excluding alcohol). All transport during the duration of the workshop in a modified 4-wheel drive vehicle. All tuition and guiding services.
Excludes: International flights, travel insurance and alcohol
Group size: 12 per workshop
Due to initial bookings and expressions of interest places on both these workshops is already limited. If you would like to register your interest for one of the remaining places or would like additional information please contact me at info@jholko.com.
The Emperor Penguin Expedition 2016 – SOLD OUT
The Emperor penguin is considered by many photographers to be the Holy Grail of wildlife photography. No other animal live so far south in Antarctica and is so difficult to visit. Photographers travelling to Antarctica live in the hope of catching even a glimpse of the world’s largest penguin during their adventure. The reality is though, that very few people ever get to see and photograph this majestic penguin on their Antarctic expedition. The Emperors live on the sea ice deep in Antarctica and short of stumbling across a vagrant there is little to no chance of even sighting (let-alone photographing) this bird on an Antarctic expedition. Even those ship based expeditions that set off with the intention of finding and photographing Emperors fail many more times than they succeed because of sea ice conditions and difficulties in reaching the colonies. There is a way to visit and photograph the Emperors that all but ensures success and I am really excited and thrilled to now be offering this opportunity for a very select few photographers.
With the Emperor Penguins living so far south on the sea ice this expedition will be utilizing a privately chartered transport jet to access our first base camp at Union Glacier deep in Antarctica. We will then utilize a privately chartered Twin-Otter aircraft to take us to the remote Emperor Penguin colony where we will establish a field camp for the duration of our expedition. 
This expedition has been more than two years in the planning and has been designed to provide the very best possible opportunities to Photograph Emperor Penguins in their natural environment. By using chartered planes we can avoid the problems and uncertainty associated with ship based expeditions not being able to reach the colony due to sea ice conditions. Establishing a field camp means we can also photograph during the polar night when the light is soft and ethereal. Our time with the Emperors will be an extended one and provide us ample opportunities to photograph these majestic birds amidst a backdrop of spectacular glaciers and pressure ridges.
During the expedition we will be 1,870 miles (over 3000km) from the southern tip of Chile and only a stone’s throw away from Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica. The South Pole will be just over 600 miles (1000km) away. Our geographic location will be 79°46’S 82°52’W. And our elevation 2, 297ft (700m) above sea level. This will be further south than I have previously ever ventured and is an area very rarely visited by humans.
Given the logistics, and cost involved this expedition is certainly not for everyone. To my knowledge this is the first time this expedition has been offered as a workshop for dedicated wildlife photographers and I am really excited about this new photographic expedition and very much looking forward to the experience. Due to the initial expressions of interest and subsequent bookings the expedition is already completely sold out, but if you would like to be put on the waiting list you can still register your interest by emailing me at info@jholk.com. You can download a complete PDF itinerary and information flyer from my website at www.jholko.com in the Workshops tab.
Please note that due to the nature of this expedition and the logistic difficulty of reaching and camping with the Emperor Penguins that this unique opportunity is unlikely to be repeated in subsequent years.
About Emperor Penguins
The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching 122 cm (48 in) in height and weighing anywhere from 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb). The dorsal side and head are black and sharply delineated from the white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ear patches. Like all penguins it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat.
Its diet consists primarily of fish, but can also include crustaceans, such as krill, and cephalopods, such as squid. In hunting, the species can remain submerged up to 18 minutes, diving to a depth of 535 m (1,755 ft). It has several adaptations to facilitate this, including an unusually structured hemoglobin to allow it to function at low oxygen levels, solid bones to reduce barotrauma, and the ability to reduce its metabolism and shut down non-essential organ functions.
The only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, emperor penguins trek 50–120 km (31–75 mi) over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed; parents subsequently take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick in the colony. The lifespan is typically 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individuals may live to 50 years of age.
The emperor penguin has a circumpolar distribution in the Antarctic almost exclusively between the 66° and 77° south latitudes. It almost always breeds on stable pack ice near the coast and up to 18 km (11 mi) offshore.
The emperor penguin is a social animal in its nesting and its foraging behaviour; birds hunting together may coordinate their diving and surfacing.Individuals may be active day or night.
In 2012 the emperor penguin was uplisted from a species of least concern to near threatened by the IUCN. Along with nine other species of penguin, it is currently under consideration for inclusion under the US Endangered Species Act.
www.WILDNATUREPHOTOTRAVEL.com 