In a couple of hours I will be making my way to the South Island of New Zealand in preparation for my 2016 Masterclass workshop. It has been a full year since I was last in New Zealand and I am very much looking forward to returning to this magical country. May is a wonderful time to be visiting and photographing in the South Island; the fall colours will be just about at their peak and the weather is usually quite stable with fresh crisp mornings and rosy pink light.
We are looking forward to photographing around the island including several planned aerial shoots over the spectacular Southern Alps. Aerial photography from helicopter with the doors removed is an incredible experience over these majestic mountains. This photograph from the 2015 Masterclass was taken just on sunrise near Mount cook. Temperatures were will into the sub zero range and the resulting wind chill without the doors meant it was more than a little chilly. The results though are worth all the pins and needles…
I am also looking forward to putting the new Canon EOS 1DX MKII cameras through their paces during this workshop. Over the last year I have been photographing with the Canon EOS 1DX and the EOS 5DSR 50 mega pixel camera. My experience with the 5DSR has been somewhat of a mixed bag and I have to say that on the whole I generally prefer the files from the original EOS 1DX (especially above the 5DSR’s base ISO of 100). Quite honestly, 50 mega pixels is just a whole lot more than I need for the vast majority of my photography and so I find myself reaching less and less for the 5DSR. The initial testing I have done with the new EOS 1DX MKII shows the files are considerably improved from the original 1DX; which in conjunction with the other improvements has me very excited about this new camera. I will have more to say about my thoughts on the new Canon EOS 1DX MKII in a future post as well as my thoughts on the current state of equipment in the industry.
For now, its time for a last luggage check and then its time to make my way to the airport. See you in the South Island of New Zealand.
Backlighting also works well at Iceland’s famous black sand beach with the sun illuminating its translucent icebergs.
This expedition departed from Punta Arenas in South America. Punta Arenas has quickly become my preferred departure point for expeditions to Antarctica. The Chileans just seem to be much better organised with their airport timing than the Argentinians and everything seems to run like a well oiled machine. Although Chile also charges a reciprocity fee on entry for Australians (and Americans) it can at least be paid on arrival without having to pre-purchase.
As we sailed through the passage the light just continued to get better and better, reaching its peak in colour around the narrowest point in the channel. I have been fortunate to venture through the Lemaire channel on many occasions now and this was without doubt the very best light I have yet experienced in this remarkable location. The light actually proved quite challenging in post production as the color in the sky was so intense and the reflected light contained such a strong color caste from the sky that white balance selection was somewhat difficult. In the end the above photograph taken from the front bow of the ship with the cameras auto white balance best matched my recollection of the morning.
We also visited the surreal Deception Island (one of my personal favourite places in Antarctica for photography). Conditions were misty, with low cloud and strong winds on our arrival, which provided a chance to capture some evocative moody images. Deception Island never fails to disappoint with its myriad of rusty whalers remnants that make for interesting subject matter. 
Over the course of the expedition we encountered over 100 whales including Humpbacks. Orcas, Fin whales, Hour Glass Dolphins, Peale’s Dolphins and Minke Whales. We also saw and photographed numerous Albatross including Black-browed, Grey Headed, Sooty, Wandering and Light Mantled as well as numerous other Antarctic bird species.
Our return drake crossing proved a little bumpier than our first crossing, but on the whole was relatively mild.
I will be leading a new Antarctica expedition in 2017 that I am code naming ‘Iceberg Hunter’, that is dedicated to photographers and the photography of icebergs and antarctic landscapes. This expedition will depart earlier than all previous trips (in late October) in order to provide us with the best chance to find and photograph icebergs of all sizes and shapes (including giant tabulars) in good light. If you would like to get the jump on this expedition you can register your interest now (no obligation at this point) by dropping me an email at 
In 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.
This 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.
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. 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.
You can download a complete itinerary and information PDF 
