Lofoten Islands Workshop 2016 SOLD OUT

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

I have been meaning to announce a new workshop to the Lofoten Islands for sometime now but due to my travel commitments it has been sitting on the back burner along with a number of other projects. The Lofoten Islands are approximately 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle, west of Norway. The village of Reine on the island of Moskenesoya will be our base for six nights situated in some of the most picturesque mountain scenery rising precipitously out of the fjords. Reine has often been described as one of the most beautiful places on earth. If we are lucky and blessed with clear skies, we will be able to witness the Aurora Borealis and the magic of the Northern Lights as they flicker across the night skies. Besides the incredible wealth of photographic locations in the vicinity of Reine, we will use local Fjordskyss ferry service to Vinstad and to the tiny hamlet of Kjerkfjorden, both of which are surrounded by towering granite mountains. Our private transportation will allow to access some of the iconic beaches near Leknes which might be covered in snow.

During March, the days are short with sunrise at approximately 6:30am and sunset around 6:00pm. Given our northern location, the sun will be low in the sky providing soft, magnificent light conditions, for all day photography. Please note that due to the initial expressions of interest and subsequent bookings the trip is already sold out.  If you would like to be added to the wait list please just drop me an email at info@jholko.com. You can download more information including a detailed itinerary and PDF from my website at www.jholko.com.Lofoten

April Photo of the Month Winner: Nita Gulbas

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife Photographs1 Comment

Congratulations to the fourth print winner ‘Nita Gulbas’, for the photograph of the month for April 2015: ‘Polar Bear Blues’.

What Nita said: This image shows the world of the Polar Bear and the vanishing world it must survive in. The isolation of the bear on it’s bed of ice, where they are happy to be. In addition, the difficult environment that should remain theirs, not to be invaded my mankind and hunted to near extinction.

Congratulations Nita, you were the first, and your print will be sent to you shortly after Easter.Polar Bear Blues

Keep an eye out on my blog for the next print giveaway with the May photograph of the month. Remember the best way to get instant updates is to subscribe via email.

2015 April Photograph of the Month: Polar Bear Blues

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs19 Comments

The photograph of the month for April 2015 was taken during my recent expedition to photograph Polar Bears in Svalbard in the Arctic this winter. If you have been following my blog (or read the story in the news) you will know that this bear was unfortunately shot dead only a few days after this photograph was taken (You can read my thoughts on this tragedy that could have so easily been avoided). The investigation into the death of this bear and the circumstances that led up to the attack and shooting are currently under investigation. I hope to report the findings of the investigation when they are released later this month.

This particular photograph is a very emotional image for me because of the tragic set of circumstances that led up to the death of this magnificent animal and the time I had spent photographing it only days earlier. I debated with myself for quite some time about wether to make this the photograph of the month for April and ultimately decided I would like this print to go to someone who will not only appreciate the print, but also the story behind it. I watched and photographed this magnificent Polar Bear play around this piece of blue ice against the backdrop of the glacier in Tempelfjorden in Svalbard for well over an hour. It was one of the most playful Polar Bears I have ever encountered and watching it climb over and play around this piece of blue ice was a very unique and special experience. I also photographed the same bear two days before this image as it lay on a fresh seal kill under the polar winter sunset. Polar Bear BluesYou can Win a free Fine art Print  13″ x 19″ of this photograph including shipping anywhere in the world. All you need do is to be the first to comment on this post on the home page with your thoughts on why you like this photograph or why you would like to own a print of the image and then share the post with your preferred social media outlet. Just keep in mind that due to my hectic travel schedule it may take me some time to make and post out each print so if you are the lucky winner for a given month I ask that you jut exercise a little patience and as soon as I am back in my studio in Australia and as soon as practical I will make the print and send it to you – free of charge. Each print will be made and personally signed by me with the same care and attention to detail I exercise on my large gallery prints. There will be a total of twelve prints to win throughout the calendar year. The first three prints of the year were won by Fred Jennings, Chris Roberts and Caroline Hind and their prints have now been delivered, framed by them and are hanging on their walls (Caroline your print is shipping next week).

Good luck and don’t forget in order to win the print you need to be the first to comment here on the home page on the April photograph of the Month for the 2015 calendar year with your thoughts on why you like the photograph or why you would like to own a print and to then share the post with your social media outlet of choice.

Polar Bears on the Edge – Heading for Extinction

Posted in Arctic, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography2 Comments

It isn’t often I get on board for a crowd funding project. Frankly there are so many of them these days that deserve support that its impossible to contribute to them all. However, the recent events in Svalbard with the senseless death of a young female Polar Bear (I photographed this bear only days earlier) combined with my own additional experience witnessing the decline of these magnificent animals in the wild puts this particular effort at the forefront of my thinking and efforts. I want to urge all of you to help save the Polar Bear and to take just a few moments out of your day to do so.

Morten Jørgensen, who is arguably the leading authority on Polar Bears, is about to release a new book to help save this incredible animal from extinction. The book “Polar Bears on the Edge” has taken two years to write and I believe this will probably be the most important book about polar bear conservation in many years. In fact, it may well be one of the last chances to help save the species.20150319032943-isbj_rn.vinkel.s_1200The book ‘Polar Bears on the Edge – Heading for Extinction while Management Fails’, will be available to the general public including the press towards the end of April this year. You can order an advance copy by contributing to the campaign. To help fund the message of the book out to as wide an audience as possible, Morten has launched a campaign to cover the costs of production and distribution. This fund raising is not for profit – it is for polar bears.

Please check it out at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/polar-bears-on-the-edge I encourage and urge you to assist in whatever means you feel comfortable and able. To ensure polar bears have a future, we need to see a policy change in the Arctic. One way you can contribute to helping the polar bears is by donating to the campaign. But you can also contribute by spreading the word. You could forward this page to people around you, let people know through your mailing lists, through Facebook and Twitter etc, or embed the link to the campaign on your webpages. I encourage you wether you are a photographer or not to contribute to this campaign. Every little bit helps and with your support we can hopefully save this magnificent animal.
Polar Bear

Polar Bear Shot Dead in Svalbard because of the Ignorance of Tourists

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs11 Comments

Today I am sharing a photograph I took less than a week ago in Svalbard whilst I was on a scouting trip to photograph Polar Bears in winter from snow mobile. I watched and photographed this magnificent Polar Bear play around this piece of blue ice against the backdrop of the glacier in Tempelfjorden in Svalbard for several hours only days ago. The teenage bear had been in the fjord for days and had been hunting seals at breathing holes along the edge of the frozen ice. I photographed the same bear two days before this image as it lay on a fresh seal kill under the polar winter sunset.

I was deeply saddened and moved to tears today to learn that this Polar Bear is now Dead. Shot dead because of the ignorance and arrogance of tourists who travelled to Svalbard to witness the Solar Eclipse. From what I have been able to piece together from the various news reports now popping up online it seems a tourist suffered minor injuries when the polar bear attacked the tent where he was sleeping. An area where the bear was known to be hunting and where these tourists irresponsibly set up their camp. Svalbard-RIPPolice spokesman Vidar Arnesen said the man was among a group of six that was on a combined ski and snow scooter trip on the remote islands more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of the Norwegian mainland. The group was camping north of the main town of Longyearbyen.

The man, Jakub Moravec, told local media he hoped to be out of the hospital later Thursday.

“Now I am fine. I have some scratches in the face, on one arm and on the back. But I feel fine,” he told the Svalbardposten newspaper.

Jakub Moravec I am glad you feel fine. You don’t deserve to feel fine. It is because of you and your friends ignorance and stupidity that this beautiful Polar Bear had to be killed. Tent camping in an area a Polar Bear is known to be currently in is not only incredibly stupid, but its incredibly ignorant. Shame on you. I hope the life of this bear that you and your friends caused the death of haunts you for a very long time.