These are some of my personal favourite photographs from throughout each calendar year – one for each month. Higher-resolution versions of these photographs can be seen on my portfolio website at www.jholko.com. None of my photographs are HDR (High Dynamic Range) or composite images. All photographs are captured from single exposures in the field. The majority of my photographs are processed in Adobe Lightroom.

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DECEMBER 2023

The photograph of the month for December 2023 comes from my recent Finland extension (Read the Trip Report) and is of a Blue Tit on an Autumn branch during a light rain shower. This photograph was set up using a hide, and the specially chosen branch (for its fiery colour) was deliberately placed next to a nearby feeder station. It was then simply a matter of patience to wait for the bird to stage onto the branch. The branch location was chosen with great care for the dark, clean background to help emphasise the colour in the leaves and colour of the bird.

NOVEMBER 2023

The photograph of the month for November 2023 comes from my recent Finland extension workshop (Read the Trip Report) and is of a European Pygmy Owl. This photograph was pure serendipity as I had gone into the evening hide to try and photograph an Eagle Owl (a nocturnal bird). Whilst darkness descended and I waited for a potential Eagle Owl sighting, this European Pygmy Owl flew down and landed briefly on a nearby branch. It only stayed a moment or two before it disappeared into the darkness of the night and forest, but it was an incredible few seconds and a fantastic sighting. It was so dark when I shot this that all I could see was a faint outline and silhouette of the owl on the branch. I could not tell what species it was, only that it was owl-shaped. This photograph of the Pygmy Owl would have been impossible just a generation of camera equipment ago. Shot at ISO12,800 at f4 at just 1/20th of a second, handheld with the Canon EOS R3 and Canon RF600mm F4L IS. The combination of the image stabilisation in the lens, working in conjunction with the IBIS in the EOS R3, enabled me to hold the camera and lens steady for a pin-sharp image, even at just 1/20th of a second. No flash or artificial lighting was used for this photograph. The EOS R3 locked focus on the eye of the bird in virtually total darkness – an incredible feat of technology. I also discussed the making of this photograph in Podcast Episode 83.

OCTOBER 2023

The photograph of the month for October 2023 is another from my Zululand South Africa workshop earlier this year (Read the Trip Report) and is of a family of elephants coming to drink at one of the watering holes at night. Photographed from the ground-level hide, this photograph was something I pre-visualised on my 2022 trip but did not have the right lens for (I could not capture the complete total reflection). This time, armed with the Canon RF 14-35mm, I captured the complete reflection of the entire family. Of course, there was an element of serendipity to this photograph as I was also fortunate to be there at the right time when the family came to drink.

SEPTEMBER 2023

The photograph of the month for September 2023 comes from my 2022 expedition to the East Coast of Greenland (Read the Trip Report). Icebergs and fog are a match made in photographic heaven, and we were extremely fortunate to encounter heavy fog on several occasions during this expedition (with a bit of luck, we will have more fog later this month when we are cursing the Scoresby Sund fjord system on my 2023 expedition). The stillness of the ice, drifting slowly on gentle currents, in combination with the softness of the fog, creates a beautiful sense of tranquillity in this photograph. Balance is critical to both composition and processing in this style of photograph. A heavy-handed approach to post-production can quickly destroy the subtle tonalities, and likewise, overtly aggressive cropping leaves the image with too much tension. Open space creates a sense of place and helps provide a sense of calm.

AUGUST 2023

The photograph of the month for August 2023 comes from my recent South Africa Ground-Level Wildlife Masterclass workshop (Read the Trip Report) and is of a wild Cheetah on the hunt near sunset. This photograph was taken by lying on the ground with a 600mm lens as the cheetah approached my position. The key to this style of photograph is to get as low as possible. It is not enough to simply crouch down or kneel in the grass. To obtain the soft foreground, low angle of view and intimate eye contact, it’s necessary to physically position the lens on the ground and pay close attention to any potentially distracting elements between the photographer and the subject. In this instance, I relocated myself several times until I was happy with the line of site. It was then a matter of waiting (and hoping!) that the Cheetah would turn to face my direction. Serendipitously, it was not long before the Cheetah began to walk directly toward me. Paw position is likewise critical to achieving a sense of movement in the subject. Shooting with a long fixed prime lens like the 600mm meant there was only a second or two when the Cheetah was full frame. High-speed motor drive at 30 frames per second was used to capture the decisive moment.

JULY 2023

The photograph of the month for July 2023 comes from my recent ground-level wildlife masterclass in Zululand, South Africa (read the trip report) and is of a large bull Elephant that came to drink at one of the watering holes on first light. The photograph was taken from one of the game reserves’ state-of-the-art overnight hides with a 14-35mm f4L IS Lens at 14mm. I had set up the camera on a tripod, ready to go in the eventuality an animal would come to drink. After sitting in the hide all night, having such a wonderful opportunity was manna from heaven. Photographs such as this are often pure serendipity. Outside of having the technical proficiency to capture such rare opportunities, it sometimes comes down to a little luck with the wildlife arriving on the scene at just the right time. In this case, the night in the hide had been quiet, with no activity and no animals coming to drink at the watering hole (a test of patience). Then, on first light, this large male Elephant walked out of the trees to sake its thirst. The Elephant stayed in what was the best light of the day for maybe a minute before it wandered back into the bush. During the minute the Elephant came to drink, I don’t think I drew more than a breath or two, my heart racing, recognising the unique and special opportunity I was being provided. Best of all, I could share it with the others in the hide.

JUNE 2023

The photograph of the month for June 2023 comes from my April Svalbard Spring Light Expedition (Read the Trip Report) and is of a young male Polar Bear in the landscape at Yoldiabukta. The incredible blue ice plates were far too tempting a subject as a foreground element, which meant placing the bear in the landscape. As such, I switched cameras in the zodiac from 600mm to 70-200mm for this photograph – I always like to photograph with two cameras in case of eventualities such as this. Opportunities like this, with both a Polar Bear and an excellent evocative foreground, do not come along very often. Just as a tease, this photograph will be included in my new book on Polar Bears, which, I hope, will be released in time for Christmas 2023.

MAY 2023

The photograph of the month for May 2023 comes from my recent Svalbard Spring Light expedition (Read the Trip Report) and is of a young male Polar Bear on the sea ice at Yoldiabukta in Svalbard. This was an extraordinary encounter that resulted in some remarkable photographs. The combination of soft light, deep fresh snow on the sea ice and the near-perfect fur of the bear, in combination with the low angle of view afforded by the zodiac, provided the perfect opportunity. This image was shot full-frame with the Canon EOS R3, and Canon RF 600mm f4L IS USM. F7.1 was used to ensure sufficient depth of field from the tip of the bear’s nose to its midriff. Depth of field, then gently bleeds off in the distance. Thirty frames per second was utilised to ensure the perfect gesture of the bear with the curled front paw. The curl of the paw helps gives a strong sense of forward motion.

APRIL 2023

The photograph of the month for April 2023 comes from my recent winter expedition to the Steppe region of Mongolia to find and photograph the stunningly beautiful Pallas Cat. 2023 was a fantastic year for snow conditions and Pallas Cats in Mongolia, and this photograph is one of my favourites from the year so far. With the cat coming directly toward the camera with one paw slightly raised, suggesting movement, and the cat’s gaze firmly fixed on my position, there is a perfect symmetry to the shot with the cat centred in the frame. The soft grasses in the background help give environmental context, while the fresh snow in front of the cat keeps the scene clean and uncluttered. The photograph was taken with the Canon EOS R3 with the Canon RF 600mm f4L IS lens. It was a deliberate creative decision to send the background grasses soft with a shallow depth of field to help isolate the cat from the background.

MARCH 2023

The photograph of the month for March 2023 comes from my recent expedition to Mongolia to photograph the elusive and rare Pallas Cat in the Steppe region of Mongolia in Winter. This is my personal favourite photograph from this expedition as it captures the Pallas Cat in a wonderfully dramatic moment as it bounds through the deep snow. Shot with the Canon EOS R3 and the Canon RF 600mm F4L IS, this photograph would have been virtually impossible prior to the incredible autofocus found in the latest generation of mirrorless cameras. Although the cat is not coming directly toward the camera (the most difficult scenario for the camera’s autofocus), it was moving extremely quickly and with only a shallow depth of field set it was critical to nail focus on the eyes. Prior to mirrorless and eye tracking, I would have stopped down the lens significantly more to ensure adequate depth of field and a safety margin for missed focus. With eye tracking, the camera was able to track the eyes of the cat as it bounded up and down through the snow.

FEBRUARY 2023

Photographs are considered evocative and powerful when they generate an emotional response in the viewer – hate, love, fear, anger, envy, curiosity, power, passion etc. It’s counterintuitive to many, but one useful technique to generate an emotional response in your photographs is not to show the subject in all its detailed glory. Instead, give a hint or impression of the subject and let the viewer’s mind fill in the blanks. The power of suggestion and scale will help elevate any photograph. Executed properly, the insinuation is enough, and the imagination takes over, painting something that far transcends any straightforward photograph.

This is actually a full-colour photograph (no desaturation) backlit of a Mongolian Ibex high in the Altai mountains in Mongolia. It was done in camera with just a black-and-white point tweak in post-production. Shot with the Canon EOS R3 with a Canon RF 600mm f4L IS Lens. Sometimes you don’t need to work hard to make a great image. This was shot sitting down, drinking a cup of coffee and resting against some rocks when the Ibex appeared at the top of the mountain. I just saw the opportunity, picked up the camera, set the exposure and made the shot – serendipity.

JANUARY 2023

The photograph of the month for January 2023 comes from my July 2022 expedition to Svalbard (Read the Trip Report) and is of a giant male Walrus on the beach in Svalbard during a heavy downpour. This photograph was taken by lying down on the wet sand (a very wet and sandy place to be that necessitated being hosed off on return to the ship!) using a 600mm lens. This photograph was featured in the recent Wildlife Photographic magazine that included a full feature on Walrus and one of my photographs as the cover shot.