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.

I sell Limited Edition Fine Art Prints and license images for different purposes. I have different rates for licensing depending on individual requirements. Please Contact my Gallery Representatives or Me if you are interested in purchasing a Fine Art Print or licensing any of my photography.

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.