Without a doubt, my favourite conditions for photographing the Arctic Fox are winter blizzard conditions. The flying snow creates a white-out that cleans up any background mess, and the flying snow sticks to the fox’s coat and gives extraordinary context and much-needed drama. These conditions define the environment of the Arctic fox and paint the perfect canvas on which to photograph this amazing opportunist. Contrary to appearances, these conditions are far easier to photograph in than they appear. With modern auto focus in mirrorless equipment, the cameras have no problem finding and tracking the eye of the Arctic Fox in these conditions. In past years, I would often stop down the lens to ensure adequate depth of field if focus missed slightly. Now, with eye-auto focus, I can open up the lens and shoot wide open, as in this case – f4 at 600mm. Why shoot wide open? A wide-open aperture helps soften the surrounding snow’s slope, creating a contained picture inside the 35mm frame. This technique can be used to great effect to help keep the viewers eye both inside the frame and on subject.
I am currently working on a new deep-dive podcast on both the Canon EOS R1 and the Canon EOS R5MKII that I hope to publish later this week. The podcast will discuss the two cameras in detail as well as who is the intended market for each camera. In the meantime, I wanted to do a quick update on what is available in the way of Workshops and Expeditions for the second half of this year and early 2025.
Greenland September 17th – September 28th 2024: In the next four weeks, I will be guiding an expedition to Scoresby Sund on the East coast of Greenland. There is currently one place available as a result of a medical cancellation. This expedition is for those photographers wanting to photograph the most spectacular icebergs and landscapes found anywhere on Earth in the best possible light and conditions. Late September is the ideal time to visit Scoresby Sund as the sun is low in the sky and the first sea ice begins to form. Full details of the expedition are available HERE.
Emperor Penguins November 26th – December 04th 2024: In late November, I will guide an expedition for a very small group of photographers to Gould Bay in the Weddell Sea region of Antarctica to the world’s most southerly Emperor Penguin colony. There is currently one place available as a result of a medical cancellation. Full details of the expedition are available HERE.
Arctic Fox Expedition February 8th – February 14th 2024 & February 15th – February 21st 2025: In February, I will guide two back-to-back workshops for Arctic Foxes in the far northwest of Iceland. There are currently two places remaining before the workshops are sold out. These are the workshops for you if you have ever wanted to photograph Nature’s greatest feat of engineering—the Arctic Fox. Full details of the expeditions are available HERE and HERE.
Zululand South Africa Ground Level Masterclass Mayth – May 16th 2025: We are now down to the last five places on my Zululand South Africa ground level masterclass workshop. This is the workshop for you if you have ever wanted to photograph Africa wildlife at eye level – from the ground and luxury hide. Full details on the workshop are available HERE. You can check out the Portfolio of work HERE to get an idea of the sort of photographs you can make on this unique experience.
Please drop me an email if you have any queries or are interested in securing one of these last places.
With all the hype about the Canon EOS R1 over the last couple of weeks, I have neglected to update the website with the (dare I say ‘more important’) photograph of the month. Without further ado, the photograph of the month for May 2024 comes from my February workshop for Arctic Foxes in the far north of Iceland (Read the Trip Report). This photograph is my favourite from the trip as it speaks to me emotionally on many different levels. The environment is dramatic with the blizzard, reduced visibility and flying snow. We get a real sense of a winter storm and the brutal reality of the Arctic winter. We have the mountains and ocean for context and a wonderful foreground of steep snow bank. The Arctic fox is small in the frame, making it appear fragile and alone in the huge Arctic expanse. Additionally, we have the perfect pose of the fox, looking into the camera, dusted with snow, as it watches over the entrance to the fjord on a huge, steep and dramatic snow bank. This sort of ‘animal in the environment’ photograph is often far more evocative and tells a much more profound story than a close-up portrait. Shot with the Canon EOS R3 and the Canon RF 70-200mm f2.8L IS, this photograph is also a great example of when you don’t need a super expensive huge telephoto lens to make a fantastic wildlife photograph.
I will be returning again next February to lead another workshop for these wonderful Arcitc opportunists. There are now just a couple of places remaining on my 2025 expedition. If you have ever wanted to photograph Nature’s most remarkable survivor in Winter, this is your opportunity. Our remote cabin is ideally situated as a cozy home away from home and provides a beautiful base from which to photograph the Arctic Fox. Places are minimal; please contact me for complete details.
www.WILDNATUREPHOTOTRAVEL.com 