A few days ago, I received some absolutely wonderful feedback and a quite extensive review from a participant from a prior year’s Arctic Fox workshop in northern Iceland. They have told me they are more than happy for me to share their review here on my blog (thank you, Andrew).
Hi Josh, what can I say? The trip with you to the Arctic Fox surpassed all my expectations and then some. I didn’t tell you, but I did a lot of research before I chose to join your trip. It was not just your photographs (which are so much better than anyone else’s from this place, and now I understand why), but also the recommendations and word-of-mouth about your professionalism and approach.
For me, spending time in the field with you defined what the workshop experience should be.I have been on over twenty wildlife workshops around the world in the last ten years with nearly as many different workshop leaders, and what immediately sets you apart is your intimate understanding of the wildlife (in this case, the Arctic fox). I don’t mean just where to find them, but how they behave, how they move through the landscape, and how to position everyone to get the best possible photographs. Your professionalism in positioning and ensuring everyone gets the best images is unmatched. Most leaders care only about their own photographs. I watched you stand back many times after positioning everyone to ensure everyone maximised the moment. That is a testament to your professionalism.
From a technical standpoint, your guidance is exceptional. Whether it’s about exposure in the snow or making the most of conditions, you have a way of simplifying complex decisions in the field so that the camera gets out of the way. More importantly, you teach why, giving participants like me the confidence to adapt when conditions inevitably change.
But what truly elevated the experience was your fieldcraft. Every detail, from approach routes to time spent with a subject, was handled with a level of care that prioritises the welfare of the wildlife above all else. It’s a philosophy that not only leads to better images but also leaves all with a deeper appreciation for the environment we were working in.
I also noticed a quiet intensity to your own workflow. You don’t rush, you don’t force situations, and you don’t rely on luck. Instead, you create the conditions in which luck can occur. I can see that this comes through preparation, knowledge, and an extraordinary level of patience. Being around that mindset is as valuable as any photograph you come away with.
In a place as raw and unpredictable as Iceland, your kind of leadership makes all the difference. You didn’t just guide me to a location. You showed me how to truly see it. Thank you.For anyone serious about photographing Arctic fox in Iceland, it’s hard to imagine a better person to learn from.If anyone is on the fence about joining one of your trips, please have them contact me anytime. In the meantime, please sign me up for next year. I can’t wait to go back! Andrew from Australia
The 2026 Asia/Pacific International Photography Awards have been held, and the results were announced today, 30th March 2026. This year, I entered the Animal/Nature category with five photographs as a bit of a last-minute decision. Quite honestly, I was lazy and did not put in any real effort into my entries this year, spending only a few moments to grab some favourite shots from my Lightroom library and export the required JPEGs. I only skimmed the rules and did not spend any time pondering my entries as I was packing for three months of travel and had other things on my mind. I did not watch the live judging either this year, as it was around 3am in Sweden, so I awoke this morning to the surprising news that I had jointly won 3rd place with my friend Phillip Bartlett and another photographer, John Peters. Congratulations to them both! And congratulations to the overall winner and all those who did well with their entries this year.
This photograph of the Arctic Fox has been one of my favourites for some time, so I was very pleased to see this image take out a coveted Gold Award and overall 3rd Place in the Animals / Nature Category. For me, this is a very simple yet powerful photograph that conveys both the harshness of the fox’s environment and the incredible toughness of this animal, enabling it to survive and thrive in such conditions. It was fascinating to listen to the judges’ comments on this photograph, as it clearly split the panel.
What surprised me the most this year was that the image I felt was, on reflection, my strongest did not do particularly well, scoring a Highly Commended and not even making the top twenty, and thus going no further in the competition. Whilst a highly commended is nothing to be sniggered at, this was a timely reminder that the judging in photography competitions is totally subjective and that the same image in different competitions will get totally different results. It is worth remembering that the benefit of entering these competitions lies in the peer review process (judges’ comments). Of course, one doesn’t have to agree with a judge’s comments, but there’s an opportunity to learn if you are willing to listen and at least consider them.
Over the years, I have been entering photographic competitions I have learned that judges’ comments are a direct reflection of their own interpretations and experiences and are often a useful counterpoint to my own. Judges often bring up elements I had not considered during either the capture or post-production phases of a photograph, and I find it almost always helpful (and, at the very least, interesting) to hear my peers’ interpretations of my work. The key to growing as a photographer through competition is being open to a judge’s comments and not being closed off to their opinions. After all, they are only opinions, and those are something we all possess.
I have heard judges make comments about photographs that I know are totally factually inaccurate (and even laughable on occasion), and I have likewise heard judges’ comments that absolutely, perfectly frame and nail an image critique. The key to using judges’ comments for our own growth is knowing which are valid and which should be discarded as the voice of inexperience. The toughest part of this process is always separating ego from the equation and remaining truly objective about our own work. You have to have the courage to stand by your decisions and convictions as an entrant, but still be open to taking criticism on board when flaws are pointed out (rightly or wrongly). It can be tough to be truly open and objective to critique of our personal work. This is a skill few ever master.
So why didn’t this image of the Impala in morning fog do better than a highly commended award? Quite honestly, I cannot say. Since the photograph failed to make the top twenty, there was no opportunity for judges’ comments, and thus, I have no feedback I can take on board to potentially grow from (or at least consider). I can only surmise that on the given day, it failed to excite the judges sufficiently. This result doesn’t mean I will dismiss it as a ‘bad photograph’ or one that ‘doesn’t make the cut’ as it is still, to my mind, a highly evocative image that captures the impala in a way that presents them as fragile and delicate in the morning fog.
If you are interested in the judges’ comments on the top ten photographs in each category, you can view them on YouTube on the Asia / Pacific Awards YouTube Awards channel. Please note that their videos are age-restricted, so I cannot embed them here on my blog or directly link to them. Congratulations again to all the winners and all those who entered this year’s awards.
At the conclusion of my second 2026 Arctic fox workshop (Read the trip Report) to the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in the far northwest of Iceland, I ran a private landscape extension workshop in the southwest and southeast regions. Both are locations I am intimately familiar with, having spent well over a year leading trips in Iceland over the last decade. Originally, my plan for this extension was to head east from Isafjordur, around the top of Iceland (through Myvatn), and then back down the east coast to the south before returning to Keflavik. Late winter weather, however, had something else to say about this plan, and snowstorms closed this route. So I decided to head directly south and we adjusted plans accordingly.
We began our workshop in the small town of Isafjordur (where we concluded our Arctic Fox workshop) in the north with a drive of around six and a half hours to the Snaefellsness region, which would be our base for the next couple of days. This region of Iceland is renowned for its basalt cliff formations and dramatic coastline. The Arnastapi area, in particular, is a superb location to explore on foot with a camera and a tripod. Each small bay offers a different perspective and different opportunities, from intimate landscapes to vast ocean vistas. Perhaps best known for its impressive basalt arch, this area also offers fantastic opportunities to photograph both Iceland gulls and Fulmars as they nest on the precipitous cliffs. In short, there is something here for both the landscape and wildlife photographer. Northern lights are always a possibility at this time of year, but activity was low during our week in the field, and frequent cloud cover meant we were able to get a good night’s sleep throughout the trip.
From Snaefellsness, we travelled east to the gorgeous seaside town of Vik, where we were fortunate to encounter incredible storm seas upon arrival, unmatched in my experience. Gale-force offshore winds had whipped the sea state into a chaotic, frenetic maelstrom, creating incredibly dramatic (and scary) conditions. We stood mesmerised from the safe vantage point of the breakwater, photographing this powerful display of Nature’s fury. I had specifically chosen this breakwater as our vantage point, away from the main town, as I knew this was where the seas were at their most violent. Despite being out of town, it did not take long for us to be surrounded by a dozen passing tourists, all keen to join us as we photographed the wrath of Mother Nature.
We also photographed the iconic sea stacks, which this area is known for. From Vik, we continued east to Jokulsarlon (the glacial lagoon), where we photographed ice on the black-sand beach and icebergs in the lagoon. We also visited nearby Fjallsárlón, which I always prefer for its glacial landscape. Crowds are usually much less at the smaller lagoon, and there are often icebergs frozen in place at this time of the year.
For our last evening, we travelled to Vestrahorn, where we photographed the stunning mountains of Stokksnes and reflections at sunset. This is an iconic location on Iceland’s southeastern coast, not to be missed. Mercifully, we had some of the best locations to ourselves and enjoyed several hours of photography up to sunset. Much has changed in Iceland over the last ten years, with the explosion in tourism and social-media Instagram locations making it virtually impossible to have locations such as this to yourself. One can still get lucky on occasion. Sunrise in particular offers the best chance for the lowest number of people at a given location.
The following day, we wrapped up our extension with a return drive to Keflavik for international flights home the following day. Iceland never fails to deliver, and all came away with exceptional images from this trip. My sincere thanks, as always, to those who participated in this extension and made it such a success.
Private workshops with my company Wild Nature Photo Travel are available by request. Please get in touch to discuss your needs, and we can tailor a trip to suit your requirements.
In March of 2026, I ran my annual Winter workshop to Kviar in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve in far northwestern Iceland to find and photograph Arctic foxes. This is a workshop I pioneered and have been running for more than ten years now. This year, our workshop was scheduled to run from the 7th of March until the 12th of March. However, the weather in early March this year in Iceland was erratic and wildly variable, and we ended up being delayed a day in Isafjord due to strong winds that made the boat crossing and landing at the beach at the cabin impossible. This one-day delay did not dampen our spirits, and early the following morning, we were safely on our way to our cabin in the Nature Reserve. As it turned out, the one-day delay would really pay off in terms of the conditions we would have for the duration of the trip.
With strong winds creating a large shore break that made landing at the cabin difficult, we decided to land a little down the coast at a small sheltered spit area, which necessitated a roughly 1km hike to our cabin. Thankfully, we were able to land our luggage at the cabin so it was only ourselves and camera gear that we had to carry. This is only the 2nd time in over a decade of travelling to this location that I have been unable to land directly at the cabin. The strong winds the day before had whipped the ocean waves up, and the breakers on the beach meant it was unsafe to land a zodiac with people. On arrival at the cabin, the foxes that live in the area were already curious and could be seen and photographed close to the house.
Our workshop accommodation was a cozy but rugged haven where we enjoyed a great atmosphere after a day out in the cold, photographing Arctic Foxes. The house was originally built in 1921. In 1948 (just 27 years later), the last inhabitants left this isolated arctic peninsula for a better life. The cabin was abandoned for many years and has recently been restored. Although no one lives here permanently, the cabin was a great getaway and the perfect place to accommodate us whilst we searched for and photographed wild Arctic Foxes. Curious Arctic Foxes frequently stopped past the cabin to investigate. We often photographed them from right outside the cabin.
Thank you to Jerry Weimar, who participated in this year’s trip, for the landscape photograph above. The cabin includes a bathroom, toilet, and hot shower. Bunk-bed accommodation with duvets provided, a full kitchen (chef to prepare meals and clean), and Hydronic and log-fire heating. There is power for laptop battery charging (generator provided) and an outdoor sauna.
Over the course of the workshop, we photographed four different blue-morph foxes, including three first-year cubs that I had photographed last year, a few days after they came out of the den (Read the Trip Report). This was one of the few opportunities I have had over the years to photograph multiple foxes together, and although the fight looks serious, it’s mostly play between siblings and no harm, no foul.
The weather on our second trip also continued its wild variation. We began with good snow cover on our first day, which melted during warm-front rain in the evening, only to be replaced the following day with non-stop snow that continued right up until our departure. This non-stop snow made for absolutely superb, albeit challenging conditions to photograph the Arctic Foxes.
Days three and four, we had continual, intensified snowfall and strong winds, making for incredibly dramatic photography. These are my absolute favourite conditions in which to photograph wildlife in this part of Iceland. The flying snow can make photography a little more difficult, but the results are absolutely worth the effort, and everyone made incredible photographs over the course of the trip.
On our scheduled day of departure, Iceland threw another of its winter weather curveballs at us, stranding us an extra day out at our cabin. This turned out to be a blessing, making up for our lost day at the beginning and providing us with more wonderful photographs in the dramatic winter snow conditions. Although it would have been possible to land at the beach on our scheduled departure day, the wind in the channel would have made the crossing impossible.
The Hornstrandir Nature reserve continues to serve up both an incredible experience and a continual opportunity to create powerful, evocative photographs of the Arctic fox. In my many years as a specialist polar photographer, I have yet to find or encounter a location that offers more reliable and better encounters in a winter setting.
We are returning again in February next year, 2027, to photograph these amazing Arctic survivors and will take a small group of just five photographers with us. To reach this unique location, you will first fly to Keflavik International Airport in Iceland, followed by an internal flight to Isafjordur, the official starting point of the workshop. From here, we will take a privately chartered boat to Hornstrandir. This trip also offers a unique perspective of the dramatic coastline, characterised by towering cliffs, deep fjords, and pristine natural beauty. If you would like to join us, please get in touch as places are extremely limited. Reserve your spot on this expedition and return with a portfolio of extraordinary images that few have had the privilege of capturing.
Introduction: There is no such thing as the perfect cold-weather boot for photography, as much depends on your needs and the prevailing temperature and conditions you are working in. Likewise, there is no perfect camera bag and no perfect cold-weather gloves. Such things simply do not exist, as different temperatures, shoots, and conditions (and personal tolerances) necessitate different boots, bags, and gloves for optimal performance and comfort. This article (the first of several – Gloves and Bags to come) includes the boots I have found that offer the best performance for a given temperature and condition range based on my experience shooting and working in cold weather climates over the last 25+ years. There are many more boots I have tried over the years that I have ultimately been dissatisfied with. The following represents the best I have tried in cold environments, where I photograph most of the time. You can also listen to Podcast 144, which has a deep dive on this topic.
Transparency: For the sake of transparency, you will not find affiliate links here. The internet is awash with websites that tell you, ‘we have reviewed X products, and these are the best‘. Such websites and reviews are nothing more than thinly veiled attempts to advertise products and make money through affiliate links. I have no interest in selling boots, bags, or gloves under the table to make extra money. What you will find here are my straightforward recommendations based on my experience – nothing more.
How We Experience Cold: It is important to note that we all experience cold differently. For me personally, my feet are the most important part of my body to keep warm. When I get cold feet, my entire body gets cold, and that’s a very uncomfortable experience. Your tolerance for the cold may very well be different to mine, and you should keep that in mind when making any buying decision. Another important point is that Nature photographers (I include landscape and wildlife in that genre) are typically not all that active in the field. We may hike to a location that requires some degree of activewear, but we often spend a long time waiting outdoors for wildlife or the right light. Thus, the choice of footwear is critical to our comfort level in the field. Many products from active-wear companies are simply inappropriate, in my experience, for cold-weather photography because they do not account for the significant time photographers spend inactive and just sitting or standing around in the field.
Battery Heaters: All of the boots below can, of course, be paired with battery-heated socks or insoles to extend their temperature range. Personally, I find battery-heated socks and insoles a real nuisance. The batteries rarely last a full day of fieldwork and require daily charging (I have tried a few different brands over the years). Battery-heated socks and insoles that are ‘app-controlled’ or ‘remote-controlled’ are even more of a nuisance in the field. Have you ever tried to get your phone out of your jacket in -25ºC during a blizzard, remove your gloves, open an app and to try to turn up your socks or insoles? Clearly, the designers of these products have not. Likewise, reviews that espouse the virtues of heated socks and insoles rarely actually review them in any sort of real-world situation where you are likely to actually want or need them. Wearing them around the house to review them like most YouTube reviews? A total joke. At this point, I feel I just don’t need or want anything else in my life that requires daily charging or requires me to open an app to make an adjustment. Chemical toe warmers are a far easier (and cheaper) option if you want to extend the temperature range of any of these boots. You can purchase either a full chemical sole warmer or just a toe warmer and they reliably last 8-10 hours provided they have not passed their used by date.
My Cold Weather Experience: Over the last 25+ years, I have tried nearly as many boots for cold-weather photography as I have gloves and camera bags. It has been a never-ending search for the right product that fits the genre of Polar photography I love so dearly. With more than 100 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic under my belt, these are my top four boots, based on my own experience with cold-weather photography.
Most hiking boots on the market today fall into this temperature category. It is therefore the most contested for ‘best boot’ and the category in which most people will buy boots. After years of trying different boots from many manufacturers, I have found that the Härkila ATAAMIK GTX boots are my go-to hiking boots for any sort of photography where temperatures may vary from +20º Celsius to 0º Celsius. I use them daily in Sweden when I am walking through the forest, and I have probably walked and hiked more than 500km in my current pair, and they are still going strong. They are dam near indestructible, extremely comfortable and pretty much waterproof. I have walked through ankle-deep water with them on many occasions, and my socks and feet have never gotten wet. They also offer excellent ankle support. My feet feel warm and protected inside these boots down to temperatures at or just below 0º Celsius. They have a super easy twist wire-lacing system, which means they are quick and easy to put on and take off. I have used these boots in Iceland, Mongolia, Sweden, Africa, Australia, Chile, Argentina and Finland and have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone looking for a warm hiking boot for photography.
When temperatures drop below 0º Celsius, the Irish Setter IceTrek are my boot of choice. These boots are incredibly warm and durable, offering outstanding ankle support and an uncanny ability to keep snow out when the going gets deep. They are a taller boot than the Härkilas that comes well up the leg, which helps keep out water and snow. I like to wear my base wool-layer pants with wool socks tucked into my boots, then my outer layers on top. Like the Härkilas, these boots use a wire-lace system, so they are extremely quick to take on and off. The boots are marketed and sold as waterproof and, in my experience to date, are exactly that. I have used these boots getting on and off zodiacs in Iceland in Winter and never got wet socks or feet. I have also used these boots in temperatures as low as -38 °C in Winter in western Mongolia while hiking for Snow Leopards. In these extreme temperatures, I did get cold toes when standing around for long periods, so I recommend these boots for temperatures down to -25º Celsius. These boots are built with 1600 grams of Primaloft insulation, so they are suitable for temperatures much colder than the Härkilas. At -25º Celsius, I have no hesitation in recommending these boots for standing around in a non-active state, and if you are active, you can take them into even colder temperatures. I find my feet don’t sweat much in these boots, but I still remove the insoles at the end of the day as a precaution to dry out any residual moisture from sweating. I have used these boots in Winter in Iceland, Mongolia, Sweden, Svalbard, Greenland and Finland and have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone looking for a warm boot suitable for photography in temperatures down to -25º Celsius (and below if you are active). I like them so much, I will often pair them with chemical toe warmers for use below -25º Celsius.
When temperatures really plummet, I reach for the Baffin Eiger boots. These boots are suitable for extreme cold, including temperatures below -25º Celsius, and I have personally used them in temperatures as low as -52º Celsius on Ellesmere Island in Winter. At temperatures above -25º Celsius, my feet just sweat in these boots to the point that I end up with wet socks, so I only reach for them when it gets really cold outside. I tend to sweat through my feet, so I always need to remove the inner liner at the end of every day and dry them thoroughly. Failure to do so always results in frozen toes the next day, as residual moisture freezes, ensuring a cold and uncomfortable experience. The Baffin Eiger boots are not waterproof (though the soles are) and are not suitable for getting on and off zodiacs. But then, in the sort of temperatures you are likely to be wearing these boots, you are unlikely to encounter running water. The marketing material on Baffin’s website says these boots are tested down to -60º C. Whilst I have never experienced a temperature this low, I can tell you that at -52º Celsius on Ellesmere Island in winter, I needed a chemical toe warmer inside these boots to keep my toes from getting cold. The Eigars are quick and easy to put on and take off thanks to the velcro straps, but they do not offer very good ankle support (especially compared to the Härkilas and Irish Setters). I have weak ankles and a tendency to roll them if I am not careful, so I always tread a little more cautiously in these boots than in the other two. They are also not as effective at keeping out snow in deep conditions as the Irish Setter IceTrek boots (despite the inbuilt snow gaiter), but they are warm. It can also be difficult to pull your outer-layer pants over the top of these boots because they are so wide at the opening. I have used these boots in Winter in Iceland, Mongolia, Greenland, Svalbard, Finland and Canada (Ellesmere Island in -52ºC) and have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone looking for a warm boot for photography in the most extreme cold weather.
If I know I am going to be working in extremely wet weather, walking through a lot of water, or getting on and off zodiacs frequently, then my boot of choice is the Arctic Sport Muck Boot. These boots are waterproof right up to the very top and are warm in temperatures down to about -10º Celsius. Muck Boots do not specify a temperature range for these boots, but in my experience, they are warm above -10ºC. I do tend to sweat in them quite significantly, so I have to be careful to dry them at the end of the day. These boots are not as easy to take on and off as the others, but what you lose in time spent doing so, you gain in waterproofing. They offer reasonable ankle support (better than the Baffins, but not as good as the Härkilas or Irish Setters). They can be a bit tight around the calves, and if you have larger lower legs you may want to opt for the ‘wide version’. These are an ideal boot for a summer expedition to Antarctica, where temperatures will hover around 0º Celsius, but you will be stepping in and out of water a lot with shore landings. They are also ideal for photographers working in boggy, wet environments or in the Arctic in Summer, especially if you are working in and around water. The only shortcoming I have experienced is that they tend to develop leaks around the seals after heavy use and thus need replacing from time to time (I have been through about half a dozen pairs over the years). They are exceptionally easy to keep clean, however, requiring nothing more than a hosing off and little to no maintenance.
Boot Considerations: When assessing the suitability of a boot for my type of photography, I consider comfort and warmth for the intended purpose, ease of getting on and off, and long-term durability amongst the most important factors. The ability to withstand water (depending on the intended use) and to keep out snow also plays a major role in my decision-making. Lastly, manufacturer support also plays a role in addressing potential issues. I do not consider price when assessing the qualities of boots for cold-weather photography since it’s folly to try to save a few bucks at the expense of cold toes.
Conclusion: Ultimately, the choice of boot is a personal one based on your needs, preferences, and tolerances for the environment in which you work. There are many more boots on the market that I have not used or tested, and they may or may not deliver great results, depending on your personal needs. There are other boots I have tested that I feel fail to live up to their claims, so I won’t name, review or recommend them. The above are products I will stand behind as offering superb performance in their temperature range for cold-weather photography. If you are interested, I dive deeper into this topic and discuss each of these boots in more detail in Episode 144 of my Wild Nature Photography Podcast.
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