Major Workshop / Expedition Update 2017 / 2018

Africa, Antarctica, Arctic, Australia, Finland, Iceland, Landscape Photographs, Lofoten, New Zealand, News and Updates, Photographs, Tasmania, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife Photographs, Workshops and Expeditions

With August almost behind us (just where is the year going?) I felt it time for an update on workshops and expeditions for the remainder of 2017 and into 2018 (with a sneak peak into 2019).

In a little under two weeks time I will be heading north to Greenland for two back-to-back expeditions to the remote east coast of Greenland. These expeditions into the remote and wild Scoresby Sund fjord system have been in planning for more than two years now and I am really looking forward to setting sail from Constable Point in Greenland to start our photographic expedition. Both of these expeditions have long been sold out, but I will be returning to Greenland in 2019 and will have more details on that expedition later this year.After I finish in Greenland I am heading down to Antarctica for my White Nature expedition. Timed as the first of the season we have planned our expedition to take advantage of dramatic and variable weather as well as giant icebergs and lots of snow and ice. I have been travelling to Antarctica annually for many years now and have found early November to consistently offer the best photographic experience for all aboard. I recently published a full guide on how to choose the right photographic expedition to Antartica and it can be downloaded for free HERE. This expedition is sold out.

2018 will kick off with sold out expeditions to Lofoten for Winter landscapes and Iceland for Arctic Fox in winter. My last workshop to Lofoten was in 2016 and I am looking forward to returning to this incredible archipelago. The rising and precipitous mountains that climb directly out of the sea and the rugged coastal landscapes make for a photographers paradise. And of course, the chance of Aurora Borealis (northern lights) only sweetens the pot and adds that magic element to what is one of the most picturesque places I have ever been fortunate to visit and photograph.My annual expedition to photograph Arctic Fox in winter in the remote and wild Hornstrandir reserve in Iceland has also long been sold out (Read the 2017 Expedition Report). I will be returning to Iceland in 2019 for this expedition and am now taking expressions of interest from those interested in photographing this incredible survivor. I will have full details including dates and costs for 2019 soon.After Iceland I will travel to Svalbard to lead a winter expedition north of Longyearbyen in search of polar bears and dramatic winter landscapes. Svalbard in winter is an absolutely breathtaking location. With newly formed sea ice, snow and ice covered mountains and chance encounters with the worlds largest land predator in a stunning white environment this expedition rates as one of my absolute all time favourites (Be sure to check out the Expedition Trip Report from March this year). At this stage there are still a few places remaining before the expedition will be sold out. If you are interested in joining us and exploring the winter white wonderland of this Arctic archipelago you can register your interest by dropping me an email. The remaining places are filled strictly on a first come, first served basis. To get an idea of what winter is like in Svalbard be sure to check out the new Ghosts of the Arctic short film by clicking on the image below.In late April / Early May I will lead my annual New Zealand South Island Masterclass workshop. This will be the last year I offer the South Island workshop as I plan to switch gears in 2019 with a brand new Van Diemens Land Tasmania Landscape workshop that will also include an optional extension to the Great Ocean Road in Victoria Australia (more details on this to come at a future date). The New Zealand South Island Masterclass has been an eagerly anticipated workshop over the last few years. For the final year my co-leader Phillip and I are including even more helicopter time over the spectacular southern alps with doors off photography to enable us all to capture some truly stunning imagery. Strictly limited to just six participants there are now only a few places remaining before the workshop will be sold out. Earlier this year, Daniel Bergmann and I completed a brand new workshop to photograph Atlantic Puffins and other Arctic birds at several different locations in Iceland that included the remote northern Grimsey Island, inside the Arctic circle. (Read the trip Report). The workshop was a great success and as such we have decided to offer a new workshop in May next year that will take us back to Grimsey Island to photograph both the wildlife and incredible landscape of this remote island. As well as Grimsey Island we will also spend time in Myvatn in the north of Iceland – One of the best places in the world to photograph Arctic birds. Grimsey Island in particular is one of the most spectacular locations I have visited in Iceland with towering cliffs that rise hundreds of feet out of the ocean and incredible basalt columns. It is a wild and primordial landscape that is rarely visited and even less rarely photographed. If you are interested in photographing the loveable and comical Atlantic Puffin and other Arctic bird species this workshop is not to be missed. Only two places remaining before the workshop will be sold out.In July I will return to Svalbard for my annual summer Polar Bear expedition. This expedition has been designed from the ground up to provide the very best possible opportunities to Photograph Polar Bears in their natural environment. With the reduction in Arctic sea ice the Polar Bears in Svalbard are dwindling in number and the number of years left to photograph them is unfortunately now extremely limited. Late July and August are the ideal times to photograph Polar Bears north of Svalbard due to the dwindling ice around the archipelago. On this expedition we will be carrying a naturalist/biologist who specialises in locating Polar Bears and an expedition leader and captain who have years of experience in placing us in the ideal position to make the best photographs. Their expertise will allow us to approach the king of the Arctic as closely and safely as possible and make incredible photographs under the spectacular midnight sun. To get an idea of what this workshop entails be sure to read the 2016 trip reportIn October I will return to the gigantic sand dunes of Namibia for a new Desert Fire Safari. This will be my fourth visit to Namibia to photograph the ancient sand dunes of the worlds largest and oldest desert. It is the perfect juxtaposition to my usual polar landscape and wildlife photography and offers an alternate landscape of extremes. Our workshop will sea us visit the giant red sand dunes of Sossusvlei, the eerie ghost town of Kolmonskop as well as the relentless Skeleton coast and the Etosha wildlife reserve. Places are now limited. For more information please send me an email.Finally in November 2018 I will return to the sea ice of Gould Bay in Antarctica for my Emperor Penguin expedition (Read the 2016 Expedition Report). There are plenty of species the world over that are much harder to find than Emperor Penguins.  To my knowledge however, none is as difficult or as expensive to reach as the Emperor Penguin; and thats the conundrum of Emperor Penguin photography. We know exactly where they are located, we just cant get to them without great difficulty and significant expense. Living on the sea ice in remote and difficult to reach areas of Antarctica the Emperor Penguin is therefore as difficult to reach as the enigmatic snow leopard is to locate in the wilds of its mountainous territories. This expedition will see us fly to Union Glacier deep in the Interior of Antarctica where we will set up our base camp before we take smaller twin otter aircraft out to the sea ice for our advance camp where we will live with the Emperor Penguins during our time on the sea ice. Strictly limited to just eight photographers there is only one place remaining before the expedition will be sold out (Read the 2016 Expedition Report).Peaking into 2019 I will be leading a brand new workshop to the north of Finland in February in search of Golden Eagles, Hawk Owls, Wolves and wolverine (full details coming very soon). The workshop is going to include a significant amount of photography from private hides and will afford opportunities to photograph rare species not often seen and even less often photographed. I am not quite ready to start taking bookings for this new workshop but you are welcome to register your interest by dropping me an email.

A final sneak peak into 2019 includes a new workshop to photograph the landscapes of Van Diemens land (Tasmania) with an optional extension to the Great Ocean road in Victoria Australia. More details to come soon….

Photo of the Month August 2017 – Reindeer White Out

Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs

As featured in the credits of my recent Ghosts of the Arctic short film, the photograph of the month for August 2017 is of Reindeer in winter in Svalbard. Taken during freezing temperatures and howling wind the simplicity of this photograph greatly appeals to my penchant for simple, but evocative and powerful photographs. The making of this photograph was anything but simple though as conditions were extremely difficult to work in with temperatures below -30º Celsius with wind chill. Nevertheless the resultant photograph for me captures the essence of Reindeer in winter.
You can see a little of the making of this photograph in the recent Channel 9 Today show interview by clicking on the image below.

Capturing The Incredible World Of Wildlife: Interview With Joshua Holko

Arctic, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs

Lomography has just published a short interview online about my polar wildlife photography. Just click on the LINK to read the full interview.

“Documenting Nature is something I feel is very important for future generations. I am a very firm believer in in-camera artistry and not misrepresenting Nature,” says Australian wildlife photographer Joshua Holko. He has been fascinated with nature ever since he can remember and you can truly feel that just by looking at his breathtaking photographs. Joshua just got back from his ten-day expedition to Svalbard in the Arctic and we are absolutely blown away with the photos he took there! If you ever wondered what’s a day like in the life of a wildlife photographer prepare to be amazed. In this interview, Joshua reveals what attracted him to landscape and wildlife photography and talks about his next big journey.

Australian Professional Photography Awards 2017

News and Updates

This week the annual Australian Professional Photography Print Awards (affectionately known to all who enter as APPA) kick off in Melbourne at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. I will be attending on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as a judge for several of the categories and will also have some large prints featured on the Giclee Media stand at the show.  If you are attending feel free to come and say hello and talk all things photography. See you at the show!

Polar Bears of Svalbard 2017 Expedition Report

Arctic, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs, Workshops and Expeditions

This August 2017 I lead my annual summer expedition to the sea ice north of Svalbard in search of Polar Bears, Walrus, Arctic Fox, Arctic Birds and spectacular Arctic landscapes. Whilst Polar Bears and other wildlife are the main attraction on an expedition such as this it needs to be said that the landscape opportunities in Svalbard are nothing short of breathtaking. Soaring bird cliffs, plunging glaciers and dramatic mountainous scenery means there is quite literally something for every photographer. Summer in the high arctic is a very special time for photographers. With twenty-four hours of daylight the photographic possibilities are quite literally as abundant as the day is long. In fact, what would normally pass for night time is actually one of the best times for photography in the Arctic summer as the light is often soft and ethereal with subtle golden overtones. Svalbard can also be prone to a bit of fog in summer but I find that this helps to soften the light and often adds a good deal of atmosphere to photographs. I know some photographers find fog difficult to work in as it often obscures the subject; but I enjoy the element of mystery fog often adds. Anytime you can make the viewer pause to more closely examine a photograph you have succeeded far beyond what might have just been a pretty picture.

Our most northerly position on this expedition saw us just north of 81º; which put us right at the edge of the permanent pack ice (how much longer there remains sea ice in summer is debatable, but I expect it may only be a few years before the arctic is free from ice in the summer). This year there was a lot of open ocean and no fast ice around even the Seven Islands area. As a result bears were hard to locate in this area and we had to head quite far east before we encountered some good bear opportunities. Even the solid ice edge was very thin this year and evidence is everywhere that the melt continues unabated.We never know exactly what we are going to find on these expeditions and every single trip is different. On this occasion we had a total of eleven polar bears, seven of which were what I like to term ‘photo bears’. That is, a bear that comes close enough to the ship that it provides some really fantastic photograph opportunities. On this trip we even had a bear come right up and nose the front of the ship as we were parked in the sea ice. For those who had never seen a polar bear before this was an encounter they will likely remember forever. Anytime you can put away your telephoto lens and shoot a polar bear with a wide angle is a very special occasion. We also had a fantastic encounter with a swimming polar bear. The bear was quite curious about our ship and shadowed us as we headed north keeping up a constant 1.3 knots for over three hours before finally climbing out on the ice and heading north-east.One of the real highlights of this expedition for me personally was finding a large group of Walrus on sea ice on the west coast. Walrus have become quite numerous since their protection in Svalbard which has made finding them easier in recent times (they were hunted to near extinction). However, finding Walrus on ice is always a rare thing and finding them on ice in beautiful soft light is even rarer. We were fortunate to be able to get quite close to them on zodiac and the resultant opportunities were truly fantastic. Zodiacs are the ideal way to photograph Walrus as they provide a stable platform that is super low to the water enabling the photographer to get down to eye level for more intimate images.In another first for me we also photographed a polar bear feeding on a dead whale carcass that had washed ashore. Using zodiacs again we were able to get very close and position ourselves for some fantastic mountain backgrounds. We spent a couple of hours with this bear and were able to get some really unique photographs. This is one of the key benefits of small expeditions such as this; we can really spend quality time with every opportunity we encounter. And with a small group of just twelve participants there is plenty of room for everyone in the zodiacs. During the expedition we also sighted numerous whales including Humpbacks, Bowhead and Fin whales (and possibly a Blue Whale although it was a little too far to identify with certainty). We also had some fantastic encounters with Arctic Fox in Kongsfjorden where we also witnessed a large blue iceberg roll over right in front of our zodiacs. Although we were never in any real danger and had everything completely under control it was nevertheless an exciting moment.

If you are interested in travelling to the high Arctic to encounter and photograph polar bears and incredible arctic landscapes I will be repeating my annual summer expedition to Svalbard in July next year 2018. Places are strictly limited to twelve participants (only three places remaining before it will be sold out). To get an idea of what it is like to participate in an expedition such as this be sure to check out the short film Kingdom of the Ice Bear below.For those of you keen to brave the beauty of the Arctic in winter I will also be running a very special expedition to Svalbard in March next year. At this time of year we typically have hours of golden light as the sun crests the horizon, but stays low in the sky. Winter is a very different experience to summer. With most of the fjords frozen over the opportunities for winter landscapes is at its absolute best.  It is also the perfect juxtaposition to a summer experience. You can drop me an email to register your interest for either or both expeditions.

Australian Television Channel Nine Today Show Feature Ghosts of the Arctic Interview

Arctic, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Video, Wildlife Photographs

For those of you who are outside of Australia without access to the Today show on Channel Nine, or who otherwise might have missed it, below is a copy of the complete interview that went out live a few days ago on my polar photography and recent Ghosts of the Arctic short film. Just click on the image below to play the full interview.

Ghosts of the Arctic Print Collection Now Available

Arctic, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Uncategorized, Wildlife Photographs

As requested, prints from the Ghosts of the Arctic short film are now available to purchase online through my website. The collection includes three 13″ x 19″ Fine Art Prints as featured in the credits of Ghosts of the Arctic. Printed on the finest 100% cotton Somerset Museum Rag paper, each open edition pigment on paper print is hand signed. Available exclusively through Melrakki Publishing

Quadrant Gallery – illumin8 Exhibition – Opened by Joshua Holko

Media, News and Updates

Thursday next week (August 24th) I will be opening a new exhibition titled ‘illumin8’ at the Quadrant Gallery in Barkers Road Hawthorn (Melbourne Victoria). The exhibition includes a variety of photographic works and styles from a small collection of Australian photographers. Photography from David Campbell, Rob Turney, Geoff Ross, John Bell, Michelle Richter, Gary Richardson and Russell Woolnough. The exhibition opens at 6pm. If you are in Melbourne feel free to stop past and say hello and enjoy some local photography.

Ghosts of the Arctic to Screen at New York Wildlife Conservation Film Festival

Arctic, Media, News and Updates, Travel Photography, Video

This October Ghosts of the Arctic has been selected to be screened at the New York City Wildlife Conservation Film Festival. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend due to my expedition commitments in Greenland, but if you are attending please drop me a line and let me know how it goes!The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival (WCFF) is an academic organization whose mission is to inform, engage and inspire audiences about the need for and importance of the protection of global biodiversity. The WCFF does this through the annual film festival in New York and Beijing, the annual biodiversity conference in New York. WCFF also engages in monthly programs in New York and other cites that include film screenings, business & social networking events, and presentations.

Australian Television Channel Nine Today Show Feature Ghosts of the Arctic Interview

Arctic, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Video

This Saturday morning (the 12th of August) I will be interviewed by Channel nine in Australia for the Today Show about my Polar Photography and the behind the scenes that went into the making and filming of Ghosts of the Arctic. The interview will be live and will go out at 08:52am Melbourne Eastern Standard Time. Something to watch with your morning espresso.