Xinjiang China : Debrief Report

China, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, People Photographs, Photographs, Travel Photography, Workshops and Expeditions

In early May 2013 I lead an exploratory expedition into the Xinjiang Augur autonomous region in the extreme north west of China with my good friend Antony Watson. This is an extremely remote part of northern China that is home to the spectacular Tian Shan and Altay mountain ranges as well as the Flaming Mountains, Kanas Lake, Gobi Desert and more. This part of rural China is also home to the Silk Road and other historical locations of importance including the thousand caves of Buddha (two – three thousand year old caves). The province actually borders Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kurdistan, Mongolia, and India so there is a real cultural mix of minority people and a very heavy Arabic influence.If you have been following my blog you would have already read that I was quite excited at the prospect of venturing into this remote part of China. It is an area rarely visited by the outside world and it is only in recent years it has appeared on the map for Chinese tourists who travel mostly to Kanas and Heavenly Lake. Both of these locations are relatively easy to access and have significant tourist infrastructure in place. Some of the other locations we visited were deep in the desert and mountains and see little tourism of any kind. At one point during our travels we were only 60km from the Kazakhstan and Russian borders. It was an extraordinary and fascinating expedition with some truly spectacular landscapes. It was however, not without some significant challenges including vast distances between locations, poor infrastructure and lack of basic hygiene. In addition, there are some very significant environmental issues that I became aware of during my time in this part of China and I hope to raise awareness for the appalling state of the environment in this and future posts.

Although we had planned our itinerary and shooting locations meticulously with the information we had available to us it became evident early on during our trip that it was going to be necessary to significantly alter our plans. Our wish to photograph the remote landscapes of the Gobi Desert and other landscape locations had been somewhat lost in translation with the various intermediaries (mostly due to the language barrier) who had helped us arrange this trip and since we had little idea of what to truly expect at each location we had to adapt and make the best of it. We were extremely fortunate to have a very friendly and knowledgeable guide (who spoke English, Mandarin and the local Augur dialect) and driver who quickly understand that what we really wanted to photograph had been lost in translation. They were able to alter our itinerary on the fly to ensure we visited the best locations for landscape photography. I owe them both a debt of gratitude for their hard work and dedication in ensuring we maximized our time for photography in this part of China. It is worth noting at this point that this trip would have been absolutely impossible without an experienced local guide and driver. No one we encountered spoke any English in this part of China and we did not see another westerner from our arrival in Urumqi to our departure twelve days later.The net result of these itinerary changes was that we ended up driving just over five thousand kilometers in ten days including several days of ten plus hours in the car. If you have ever spent repeated ten-hour days in the back of a Toyota Land Cruiser you will understand just how challenging this quickly becomes. Compounding this issue was the generally poor state of the roads and the willingness of the local truck drivers to dice with death when passing and overtaking. It is not an experience I am keen to repeat.

Our adventure began in the city of Urumqi in northwestern China. Urumqi is the largest town in this part of China and is reached via an approximate four-hour flight from either Beijing or Shanghai. Urumqi is perhaps best described by Australian standards as a third world city. Thick smog hangs over the city from dawn till dusk thanks to the myriad of coal-fired power plants that dot the countryside in this part of China. The city is heated during its freezing sub zero winters by burning coal in huge furnaces and as a result there is very significant industrial pollution. To put the pollution into some sort of perspective our guide advised us that the snow falls black during the winter months in Urumqi.

From Urumqi we drove for several hours to Heavenly Lake in the Tian Shan Mountains. This was an interesting location and a nice counterpoint to Urumqi and we photographed the spectacular mountains, Heavenly Lake and Golden Eagles that soared over the trees and mountains on thermal currents. We also visited some local Kazak people, had a traditional lunch of Nan bread and Kebabs and visited their Yurts. Although there is significant tourist infrastructure the area is still relatively unspoiled by Chinese standards and the air at this altitude relatively clean. As is the Chinese way it is not possible to drive into the park and you have to park at the bottom and take a shuttle bus. We arrived prior to sunrise however and had received special permission to take our four-wheel drive to the top and so were thankfully able to avoid the tourist bus trap. One of the key benefits of travelling with a local guide.
From Heavenly Lake we travelled to a remote area in the Gobi Desert known as the Ghost City. This was a wonderful location for landscape photography in what is locally known as the Yardang landscape. A landscape comprised of unusual compressed earth formations and outcroppings that have been eroded by the wind over many hundreds of years. The area is so named for the eerie and unusual sounds the wind makes as it whips around the desert formations at night. We photographed in this location at both sunset and sunrise and could have easily spent several days exploring the area. Ghost city turned out to be one of the real highlights of the trip with a truly spectacular lunar like landscape. It is one of the locations I would be keen to revisit should I find myself in this part of China again.

After we had finished at the Ghost City we travelled to a location the Chinese call the Rainbow Beach. The beach is hilariously signposted as ‘The Best Beach in the World’ and is located near Burjin. This was a challenging location to photograph due to the tourist infrastructure. Rainbow beach is not a beach in the true sense of the word. Rather, it is a series of highly unusual and colorful landscape formations along the edge of a large river. It was geologically an interesting location and as it was in our travel path was worth an afternoon stop.We then spent the next two days at the remote village of Hemu and Kanas Lake. Kanas Lake is fed from the Kanas glacier and is located high in the Altay mountain range near the Russian and Kazakhstan borders. We had a very heated argument with Chinese authorities in Kanas Lake as this location is geared toward Chinese tourists and driving ones own vehicle into the park is not permitted. Instead you are required to park at the entrance and catch a shuttle bus into the park. After a long and heated argument we were forced to find an official and seek special permission to take our four-wheel drive to the top. We were able to obtain written permission, but even so the officials at the checkpoint did not want to let us in. It took some very animated words from our driver and guide to finally convince them to allow us access. Kanas Lake itself is a very pretty location that is nestled high in the mountains. The area sees very significant internal tourism from China and there are numerous hotels to choose from inside the park. There appears to be little regard for environmental planning as none of the infrastructure is what I would deem environmentally conscious or friendly and all of it is geared toward managing bus loads of tourists. We visited this location during the off-season and still witnessed in excess of fifty large coaches in the main car park.

Hemu is a location rarely visited by westerners and we may well have been the first westerners to overnight in this remote village. We were certainly the first westerners many of the locals had ever seen and according to our guide the first foreigners he has ever taken into Hemu. It was an interesting experience, but photographically was a bit of a disappointment. We had planned our trip with the idea of photographing the landscape in this region; which although pretty was not photographically all that interesting. However, due to the large cultural mix of minority people there are excellent opportunities for people and street photography in this remote village.From Kanas we travelled to Fuyn and Turpan stopping along the way to photograph the barren landscape; which in small part reminded me of some areas of Iceland. From Turpan we travelled to a location known as the Rainbow City. This was a fantastic location for landscape photography that is well off the tourist path in the Gobi desert. The area is comprised of multi-colored earth mounds and canyons that are rich in iron and rhyolite. Unfortunately, we had only limited time at this location and due to the long distances we had to travel we missed the soft light of sunrise. Nevertheless it was a wonderful location that rates as one of the best we visited for landscape. It is an area I would like to revisit during the small hours to photograph with soft, but dramatic cloud and light.We also visited the Flaming Mountains and the thousand caves of Buddha. Both of these areas offer outstanding landscape opportunities but are quite challenging photographically. This region is extremely dry and we constantly battled dust in our cameras and lenses. The Thousand Caves are a major tourist attraction and the infrastructure is therefore geared toward tourism. We found it better to head into the back roads and seek out more remote landscapes. Our guide was able to steer us toward a back canyon that proved fabulous for photography.From the Flaming Mountains and Shanshan we drove to Kucha and the Holy Grand Canyon in the Tian Shan Mountains and Gobi Desert. This was another extraordinary location for landscape photography that rarely sees foreigners. We were greeted by local Kazak people on our arrival that had never before seen westerners. Their amazement at our arrival was an experience I will not quickly forget. The canyon itself is enormous and it is somewhat difficult to capture the scale and grandeur in a single photograph. I found this photograph that included the human element best captures the scale of the canyon. We spent several hours exploring and photographing in this location and I would rate it as a must visit for anyone travelling in this part of China.

We spent our last evening photographing at the edge of the Tian Shan Mountains where there are highly unusual pancake like formations of compressed sand that have been eroded and shaped by the wind. The landscape in this area is unique in my experience and very surreal. Although we were not blessed with great light at sunset it was nevertheless a wonderful experience. During our time in China we experienced some very extreme variations in weather including searing heat, a rare desert thunder and rainstorm, a hailstorm, sand storm and freezing cold and snowfall in the mountains.Overall, this was a fascinating journey into this part of rural China that came with some very significant challenges. The infrastructure in many locations is extremely poor by western standards and the distances between the best locations for landscape photography are vast necessitating many thousands of kilometers of travel. Some of this travel could likely have been avoided if we had better information about the locations we wanted to visit. Should we return we will certainly be able to reduce the distances travelled on a daily basis; however anyone travelling into this region for photography should be prepared to spend significant time in the car.

The hotels that are available to foreigners in this part of China are generally of a very poor quality by western standards. Whilst they are locally rated as three star (or even four star) several had no hot running water and were both smelly and dirty. Our accommodation in Hemu for example was really nothing more than a wooden shack.

By western standards the hygiene levels are extremely poor across this part of rural China. Food is generally prepared openly in the street where lamb and fish are seen hanging in the sun. In areas where there is seating food is prepared in back room kitchens that are best-left unseen. Tables and chairs are filthy and plates and cups need to be wiped down and sterilized before use. I admit to saying a few Hail Mary’s before many of the meals we consumed. Although both Antony and I were meticulous with sanitary hand wash for the duration of this trip (even wiping down chopsticks, cups and bowls) and did not drink the water we both still ended up with badly upset stomachs on two occasions during our time in China. In fact, it has taken both of us more than a week to fully recover.

The predominant food on offer in this part of China is lamb kebabs, Nan bread, a sort of rice Pilaf and a local noodle dish which comprises of thick noodle either boiled or fried with a mix of capsicum, onion, tomato and then loaded with Chile. There is little in the way of western food available and anyone travelling into this region would be well advised to pack ample supplies of protein and energy bars.

Many of the locations we visited were truly spectacular in terms of landscape. China quite literally has some of the most amazing desert and mountains I have ever had the pleasure to photograph. Unfortunately, China and the Chinese people are treating its landscape as a giant rubbish dump. Even in the most remote of locations it is impossible to get away from discarded and smashed beer bottles, old plastic drink bottles and infinite torn and semi degraded plastic bags caught in barbed wire fences. There is zero respect and utter contempt for the environment. China’s countryside is in serious need of a clean up program much like the highly successful one Australia ran during the 1980’s (clean up Australia). However a clean up program is not enough and an education program needs to follow to teach the people to respect nature and the environment. The sort of change required is generational and the time to start is now.

On top of the seemingly limitless rubbish there is very significant industrial pollution and smog even in the remote desert areas. Countless coal-fired power plants belch pollution into the atmosphere twenty-four hours a day. There is a thick and pervasive atmospheric haze that hangs over the landscape that significantly reduces visibility and makes photography somewhat problematic.

Although there are several large wind farms in this part of China the reality is that they are dwarfed by the countless coal power plants – many more of which are still being constructed. A never-ending stream of overloaded coal trucks can be seen coming and going along the highways to feed the voracious power plants that scar the landscape.

Remote China is a difficult country to navigate for foreigners. During our time in in this province we were stopped at roadside checkpoints where our passports were checked by machine gun totting police and were photographed countless times by roadside security cameras. Each hotel we stayed in scanned our passports and alerted the local police of our arrival. Many of the hotels attempted to keep our passports to verify our identity and some heated discussion ensued (via our guide) when we refused to allow them to hold onto them. It was a very strong counterpoint experience to travelling in western society and an interesting insight into the Chinese communist culture.

My feelings are somewhat mixed at this point about the possibility of returning to China in the future. On the one hand it is home to some incredible landscapes that are nothing short of extraordinary. On the other there is a lack of respect and contempt for the environment that is truly appalling. China is a country that is destroying its environment at an incredibly alarming rate and it makes me sad for my children and subsequent generations if the state of China’s environment is an insight into the future of our world.

Footnote: I chose not to photograph the pollution and rampant environmental destruction in China. I simply found it too upsetting and distressing. I chose instead to focus on those natural landscapes that I found truly extraordinary. It is important to point out that even in these remote landscapes I frequently had to remove broken and discarded bottles and other rubbish from my photographs in order to exclude the hand of man.

Iceland ‘Where to Go and What to Photograph’ 2nd Print Edition Map : Review

Equipment, Iceland, News and Updates, Travel Photography

In December last year I reviewed a map produced by French Photographer Michael Levy titled ‘ Where to Go and What to See‘ in Iceland. This map was produced specifically for photographers and Michael was selling limited edition copies (limited to 1000) via his website. Curious for all things Iceland and photography related I contacted Michael via email and after some brief correspondence he kindly offered to send me a copy of the map for review.

Michael has subsequently released a new and revised 2nd print edition of his Iceland map for photographers, titled ‘Where to Go, What to Photograph’. The first edition of the map reportedly took two years of work from concept to printing and was created entirely by hand (not from a database). This new edition is now the culmination of three years of work. From the International Photographer website: The map shows essential route information, detailed descriptions of all areas of interest (volcanoes, waterfalls, lighthouses, monuments, fauna, flora and curiosities) as well as national parks and nature reserves. Not only can you now prepare your trip in detail, thanks to this handy map, but there’s no chance of missing anything exciting once you get there!The first, most noticeable and immediate improvement in the 2nd edition is that it is now printed on a tear proof, waterproof substrate. This is a big improvement and advantage over the original map in that it is now far less likely to be irreparably damaged in the field (especially in Iceland, where it rains a lot). Michael has also fixed a small number of typos and inaccuracies that emerged from the first edition and there are various other improvements and additions. From Michaels website:

We have kept all the elements that made the first edition so successful, while adding innovative improvements based on your many comments:

• 50% more information and sights to see, thanks to the expeditions we undertook to Iceland in 2012 and 2013.

• Travel times for the main routes on road and track, by car and by boat.

• Increased legibility through greater visual contrast and the use of high quality paper and inks.

• Map key now in four languages: English / German / Spanish / French.

• Road network updated and improved.

• Tearproof and waterproof paper.

This map is the ultimate tool. It has been created entirely by hand (not from a database), and will be updated regularly. At a glance, you can see all of the areas to explore and photograph in ICELAND. The map shows essential route information, detailed descriptions of all areas of interest (volcanoes, waterfalls, lighthouses, monuments,fauna, flora, and curiosities), as well as national parks and nature reserves.

Conclusion:

The 2nd Edition is a significant improvement over the 1st edition map. The use of a tearproof and waterproof substrate alone makes the upgrade worthwhile if you already own the 1st edition and plan to return to Iceland. If you had been waiting for a revised edition then now is the time to purchase. My original grip remains in that there is still currently no digital version (especially given the Iceland e-roadbook Michael offers is available as a digital download). I would like to see a digital download version for photographers who do not wish to carry a traditional map with them into the field. As I wrote back in December, photographers are some of the fastest adopters of digital technology and I don’t think there is a serious photographer out there who does not own a tablet device (or phone) of some description that cannot store and display digital map files in the field. I would also like to see GPS co-ordinates added to the map in a future digital edition for photographers who prefer to work with a digital map and a set of co-ordinates for finding a given location. Geo-tagged maps are starting to become quite popular with photographers and there are now a number of photographers producing (and selling) geo-tagged maps of iconic locations in America as an example.

With that said, this remains a hand crafted labour of love and it is important to remember that this map is printed in limited quantities (2000 in the 2nd edition) in the photographers home country of France. It is to my knowledge a unique effort to provide a single map of photographic locations in Iceland and should be considered as such when deciding whether to purchase.

For the photographer travelling to Iceland for the first time this 2nd edition map will likely prove invaluable as it provides sufficient information to plan a self drive tour and covers virtually all of the major iconic locations you are likely to want to visit as well as ensuring you don’t miss the ones that are somewhat harder to find. In combination with something like the Lonely Planet Guide to Iceland and Michael’s e-roadbook to Iceland it will provide a great launching pad for an exciting photographic tour of discovery. It is worth noting that no map can replace local knowledge when it comes to reading the weather and light so I suspect even photographers travelling in groups or with guides will find this map useful as it provides an easy to read and follow reference as you drive around the island. I have personally carried and used it on my own workshops and expeditions so that I can easily illustrate where we are in Iceland to those in the group.

Producing a map for photographers of a country so rich in photographic locations and subjects is a daunting challenge and Michael is to be commended for his hard work and dedication in continuging to upgrade and produce new versions.

For all the international-photographer content visit the International Photographer

Gura Gear Et Cetera Range

Equipment, News and Updates

It is no secret that I have been a big fan and long time supporter of the Gura Gear range of camera bags. In fact, Gura Gears chief founder Andy Biggs has become a close friend over the last few years and we recently ran two workshops in Iceland together during winter for the Aurora Borealis. We will also be travelling to Namibia together next year to co-lead two back-to-back landscape workshops (there are now only a few places remaining on these trips before they will be sold out). We will also shortly be announcing a new expedition to South Georgia Island (more to come on this soon). I have trusted and utilised my Gura Gear bags to carry my camera equipment to places including Antarctica, France, Tasmania, New Zealand, Iceland, China, Italy, Australia and more. The Gura Gear Kiboko and Bataflae 32L have been my number one camera bags of choice for quite some time now. In fact, I was actively involved in the beta testing of the Bataflae 32L during my travels to Europe last year and put a prototype of this bag through its paces in the field. Gura Gear have been slowly expanding their product range with new bags and new accessories to better help and serve photographers in the field and recently launched their new website. One of the new products that I am finding significant use for is the new Et Cetera range. This range of small satchels and containers is perfect for storing the myriad of chargers, cables, card readers and all manner of accessories that are so often left to float loosely in carry on luggage. I used a number of them during my recent trip to Xinjiang in China and they have already become an indispensable component of my travel kit. So often when travelling it is the little things that make a difference between being disorganised and organised and this clever range of small containers helps me keep my accessories handy at all times. If you are in the market for a new camera bag or you want to better organise your accessories I recommend checking them out.

Xinjiang China: The Ghost City

China, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Workshops and Expeditions

In early May 2013 I lead an exploratory expedition into the Xinjiang Augur autonomous region in the extreme north west of China with my good friend Antony Watson (we returned home only a few days ago). This is an extremely remote part of northern China that is home to the spectacular Tian Shan and Altay mountain ranges as well as the Flaming Mountains, Kanas Lake, Gobi Desert and more. This part of rural China is also home to the silk road and other historical locations of importance including the thousand caves of Buddha (two – three thousand year old caves). The province actually borders Russia, Kazakstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kurdistan, Mongolia, and India so there is a real cultural mix of minority people and a very heavy Arabic influence. At one point during our travels we were only 60km from the Kazakstan and Russian borders. Many of the locations we visited were hundreds of kilometres from built up infrastructure and were well off the beaten tourist path. This remote region of China is rarely visited by the outside world and on several occasions we were greeted by local Kazak people who had never before seen westerners in their lives. It was an extraordinary and fascinating expedition with some truly spectacular landscapes. I am still very much collecting my thoughts about this trip and will have a lot more to say about the landscapes, the people and our experiences over the coming weeks including in a more complete debrief report. In the meantime, (and to start the ball rolling) I just wanted to share one of the photographs I made at sunrise during the trip in an area known as the Ghost City in the Gobi desert. This was a wonderful location for photography in what is locally known as the Yardang landscape. A landscape comprised of unusual compressed earth formations and outcroppings that have been eroded by the wind over many hundreds of years. The area is so named for the eerie and unusual sounds the wind makes as it whips around the desert formations at night. It was just one of the remarkable locations we visited during our time in this remote part of China.

Sebastião Salgado: The silent drama of photography

News and Updates

My good friend and photographer Martyn Lucas recently sent me a link to a short fifteen minute talk by one of my favourite photographers Sebastião Salgado. Those of you familiar with Sebastião’s photography will already know that he specialises in humanitarian documentary photojournalism. You may not be aware however that he has been incredibly active in conservation in Brazil and that he has been responsible for the replantation of millions of trees and the reconstruction of an entire ecosystem. Perhaps his most well known book ‘Workers: An Archaeology of the Industrial Age‘ should be required reading for every photographer. This short video in which Sebastião discusses his career and his photography is well worth fifteen minutes of your time. It is a remarkable insight into a a truly remarkable photographer. Watch the video here: VIDEO

Footnote: Having just returned from three weeks photography in the remote North West of China (currently in Beijing) I will have more to say about the rampant destruction of our environment in future posts.

Canon 200-400mm F4L IS Pre-Production Sample Lens Review

Equipment, News and Updates, Photographs, Reviews, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs

Late in 2012 I wrote a short op ed. blog piece about the pending release of Canon’s new 200-400mm F4L IS lens with inbuilt 1.4 teleconverter. At the time of my post there were only a few prototypes of this lens in existence and they were all at the London Olympics (I was somewhere between Paris and Chamonix at the time) for testing by a lucky few sports photographers. Initial feedback on the grapevine from those fortunate few was that this lens (even in prototype form) was an oustanding performer and lived up to Canon’s claims of Unsurpassed combination of versatility, first-class optical performance and an enhanced weather-proof construction.

Fast forward to today and I recently finished (in February this year) three days shooting with the new Canon 200-400mm F4L IS lens (in prototype form). To my knowledge this is the first online pre-production review of this lens anywhere in the world. During the test I was fortunate to also have on hand the Nikon 200-400 equivalent and a D800E for comparison and this may also be the first time these lenses have been used side by side. In terms of size the two lenses are almost identical although the Canon is wider in girth and does feel lighter than the Nikon. Once a 1.4 teleconverter is added the Nikon does become a longer lens than the Canon.The Nikon design is now more than a decade old and does not include an inbuilt 1.4 teleconverter although it has had some optical and vibration reduction upgrades over the years. For those looking for a direct comparison of these lenses in terms of image quality I am sorry but you are going to have to look elsewhere. It is just too hard to account for differences in lenses when they are shot on different mega pixel cameras. What I can say is that after shooting side by side with the Canon and Nikon for three days is that both are excellent lenses and that the end result has as much to do with the camera and photographer as the lens itself. Shooting dressage with the 1DX and Canon 200-400 I was able to capture images that the D800E simply could not because its frame rate is literally half that of the 1DX. Twelve frames a second makes a difference when you are photographing a charging horse or wildlife on the move. In terms of autofocus it is again to hard to account for any differences between the lenses as so much depends on the camera and the photographer so we confined ourselves to simply comparing the physical attributes of the lenses. What was universally agreed however is that having an inbuilt 1.4 teleconverter is a significant advantage. The teleconverter can be activated in less than a second in the Canon where as it takes at least ten seconds to take the lens off the Nikon and install a converter. This difference is huge and is not to be underestimated when it comes to wildlife and sports photography. The Canon can continue shooting and tracking the subject whilst the converter is slide into place. The Nikon requires taking the camera away from the eye to fit the converter and then reframing the subject and reacquiring focus. This time delay can be the difference between getting the shot and missing the shot. Included below is a short video with my thoughts and impressions on this new and very impressive lens from Canon.I know the Canon lens looks quite a lot bigger than the Nikon in this photograph however that is a function of the lens and camera used to take this photograph. The Canon is also closer to the camera and thus appears larger in the frame.

Teleconverter Functionality

The Canon 200-400mm F4L IS is only the second lens from Canon to ever employ an inbuilt 1.4 teleconverter that could be optionally switched on or off with the flick of a switch. The first lens to do so was the extremely rare Canon FD 1200mm f/5.6 L Lens (picture on PBase.com). I have personally never seen one of these lenses in the flesh although I have briefly shot with its replacement, the discontinued and ultra expensive EF 1200mm f/5.6 L USM Lens; which did not have an inbuilt teleconverter.

The teleconverter in the Canon 200-400mm F4 L IS lens offers a magnification factor of 1.4x the lens focal length. This turns the Canon 200-400mm lens into a 280mm – 560mm lens with the flick of a switch. The switch can be locked to prevent accidental operation. After three days of shooting with the lens I never felt the need to use the lock switch as the teleconverter switch does require a fairly dedicated press to move into position.

Image Quality

I need to put a caveat on my comments about image quality as the lens I tested from Canon was a prototype and not a finished production model. Whilst I do not expect there to be any significant optical differences between the unit I tested and finished samples it is important to clarify that my comments relate strictly to the prototype and not finished production units (which are currently unavailable).

Getting right down to brass tacks the image quality of Canon’s new 200-400mm F4L IS lens is superb. My own testing shows it to be fully the equal of Canon’s mighty 300mm F2.8L IS lens both in the centre and in the corners. This is phenomenal performance in a zoom lens and goes to show how much development and engineering work has gone into the design of this new optic. During the three days I was able to shoot with the lens I shot over a thousand frames at a local open range zoo not far from my house and at a dressage training event. I also spent a good deal of time shooting test charts so that I could make direct comparisons against the 300mm F2.8L IS. I tested the lens at varying focal lengths both with and without the 1.4 teleconverter in place and have found it to offer superb image quality regardless of focal length. It is necessary to go 300% magnification in Adobe Lightroom to see any difference between a file shot with the 300mm F2.8L IS and the 200-400 F4L IS. The most noticeable difference at 300% is the significant lack of chromatic aberration in the 200-400 lens. Any resolution differences are a quibble and it could be argued that the 200-400mm lens actually has better contrast. This confirms what I have heard from other photographers who tested this lens at both the London Olympics and the Australian Open tennis early this year and have claimed it is as good as Canon’s 400mm F2.8L IS lens.

Image Quality with Teleconverter

The addition of an inbuilt teleconverter makes a good deal of optical sense since it can be specifically designed and tuned to the lens in which it is being employed. Traditional teleconverters are a compromise because they are designed to work with multiple lenses across a range of focal lengths. They are not tuned to a specific set of optics and employ more elements than they may otherwise need to in order to ensure operability between lenses. For this reason an inbuilt converter will always outperform and out-resolve a stand alone converter. In my own testing I found the in built converter in the 200-400 to offer improved image quality over the stand alone Mark III 1.4 Teleconverter.

To clear up the internet scuttlebutt I can clarify that it is possible to use a 2X teleconverter with the 200-400mm lens; which turns it into a 400-800mm F8 lens that will autofocus on the 1DX camera. Image quality with the 2X teleconverter in place is at least equal in quality to what you would expect to see using the converter on a prime telephoto lens. It is also possible to flick the 1.4 teleconverter into place and go to 1120mm although autofocus is lost and image quality takes a nose dive as you would expect with stacked converters.

Autofocus

The prototype 200-400mm lens I tested on the Canon 1DX camera has the best autofocus I have ever experienced with any camera – period. It is blisteringly fast and deadly accurate. This lens and camera combination never miss focused during the nearly 700 frames shot on high speed 12 frames per second AI servo at the dressage training event I was invited to photograph. The camera and lens were able to successfully track the rapidly moving dark horses irrespective of erratic and unpredictable movement. All of the files are sharp and well within what I would deem critical focus.

Image Stabilisation

The new 200-400mm lens employs 4 stop image stabilisation that is virtually completely silent. Whilst I can hear the IS in my 300mm F2.8L IS when shooting with the lens in this mode I could not hear it at all on the 200-400mm lens. My tests show that the IS in the 200-400 is significantly better than that in the original 300mm F2.8L IS lens and I would have no hesitation in hand holding this lens in poor light and shooting at shutter speeds that would normally require a tripod for these focal lengths. The lens has three different modes for either hand held shooting, panning or utilisation on a tripod.Who is it for?

For Photographers who need a super-telephoto zoom in the 200mm – 560mm range with superb optics this lens is likely to be worth every cent. After spending time shooting from the deck of ships I have come to the realisation that there is no substitute for a high quality super telephoto zoom lens. For shooting wildlife such as penguins, seals, polar bears, walrus and birds from the deck of a ship where the required focal length is always different I expect this lens will likely prove the ultimate no compromise choice for ‘getting the shot’. It is the lens I have decided to take with me on the expeditions I am running to the Arctic and Antarctic in August and November this year.

With a focal length of 200mm – 400mm or 280mm – 560mm with the 1.4 TC in place this lens will also be very popular with sports photographers simply because of the extreme versatility it will provide. It is not quite as fast as a 300mm or 400mm F2.8 but I expect this small sacrifice in speed will be a small price to pay for the added flexibility this lens will bring to many sports shooters. I expect this lens to be in hot demand with sports and wildlife photographers when it is released in June this year; even with its high price tag. Despite the long lead time from initial announcement of its development to working field prototypes this lens remains likely the most hotly anticipated lens for sports and wildlife photographers in recent memory.

China – Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

China, News and Updates, Travel Photography, Workshops and Expeditions

Late last year I posted on my blog that after months of research I was going to head to the remote and sparsely populated Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China for a recognisance expedition. Xinjiang is located in the extreme north west of China and borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, and covers an area over 1.6 million square kilometres. This trip is in essence an investigation expedition that I am hoping will lead to a future workshop into this very remote and rarely visited (and even less rarely photographed) part of North Western China.

I had been researching a possible trip to this remote region of China for well over a year and had hit quite a lot of snags (not the least of which was the language barrier) and more than a few roadblocks that had almost forced me to give up. Local infrastructure is very light in this remote province and the logistics are incredibly difficult to arrange to ensure the best photographic opportunities. Information about these areas from a photographer’s perspective is very thin and in many cases simply unavailable. After much discussion and planning my friend and co-photograher Antony Watson and I have been able to put together a thirteen day / twelve night itinerary that takes us into some of the most remote and spectacular parts of provincial China; many of which have rarely if ever been photographed by a dedicated photography expedition. Indeed, some of the areas we will visit in the Gobi desert have likely never been photographed.

We will be leaving for Shanghai at crack of dawn tomorrow morning where we will catch a connecting flight to Ürümqi; which is the capital city of Xinjiang. Ürümqi whose name means beautiful pasture in the Mongolian language is the largest city in the western most region of China and is the starting point for this investigative expedition.

Just some of the places we will be visiting during this thirteen-day trip include the Tian Shan mountain ranges; which span some 2,800 kilometers and offer amazing snow capped mountain vistas with much of the lower mountains covered with green pines and cypress. Crystal clear lakes reflect the mountains early in the morning and should make for outstanding photography. We will visit the Wuerhe Ghost City where centuries of howling winds have eroded and weathered the multi-faceted rock formations into eerie and unusual shapes that are known for creating ghostly light at sunset. There are thousands of gorges and crisscross gullies winding through the multitude of colored rock formations. This scarcely visited area provides a unique opportunity to photograph the amazing rock formations and we plan to shoot here at both sunrise and sunset when the light will be at its best. We will also head into and photograph the mighty Gobi desert. The Gobi desert spans half a million square miles and is the fifth largest desert in the world. It is most notable for being part of the Mongol Empire and the Silk Road. Primarily consisting of exposed bare rock formations (rather than sand like most deserts) the Gobi desert should provide literally limitless opportunities for landscape and wilderness photography. We will travel to Hemu and photograph the birch tree forests, the Hemu river and the Hemu grasslands. Special access has been arranged for us to visit a small remote village populated by scattered wooden framed houses built by the Tuva Mongols; believed to be descendants of the troops of Genghis Khan. Whilst in the grasslands we hope to encounter the rare red deer as well as other wildlife.

When we have finished in Hemu we will travel to Kanasi whose name means ‘rich and mysterious beauty’ in Mongolian. This area promises to be one of the most alluring parts of Northern Xinjiang. We will visit the Kanasi Nature Reserve, which is home to Kanas Lake. The lake fills from the Kanasi river which originates from the Kanasi glacier in the Altay Mountains. Kanasi lake is 4500 feet above sea level and covers an area of 28 square miles so the opportunities for photography should be limitless. The lake is perhaps best known for its amazing turquoise color in spring and autumn. We will spend a couple of days in this area before we head to Burqin along the Ergsi River and then Karamay. We hope to see and photograph wild horses along the way as well as the spectacular natural landscape.

Finally we will photograph The Devil City which encompasses hills and valleys and is perhaps best known for its yardang landscape. The term “yardangs” comes from the Uygur language, meaning “steep hill”, and now it refers to a landform of wind-eroded hollows, mounds and unusual formations. The name ‘The Devil City’ comes from the eerie and strange sound the wind makes in spring and autumn as it whistles through the rock formations. From here we will head back to Ürümqi and catch a flight to Beijing before returning home.

If all goes well the trip and itinerary we are taking will form the basis for a future workshop to this remote provincial region of China. In the meantime, this exploratory trip promises to be quite the adventure and will prove a nice counter point to the time I just spent in Iceland in winter . Internet access is more or less unknown in many of the areas where we will be photographing; but we do hope to post some dispatches from the field whenever possible.

I have packed lighter (See Footnote) than usual for this trip and my equipment includes:

Gura Gear Bataflae 32L Camera Bag – containing:

Canon EOS1 DX Camera
Canon EOS 1DS MK3 Camera (back-Up)
Canon 17mm F4L TSE
Canon 24mm F3.5L TSE
Canon 24-70mm F2.8L MK II
Canon 70-200mm F2.8L IS
Canon 1.4 TC
Canon 2.0TC
Canon Macro Extension Tube
2 x Spare Camera Batteries
Really Right Stuff TVC24L Carbon Fibre Tripod with RRS BH-55 Ball-Head
An Assortment of LEE Filters for the above lenses including Graduated ND filters and the LEE 10 Stop ND Filter

I decided after much agonising to leave my Canon 300mm F2.8L IS lens at home. Although I dearly love this lens for both wildlife and landscape it is a heavy beast to travel with and as this trip is almost entirely about the landscape I have decided to save my back and leave it at home. I recently had my 70-200mm F2.8L IS calibrated and am very happy with its performance with the new Mark 3 Teleconverters should I need the extra reach.

-Footnote: I recently tested and purchased Canon’s new 24-70 F2.8L MK2 and found its image quality to be superior to the 24mm F1.4L MK2, 35mm F1.4L and 50mm F1.2L at every single F-Stop. The new 24-70mm F2.8L is simply sharper and resolves better in the corners than any of these prime lenses from Canon. This is truly phenomenal performance and fully justifies the cost of this lens. Although the 24-70mm F2.8L MK2 does have more distortion than the prime equivalents at a given focal length it is so easily corrected in post production and the increased resolution so noticeable that it is well worth the expense. The bonus of this lens is that I can now carry just one lens instead of three and get superior resolution. If you have not tried the new 24-70 F2.8L Mk2 you and you shoot in this focal range then you owe it to yourself to try one. It will be my main lens for shooting in not only China, but also on both my Arctic and Antarctic expeditions later this year.

P.S – If you are wondering why there isn’t a Phase One IQ180 on the above list. The camera, digital back and lenses I was hoping to take with me just hasn’t arrived in time. Such is life.

Photo of the Month – May : Godafoss in Winter

Iceland, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography

The photo of the month for May 2014 is also from Godafoss waterfall in the North of Iceland. This photograph was taken from the edge of the top of the falls with the Canon 17mm F4L Tilt and Shift Lens on the Canon 1DX Camera. I used a custom made adapter to hold a 3-Stop LEE graduated ND filter and the LEE Big Stopper 10 Stop ND filter. Exposure time was eight seconds at F5.6. In hindsight, I think I actually prefer this photograph from the top of the falls to the other one I posted last month. This photograph has a more dramatic feeling with the snow and ice in the foreground and I feel better emphasises the horseshoe shape of the falls.

Namibia Overland Photographic Journey – March/April 2014

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

In March/April next year I will be co-leading two trips with Andy Biggs to the Namibia desert in Namibia, Africa. The goal of these safaris is to photograph the breathtaking desert landscapes of Namibia in a different fashion than Andy has offered his Namibia trips in the past: in an overland fashion. This will be an overland photographic journey, and we have complete flexibility to stop to take photographs at any time along the way. We wanted to put these trips together that have a good balance between flexibility, photographic opportunities and comfortable accommodations. This approach will also enable us to carry more than enough camera baggage, so bring what you need!

Safari Dates: We will be leading two identical trips with different dates:

Trip 1: Namibia Overland Photographic Journey – March 29th – April 7th 2014
Trip 2: Namibia Overland Photographic Journey – April 8th – April 17th 2014

On the South Western Coast of Africa, where the icy Atlantic ocean meets the world’s oldest desert lies a place that is known for its landscapes as much as the Serengeti is known for its abundant wildlife. The unique combination of desert, grassland and cold ocean current form a one-of-a-kind terrain found only here. For this reason landscape photographers from all over the world flock to the Namibia Desert to try and capture its ethereal beauty.

In this captivating region of Namibia lies a maze of mountainous valleys that look like they were carpeted from slope to slope by ivory coloured grass, criss-crossed by ancient riverbeds and dotted with a collection of photogenic acacia trees. The final unique touch is added by the large snake like dunes that rise from the grasslands like the roof of some subterranean world. These stark and compelling landscapes are something to behold with the human eye, but when it’s sweeping meadows, barren mountains and blood red dunes are captured and transformed into a two dimensional image, it becomes obvious why this place is so beautifully addictive to photographers.

Safari Highlights

– These private overland safaris cover fascinating attractions in Namibia while enjoying a relaxed pace along the way.
– We will enjoy four amazing destinations on each safari in central and southern Namibia: Sossusvlei, the Namib Rand, the deserted mining town of Kolmanskop and the ancient quiver tree forest near Keetmanshoop.
– The Namib Desert may well be the world’s oldest desert. The apricot-colored dunes at Sossusvlei are some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth. Herds gemsbok and springbok roam the area.
– In all the locations you will have the opportunity to spend quality photographic time.
– Finish on a high note in the magnificent sand dunes of Sossusvlei.
– Each trip Limited to only 10 participants (due to prior interest there is only limited places remaining on both trips before they will be sold out).

The cost of this all-inclusive trip is U.S. $7,950 per person (but not inclusive of airfare to Windhoek, Namibia). The same rate applies for each participant regardless of whether they are doing photography and participating in the workshop, or not. This fee includes all in-country ground and air transportation as well as hotel accommodation (double occupancy) and all meals.

A 30% deposit of U.S. $2,325 (per person) will be required when you register. A second payment of $1,500 will be due on October 1, 2013 and the balance of $3,925 will be due no later than February 1, 2014. If we have to cancel the trip for any reason you will receive a full refund of all monies paid to that date.

Please note: This trip is designed for photographers. Though non-photographer spouses are of course welcome, and alternate activities will be scheduled if possible, our primary emphasis will be traveling to the best locations for the best light, and this will often mean long days of both travel and shooting.

You should therefore only consider joining this expedition if you are a passionate photographer willing to put yourself out a bit. This is not a vacation sightseeing trip, but rather is a trip designed for those who’ll go the extra mile (or kilometer) to get the images they’ve been dreaming about.

Please contact either Andy at info@andybiggs.com or myself at info@jholko.com. For a complete day-by-day itinerary please click HERE.

Iceland Winter Aurora Workshop 2014 – SOLD OUT

Iceland, Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography

I had been planning to announce that the 2014 Iceland winter Aurora workshop I am leading with Daniel Bergmann was open for bookings this week. However, due to the waiting list for the 2013 workshops and pre-registrations for next years workshops the 2014 trip is already completely sold out. If you are interested in joining you can still register to be put on the waiting list by sending me an email to info@jholko.com. We are looking forward to frozen waterfalls, spectacular glaciers, icebergs, precipitous mountains and with a little bit of luck the spectacular natural phenomena ‘Aurora Borealis’. 2014 is predicted to be another strong year for the Aurora on the cusp of the eleven year solar cycle and it will be very exciting to see and photograph the Aurora over the spectacular and primordial Icelandic landscape. If you would like to read more about this workshop and register to be put on the waiting list please visit the workshops page on my website at www.jholko.com