Greenland Midnight Sun Photo Adventure - July 13-18, 2022

Greenland’s pristine icebergs, quirky villages, and untouched, icy wilderness make it a great photo destination. During our midnight sun workshop the soft golden light is a constant, creating magical unique photo opportunities.

Our base for this photography tour will be a place called Disko Bay, which rests on Greenland’s west coast, well north of the Arctic Circle. This area is known for regular visits of humpback whales and seals, calm waters and reflections.

​For the duration of this trip, we will spend our nights at a 4-star hotel. This guarantees that the group will be well rested, properly fed, and within walking distance of plenty of Greenlandic culture. Ilulissat is known for its colorful houses, dog sledges, museums, fish markets, and hospitable locals.

​The villages of Greenland aren’t really connected by highways or motorways. Here the sea is king, and the natural waterways offer the best routes to take. Because of this, we will charter a private boat for the entirety of our adventure. On our journey we will visit several Greenlandic settlements, including Qasigiannguit, Aasiaat, and Oqaatsut.

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​Join me for my very first expedition to Greenland. My itinerary and trip has been skillfully put together by one of my photography friends and co-leaders. He will have a group there at the same time but we will be on separate boats—allowing for maximum photography opportunities. I hate over-crowding…

Those of you have been on my maiden voyages know that I am meticulous about the itinerary, photo opportunities and chosen guides. I will make every effort to get you the type of photos that are in this post. BTW, they are all supplied to me by my guide.

Much of our travelling and photography around Ilulissat’s Icefjord will be carried out at night, when the midnight sun offers the best light to work with and the conditions are unlike anything you will have experienced. More often than not we will begin our sessions late in the evening and continue through the night, chasing the best light and the most spectacular scenes. With the sun low on the horizon the light will become more saturated, with deep icy blues and a sky tinged with fiery reds. This magical light lasts between 2 to 4 hours, so we will try and make the most of it by cruising each evening.

​This tour is suitable for all levels however, you must be able to hike over uneven terrain for about 1 mile. We’ve got a savvy captain who is used to working with photographers; he knows the area extremely well. A detailed information sheet with gear, clothing, flight information, etc… will be sent once we get our entire group together.

Day 1: Arrival

Arrivals should be made by/or before 1:00pm to Ilulissat. Please check AirGreenland for available tickets. The best way is to fly from Copenhagen with one change at Kangerlussuaq (DO NOT purchase any airfare until you have heard from me). My guide and I will meet you on the recommended flight and transfer for check-in to the airport. After lunch we will meet for a briefing at our hotel and discuss upcoming sessions.

​After dinner we will board our vessel and depart to the Icefjord. There you will see some of the greatest icebergs in the world. The magic light usually lasts around 2-3 hours. Sun slightly touches horizon, giving incredible colors, and roll on distant mountains. During these 3 magic hours we will photograph icebergs around the fjord. Our trip is constructed for photographers, unlike touristic cruises you may book on solo trip to Ilulissat.

​We finish up the cruise around 2-3 a.m. in the evening. We will then have a break until breakfast. If you feel you can endure some more, you are welcome to walk around the Ilulissat after breakfast, observing how the settlement wakes up and starts its normal everyday life.

Day 2

After breakfast we will hike around the village and have a fairly leisurely afternoon, plan for the evening ahead and get some much-needed rest.

​After dinner we will once again sail out into the icefjord. We’ll start a little earlier on day two, as on top of our usual ice hunt we will be visiting several small settlements to the south, including Kangia, Qasigiannguit, and/or Ilimanaq. The final stop will depend on the conditions of the ice. Greenlandic settlements tend be colorful, with colonial buildings full of character.

​On our journey back we will look for some open-water icebergs, which vary in size, and come in a staggering variety of shapes. Castles, archways, towers – we will spend plenty of time under the midnight sun photographing these natural masterpieces. Our expedition will arrive back in Ilulissat between two and three in the morning.

Day 3

After another late one, we’ll take some time out to rest after breakfast on day three. Following a quick lunch, we’ll hop aboard our boat and head to, depending on the conditions, either Oqaatsut or Rodebay. Rodebay is a small settlement to the north of Ilulissat. There we will take a walk through the village, which currently has under fifty inhabitants. Despite the small population there is a church, a shop and a school!

​We will eat out that evening, in what is known as the “whalehunter’s pub”, a small restaurant with a big history. There aren’t a huge amount of options, so we may just go there for lunch instead – it’ll depend on their weekly schedule.

​After eating we will head back to Ilulissat and begin a night hike Sermermiut and the nearby Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. This is where all of the Disko Bay icebergs begin their journeys. Our walk will start from the outskirts of Ilulissat, before heading past Seqinniarfik, and up to the hilltop where local people meet the first rays of sun on January 13th every year. The path is straightforward, fitted with wooden paving for the majority.

​It’s around 1 hour each way, with striking views and comfortable slopes. We will have plenty of stops on the way, and enjoy the midnight sun while keeping an eye out for the local wildlife.

Day 4

After another late-night hike, we’ll settle in for a cozy sleep back at our hotel in Ilulissat. As evening rolls around again, we’ll prepare for another night out on the water. Just before midnight we will once again set sail, skirting around the Icefjord in search of the best compositions and light conditions. The area is a UNESCO world heritage site, so it’s definitely worth visiting as much as possible.

Day 5

After breakfast we will have some free time on your own to catch up on sleep, take a hike, work on pictures…As evening falls we will once again set sail in search of icebergs, wildlife and any spectacles that the midnight sun will illuminate for us.

Day 6

Day six will be our last in Greenland. After a hearty breakfast we will say our goodbyes and transfers back to the airport(transfers are included).

*Itinerary subject to change to accommodate local conditions, weather, etc..

Dates: July 13-18, 2022

Price: $6400, based on dbl occupancy. Single supplement available for $1000.00

Limit 8 clients

Included

·       4 stars hotel, the best hotel in Ilulissat

·       Breakfast, and dinners at the best Greenlandic restaurants

·       Private boat charter

·       Transfers to and from airport

·       Port taxes and fees, fuel

·       Instruction and classes from 2 award-winning photographers

Not Included

·       Air fare

·       Visa (if applicable, US Citizens do not require a visa)

·      All Lunches

·       Alcohol

TO SIGN UP FOR THIS ADVENTURE CLICK HERE.

Paul and I have several upcoming adventures including an exclusive Madagascar trip, Russia, Ethiopia, Bolivia and Northern Ireland-plus a few more in the works for 2022. Stay tuned!

Clients Images From Japan

During our image review in Japan, co-leader Paul McKenzie suggested I do a blog post of our clients images from the trip since so many were fantastic. So here goes, they are listed in order of my receipt.

Kitty Kono’s images are below. For those of you that don’t know Kitty, she is an uber talented and extremely productive photographer. Her dedication in the field is second to none. Kitty has written several books on her travels. Her Ezo Red Fox is a sleeping beauty for sure! I was standing next to Kitty when she captured the two Steller's sea eagles fighting— she killed me on that one <grin>. Kitty’s “Swan Lake” shot is perfectly composed with the line up of swans and mountain background. To finish off her images Kitty shot a Long-tailed tit coming to an icicle for a drink.

Kitty’s daughter Yumiko was also on the trip and submitted her backlit monkey shot, not only is it creative but she nailed the mood. Yumiko is a very talented young woman. It seems everything she touches turns to gold! She spent some of her time on the trip with her studies.

To see more of Kitty’s work check out her blog.

Next we have Janice Rosner. Janice is also a very talented photographer that often steps out of the box, I like that about her. Janice and I have traveled together to many locations and she always surprises me with what she has captured. Her work with blurs is incredible and I like her creative eye. Her bamboo image below is simple yet elegant. I love it! Janice’s monkey image depicts a tender moment. More importantly, the closed eye of the one monkey really shows a sense of peacefulness.

My second favorite behind her bamboo blur is her lone Whooper Swan image, the colors reflected in the water are perfect! She worked hard with a long lens behind the group looking for any gap to shoot through- well done Janice! I explained photographer’s etiquette—when most photographers in a group are shooting with wide angle lenses and one is shooting with a long lens, the onus is on the long lens to move and to not expect the others to get out of their way—even if they have a shot all lined up. I learned that years ago on some of the bird workshops that I co-led with Arthur Morris. Janice’s final image is a slow shutter blur of two cranes coming in, it really implies motion!

Check out Janice’s website to see more of her work.

Next are Karen McCormick’s photos. Karen has been on a lot of my workshops and she always comes away with something great. Her trip with me to Norway yielded her a Best in Show at her camera club with her “Swirls of Green” aurora shot.

I am absolutely in love with Karen’s Red-crowned crane dancing shot. It is sharp, perfectly exposed and shows great interaction. Karen’s eagle flight shot from our day in Rausu, with the mountain background has a lot of impact. Her image below of the fox peeking its head over the snowdrift is priceless, I think I took that shot too-or at least I hope I did!. She was determined to get a nice shot of the fox and was one of the last to leave the little guy.

Her preening crane in the snow shows how the snow will look if you slow down your shutter. That’s the great thing about photographing in the snow—if you slow down your shutter speed the flakes become streaks. I love experimenting with my shutter speed in the snow. Remember, the farther your subject is from you the less blurred it will appear.

Bruce Fryxell is one of the last one to share his images from the trip. The other participants that didn’t share here also had some really nice images. I had originally met Bruce on my Bandon Oregon workshop a few years ago where he and fellow photographer Lori Moilanen attended. Lori and Bruce have since been on several of my workshops. I just want to say that Lori’s images from the Japan trip were also fantastic. Lori made the switch over to Sony while Bruce decided to stay with Canon; both systems will get the job done. Bruce and Lori are from the Olympic Peninsula and I will see them both when I head out there in a few months for my Olympic National Park workshop.

Bruce’s first monkey shot is wonderful. The intimate composition and framing works great here. I love seeing both sets of eyes; the inclusion of the arm wrapped around the young one finishes it off nicely. His next image shows the playful behavior of the monkeys. They are forever tormenting, playing, jumping, biting and screaming. It is a hoot to watch!

Bruce’s swan shot with the starbursts is another beauty; the lone feather is a nice touch for this one and I like the way he kept the image dark and moody. His final image of a crane coming in for a landing is a great flight shot. I like the wings open with the feet ready to touch down. It looks like he made it a B&W and left the red on the cranes head.

Visit his website to see more of Bruce’s work.

We have one spot open for our next Japan in Winter workshop scheduled for 2022. The spot is for a shared female. We will be doing a pre-trip to Kyoto and Koyasan in 2022-info about the pre-trip will be posted soon.

Below are a few images from Jenny Shuffield. She got the images to me late but they are worth adding! Each one is an example of the talent we had on the trip. Jenny is a very easy going photographer. She never seems to complain and is always smiling. I like that quality very much :) Her good energy is reflected in her images.