Norway Trip Report

March 13, 2023

I just returned home from a fantastic trip to Lofoten, Norway. Lofoten is absolutely beautiful in the winter. I love the snow-covered mountains with soft arctic blue skies; there is a sense of peace to the scenery that is hard to describe. Aside from beautiful vistas around every corner, there is a night sky that can explode with color and dancing lights. Each night as the sun set we checked the weather for news of an aurora; It’s a thrill to even hear the words aurora.

During our visit we had a hell of a snowstorm on our first morning shoot. The situation was bleak as we pulled up to the beach area. With strong wind gusts and near blizzard-like conditions, we looked at each other with doubt.

What fun it turned out to be even though the photography was difficult. The mountains continually faded into the background and it was a true challenge. Not only did we have trouble just standing our ground, we struggled with our cameras and tripods. It’s amazing how hard every small task becomes with gloves on.

On one quiet, early morning we were treated to pink mountain peaks as the sun rose over an incredible cracked ice extravaganza. I told my guide the day before that it would be nice to get some reflections. Then I added that it would be nice to get some reflections with the cracked ice. Because he knew I liked pink morning light he said, “so you want reflections, cracked ice and pink light, right?” I answered of course, so you can imagine my face that morning…

My group and I stayed in traditional red fishing cabins that have been updated to accommodate tourists. It’s a small waterfront setting with a quaint Norwegian flair. These cabins are part of the charm of this tour. They are quite spacious with three en-suite bedrooms that are connected by a large foyer with a shared kitchen and living area.

During our visit we went to shoot the famous Hamnoy village scene from the bridge. It was darn cold! We also went to Reine (it’s not pronounced like it looks) for an incredible panoramic scene. We walked around Sakrisoy and shot some of the well-known scenes and hiked up a snowy hill for another overlook shot of the village. We ate at one of the local restaurants that is famous for their fish burgers. I had a pulled salmon burger- yummo!

In addition to the many peaks and beaches that we photographed we made time for things like a small red boat house in the snow, a church at blue hour, fishing cabins, harbors, and tide pools, and so much more…

On our last day in Lofoten- -jackpot! We hit the mother load with an Aurora that went on and on and even had the corona show above our heads. Epic is the word I’m using to describe that night.

As I reflect on my time in Norway I can’t help but look forward to my next visit. Our guides were knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and lots of fun to be with. We experienced a bit of the culture, tasted some of the local cuisine, saw many gorgeous landscapes and got some great shots along the way. What’s not to like…

All images shot with my Sony A 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera and Sony FE 12-24mm f/2.8 lens or Sony FE 24-105mm f/4, G lens. Manual mode and manual focus for most.

If you’d like to join my next adventure to Lofoten January 31- February 7, 2025 you can sign up or read about it here.

Japan Trip Report

February 27, 2023

January 29th-

I’m on the plane heading to Japan now. I’m anxious to get to the snow monkey park since I heard there has been lots of snow. I hope it doesn’t melt by the time I get there. Snow is a great backdrop for the monkeys. I especially like it when it snows while we are there, so fingers crossed.

I’m also hoping for snow at the crane sanctuary. The Red- crowned cranes are beautiful but a snowy background gives an artistic edge to the photos.

United airlines bumped me to one of their Polaris seats; I guess they didn’t sell out. It’s pretty comfortable up here in the front of the plane.

We arrived at our Japanese ryokan near the snow monkey park. Here we enjoyed some traditional cuisine and had a bit of fun learning about their customs. After 2 1/2 days with the snow monkeys, I’d say everyone got tons of great photos and really enjoyed themselves.

January 3rd:

We leave our traditional ryokan today and head to Hokkaido via a domestic flight. In Hokkaido we will photograph Red-crowned cranes, Whooper Swans, Ezo fox, Ural owls and more.

January 4th:

The day started and ended with sunny conditions, not so great for white birds. We left the crane sanctuary and opted to photograph the Ural owl which was tucked into a tree cavity in a shaded forest.

Dinner was fantastic as are all of our meals at the lodge. Our chef prepares lightly dressed salads and about four assorted side dishes and at least one main course and soup.

January 5th:

Another sunny day… more owl photography. We visited a marsh area looking for fox and some landscapes. We photographed most of our favorite landscape places as the light was better in those locations than at the crane sanctuary.

January 6th:

We got up early and photographed at the famous bridge with fog and hoarfrost. We left extremely happy as conditions were perfect for the cranes in the mist. We finished the day off with an afternoon shoot with the cranes.

January 7th:

We went to Lake Kussharo for the Whooper swans. When we arrived in the early morning we were treated to beautiful pink light and loads of hoarfrost covered trees. There was even an iceberg! It turned out to be a fabulous day with a visit to a famous ramen restaurant.

January 8th:

A morning shoot with the cranes followed by an afternoon shoot with the cranes.

January 9th:

We went to Rausu to photograph the Stellar’s sea eagles and White-tailed eagles on pack ice from a boat. Lots of pack ice and eagles!

January 10th:

Back to Lake Kussharo for an early morning shoot with the swans. We left and had lunch again at our favorite ramen bar then found four fox on snow covered hills. Three males trying to mate with one female, a couple of fox interactions and some lone tree photography rounded out the day.

January 11th: our last full day together. Crane sanctuary for an early morning shoot. We were blessed with snow. The cranes rejoiced and danced in the snow... it was a good day for all.

Long-tailed tit drinking from maple icicle.

My obsession with trees continues…

January 12th: we head back to Haneda and say goodbye to our fellow photographers and get a good night’s sleep before meeting our next group. I have included some images from both trips here.

Heading to Japan

January 24, 2023

I’m heading to Japan in a little while, but I wanted to send my recent blog from my second trip to the Falklnad’s. I never sent the blast a couple of days ago when I published it, whoops. Paul McKenzie and I will have 2 groups back-to back, making this our 9th workshop in Japan together-wow, time flies! Our 2024 Japan in Winter trip is sold out.

Second Falkland's Trip Report:

I’m just returning home from my second workshop/photo tour to the Falkland Islands since November. Both of my groups enjoyed their time on the islands with the birds and the natural environment. I enjoyed both trips as the photography and the participants were top notch.

When I left the Gentoo and Rockhopper colonies on my previous trip, there were plenty of eggs and lots of very young chicks. The King penguins were also on eggs ( no chicks yet), their eggs take longer to hatch.

When I returned in early January, it was surprising to see how quickly the rockhopper chicks grew. They were in large crèches and there were way more than I had initially thought. Same with the gentoos, their chicks were huge and doing well.

We did see lots of predation on the young penguins even though they were pretty big. The Skuas just picked them off as they pleased. Turkey Vultures were everywhere, and they patrolled the colonies. One of the workshop participants saw a few of them go after a chick. Apparently, they are predators and not just undertakers?.

The King penguin colony at Volunteer Point was filled with young chicks. There were also quite a few abandoned eggs scattered throughout the colony. A few dead chicks laced the outskirts but no more than most years, so all looked good.

Black-browed albatross chick snapping. I added detail extractor to the background to bring out some of the water texture. I think I’ll have to give it a round of noise reduction when I get a chance as now it presents as noisy.

On this last trip, we saw and photographed young, Black-browed albatross chicks. They were covered in fluffy down. These adorable chicks are quite feisty as they protect their nests when the adults are gone. When the sheep at Saunders graze on the green lush grasses at the base of their mud nests the chicks snap their bills over and over again. When the sheep get too close, the albatross chicks spit at them (they produce oil in their stomachs to use as nutrients during long flights. They also use this oil to spit at attackers), making the sheep a mess to shear. Everyone in both groups loved their time with the albatross. Being able to sit among them was a wonderful wildlife experience.

Black-browed albatross chick resting. These chicks get to looking pretty beat up by the time they fledge. I love the down coat they have it looks so soft.

This image was created using a spot light technique using natural light-no flash, no spot metering, no flashlight or artificial light. Just the sun at last light and the camera. Post processing included darkening the shadows a bit more.

We had loads of fun photographing the rockhoppers jumping out of the surf and the gentoos walking into the water at first light. This time my group and I visited a new location with 9 Macaroni penguins, rockhoppers and tiny cormorant chicks. I have so many images to sort through but I haven’t got much time as I need to start packing for my (2) back-to-back Japan photo tours with Paul McKenzie.

My favorite from the trip-if you look close you can see another penguin in the surf. He looks like a white penguin-I call him the ghost!

Magellanic penguins at first light with a long exposure.

Big shout out to all that entered the Bird Photographer of the Year contest. I will be judging the final round any day now- can’t wait to see the images!!

Btw, spots are filling fast for Donna Bourdon’s Falkland Islands Tour in early December of 2023.

A great Alaskan Coastal Brown Bear photo tour opportunity just came up. Guests will visit a remote lodge via a bush plane. From there they will use small boats set up like safari vehicles to photograph bears right at the waters edge. You should also have opportunities to get out and photograph from the shore. The setting is in an iconic section of the Alagnak River known as the upper braids. This river runs through Katmai National Park. Katmai is one of the most prized destinations for wildlife viewing in Alaska, with the highest population of brown bears in the world. Donna Bourdon will be leading this photo adventure for Alaskan Brown Bears. I did the trip and loved it. This is a great opportunity that just came up due to a cancellation. Other group leaders want this slot so I am trying to see if we can fill it quickly to secure the dates. If you are good to go—look over this workshop description. And add it to the cart. Limited spots available. You can also add-on a day trip to Brooks Falls, we did last time and it was fantastic! Donna will help with that if you are interested.

Update on my TULIP BLOSSOMS Postal Stamps:

This last week, the US Postal Service announced that my Tulips stamps will be issued on April 5, 2023 and that the first day of issue ceremony will be in Woodburn, Oregon.

The stamps will be released as a booklet of 20 stamps, and in coils of 3K, and 10K. So honored and excited to see them. Please share this news on your social media-thank you. Be sure to include the hashtag #TulipBlossomsStamps. Much appreciated!

Heading Back to The Falklands!

January 4, 2023

I leave tomorrow for another exciting adventure to the Falkland Islands, I can’t wait. After reviewing some of my images, I am eager to get a second chance at a re-do for a few of them. I also want to try a few new things…hopefully they will pan out. But at the very least I will be in one of my happy places. I love the Falklands and it is one of my most favorite trips.

I have heard that the Black-browed Albatross chicks are hatching, and I am pretty sure that the King penguins are too. Lots of great reasons to go in late November-December and January. You can’t go wrong as the action will be plentiful. On my recent trip I processed a whopping total of 89 images. Of that 89, I have about 5 that I truly adore. That said, I love them all as they are attached to very fond memories.

The above image is one of the photo ideas that I want to work on. While on Bleaker Island I met photographer Erik Malm. He does an in-camera multiple technique with just one exposure. After speaking with him, many of us were inspired to try this idea…well, mine needs some work. But, I am excited to get back for a second chance. Since my trip, I have been working on my own ideas for this technique, and I feel like I can get the results I am after. If I’m successful, I’ll share my thoughts and ideas.

Maasai Mara and Samburu

December 31, 2022

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!

I have a few spots available for this epic adventure. Start off the New Year right by booking a photo safari with me <smile-wink>.

Kenya, Maasai Mara & Samburu ~ African Safari
September 9-19, 2023— $9999.00
Limit: 9 photographers- spots available

We will have a charter flight so that you can bring your camera gear easily onboard the flight into the Mara. We will also have custom vehicles that are designed so that we can shoot out of the sides, or standing out of the top, and each person will have a row to themselves. This photo tour will be an amazing adventure with the very best guides and photographic opportunities.

Join award winning photographer and tour leader Denise Ippolito for an amazing safari adventure to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The Mara is an area of preserved savannah wilderness in southwestern Kenya, along the Tanzanian border. It is home to the famous Big Five (lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo ). But more importantly, it is one of the most famous and significant wildlife conservation and wilderness areas in Africa. It is also noted for its exceptional populations of African leopard, large prides of lion and cheetah. A visit to the Mara pretty much guarantees multiple sightings daily of big cats. Of course, elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, rhino, hippos and more can be photographed as well. For a full species list CLICK HERE.

Unlike many other game parks in Africa and around the world, we do not face restrictions on when we can leave and return to the camp. Even more important is that for the most part, we can drive off-road in the area of the Mara that we are staying in. The plan for most mornings is to leave before sunrise to locate the animals that we want to photograph before the sun comes up. Many of the cats are most active in the very early morning. Usually we will try to locate the cats that we have been with the previous evening. The guides have radios in all the vehicles such that on occasion, we may split up. Our guides are in radio contact with drivers from other camps and lodges as well. This gives us a good chance to get to wildlife encounters quickly assuming they are occurring near to our existing location. Most days, when the sun is hot and the light is too bright we will go back to camp, download our images, relax over a cool beverage and spend time preparing for the afternoon safari drive.

The Samburu National Reserve is a game reserve on the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Kenya. Sporting awe inspiring, iconic acacia trees against an arid, red African soil. Samburu is home to what is referred to as the “special five” species: Grevy zebra, Somali ostrich, Reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, and the oryx. In addition to these rare beauties, Samburu is also home to all three big cats, the lion, cheetah, and leopard. Wild dog sightings are not common but still possible. And a population of over 900 Elephants attract photographers from around the world.

Vehicles

We will use 3 stretch/modified Toyota Land Cruisers. There will be three rows of seats in each vehicle so that each person has a row to themselves. That way everyone can shoot unencumbered irrespective of what side of the vehicle the action is taking place.

The vehicles are designed so that you can shoot out of the sides or standing, out of the top. The top of the vehicles have two roof hatches which we remove at the start of each day (they rest on the top of the vehicles next to the openings such that they can put back on if it rains or if we need shade.

The side of the vehicles comprise either large roll down windows or roll up, transparent canvass sides. Again, we roll these canvass side up before we go out each day but if it rains, they can quickly be rolled down.

Included

Accommodations on shared basis, unless a single supplement is requested and available.

All meals once we get to our camp.

Private charter flights

Guaranteed row and window seat in a private 4X4 land cruiser

Park fees

Bottled drinking water in safari vehicles

Not Included

International flights

Visa- available online -usually takes about two days.

Travel and Medical insurance

Personal purchases (including shopping, spirits, laundry, internet fees, phone calls, etc)

Accommodations before or after the tour

*A detailed information sheet will be sent upon sign up.

Deposit Information: A non-refundable deposit of $2,000 due now to hold your spot. Final payments are due January 30, 2023 via check or wire transfer only, fees on both ends are the responsibility of the participant. Credit cards will not be accepted for any payment other than deposit. Full payments are always welcomed via check or wire transfer . All checks made payable to: Denise Ippolito LLC. Please note that I will do my very best to secure you a room mate; if I am unable to secure you a room mate then you will be charged for a single supplement.

Please be sure to check your calendar carefully and to check out my Workshop Policy Page.

Note: Purchasing travel insurance is strongly recommended.

*A single supplement is available for $1300.00 additional-limited availability.

Included: private charter or domestic flights, all meals, all lodging (excluding first night) based on double occupancy, bottled water, transfers back to airport.after tour.

Not included: Tips for drivers/guides/camp-approximately $400.00 per participant., international flights, any purchased drink item or any other personal items and laundry.

*To be clear, this is not a birding trip though we will stop for some of the more popular birds.

To sign up for this workshop CLICK HERE.