Seeing my first Iceberg is an experience I will never forget. We had been at sea travelling North from Iceland and up the South East coast of Greenland when I saw my first Iceberg. It wasn’t particularly large, but still it was my first. Its very hard to describe the experience of seeing an Iceberg the first time. Its a… Read more →
Category: Expeditions
The Spirit of Antarctica Photography Expedition Announcement – Dec 2014
It is with great pleasure that I publicly announce that I will be co-leading the Spirit of Antarctica photography expedition in Dec 2014 with my good friend and colleague, Joshua Holko. This expedition sets sail from Ushuaia in South America. We will sail across the notorious Drake Passage and will visit some of the première locations for photography in Antarctica.… Read more →
The Arctic Circle – An illuminating experience
I’m finally home in Australia getting back to some semblance of home life after three and a half weeks in the Northern Hemisphere above 66 degrees. I must say it has been an illuminating experience. Apart from the near twenty four hours of continual daylight as we passed 79 degrees, the impact of man and global warming can clearly be… Read more →
Iceland and the Arctic here I come!
Tomorrow I fly out for Iceland and the Arctic. A week of personal folio shooting in Iceland before heading to Isafjordur in northern Iceland to get aboard the Polar Pioneer for the Jewels of the Arctic expedition up the coast of Greenland to Svalbard. The same Expedition I will be co-leading with Joshua Holko in 2014 (for more details click… Read more →
Tian Shan Grand Canyon – Xinjiang China
The Tian Shan Grand Canyon near Kuqa is one of the highlights of the Xinjiang: China’s Wild Wild West – Photography Workshop. Its easy access, looming canyon walls, textures and colours make the Tian Shan Grand Canyon a veritable photographers playground. Part of the Tian Shan Mountain range, the Mysterious Grand Canyon extends quite some distance back into the mountain range.… Read more →
Choosing the right boots for your next photography expedition
Choosing the right boots for your next photography expedition can be a tough thing. There are hundreds of brands on the market and many different properties of a boot to consider when picking a pair of boots. The main properties of boots you should consider when making your selection are : – comfort – durability – support – weight – thermal insulation – water proofing/resistance –… Read more →
Tasmania – A Quick Photography Adventure
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of heading over to Tasmania for 7 days for a quick photography adventure to visit some of my favourite places in Tasmania. Tasmania without a doubt is my favourite part of Australia. Being born and bred in Australia I’ve travelled and seen some amazing landscapes, met some great characters and driven some amazing… Read more →
Arctic Circle Photography Packing List Recommendations
As I am slowly packing my gear from my own Arctic Circle photography packing list, I thought I’d share my packing list recommendations. I’m currently packing off this same Arctic Circle photography packing list that I give to my clients, as I prepare to fly out on the 2nd Saturday in August to Iceland and the Arctic Circle for a series… Read more →
The Flaming Mountains – XinJiang China
The Flaming Mountains are barren, eroded, red sandstone hills in Tian Shan Mountain range. Their striking gullies and trenches caused by erosion of the red sandstone bedrock giving the mountains a flaming appearance at certain times of the day. The climate in Turpan has harsh extremes. The extremely high summer temperatures make this the hottest spot in China, frequently reaching 122 °F (50… Read more →
Xinjiang: China’s Wild Wild West Photography Workshop Announcement – May 2014
It is with great pleasure that I publicly announce that I will be leading the Xinjiang: China’s Wild Wild West photography expedition in May 2014. So come and photograph Xinjiang: China’s Wild Wild West with me on this very exciting 11 day / 10 night photography expedition. Departing on the 17th of May 2014 and finishing on the 27th of May this trip will commence… Read more →
PhotographyExpeditions.com has been launched!
A side project that we’ve been working on has just been launched – www.photographyexpeditions.com www.photographyexpeditions.com lists all the current workshop and expedition offerings of Joshua Holko and myself. The site contains preliminary information and a link for additional information on each trip. Also included are direct links to those professional photographers I work with on joint workshops and expeditions… Read more →
The Rainbow City – XinJiang China
The Rainbow City, so named due to its rainbow coloured landscape. In the middle of the remote desert area we left the highway on a dirt track for some 10 miles before arriving at the Rainbow city. The Rainbow City is a photographers playground. A true cornucopia of photographic opportunities. It’s rich mineral content of iron and rhyolite combined with… Read more →
Fuyun – XinJiang China
Whilst returning from the Northern most areas of Xinjiang on our way to photograph the Rainbow city, the rocky gravel Tundra of the southern parts of Altay Prefecture leading to Fuyun extends for miles and miles. As we noticed some good weather conditions developing, storm clouds and rain on the horizon, we saw a rolling range of hills in the… Read more →
Kanas Lake – Xinjiang China
One of the most famous tourist destinations in Xinjiang region is 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. As part of our trip nutting out our itinerary for a future trip we really wanted to see all there was to see in… Read more →
Ghost City – Xinjiang China
Photographing at the Ghost City was something I had been looking forward to ever since we started planning this expedition. Known as Yardang landscape by the locals, the Ghost City is so named due to the ghost like sounds created by the winds that blow through the landscape at night. The landscape itself is compressed dirt and sand, over thousands… Read more →
Heavenly Lake – High Altitude Cuisine – Xinjiang China
The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China is heavily influenced by its neighbours. Bordering Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India and being part of the Silk Road there are many influences especially with regards to the local cuisine. Whilst visiting the Heavenly Lake we were able to observe local chef’s cooking some of the favoured local cuisine, namely Naan bread, Lamen (Noodles) and the ever popular kebab.… Read more →
The right lens at the right time
… or in this case the wrong lens at the right time.
When photographing both landscape and wildlife its always a compromise as to what lenses adorn your camera bodies at any given time. When you’re laying in wait in a hide, selecting the right lens is a lot simpler. But when you’re like me with a preference for shooting landscapes, I more often that not am stalking my next location when wildlife presents itself.
Sometimes the scenario arrives when one has to make the decision to either capture the moment with what you have or to risk missing the moment by going for a lens swap.
Whilst at the Heavenly Lake in the Tian Shan Mountains in Xinjiang, China I ran into this exact conundrum.
When firmly planted on knee on a rocky outcrop I was peering into my viewfinder composing an image of a temple across the lake I heard the squawking sounds of Eagles. Given that they had been relatively silent during the earlier part of the day I knew something was up.
I stood leaving my 5D Mark 3 safely mounted on the Gitzo tripod and reached around for my 1D Mark IV which was hanging at my side on my Black Rapid shoulder strap.
As I lifted the lens my fingers went straight to the ISO button. I knew I’d been shooting a landscape with this body not 2 minutes earlier and I was at ISO 100 at best. As I scanned the sky I was already adjusting the ISO up. How much, 3 clicks on the dial ISO 100->200->400->800.
I spied what was making all that noise…. I adjusted the zoom out to its longest focal length knowing I was going to come up short, cursed under my breath that I only had a 70-200 lens fitted, as I framed the subject and focussed and fired away.
10 frames and it was all over. It was literally one second moment.
I turned around to see Joshua, he said calmly with a wry smile “Please tell me you caught that..”
As looked at the LCD on the back of my camera, I think the smile on my face said it all.
With all the careful planning in the world sometimes everything does come together, the right lens, the right place, the right time and the right light. More often than not it doesn’t. But as always you make the best of the situation at hand, and when nature throws some magic at you, you just shoot away.
It was amazing watching these two Golden Eagles tumble in a mid air melee.
The right lens or not, it was all part of a something special.
Canon 1D MarkIV 70-200 f/2.8 IS f/5.6 1/6400 ISO 800
Xinjiang China – Return From Investigative Photography Expedition
A few days ago I returned from 15 days in China with my good friend and colleague, Joshua Holko. More importantly we spent 12 days in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in remote North West China. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is the North Western most region of China bordering on Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Krygzstan. Its Northern and Southern regions divided… Read more →
China – Xinjiang Investigative Expedition May 2013
Tonight I’ve shared the last few hours of the evening with my wife and two gorgeous daughters soaking up as much of them as I can and just a little but more for tomorrow my good friend Joshua Holko and I are travelling to Xinjiang Ugyur Autonomous Region in China. Xinjiang is located in the extreme north west of China and… Read more →
Jewels of the Arctic August 2014 – Announcement
It is with great pleasure that I publicly announce that I will be co-leading the Jewels of the Arctic photography expedition in August 2014 with my good friend and colleague Joshua Holko. So come and photograph the ‘Jewels of the Arctic’ with Moab Master Joshua Holko and myself on this very exciting 14 day / 13 night photography expedition in August 2014. Departing on… Read more →
Recommended Packing List – Photography Expedition – Xinjiang China – Spring
With our departure for our Investigative Photography Expedition to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China looming I thought it pertinent to pen a recommended packing list. The Xinjiang region of China at this time of year doesn’t have the extremes of heat/cold or humidity of the other regions I have recently visited, but it does have regions of high altitude which can be… Read more →
10 items to pack in your camera bag for your next photography expedition
All too often when getting ready for a photography expedition we focus on packing our camera gear with little time spent focussing on anything else. I must admit I’m guilty of it. I’ll pack every lens, lens cloths, a stack of memory cards, too many batteries, a tripod, 2 camera bodies, spirit levels, cable release, filter sets, a good 17kg+… Read more →
Jewels of the Arctic August 2013 Limited Places Available
Just a quick update, limited places are available for the Jewels of the Arctic expedition August 18th to August 31st 2013 that I am assisting Moab Master, Wilderness, Landscape and Wildlife Photographer, Joshua Holko –www.jholko.com who is co-leading this trip with Grand Master of Photography, Peter Eastway – www.petereastway.com. If you are interested in grabbing one of the remaining places and would like more… Read more →
Photography Expedition – Vanuatu- Volcanic Ash meets Coral Sand
Whilst on a photography expedition to the Vanuatu archipelago I was able to experience the variety of beach types. Vanuatu a wide variety of colours and textures of beach sands on offer; white fine grain sand, coarse coral sand and volcanic ash black sand. Due to the Volcanic heritage of Vanuatu, lying on the edge of the Indo-Australian and… Read more →
Immersing Oneself In Local Culture Can Produce Amazing Photographs
When on any photography expedition, it is important to immerse yourself in the local culture. Doing so can produce amazing photographs. Local markets are always a buzz of life, culture and color. And depending on the type of market, there is usually a vast array of culinary delights to tickle your taste buds whilst you make your way about. (But… Read more →
Sometimes its the little things that make a big photograph
Its all too easy when travelling to a location to get hyper focussed on the location one is heading to. How one will take a photograph. I know, I’ve done it myself, and I’ll do it again for sure. Hiking along a track, walking along a cliff face, sitting patiently in a 4WD with thoughts of the destination running through… Read more →
Humidity, Mildew and Photography Equipment – What you can do.
Humidity is the plague of all photographers world wide, the root cause of mildew in lenses and camera bodies. Having been in Vanuatu now for a few days I have had a chance to experience much of the local weather and I must say I am a little over the humidity. Speaking to a local amateur photographer, he lamented the… Read more →
Tropical Photography Expedition Packing Guide
On Sunday I’m flying out to Vanuatu for a 7 day / 6 night photography expedition. As I am slowly packing my gear off my own recommended tropical photography expedition packing guide, I thought I’d share my packing guide for Tropical climates. I pack off essentially the same recommended packing list that I give to my clients give or take a few… Read more →
Mount Batur – Bali, Indoneisa
Indonesia is dominated by Volcanoes. Being part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia reisdes on the edge of two tectonic plates. In fact there are some 150 Volcanoes throughout Indonesia and its many islands, with 127 of these currently active. When travelling to Indonesia there was no way of stopping me visiting some of these mammoth ruptures on our planets surface.… Read more →
Investigative Expedition to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China
2013 is starting to look very exciting and I can’t wait to share the latest news. As you will have already read I will be travelling and working on the Jewels of the Arctic trip with Joshua Holko and Peter Eastway in August. Prior to this I will be spending a week in the absolutely stunning Iceland which I cannot wait to… Read more →