Wild Arctic Photo Expedition

Exploring the Arctic

After welcoming you on board the ship we will leave Longyearbyen at 78° north and head further north along the west coast. We will keep an eye out for wildlife at all times and there will be plenty of time for photography at any sightings. The east and north coast of Svalbard also offers amazing scenery with endless, rugged peaks and glaciers stretching all the way from the mountains and into the ocean.

What to expect
As soon as we leave Longyearbyen there will be no wifi and no reception. With your phone safely placed in your cabin it is time to loose yourself in the mesmerising world of the arctic. Our route is carefully planned to get the best opportunities of encountering wildlife and epic scenery. However, ice conditions, wildlife and weather is beyond our control, and we might do changes to our initial plan as we go. Safety will always be the top priority.

Photography
On this trip you will have two photography mentors; German wildlife photographer, journalist and filmmaker Michael Ginzburg and Norwegian landscape and wildlife photographer Lina Kayser. We will share all our knowledge and secrets with you about work in the field, how to operate your camera and lens, post processing, editing and more. Don’t worry if you don’t own a telezoom lens, we will bring a variety of high quality telezoom lenses for you to try out, and we will have cameras and other equipment for loan at no extra charge.

Travelling in late April early May gives us opportunities to photograph polar bears with cubs. At this time of year the mother brings her cubs out on the sea ice to find food, and there’s usually ice left in the fjords and around the mainland. The chances for seing them from the ship should be really good, and it’s great way to photograph them without disturbing. The ship has a spacious deck at a low level that allows for getting really amazing shots.

Polar Bear Safety
We are guests in the home of the polar bear and will act respectfully to ensure that they are undisturbed by our presens. The safety of our guests and not least the safety of the polar bear will always be top priority. The expedition team are experienced and certified guides with extended knowledge on polar expeditions.

The ship
We have chosen a small, but fully equipped, modern and ice strengthened ship for this expedition. There will be a maximum of 12 passengers on this trip to make the experience more intimate. You will travel together with an expedition leader, a guide and photography mentors, as well as the ship’s crew.