Isbjørn Photo Odyssey - July 2011
Update: [Dateline August 1, 2011, Oslo Norway]
This odyssey was a great adventure! Updates and pictures coming soon! (and details of our next photo workshops you can join)
Come with David Burren on an 11-day circumnavigation of Spitsbergen aboard Aurora Expeditions' ship the Polar Pioneer. Spitsbergen is the largest island in the archipelago of Svalbard, which is the epitome of the "high Arctic". Svalbard is part of Norway and is located about halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.
One of the animals we're looking forward to encountering is the legendary Polar Bear (Isbjørn in Norwegian). But it won't be the only feature of the voyage! We will be making landings along the coast, where because it's high summer we will encounter huge bird breeding colonies, walrus and other seals, Arctic foxes, and fields of flowers. We will also make landings on the east coast of the island where the landscape is dramatically different. Shielded from the warm waters of the Gulf Stream that flows up the west coast, the east is very much a polar desert. Along the north coast we will encounter the Arctic pack ice, as well as huge glaciers and icebergs.
Our group of 15 photographers will be sharing the ship with other passengers (the Polar Pioneer takes just over 50 passengers at a time). David will be providing photography and digital tuition to the photographers, and working with Aurora's expedition team to optimise our photographic opportunities during our waking hours.
Keep in mind that at these high latitudes at this time of the year we will experience no darkness at night! The photographic opportunities don't slow down just because it's getting late in the evening, although you will find you'll need to sleep at least once per day (some polar travellers for extended periods go to the extreme of only sleeping in naps of several hours spread throughout the day, but that doesn't work for everyone). There will be times you can put your camera down and turn away: after all you do need to eat and sleep, let alone download your memory cards and look at what you've captured!
Dates, Itinerary
We start on the 21st of July 2011 in Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen. Regular SAS flights into Longyearbyen are available from mainland Norway, and we board the ship in the afternoon. We return into Longyearbyen on the morning of the 31st of July, in time for afternoon flights home.
From Aurora's pages about the voyage:
Day 1
During the afternoon, we board Polar Pioneer in Longyearbyen and make ourselves at home before cruising along beautiful Isfjorden.
Day 2 - 3
Following the warm current of the Gulf Stream we make our way north along the mountainous west coast. We take long walks among summer flowers and observe remarkable bird cliffs. We may visit the 350-year-old remains of Dutch whaling settlements on Amsterdam Island and the 100-year-old ruins of the Swedish Andree ballooning expedition.
Day 4 - 6
Along the north coast we nuzzle into the Arctic Ocean pack ice, where we'll search for walrus and seals. In the coastal mountains, we'll visit trapper huts and stay alert for polar bears. We may enjoy magnificent views of sweeping glaciers from Duck Island or cruise along the snout of Monaco Glacier.
View Larger Map |
Day 7 - 10
Along the east coast of Spitsbergen we enter a different world - a polar desert. If ice conditions allow we will try to pass south through the narrow Hinlopen Strait, a channel flanked by austere, cream-coloured slopes rich in fossils. On our walks we'll seek eider ducks, Arctic foxes and beautiful ivory gulls. As we pass Barents and Edge islands, we'll cross polar bear migration routes, before rounding Spitsbergen's most southerly point, South Cape.
Day 11
For those interested, morning sightseeing tours of Longyearbyen can be arranged before your afternoon transfer to the airport.
Unlike our expeditions to Antarctica, there's little "sea time" at the start and end of the voyage. We leave port at Longyearbyen, and our photography starts almost immediately. There's no rough ocean crossing to get through, but there's also no "free time" to have introductory lectures. Prior to the voyage David will help you select the equipment you'll be bringing so you can be fully prepared for the trip and can "hit the deck running".
Photographers at every level from beginner to expert are all welcome (although obviously the more familiar with your camera you are to start with the better). Non-photographer partners are also welcome.
Activities
During the voyage David will be available to assist you with your photography, and will circulate around the group on deck and in the field to offer advice as needed.
David will be using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to manage and process his own photographs through the voyage, and will provide tuition to members of the group so they can do the same. There are many different ways of using this software and as an Adobe Certified Expert in Lightroom, David can help you refine your own workflow, as well as giving you feedback and critique on your images.
At the end of the voyage you'll be provided with a GPS log, containing a timestamped trail of the ship's journey which you can use to "geocode" your photos, to draw maps in Google Earth, etc.
Instructor
David Burren
David is a photographer and teacher based in Melbourne, Australia. His own photography is based around widlife and nature images, but extends to some commercial work as well as teaching and consulting in digital colour and workflow management. He's an accredited member of the AIPP, an Associate of the Australian Photographic Society, and an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop Lightroom. In 2008 David was the Animal Portraits winner of the ANZANG Nature and Landscape Photographer of the Year awards (several of his Elephant Seal portraits featured in that exhibition). David conducts photography workshops in Australia and around the world and teaches at a tertiary photography college in Melbourne. His work has taken him to all seven continents: this will be his second photographic expedition to Arctic Norway. |
Cost
As usual with these voyages, the cost will depend on the cabin type you select (note these prices are in AUD):
- Triple cabin: AU$6,080
- Twin cabin with shared facilities: AU$7,650
- Twin cabin with private facilities: AU$8,975
- Mini suite, private facilities: AU$9,860
- Suite, private facilities: AU$10,595
For details of the ship and the cabin types, check out Aurora's Polar Pioneer information page.
Booking
Aurora Expeditions (in Sydney, Australia) are handling the bookings for this trip, and once it fills they will maintain the overflow waiting list for us. Download our booking form and get in contact with Aurora's staff as soon as possible. Note that the text fields on the booking form can be filled in with most PDF viewing software before printing/signing the form. This can avoid issues with "chicken-scratching" handwriting.
If you have any questions about the photography side of the trip, please head on over to our contact form!
To reserve your spot on the trip, you'll need to pay an AU$1500 deposit. The remainder of the money will be due by April 22, 2011. Further details (including the full Terms and Conditions) can be found over at Aurora's pages about the voyage.
When making your booking with Aurora, it's essential you identify yourself as joining the LuminOdyssey group to be included in the photo workshop!
Travel plans
The trip costs listed above do not include your travel to/from Longyearbyen. As well as operating the voyage, Aurora can also organise air travel for you (although if you live outside Australia it may be simpler to use a local agent). If you do organise your flights separately, make sure you check with Aurora's staff that your flight arrival/departure times will be appropriate. The ship can't wait for you if you're late!