Under the spell of the Arctic

After we had brought the participants of our photo trip in Iceland safely to the airport, another special adventure was waiting for me.

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As reported in my February blog entry about the winter birds, I decided at the beginning of the year to go on a trip once a year - if possible - for which there are actually more rational arguments against than in favour ๐Ÿ˜…

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My first "project" was to visit the Arctic and photograph its landscapes and animals. Now I have already had to postpone this project twice and due to the large number of trips we had already planned, it was in danger of failing this year too. Finally, however, there was a small window of opportunity.

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I had time barely a week and decided not to postpone it again until next year. Knowing full well that the net time for photography is not more than 4 days and that if there is a storm or bad weather I will come home without a picture.

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This circumstance did not necessarily brighten my mood, as I had to leave my comfort zone very far for this photographic project anyway; for example, in terms of flight, planning security, cold, physical strain, danger situation, etc. I had to take a lot of precautions. But I have this handful of photographic dreams and the motivation was stronger in the end.

With a flight to Oslo and finally to Spitsbergen ("Svalbard", translated "Cool Coast"). I'd just like to say that the landscape on approach, with the blue sky, was the most impressive thing I've ever seen from above....

For a few weeks I had already been following the weather to get a feeling for what cold and warm means here and how often it storms. Wind is a crucial factor for success on the ground. Because the snow is quite dry and even with stronger winds you can sometimes hardly see your hand in front of your eyes, this is not because of the snowfall from above but because of the sideways snow drifts, I only had this once for an hour. Depending on the place, 5-6 gusts of wind can kill it.

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Due to the microclimate, the forecast is only partially reliable anyway. I was expecting -6ยฐ to -23ยฐ degrees in March. However, things turned out differently: unfortunately, the forecast was very sobering for the very first "day of use", here is a mobile phone screenshot a few minutes before the start of the first tour:

At exactly 7.00 a.m. it was -28ยฐ Celsius. Even the forecast gave me a lot of respect, not to say: I was really nervous the day before the first long tour ๐Ÿ˜‰ Because I knew that the first day could be very long.

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So I was actually nervous the next morning, something that had never happened to me before in photography. However, this quickly dissolved after leaving with my guide, at the sight of these great landscapes. By the way, I was also there on behalf of Brockmann Travel as I was also scouting guides there and I was asked not to name them, which I would normally do, because they did a great job ๐Ÿ™

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You need a guide on Spitsbergen as soon as you leave the "secure zone" of the small settlement of Longyearbyen. Because outside the zone there is an acute danger of encountering polar bears. So either you have a suitable weapon and the appropriate licence, or a guide accompanies you wherever you go. For me it was the latter.

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I wasn't aiming for polar bears anyway, but for the Arctic fox, the Svalbard reindeer, the Svalbard ptarmigan, the headland of Hiorthhamn in the Tempelfjorden, as well as the peaks of Bรผnslow Land.

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To say it in advance: apart from the temperature, I was very lucky with the weather on these days in terms of precipitation and wind. So I was able to photograph practically all the way through and ended up being outside for 11 whole hours on the first day, without lunch or a longer break. I was literally fascinated by the many great things I saw here in nature. I even forgot that my body was slowly covered in frost ๐Ÿ˜… Here's a selfie after I had already been out for a good 9 hours:

This time there is more information under the 27 selected pictures. I think I can show you a completely different world here and hope you enjoy it ๐Ÿ– Let's go:

(1) To start with, my guide and I went to this beach, which was completely iced over, with great structures.
(1) To start with, my guide and I went to this beach, which was completely iced over, with great structures.

What you could already see well in the background tomorrow: wherever the sun hit the sea at these extreme minus temperatures, a heavy fog immediately developed over the water.

(2) The lines of the fjords immediately captivated me, so that I also created a few long exposures.
(2) The lines of the fjords immediately captivated me, so that I also created a few long exposures.
(3) Unfortunately I could only capture one picture of this beautiful ptarmigan, but it was a great experience to watch it up close.
(3) Unfortunately I could only capture one picture of this beautiful ptarmigan, but it was a great experience to watch it up close.
(4) For the first time in my life I was able to photograph reindeer up close, and in the beautiful snowy landscape.
(4) For the first time in my life I was able to photograph reindeer up close, and in the beautiful snowy landscape.
(5) This light atmosphere existed in the middle of the day; more and more haze rose through the heavy fog in the sunshine.
(5) This light atmosphere existed in the middle of the day; more and more haze rose through the heavy fog in the sunshine.
(6) It was great to watch them in their natural habitat
(6) It was great to watch them in their natural habitat
(7) On this day I managed to get this portrait of the beautiful Svalbard reindeer, whose head shape always reminds me of those Disney Christmas movie reindeer...I think this endemic species ist totally cute
(7) On this day I managed to get this portrait of the beautiful Svalbard reindeer, whose head shape always reminds me of those Disney Christmas movie reindeer...I think this endemic species ist totally cute
(8) I enjoyed the first evening in the best light. The Z9 was not affected by the cold.
(8) I enjoyed the first evening in the best light. The Z9 was not affected by the cold.
(9) The lines of the mountains were very tempting for any nature photographer.
(9) The lines of the mountains were very tempting for any nature photographer.
(10) The ice patterns were amazing to watch.
(10) The ice patterns were amazing to watch.
11) steam was coming out of every pore.
11) steam was coming out of every pore.
(12) I could hardly get enough of the colour contrasts either.
(12) I could hardly get enough of the colour contrasts either.
(13) Many mountains looked graphic, I had not seen such landscapes before.
(13) Many mountains looked graphic, I had not seen such landscapes before.
(14) Even in the very last spotlight, the landscape seemed almost surreal. Afterwards I went back to the hotel with the last of my strength and was completely exhausted, nothing worked for me anymore.
(14) Even in the very last spotlight, the landscape seemed almost surreal. Afterwards I went back to the hotel with the last of my strength and was completely exhausted, nothing worked for me anymore.
(15) The next 2 days each started again with very beautiful colours, which I first captured with this image.
(15) The next 2 days each started again with very beautiful colours, which I first captured with this image.
(16) Great colours and shapes were also seen on this beach.
(16) Great colours and shapes were also seen on this beach.

By the way, the course of the sun's position is interesting - this picture was taken about 4 hours after sunrise, and the day was already about 11 hours long. And yet the sun is so low there. Really remarkable!

(17) Once, when we were stalking for a very long time, a reindeer calf came closer and closer to us and I was able to transpose this shot. Unfortunately, the larger animals were usually shyer.
(17) Once, when we were stalking for a very long time, a reindeer calf came closer and closer to us and I was able to transpose this shot. Unfortunately, the larger animals were usually shyer.
(18) The landscape looked absolutely untouched in many places.
(18) The landscape looked absolutely untouched in many places.
(19) A great moment when this female finally looked back - normally they always kept their heads down to forage. Male Svalbard reindeer shed their antlers for the winter.
(19) A great moment when this female finally looked back - normally they always kept their heads down to forage. Male Svalbard reindeer shed their antlers for the winter.
(20) However, the cloudy atmosphere was not only useful for reindeer photography ๐Ÿ˜‰
(20) However, the cloudy atmosphere was not only useful for reindeer photography ๐Ÿ˜‰

As polar bears also like to swim across the fjord, my guide advised me to always keep my eyes open and check the situation when photographing the coast.

(21) "Wow!" thought the reindeer in the second, I think I heard it snort "he doesn't seriously have the new 600 with integrated converter now?" ๐Ÿ˜…
(21) "Wow!" thought the reindeer in the second, I think I heard it snort "he doesn't seriously have the new 600 with integrated converter now?" ๐Ÿ˜…
(22) Far after sunset, it was very slow to get dark and the most unreal ice sculptures could be seen on this beach.
(22) Far after sunset, it was very slow to get dark and the most unreal ice sculptures could be seen on this beach.
(23) A last scene of the beautiful reindeer showing the typical behaviour well - again and again they try to break up the snow with the same hoof to get to the grass or the top layer of moss.
(23) A last scene of the beautiful reindeer showing the typical behaviour well - again and again they try to break up the snow with the same hoof to get to the grass or the top layer of moss.
(24) And finally, the icing on the cake of the trip...the encounter with the arctic fox.
(24) And finally, the icing on the cake of the trip...the encounter with the arctic fox.

Late in the evening, my guide told me that a reindeer had slipped down a mountain slope and unfortunately died. The next day we searched the mountains for reindeer and foxes, which was not easy in this monochrome landscape....

(25) Yes, that was my first arctic fox picture ๐Ÿ˜ต And, do you recognise him? Keep in mind: the image already shows the decisive section of the landscape at 840mm focal length ๐Ÿ˜…
(25) Yes, that was my first arctic fox picture ๐Ÿ˜ต And, do you recognise him? Keep in mind: the image already shows the decisive section of the landscape at 840mm focal length ๐Ÿ˜…

Suddenly we saw the reindeer and tried to get there. It was getting steeper and steeper uphill and at some point I told my guide that I didn't feel comfortable any more, as I was afraid of slipping through the snow lying under the ice layer. He then helped me with the last passage of maybe 30m to the only photographically suitable spot, at the same height as the reindeer, and belayed me. This was also pretty far out of my comfort zone, as I'm not really into heights.

Eventually we sat on for quite some time and the light got better and better as the evening wore on. When the cold became too much we were about to give up (and by we I mean me, I was already straightening up), he suddenly appeared out of the white nothingness and started walking up and down a flatter mountainside.

(26) Only once did he walk over this photogenic ridge and actually turned around for a split second ๐Ÿ˜€ Thank you dear fox for this bokeh.
(26) Only once did he walk over this photogenic ridge and actually turned around for a split second ๐Ÿ˜€ Thank you dear fox for this bokeh.

We continued to wait by the reindeer and hoped that he would come closer. After he had completely disappeared again at first, he did, by now under a colourful evening sky. What an atmosphere!

Unfortunately, he then kept standing behind it, tearing out smaller pieces and hiding them on stones behind the hill. They do this to build up depots for the winter. Hardly visible to me, which is why I couldn't convert full-body shots at close range. But for a moment he came our way and stood diagonally in front of it - just for a few seconds.

I always had a portrait of this animal in the back of my mind, because of its great eyes and its beautiful bushy fur in winter. Normally you see shots like this more from the summer, when they "hang" their head over the ground as they run. Here, however, he had quite a graceful posture for a brief moment. So, if too close, I quickly swung the converter in at 840mm and a very special image I think emerged on this borderline slope:

(27) Amber eyes
(27) Amber eyes

You can imagine that this mix of motifs and light moods was extremely impressive for a nature photographer in such a short time and I am more than happy to have taken this risk. Already one day after my departure, there was hardly any visibility at this spot due to strong winds and drifts, as I was told by a photographer. All in all, the entire winter (January/February) around Longyearbyen was very dark and stormy, and these were probably the first beautiful days of the year.

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The return journey was again very tiring and, by the way, the temperature difference on the day of departure between Longyearbyen in the morning and Ennepetal in the evening was exactly 40ยฐC, which I have never had before.

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I arrived here and the 13ยฐC felt like a fresh June day in Mallorca ๐Ÿ˜… What can I say in conclusion - it was a great and, in the truest sense of the word, adventurous experience.

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Even if it might seem otherwise given the short time: the effort of preparing for this trip was very intensive and I also had support in the process - so I would like to thank three more people:

  • Kathrin Brockmann (Brockmann Travel), for whom I was also allowed to "scout" on site, and who supported me with the costs for this project, thank you ๐Ÿ‘‹
  • Klaus Rudolf from Nikon Service Point Munich, who provided me with a second Nikon Z9 for this project. Many thanks ๐Ÿ˜€
  • Florian Smit, who advised me with his expertise regarding photography in very high minus temperatures in advance and left no questions unanswered, thanks ๐Ÿ˜‰

And finally, many thanks for YOUR interest in this report ๐Ÿ™

Best regards,
Thomas