April Photo of the Month : Goðafoss in Winter

This is another great post by our friend Joshua Holko. This is what happens when you get a few days off between workshops in Iceland.

I had planned to post daily updates to my blog during my back-to-back Iceland winter workshops. However, that plan quickly went the way of the Dodo once I realized I was just not going to have any spare time. Any down time I did have between shooting, eating and driving was quickly eaten up with catching a few hours sleep or planning the next day’s shooting schedule with my friend and guide Daniel Bergmann (winter workshop locations are flexible based on prevailing weather). I am only just now starting to eat into my back log of thousands of emails (I will get even with the spammers one day) and catching up on missed items and upcoming events – more to come on some upcoming events in a future post. In the meantime, I have had little time to do more than import the 3000 images I shot during the month in Iceland into Lightroom and give them a cursory glance. One image that immediately jumped out at me was a photograph I made between the two workshops in the north of Iceland at Goðafoss. Those of you who are regular readers of my blog or who are familiar with Iceland will already be aware of Goðafoss waterfall. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this waterfall: Goðafoss is located in the Mývatn district of North-Central Iceland at the beginning of the Sprengisandur highland road. It is not the largest or most dramatic waterfall in Iceland, but its in my opinion the most beautiful and probably the most spectacular. The water of the river Skjálfandafljót falls from a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters in a horseshoe shape that forms the falls; which are easily approached along a short walking track from the car park. The falls can be approached from two different sides although I personally prefer the hotel side away from the tourist car park.

Like many good photographs there is a back story to this image and although the story does not make the photograph it is worth recounting for the sake of posterity. Daniel Bergmann, Andy Biggs and I had just completed our first ten day winter workshop and were scheduled to have three days off recovering and catching up on much needed sleep before we commenced our second workshop. One of my friends (Mark Farnan) who had participated in our first workshop convinced me however that sleep was not a requirement for the human body and that significant periods of rest were overrated anyway. He suggested that we were far better off piling into the 4-wheel drive and driving six hours from Reykjavík to the north of Iceland to photograph Goðafoss in winter. Since both of us wanted to capture images of this beautiful waterfall partially frozen it was not that difficult for Mark to twist my arm. There was only one problem with this plan and that was the blizzard that was hurtling down from the Arctic on a collision course with our target location. After much back-and-forth discussion, some time spent looking over weather maps and forecasts and a little gnashing of teeth we pulled the trigger and decided to go for it – snow storm be dammed.

We were hedging our bets that Iceland’s fickle and constantly changing weather would cut us a break and at least give us an opportunity to photograph the waterfall in winter even if conditions were not ideal. Five hours later we had made good time and were only an hour or so away from the town of Akureyri and our accommodation for the evening when we quite literally ran into a wall of blinding snow. The snow had started to not just fall but slam into us in a blinding torrential snow storm that reduced our speed to little more than walking pace – ‘Welcome to Iceland in winter’ I said to Mark with a grin.

The temperature outside had plummeted to a frigid -9 degrees Celsius and the wind was whipping up the golf ball sized snow flakes in great flurries that made seeing (let alone driving) nearly impossible. On top of that the air was so dry that the snow already on the ground was being picked up by the wind and hurled around us; which all contributed to visibility of barely ten feet. The road had long since disappeared under the snow and I was navigating solely by the roadside markers placed every ten feet or so along the sides of the road. With our speed reduced to a crawl and straining to see I was pretty exhausted from concentration by the time we finally arrived in Akureyri. We checked into our hotel, had a late dinner and agreed to rise at 5am and drive the remaining hour and a half to Goðafoss for sunrise. Outside our hotel the snowstorm continued.

By 5am the snow had finally stopped falling as the storm continued its journey south and we set off up the mountain pass headed for Goðafoss with big smiles on our faces. That was until we realized just how much snow had fallen during the storm. The mountain pass that lay between Goðafoss and us was completely impassable. The road was buried under not less than three feet of snow and not even our 4-wheel drive with studded tires was equipped for that sort of challenge. As we sat near the beginning of the mountain pass with sad and bewildered looks on our faces I was quietly cursing myself for not taking Daniel’s modified Super Jeep with 40 inch tires that would have allowed us to simply drive up onto and float over the snow.

Faced with a wall of impassable snow we were just about to cut our losses, admit defeat and head back to Akureyri in search of another shooting location (and breakfast) when I had the idea to wait by the side of the road for one of the snow ploughs we had passed on the way out of town. The snow ploughs work relentlessly through the winter in the north of Iceland to keep the main Highway One ring road open as much as possible and I was hoping the one we had passed was going to make its way up to us and subsequently clear the mountain pass between us and Goðafoss. Having driven so far it seemed worth the wait and we sat patiently by the side of the road for half an hour or so. The decision turned out to be the right call and shortly thereafter one of the snow clearing machines made its way up and past us and proceeded to clear away the worst of the snow. We simply tucked in behind it as it churned through the snow; spitting it off to one side in billowing clouds. Whilst our pace was reduced to the speed of the plough we were at least making forward progress and a couple of hours later we were finally at Goðafoss.

I pulled the 4-wheel drive over into the parking lot and promptly bogged it in the deep snow. It did not matter however; we had arrived and from our vantage point we could see the waterfall was partially frozen and in perfect, pristine condition. There were spectacular icicles hanging from the rocks and the ground was covered with soft fresh snow. Translucent aqua water tumbled over the falls and raced down the canyon and the whole scene was lit with soft diffuse morning light of the sort only Iceland can deliver. These are the moments I live for as a nature photographer. We quickly donned our micro spikes, grabbed our camera bags and stomped through the snow to the waterfall.

This was not the first time I have visited Goðafoss and as such I new exactly where I wanted to position myself to photograph it (there are three favorite locations I like to photograph this waterfall from). This first image was shot looking back up at the falls on an outcropping of rock that looks over the canyon’s edge. I had previously photographed the waterfall from a similar location in 2009 and I have included the photograph I made at that time as the juxtaposition may be of interest. Both were shot with 24mm lenses although I shot this new winter image with the 24mm F4L Tilt Shift lens in lieu of the 24mm F1.4L MKII.

We spent a couple of hours photographing Goðafoss in the soft diffuse light before we freed the 4-wheel drive from its temporary imprisonment and headed for Mývatn and a relaxing soak in the steaming geothermal baths.

Higher resolution versions of both these photographs can be seen on my website at www.jholko.com

Ultimate Iceland Workshop

Joshua Holko is putting together the ultimate Iceland workshop. Check out all the details straight from him.

Daniel Bergmann and I have now finalised the dates and itinerary for our 2014 Iceland summer workshops. We are leading two identical workshops with a brand new custom designed itinerary for 2014. Our new itinerary has been designed to take in the very best the country has to offer in a single experience - ‘Ultimate Iceland’.

In order to ensure we visit and photograph the very best locations and landscapes Iceland has to offer we will spend eleven days circumnavigating the Island. Just some of the location highlights for these expeditions include: The wondrous Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, the Volcanic highlands of Landmannalaugar, the steaming geothermal areas at Myvatn, the mighty Detifoss and Selfoss waterfalls, Godafoss waterfall and many more of Iceland’s gems including some lesser known but no less spectacular locations such as the surreal black sand volcanic region of Veiðivötn. We will be using hotels and guest houses as our bases that are functional and clean for the duration of the workshops. Each has been chosen for its suitability and proximity to our target locations. If you can only travel to Iceland once in your life, then this is most definitely the itinerary and workshop you want to experience.

For 2014 we have added an extra day to the workshops making them eleven days / ten nights. All food (excluding alcohol), accommodation and in country transport is included in the workshop from the moment you land in Keflavik, Iceland until the conclusion of the trip eleven days later. We will be utilising modified 4-wheel drive super jeeps to enable us to get into the very best areas for photography. We will travel on both bitumen and off road tracks to reach the best areas. Our goal is to ensure we are always in the best locations when the ‘magic’ happens and as such we may stay out late or rise early in order to give ourselves the best opportunities under the spectacular midnight sun. These two workshops promise to provide the ultimate Iceland experience. Wether you are travelling to Iceland for the very first time, or are a seasoned veteran these workshops will leave you having experienced the very best Iceland has to offer. 

If you would like to join us then you can chose which dates work best for you and then complete the appropriate attached booking form and return email. You will be spending eleven days with people who are just as passionate as you are about photography in the most spectacular parts of Iceland. Bookings are taken strictly on a first come, first served basis and both workshops are fully accredited by the Australian Institute of Professional Photography.

Stepping Up To DSLR

Since the advent of camera functionality on phones, everyone with a thumb has become a self-proclaimed “photographer”. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there’s no denying that it takes skill to make great photographs. Some may think self-proclaimed, phone-wielding photographers are ruining the photo industry, but the opposite may also be true. 

Ask any photographer with experience and the standout advice is to just keep shooting. Shoot everything and learn from every shot.

Henri Cartier-Bresson is famously quoted for saying, “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”

Those phone photographers may be on the right track. Admittedly, many never aspire to learn more about manual photo composition and detail outside of the point-and-shoot mentality. However, sprouting out of the mass, there is a consistent flow of brilliant photographers. So how do these originally self-proclaimed phone photographers put on their Speedo and dive into the deep waters of more advanced photography?

Recently we posed this question to our Facebook fans. Here’s a few snippets of advice for those looking to take the next step in their photography.

Michael J. Samaripa: buy a used DSLR, don't buy new. Cut your teeth on something like a 5D classic, a 50mm 1.8 or 1.4, and a simple full manual flash.

Christina Stallard: Don't start a FB page and call yourself a pro right off the bat. Learn your settings, be humble, and always be open to improvement.

Thomas Lieser: use manual mode. never full automatic

Billy Gibbons: Disagree with Thomas. Shooting manual mode without a light meter does nothing but teach chimping to check the histogram. Shoot Av or Tv and learn to use exposure compensation for light or dark scenes.

But, buy something used! A 5D2, a D700 and prime lenses!

Lynne Glazer: Depends what subjects you shoot! If action, buy a decent but reasonably priced piece of glass, like the Canon 70-200 f4L. Don't hang out a shingle just because someone tells you that you take great photos. Lots of people say "great photo" when they mean "great moment". Av or Tv, learn the exposure triangle and enjoy the journey.

Derek Baehr: I agree with Michael. I started with a 10d, and slowly moved up to the 7d, and have my sights on a mark series soon. the only thing i will add is TAKE PICTURES EVERYDAY!

Bk Kapella: DSLR is not necessarily the answer. Get as big of a sensor as you're willing to carry everywhere, some good primes, AV, RAW, LR, and good legs. Lots of experimentation.

What do you wish you would have known when you started out? Leave your answers in the comments below. 

Namibia Trip Report - Andy Biggs

Trip Recap

Andy Biggs took a trip to Namibia last year and put the Bataflae to work. More info and pictures here on his blog.

Back in late September I lead a trip to Namibia for Phase One as part of their PODAS series of workshops. My good friend, Bill Atkinson, was the other instructor on the trip, and we had an excellent time together with our travelers. Our trip began and ended in the capital city of Windhoek, and we flew between 3 different locations across the country.

Since I have been to Namibia many times in the past, I tried to put myself in a different creative mind on this trip. My goal was to find new compositions with shorter focal lengths, which isn’t always easy with all of the far away types of shots that Namibia has. I did use my Phase One camera system this time, which limits me on the long end anyway, and it is probably the best camera system for that type of environment: huge huge files from 40, 60 or 80mp digital backs for crisp/detailed images with rich color fidelity.

Our first destination was in the sleepy town of Lüderitz, which is a coastal town that was built to support the diamond mining efforts at the beginning of the last century. While at Lüderitz we were able to photograph the abandoned diamond mining town of Kolmanskop, where I have been many times in the past. This was, however, my first time to visit and photograph with a medium format camera. We spent 2 nights there, and had 2 separate shoots at Kolmanskop on separate days.

Click here to see photos and read more about the trip on Andy’s blog.

Pro Photographer Spotlight - David duChemin

Pro photographer, David duChemin, is a world & humanitarian assignment photographer, best-selling author, digital publisher, and international workshop leader whose adventurous life fuels his fire to create and share. Based in Vancouver, Canada, when he’s home, David leads a nomadic life chasing compelling images on all 7 continents.

When on assignment David creates powerful images that convey the hope and dignity of children, the vulnerable and oppressed for the international NGO community.

David’s work can be seen at DavidduChemin.com

Here are some examples of David’s incredible work.

Q&A

What type of photography do you like best and why?

By trade and calling I am a landscape and humanitarian photographer, but the photographs I like best, regardless of genre, are those that are imbued with mood and emotion. I want to see, and feel, something new, and I want the same for the people who look at my photographs.

What is the one tip you would give to a beginner photographer?

Don’t get caught up in the gear. Learn the basics and then go make photographs. Make a lot of photographs. Better to fall in love with the photographs and the stories, than the means by which we create them.

Where is your favourite place to travel and to photograph?

It’s a toss-up right now. I love Africa, and tomorrow I get back on a plane to return to Kenya for a month. But I also love places like Antarctica, and Iceland. They both do something different for me creatively. One offers me warmth and friendship and culture, while the other offers me vastness of space and fascinating landscapes.

Who is a photographer you have looked to for inspiration?

Though I don’t think you’d know it in my work, I adore the wit and juxtaposition of Elliott Erwitt. I can look at his work for hours. Andrew Zuckerman, too. Very different. But I love the way he focuses on colour and form, especially in his book, BIRD.

Upcoming Workshops

David leads a small number of Within The Frame Photographic Adventures every year. In 2013 he and Jeffrey Chapman are taking small groups to Italy, Oaxaca, and Burma. David also hosts a couple weekend events each year at his home in Vancouver. information on the Within The Frame trips and the Vancouver Gatherings can be found on his website, DavidduChemin.com

Learn more about some of the Gura Gear products David uses:

• Bataflae Photography Backpack
• Et Cetera Pouches & Cases
• Tembo Memory Wallets

Q & A With Pro Photographer Carsten Krieger

Check out this short Q & A session we had with Carsten Krieger (pictured above) who owns and loves our Kiboko 30L.

Carsten Krieger is a pro photographer living and working in Ireland. He started out as a dedicated landscape and nature photographer but over the past few years he has also successfully been exploring documentary and architectural photography.

To date he has published and contributed to six books on Ireland’s landscape, nature and heritage and his images are regularly being commissioned for print and online media which makes him one of Ireland’s most published photographers. Carsten is also closely working with several of Ireland’s conservation organizations like the Irish Wildlife Trust and the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and he is representing Ireland for the international Meet Your Neighbors project.

He is currently on assignment with the Tree Council of Ireland for another book, which will be out in 2013.

Q: What type of photography do you shoot?

A: Landscape, nature, wildlife, documentary

Q: What does your typical day entail?

A: Fortunately there is no typical day, at least not when shooting in the field. The only constant is getting up early and staying out late.

Q: What’s been your greatest professional accomplishment?

A: … I hope that’s yet to come!

Q: What is your website URL?

A: www.carstenkrieger.com; www.wildirelandphotography.com

Q: What’s your idea of the ‘perfect shot?’

A:  When everything – planning, travel, weather, light, composition – falls into place without having to handle major catastrophes and the outcome is an image I can be proud of.

Q: What type of gear is in your Gura bag?

A:  1-2 DSLR bodies, 4-6 lenses, filters and various other bits and pieces (cable release, grey card, cleaning tools, torch, chocolate bar, etc.) It’s all in the pictures.

 Q: How does Gura make shooting photos easier for you?

A: Gura bags are light, compact and without any fancy stuff which makes them easy to carry and the content quick and  easy accessible. That’s all I need!

Bataflae 26L Review by C. David Tobie

Take a second and read this wonderfully done review of our Bataflae 26L by C. David Tobie. Follow the link and check out the whole review. It’s well worth your time.

An Intimate Relationship
The relationship of a travel photographer and a camera case is serious, long-term, and quite intimate. No bag is for everyone, and it takes time to determine if a bag is right for you. Speed dating is not likely to produce a successful result. The goal of this article is to familiarize you with the features and functions of the Bataflae packs, in relation to a particular type of photo gear, as a first step in determining if this might be The One.

What Gura Gear Packs Are Not
Gura Gear cases are dedicated camera bags. They are not computer cases, briefcases, wheelie suitcases, fashion accessories, or multi-purpose bags. They offer flexible configuration, but with a laser-like focus on the storage and access needs of photographers on the move. Gura Gear bags do not use canvas, leather, rigid substrates, wheels, feet, or extendable handles. They do not come in designer colors; unless your designer works in a low-chro palette of black, gray, tan and color-coded zipper pulls. They are not collapsable to flat-pack into other luggage.

There is a lot more over on his blog. Check it out here.

New Et Cetera and Tembo ranges - Gura Gear

GURA GEAR ANNOUNCES THE ET CETERA AND TEMBO RANGES OF POUCHES, CASES, AND MEMORY WALLETS

Introducing the solution for keeping your cables, chargers, batteries and ‘everything else’ organized.

OGDEN, UT (September, 2012) – Gura Gear, an innovator in carrying solutions for passionate visual thinkers and travelers, introduces a range of solutions for organizing the chaos that follows any digital imaging user. Et Cetera cases and pouches are finely made bags in a range of sizes from 0.5L to 3L for cables, adapters, power blocks, chargers, batteries, pocket wizards, flash units, and the rest of the “extra stuff” that needs a place to call home.

Et Cetera Cases (1L, 2L, 3L)

The Et Cetera range features top-quality YKK zippers, Velocity Nylon exteriors, luxurious linings, and PVC-free TPU micro mesh windows for viewing contents. The Et Cetera cases all feature interior elastic battery keepers and a convenient external slot for business cards and ID tags. In practice, the Et Cetera bags allow for easy sorting and organization of kits for GPS units, adapters, or charging sets so photographers can simply grab and go, rather than sorting through a nest of cables and electronic components. Et Cetera is available in three pouch sizes from 0.5L to 1.0L and three case sizes from 1L to 3L.

Tembo 6-3

The Tembo range of memory card wallets take a fresh look at a classic design correcting some key annoyances with wallet-style memory card holders by eliminating noisy Velcro and opening like a book; no more unrolling. Available in three versions holding various combinations of compact flash (CF) and smart disc (SD) memory cards.

All Et Cetera and Tembo products are finely crafted of the highest quality materials to exacting specifications.

Et Cetera is Latin for ‘other things; odds and ends’. Tembo is Swahili (East Africa) for ‘elephant’.

The Et Cetera and Tembo ranges of pouches, cases, and memory wallets are available for pre-order at www.guragear.com or by calling +1 (801) 823-2809.

New Bataflae Camera Backpacks

GURA GEAR ANNOUNCES THE BATAFLAE RANGE OF CAMERA BACKPACKS FOR TRAVELERS

Introducing the camera bag with an innovative patent pending multi-access system designed for traveling visual artists.

OGDEN, UT (September, 2012) – Designed by Gura Gear, the company that developed the revolutionary Kiboko photo bags, the Bataflae represents the next evolution of creative design and refinement for photographers and videographers featuring a patent pending butterfly multi-access system and stowaway harness. Bataflae is aimed at traveling photographers needing to navigate through the world’s airports with carry-on compatibility and a lightweight durable design.

Bataflae 32L Black

Bataflae’s unique patent pending butterfly multi-access system features a smarter way of carrying and accessing camera gear. The unique configuration maximizes the interior space making it possible to work out of the bag with multiple bodies attached to lenses in the field. Available in 32L and 26L variants, the Bataflae swallows professional size DSLRs, medium format systems, and long lenses. The butterfly flaps provide access to just the gear needed, useful in tight environments like tour vehicles and stadiums, or in rough conditions where exposing the entire kit is less desirable. There are times, however,when opening the bag completely is helpful, like loading and unloading or in studio environments. With the quick pinch of a buckle, the butterfly flaps release to a full traditional opening.

Bataflae 26L Tan

Available in black, grey, and tan, the Bataflae is PVC-free, features durable materials, flawless craftsmanship and the world’s best zippers, YKK RC Fuse with a weather resistant coating that repels dust and water while remaining flexible and easy to operate.

Additional innovative features of the Bataflae include a M.O.L.L.E. compatible side attachment system that allows for unique multi-point tripod/monopod configurations as well as the attachment of other accessories with the innovative quick-hookside straps. Each bag comes with a removable seam-sealed adjustable rain cover/ground cloth, fully riveted handles, and color-coded zipper pulls that can easily be operated with gloved hands. Two full-length external accessory compartments on the front allow for the storage of travel documents, light jacket and snacks, while the multiple internal mesh pockets and a fully adjustable divider system help keep gear organized.

Bataflae is Bislama (Vanuatu) for ‘butterfly’.

Bataflae 32L and 26L are available for pre-order at www.guragear.com or by calling +1 (801) 823-2809.

Iceland - A Mixed Bag of Weather and Light

Joshua Holko looks back on another successful workshop. This expedition took him all over Europe with a dramatic ending in Iceland. With over 4000 frames taken this trip “really ticked the remaining boxes for [Josh] in terms of Iceland’s major landmarks.”

As was to be expected, Iceland served up a mixed bag of weather and light on this trip. With fickle and constantly changing arctic weather, Iceland’s climate is never stagnant or boring. We encountered the best light of the trip one early morning (2:00am) in Veiðivötn (the crater lake area) where a fog was hanging over the black volcanic tephra craters. For a period of around 30 minutes the light was magical as the rising sun slowly burned off the fog, revealing a wonderful play of light (those photographs will come later). We also had beautifully soft light on the Snaefaelsness Peninsula late in the evening, around midnight, and a fiery sunrise at the geothermal Hveravellir. This was a nice contrast for me because my last visit to Hveravellir was under overcast skies in windy conditions.

Gatklettur

Arnastap

Although I packed both the Canon 1DX and 1DS MK3 on this trip, I shot exclusively with the 1DX throughout my travels in Europe and Iceland. The 1DS MK3 never made it out of the bag. I am ecstatic with the quality of the files from the 1DX and it has surpassed my expectations as a camera in all respects. The auto focus is blisteringly fast and accurate and the metering is as good as anything I have previously encountered. Technologically, the Canon 1DX is a tour de force game-changing camera that not only allows for shooting handheld in virtual darkness with near noiseless files, but also produces superb results for landscape and wildlife at more moderate ISO ranges. I was skeptical when Canon announced the 1DX as a direct replacement for both the 1DMKIV and 1DSMK3 but will happily eat my fill of humble pie, because the results speak for themselves. After shooting with the 1DX in Europe and Iceland, my 1DS MK3 has now been relegated to a back-up only body and may well be replaced with another 1DX in the future. When I get time I will update my equipment page as I have added a number of different lenses since the last update.

In terms of lenses, I used almost everything I bought with me (which was considerable). The exception was the 90mm TSE, which was a last minute inclusion and, in the end, not needed. My most utilized lenses were the 24mm F1.4L MKII and the Canon 35mm F1.4L, closely followed by the 70-200mm F2.8L IS. I also shot quite a lot of frames with the 17mm F4L TSE and the 300mm F2.8L IS. Other participants shot with the Zeiss 21mm, Canon 24mm TSE MKII, 70-200mm F4L IS and other similar focal length lenses on their Canon 5D MKIII’s, 1DsMKII’s and 1DMKIV’s.  After hauling my 70-200 F2.8L IS all over Europe, I am now considering selling it and replacing it with the much lighter F4L IS version. Since I rarely shoot this lens wide open it makes little sense to carry the extra weight. In terms of image quality the two lenses are virtually identical when they are stopped down to F5.6, so the decision is purely a matter of weight.

Jump over to Josh’s blog to see some more great shots and to read the rest of the story. Oh and while you’re there register to join Josh on his next trip to Antarctica.

Sabi Sands Photo Safari Recap

Andy Biggs just capped off a photo safari in the Sabi Sands of South Africa. He encountered some beautiful scenes and some of the best wildlife photo opportunities he’s ever had! Here’s his post from the last day:

Today was the last day here in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in South Africa, and it was sad to do the last game drive of the trip. I am writing this entry from my seat on my flight back home on South African Airways, somewhere over the middle of the Atlantic ocean. My 17-hour flight can only be made up of so many bad movies with Nicholas Cage in them. UGH.

We had a sparse crew of takers for our last game drive, but those that went out were rewarded with good light and good sightings. What did we see? You guessed it: cheetah! Bird in hand, my friends. We were able to locate our friendly cheetah down by the break between Singita and Londolozi, and watched him pose on different trees for over an hour as he paraded around the open grass plains. The zebras nearby weren’t so thrilled, so that created yet another nice opportunity to have alert zebras in our frame.

Blurred Cheetah | Nikon D4, 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII, 1/5 @ f/14, ISO 100

Cheetah Peering Over A Log | Nikon D800, 300mm f/2.8 VRII, 1/1000 @ f/3.5, ISO 1250

Cheetah In A Tree | Nikon D4, 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII, 1/1000 @ f/5.6, ISO 800

Cheetah In A Tree | Nikon D800, 300mm f/2.8 VRII, 1/1600 @ f/5, ISO 800

Curious Zebras | Nikon D800, 300mm f/2.8 VRII, 1/1000 @ f/6.3, ISO 800

We were back at camp around 8:30, so we had enough time to pack up, eat breakfast, say goodbye to the amazing staff and shove off for the airstrip around 11am. I have led so many safaris in the past 10 years and know what it feels like to leave a place after a long safari, but this one was different in that I had a deep connection with Castleton and all who work there. Thank you to Claude, Marinda, Jane, Constance, Gloria, our guides Leon, Wade and Ricardo, and especially our trackers Johnson, Lawrence, Renneck and Emmanuel. You all are amazing people who make my business and enjoyable one. Thank you thank you thank you. Since Castleton is closing down at the end of this year, I will have to wait until 2014 when the new camp is built for me to return.

I will be running 2 safaris to the Sabi Sand in May/June 2013, and if you have any interest in such a safari (or both) please contact me at info@andybiggs.com.

Camera bags on this safari are sponsored by Gura Gear, which I started in 2008. Check us out. We make the best camera bags on the planet.

Some of the gear on this safari has been provided by Borrowlenses.com. I rely on borrowlenses.com for both my own needs as well as my safari travelers’ needs. When we need big lenses, cameras or anything else photographic, we turn to borrowlenses.com to help out. They are the best resource in the industry for traveling photographers.

There are plenty more great shots and stories from Andy’s adventures on his blog. For the full trip recap, head on over and check it out. http://www.theglobalphotographer.com/the-global-photographer/tag/singita

Photographing The Great Ocean Road

Showing off some of the beauty Australia has to offer, we bring you another awesome guest post from our friend Joshua Holko!

A few days ago I returned home from a whirlwind trip down the Great Ocean Road and I have now sorted through the roughly 600 frames which I shot while travelling down the coast photographing some of the mightiest icons of Victoria. For those of you who may not be aware, the Great Ocean Road is still one of the leading tourist attractions in the world. As a result of the increasing tourism, the area is now quite busy over the weekends, with regular busloads of camera-toting tourists and back-packers scurrying over the usual tourist hot spots. Shooting at the iconic Twelve Apostles at sunset can be like rush-hour. And yet, for the intrepid and dedicated landscape photographer, there are many other rugged and beautiful locations to choose from that are just as spectacular and more secluded from the tourist throngs.

The Cauldron

We were fortunate during this trip to have some dramatic light on the evening of our arrival, as well as some truly beautiful pre-dawn glow on the final morning before our departure. As a landscape photographer, I am always chasing dramatic light in order to create photographs that are unique, powerful and expressive. Whether it is through curtains of rain or stormy clouds, I seek out that special light that usually lasts for only a few seconds. And, it is not often I am fortunate enough to experience dramatic storm-light in combination with sunset, a combination that is truly magical and quite rare.

The conditions under which this occurred last Friday evening were challenging, with pelting rain, hail and powerful winds all conspiring against the rigidity of my camera and tripod which were perched precariously on the edge of the limestone cliffs. Standing near the edge of a 35 metre cliff above the broiling ocean, with the winds threatening to toss me into the sea with each gust certainly gets the adrenalin flowing. I was very thankful for the weather sealing of my 1DS MK3 as it was exposed to several hours of intense rain and pervasive salt spray from the storm breakers smashing into the cliffs. The waves that were crashing against the coastline were 6-8 metres high, tossing spray over a hundred feet into the air as they slammed into the rugged cliffs – it was both awe- inspiring and  intimidating to be on the edge of that precipitous cliff.

Rogue Wave

One of the joys of storm photography is how often and how quickly the light changes. You have to move quickly and instinctively in order to make the most of it if you are to capture the best light. Balancing composition with light in weather conditions that are conspiring against you can be a real challenge. Even keeping the camera lens free of rain spots can be problematic. Also, having an instinctive understanding of your camera controls is essential to being able to work quickly to make the most of the changing light and conditions. Likewise, understanding shutter speed and the effect it will have on moving water and waves is essential to creating photographs that are artistic and capture the feeling of motion and drama in the sea. Being able to combine your skills as a photographer whilst battling the elements takes some practice.

Brewing Storm

The Great Ocean Road is an astonishing but challenging location to photograph. The coastline is truly spectacular between Apollo Bay and Warrnambool, but to convey a sense of scale, place and context is difficult. Most photographs I have seen of this part of Victoria fail to do justice to the rugged beauty and grandeur of this coastline – a lovely sunset just isn’t enough. Although calm seas and a perfect sunset will always result in a pretty picture of this Victorian coastline, the area offers so much more for photographers willing to put in the hard yards and exercise their patience in search of the right light and the best composition.

London Bridge

Landscape photography in Australia is an exercise in patience and frustration followed by final fulfillment. Australia’s often harsh daytime light works against good art photography of the type I am pursuing, as does the flat light caused by overcast conditions. The golden hours of perfect light are fleeting. As I have said before, landscape photography in Australia is like a long-haul international flight – hours of boredom followed by a few seconds of sheer panic during landing, when the light is at its best. It is an exercise in patience, which, in the end, can be extremely rewarding. This is not known as the Shipwreck Coast for nothing.

Nearby, the dense and mysterious Otway forest offers many opportunities for daytime photography, including several waterfalls, a forest of giant Californian Redwoods, the Cape Otway Lighthouse, and countless coastline images, including a multitude of abstractions in the coastal cliffs, as well as the myriad of possibilities in the many rock pools.

I will shortly be offering a multi-day workshop down the Great Ocean Road designed specifically for photographers who are keen to work hard for their images and who want to take their photography to the next level. Like my international workshops, this trip will be strictly limited in numbers to ensure we can operate quickly and cohesively in the field. Bookings will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.  Stay tuned for further details over the coming weeks.

The Wall - Great Ocean Road

Higher resolution versions of these photographs can be seen on my primary portfolio website at www.jholko.com under Australia.

It is worth noting that I was travelling with a good friend of mine who owns and runs a successful portrait studio on this trip. It was very interesting to hear about the needs of a professional portrait photographer in contrast to my own camera requirements. Surprisingly, our needs proved to be more in step with each other than we might have first assumed, and I will have more to say on this in a future blog post.

Why is Chobe Called '19-24L'?

Why have such an odd number designation for Chobe? Quite simple really. Late last year we decided that all of our bags needed a consistent measurement in the name. We opted for interior useable volume.

The Chobe is two bags in one. A 19L daily workhorse and a 24L traveling phenom. It’s designed so that no matter the configuration, the bag can hold up to a 15” laptop in its own compartment, iPad or Kindle in its own compartment, pens, keys, business cards, documents, gum, coins, phone, water bottle, memory cards, chargers etc. In fact a quick look through my bag and it gets labeled a ‘man purse’ pretty quick.

Two of my favorite friends hanging out in the Salt Lake City airport. The Chobe on the left is in the 24L configuration and the Chobe on the right is in the 19L configuration.

The point is, there are two configurations:

1. A 19L daily workhorse ready for the day-to-day business and a small camera. The external walls are lightly padded, so a camera can easily slide in and have minimual protection without the insert.
2. A 24L traveling phenom with enough room for all of the above plus pro-size DSLRs with L-brackets, a variety of lenses, extra set of clothes and anything else that is needed. This larger size is also great when the other bags, like a Kiboko 30L, end up getting overloaded and the fine airline agents decide to throw some rules around. Simply slide some gear from one bag to another. No biggie.

So, Chobe is the 19-24L because it quite simply adapts from 19L to 24L with the flick of a zipper.The only challenge is deciding what not to take, because with the Chobe - you can always make more room.

Every Good Superhero Has a Sidekick: Gura Gear Kiboko 30L and Chobe.

As many of you know, in addition to working with Gura Gear, Andy Biggs travels quite a bit for his photographic safari and workshop business. Most of his travels tend to be to far away places, so who better to explain why the Chobe was created. Andy settled down for about 15 minutes in between trips to share his perspective on travel and the reason we developed Chobe to be the ultimate sidekick to the Kiboko.

As a ‘planes, trains and automobiles’ type of traveler I have to rely on many different types of transportation to get to and from my destinations. In addition to my foreign travels, I also do a fair amount of domestic travelling for lectures, photography outings, and business meetings. It goes without saying that getting my gear and myself from point A to point B, without any hassle, is top priority. That is exactly why the power combo of the Gura Gear Kiboko and Chobe bag was created.

At Gura Gear we thought about how photographers travel and how gear is used. We had to rethink everything from all angles. The goal was to make a camera bag that could accommodate the biggest super telephoto lenses and still be used as a carry-on for most commercial airplanes around the globe. We launched our original Kiboko bag back in 2008. The bag is fully functional with a unique butterfly style opening and extremely lightweight and durable. As expected, the bag has been a huge hit in the marketplace. The Kiboko bag has now evolved into the Kiboko 30L but the basic DNA remains the same. The question of why the Kiboko doesn’t accommodate a laptop comes up occasionally. As we had to balance the size of the bag, what the bag can carry, and how much the bag weighed before and after gear was put inside, we consciously decided not to ruin what we had, by trying to fit in a laptop compartment.

Since almost every major airline in the world allows for 2 carryon bags (a main bag and a ‘personal item’), we determined the easiest way to travel is to separate camera gear from computer gear. Designing the Chobe as the perfect companion for the Kiboko 30L was the logical solution.

Now when I travel my stuff is not only protected but also easily accessible. I put all of my cameras, lenses, and small accessories in my Kiboko 30L and I use the Chobe for my Macbook Pro, iPad, headphones, travel documents and any other travel-related knick-knacks.

What I love about my Chobe bag is that it holds a ton of gear and can fit easily underneath the seat in front of me on an airplane. This is especially useful since I can easily access everything I would need during the flight and just as easily put everything back without leaving my seat.

I mostly travel using the padded insert for the Chobe because I enjoy the freedom of being able to transfer some camera gear from the Kiboko 30L into the Chobe. I do this because some airlines have a very limited amount of weight allowance and by moving things to the Chobe bag I am able to stay within the weight allowance.

Tip: I have yet to meet an airline that has ever weighed my ‘personal item’. A personal item is often  referred to as a computer bag, purse or umbrella. Since my personal item is my computer bag (the Chobe), I move items into there as a temporary way of working the system to my advantage.

When I am on a photographic trip, I also may use the Chobe as a dedicated camera bag for short walks around town. I can easily put a camera, (or two), and two to four lenses into the Chobe. This makes for a great bag for urban shooting.

After being in the market for more than three years, I am happy that I have two bags that were developed for many different purposes. Traveling with gear has made photographers more and more stressed. Although we can’t eliminate every stress, (you’re on your own with squatting toilets and crowded foreign embassies), we are proud to say the combination of these two bags has solved many of the main stress points of traveling photographers everywhere

Photo Safari Adventures in Tanzania

Gura Gear founder Andy Biggs is currently on photo safari in Tanzania for three weeks. We know how much you love to travel and how bad you wish you were on safari with him. To help you feel like a part of the group Andy is providing a daily log of his travels and adventures. Check back every day to see what he’s up to and enjoy a wonderful African photo safari vicariously through Andy!

Day 17

Homeward bound!

Day 16

Today was my last full day out on safari, and we drove into the Masai Mara to see what we could see. Well, yet another Notch’s son sightings, and this time it was one of the other sons that we had not seen before. He was obviously looking for his brothers, as he roared in all directions. He never heard a response back, but boy did this guy roar. I mean it was rumble-the-floor-of-the-vehicle kind of roaring. More excellent majestic male lion types of shots. Fairly quiet afternoon, as we yet again set out to find the Nguayanai pride with no luck.

Day 15

Not much to write about today, other than excellent plains game and elephants. We went searching for the Nguayanai pride, but we had zero success in locating them. This was an all-day affair, and we just sat and relaxed and enjoyed watching anything and everything.

Day 14

Yesterday’s appearance of Acacia, the adult female leopard, meant that we should follow up to see if she was in a similar location than yesterday. We wanted to check back because we could tell that she had been lactating, and that only means 1 thing: cubs!

After a few hours of searching we finally located her in the tall grass, only 5 feet from the edge of a path that we had driven 5 times already. Amazing how well they can get lost in all of the vegetation.

We absolutely knew in our gut that she had 1 or more cubs nearby, so we sat with her until she went into the thick forest to call her cub. To make a very long afternoon short for this update, it eventually did happen and we had her cub come out of the woods and right up next to our vehicle to ‘say hello’. Acacia was very very relaxed, and this also meant that her cub was as well. I didn’t get any good photographs, primarily due to the low light, but it was a wonderful moment to be within a few feet of 2 gorgeous big cats. High fives and smiles all around on the way back to camp. I even opened up a cold beer.

Day 13

Today was a day that was meant to be a day of tracking leopards. The morning was pretty quiet across the board, but we were finally successful in locating one of the adult female leopards just north of camp. We spent the late morning with her, and I probably burned through 50GB of images on my Pentax 645D camera. What a beauty!

We heard of 2 adult male cheetahs who were hunting in the middle of the Mara, near Topi Plains, so we passed by camp and grabbed a picnic lunch and then set out to locate them. We found them and then spent the afternoon watching them hunt from afar. They never got close to any game, but it was fun just to watch them to see their tactics. We had a great elephant herd of more than 30 individuals on the way back to camp. What a great way to end the day.

Day 12

As we were waking up we heard some seriously loud lion roars just south of camp, and we knew exactly what our morning was going to be about, which was seeking out exactly what is nearby. Well, we certainly found the source, which is one of Notch’s sons. We was roaring in his search to find the rest of his siblings and father. We photographed him for probably the better part of an hour, as he was wandering towards the east. He eventually left us and we decided to spend the morning with Shingo the cheetah and her two daughters. It dawned on us that Shingo was trying to teach the daughters how to hunt. She was letting them take the lead on most of their hunts, and this was some sort of master class in the making. After 3 unsuccessful hunts we headed in for lunchtime as the mid-day sun was beating down hard and most wildlife were hunkered down to get away from the sun.

The afternoon was filled with a mating pair of lions from the Moniko pride in the eastern past of the conservancy. The best light of the day coincided with the rest of the Moniko pride, as they were heading out for their evening hunt. We had baby cubs playing amongst themselves as well as with the adults. It was a superb moment.

Day 11

Wow. Wow. Today was filled with more action than I could have ever imagined. We left camp at 6:15 this morning, only to find 2 lions just outside of camp. After a few moments with them we noticed a large female adult leopard staring at them from across the river. There is only 1 reason why a leopard would stare down 2 much larger predators: she was protecting young cubs. We filed away that information for another time, as she scurried off after a bit and we couldn’t find her. We will absolutely have to locate the young leopard cubs, as I can never get enough of them.

After a few hours the lions moved into a position to stalk some impala. The hunt was not successful, however a small warthog family passed by and the lions were successful in taking out one of the young ones. I captured it all on video!

After lunch we headed towards the southern part of the conservancy, as we had heard of Shingo and her 2 daughters being in the area. After a short drive we located them in thick croton bushes, hunting impala. Their stalking was unsuccessful, however they did switch to a small Thompson gazelle herd and was able to hunt down and capture one right in front of us. The takedown was short lived, because one of Notch’s boys quickly appeared and stole the kill from them. No lunch for Shingo and her 2 daughters today. Oh well! Life in the bush.

Day 10

We took Safarilink out to the Olkiombo airstrip in the Masai Mara, and we were sitting at Mara Plains Camp by noon. It felt good to be back in the Mara, but technically speaking we are on the Olare Orok Conservancy land. The OOC is land that is just outside of the Masai Mara, and is limited to only a few camps. we have 100% offroading here. This is a big plus, because the Mara can get crowded with vehicles and no offroading is allowed in the park. It’s nice because on a day by day basis we can make decisions on what we want to do, and choices are a good thing.

After a sumptuous lunch, we headed out on our first game drive in the OOC and quickly located a famous cheetah of the area, Shingo. Shingo was quite the talk of the Mara last year, as she had successfully raised 6 cubs to adulthood. This is quite rare in the cheetah world, as most young cubs don’t make it to 1 year of age. A typical litter has between 4 and 6 cubs, and statistics tell us that around 2 cubs per litter survive to adulthood.

Day 9

Today was the last day of my Tanzania safari, and we woke up, ate breakfast as a group, paid our bar bills and packed up the Land Rovers. We took some group photographs with our guides and camp staff and headed towards the Seronera airstrip for our privately chartered Cessna Caravans. After saying goodbye to our amazing guides, we flew over the Serengeti on our way back to Arusha. I have made this flight many many times in the past, and I always feel a sense of sadness when I leave the Serengeti. I am not sure why, because I know that I will be back. There is something about the wide open plains and remoteness that I don’t feel many other places on this planet.

We had a great lunch at Shangaa and River House and checked into our day room near Kilimanjaro International Airport. I had to say goodbye to my fellow travelers, as they were heading for home and I was headed for my second safari in Kenya.

I flew on to Nairobi and met my private safari group at the airport, as they had just arrived before me from their own international flight from the USA. We checked into the Ole Sereni hotel near the airport and agreed on a time to meet up in the morning. Long day for all of us, but tomorrow will have more wildlife!

Day 8

We had a late evening rain last night and the talk at breakfast was that it woke everybody up and kept everybody up for quite a while. I knew that today’s last day in the Serengeti would have to be so over the top to beat the past week, so I decided to concentrate on anything and everything other than big cats. We didn’t have enough hippo shots, so we spent the morning working on nothing but hippos.

Hippo photographs can be challenging in that you need to wait for any interesting moment, other than a big, dark oval sitting in the water.

The afternoon was spent near the Maasai Kopjes and we had very little activity other than a few cape buffalo and a sleeping pride of lions.

Today was the only day where we didn’t have rain during daylight hours, and it made for easier navigation of the roads. I could use a break from the rain, but I love the results of all of the rains. It is certainly a perplexing situation.

Day 7

Today was relaxing. We split up the day and spent time at camp in the middle of the day. In the morning some of my travelers went on a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti plains while the remaining part of the group went on a normal game drive.

On the game drive we headed north and west towards Seronera and on the way encountered three large male lions on the road. The light was warm and soft, which is my favorite lighting for early morning, and after a number of minutes the lions moved off of the road and headed a different direction. Within a few minutes of driving we came across a young male leopard at the base of a sausage tree. I shot some video and some stills and just watched this gorgeous cat in such a beautiful location. He eventually left the tree and walked right beside our vehicle as he headed for the tall grass.

The afternoon drive was rather slow but filled with excellent birding. The rains have brought in the swifts, which swarm and dine on flying insects. We also have seen kingfishers, four species of hornbill, harriers, hawks, eagles, vultures, shrikes, rollers and so many other birds that I have a difficult time remembering.

Another afternoon rain came through like a wall of water, and I remembered that every day on this safari has had rain. Yup, the rainy season is definitely here.

Day 6

Today we moved camps to the central Serengeti, but not after our last game drive in the short grass plains area of Ndutu. The morning yielded some amazing wildebeest migration sightings with the wildebeest set against the rising sun behind them. This angle illuminates the gnu’s white beard, which is an important element of the animals that people like to joke ‘are made from spare parts’.

After breakfast we loaded up the Land Rovers and headed north to Naabi Hill for the Serengeti N.P. paperwork. The area between Ndutu and Naabi was filled with wildebeest and zebras as far as the eyes could see. What a sight to see. After our drive north, we drove west towards the Nairoboro Hills, and we saw what could be described as the best big cat afternoon one could ever wish for.

In the span of less than 1km, we had 4 separate trees with big cats: an adult male leopard, a female leopard with her 2 year-old cubs, a lone lioness and then 2 more lionesses. I can only suspect the leopards didn’t know about the lions and vice versa. Stupendous, to say the least.

Upon arrival at camp we were greeted with the camp staff’s smiling faces, hot showers, and cold beer. I couldn’t ask for more.

Day 5

Today was another rain-filled day with rain primarily hitting in the afternoon. The day was primarily spent between the Serengeti’s three big cat species: lions, leopards, and cheetahs. By far the best sighting of the day was watching a female cheetah and her four cubs with a fresh kill. The four cheetah cubs were jumping on and around the small thompson gazelle which their mother had provided for the family. The cubs at this age don’t have developed teeth so they just licked at the meat in anticipation that someday they will be able to consume it.

After the afternoon dining, the heavens opened up again and a full hour-long deluge fell on our subjects as well as our vehicles. After the downpour the mother licked all of her cubs to wash away the dirt and mud that had kicked up in the violent rain. This was definitely one of my best wildlife moments of the past few years as I have an affinity for cheetah cubs. It was truly a touching moment. When all were cleaned, the family of five moved quickly to another location so nature could take its course and the scavengers could find the carcass without any sign of the young cubs. We broke away and headed back to camp with big smiles on our faces. High fives all around.

Day 4

We bolted out of camp at first light and had the most exceptional morning waiting for us. A mother cheetah and her four 1-month old cubs were out on the short grass plains playing and bonding with each other. This easily consumed much of our morning, however, it didn’t interfere with a superb leopard which was feeding on an impala up in an umbrella acacia tree (acacia tortilis). This was followed by a pride of lions with year-old cubs, who were moving from one shade tree to the next.

After our overabundance of big cats, we watched the birth of a wildbeest, along with its first steps. What a joy to watch a new being come into this world. Within a few minutes it was running around with its mother.

The afternoon had a huge downpour of rain, and we revisited our morning’s leopard in the acacia tree. She moved between trees a few times, which gave us some different ‘looks’ for our photographs. I left my still camera gear back at camp, and only shot video for the afternoon. I am excited to learn more video storytelling techniques, which has been a foreign concept to me until recently.

Day 3

We lost altitude today, as we left the highlands of Ngorongoro and made our way to the Serengeti plains. The Serengeti ecosystem is more than 10,000 square miles of remote wilderness, which is home to the great wildebeest migration.

Signs of the massive rains could be seen all over the southern short grass plains as the grass was vibrant green with puddles of water in every direction. We spent some time with a large herd of elephants near Lake Masek and were lucky enough to have them walk towards us and right by our Land Rover. We counted 12 different birds of prey before lunch.

We settled into camp before sunset, and were excited to see one of the best sunsets one could ever ask for. A fitting end to a day that was mostly a travel day between camps.

Day 2

Heavy rains arrived at 3:30am and hit the camp very hard for two hours prior to our normal wakeup time. We grabbed a quick breakfast with the pitter patter on the dining tent roof then made the descent road down into Ngorongoro for our morning game drive.

It appeared that many lion prides made their evening kills, as we had zebra carcasses in many parts of the caldera. The highlight of the morning was watching the storm clouds whisp around the 7,500 foot crater rim, as the morning sunshine was working hard to get through. Dynamic light was all around us, which made for great photography.

We drove back to camp on the crater rim for a late lunch and took some time off to charge batteries, download images and take a breath. We visited a local Maasai village and exchanged some fun moments with the children. The village we visited was a place that I met around 10 years ago, and it has been a great pleasure to get to know the elders over that period of time. Even though my Maa language skills are limited, a smile is universal.

Day 1

Today we spent a full day in Ngorongoro Crater, which is actually a collapsed caldera, and it was created about 2 million years ago. We woke up to overcast weather, which is probably the best type of light in this area because the alternative is usually harsh light with a pure light blue sky. Soft light allowed us to shoot all day without having to worry about the harsh midday shadows.

In the middle of the day we nearly missed seeing a takedown of a zebra by a lion but people in my group did see it. We watched the aftermath with the lion and her two subadult cubs as well as all of the drama related to keeping the food to themselves. We had two, perhaps three, hyaena clans all jockeying for their own fair share only to be rebuffed by the aggressive lioness.

We also enjoyed all that Ngorogoro is best at, which is a high concentration of general plains game. On our way back to camp we passed by a hunting serval cat which was the highlight of my day.

Capturing The Perfect Photograph - The Fortress

We welcome this guest post from the amazing mind of Joshua Holko (www.jholko.com)

It is a very rare occasion in my photography when I click the shutter and instantly know I have managed to capture something special and out of the ordinary. It has probably happened to me only a few times during my photography career.

I recall one such moment, which took place more than a decade ago when I was swinging on a rappel line high above the ground at the You Yangs National Park. I was photographing my brother lead climbing a classic trad-crack rock climb. It was late afternoon and the light was soft with high cirrus cloud muting the usually strong contrast of the Australian sun. Facing a potentially serious fall, my brother slowly inched his way up the rock and into my viewfinder as I hovered in space above him. I was staring down the line of the climb with my camera, watching his every move. As he climbed into the frame, he paused for just a moment and, with muscles rippling, he lifted his head and winced as the summer breeze blew the chalk dust from his hands. The rope went slack as the belay fed out some line, and I fired the shutter. That was the moment. With a last effort my brother quickly stuffed a ‘friend’ into the crack in the rock for some protection and promptly fell off, utterly spent. The resulting photograph still hangs in my brother’s living room and is a reminder to me that photography is so often all about the decisive moment. Unfortunately, I long ago misplaced the transparency and my only record of this shot is now the ageing 16 x 20 Cibachrome.

Copyright Joshua Holko, 2010. Abandoned Blue Berg.

I experienced another of these decisive moments in Iceland in 2010 when I shot the large iceberg ‘Blue Berg’, which had washed ashore on the black sand beach at the Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. With a storm brewing on the horizon and the sun falling low in the sky, all of nature’s elements were in perfect alignment for a great image. I set my desired aperture and shutter speed, loaded the graduated neutral density filter, shot some frames and knew I had a great photograph that I would be very happy to hang over my mantelpiece. This photograph subsequently went on to win the 2010 World Extreme Environment Photograph of the Year People’s Choice Award and won a Gold Award in the Landscape category at the 2010 APPA Awards.

The truth is these kinds of opportunities are probably more prevalent than I realize. It is why the skill of just looking and really seeing is of such importance in photography. Failing to recognize the opportunity when it presents itself is a tragedy for the photographer, so it is important to train yourself to be always looking - even when you are not out with a camera.

On my recent trip to Antarctica I was fortunate to come across another opportunity of this type. It was somewhere around the Gerlache straight, and we were slowly cruising past gigantic stadium-sized icebergs in our ice hardened ship, ‘The Ocean Nova”. As our expedition leader Graham liked to put it “Just cruising in Captain Alexey’s zodiac”. The weather was overcast with soft, dim, moody lighting that I find ideal for photographing icebergs. Suddenly, we came across this massive, jagged iceberg with its precipitous peaks and hard chiseled surfaces. I was standing on the Port side of the ship chatting to my friend Andy Biggs about the Leica S2. As we drew closer I had to make a quick decision about what lens I was going to use to best capture and accentuate the iceberg’s characteristics. I use prime lenses almost exclusively, which meant I needed to make a decision on the spot as to how I was going to approach this particular opportunity. Whilst zoom lenses provide greater immediate flexibility for framing, I prefer the quality of primes for my work.

In this instance, I decided to use the Canon 17mm F4L TSE Tilt and Shift lens on my 1DS MKIII and scurried back to my cabin, dove into my Kiboko bag, and quickly changed glass. By the time I arrived back on deck we were already beginning to circle the iceberg and most of the other photographers were already firing away, whilst simultaneously staring in awe at one of nature’s most amazing wonders.

The decision to use the 17mm F4L TSE was an easy one for me, since I knew immediately I wanted some perspective control to stop the ice peaks from appearing to fall away from the viewer (a problem with wide angle lenses that are tilted when shot). Although perspective control is relatively easy to do in post-production, I prefer to try and get it right in the camera wherever possible (it means less pixel mangling later and I am first and foremost a photographer and not a Photoshop technician). I also wanted to use some lens shift to get me lower and closer to the water since we were shooting from several stories high on the ship. This was a delicate balancing act, since dialing in some lens tilt changes the plane of focus. Although I could have shot this close to wide open without any tilt and achieved adequate depth of field, the introduction of some lens tilt meant I had to be very careful to stop down enough to keep the top peaks of the ice in focus - in other words achieving infinite depth of field from near to far was no longer the issue. I had to achieve sufficient depth of field from top to bottom and this could only be done by stopping down the camera sufficiently - in this case F8 proved perfect. I also had to balance my ISO setting and shutter speed to avoid camera shake (tripods are out of the question on a ship), manually focus the lens (the 17mm F4L TSE is manual focus only), shield the lenses bulbous front element from the pervasive salt spray and get my framing right, all whilst on a pitching, and moving ship surrounded by other photographers all jostling for position.  There was a lot to think about and lots of opportunities for mistakes.

In the end, I shot about two-dozen frames with the 17mm F4L TSE lens of this iceberg while Captain Alexey circled it in the Ocean Nova. I was fortunate that there was some good moody cloud cover to soften the light when we came upon this iceberg. Direct sunlight would have made for much harsher shadows and less pleasing light.

Of all the shots I took of this iceberg only one has what I consider to be the perfect angle in combination with ideal lighting – and this is it. A shot I have titled ‘The Fortress’ for its castle-like precipitous peaks.

Copyright Joshua Holko, 2012. The Fortress.

When I sat down to start this entry I had in mind that I was going to talk about how I processed this photograph in Adobe Lightroom 3.6. However, I realized when I put pen to paper that I had really done very little to the RAW file at all. Basic corrections included setting the white and black points, adding some clarity (+25), refining the crop slightly and capture sharpening appropriate to the camera/lens/shot combination. I also added a graduated filter and vignette to darken the top of the sky; which I normally would have done ‘in-camera’ with the use of a graduated neutral density filter. However, due to the bulbous element on the 17mm F4L TSE it is virtually impossible to use filters. I decided after some tweaking that I actually preferred the white balance as set by the camera and left the temperature at 5650 and the tint at -2, as shot.

Antarctica is an incredibly surreal location for photography. The pallet of colours on display is quite literally unbelievable. No embellishment is required and as such this photograph was processed with zero vibrance and zero saturation. The shades of blue in the deepest crevices of the ice are naturally so intense that they already fall outside the gamut of some printers.

I would estimate that this iceberg was roughly the size of a football field (above water) and was about eight to ten stories high from the waterline with its jagged and precipitous peaks towering above our ship. Icebergs of this size are quite stable even in relatively strong winds and we were able to get quite close as we cruised past in our ice-hardened vessel. I had my 24mm F1.4L MKII lens on my 1D MKIV camera over my shoulder and although I took some frames with that camera and lens I was not able to fit the entire iceberg into the frame and as such those frames I feel lack the impact of this single image.

In the end, I could have shot this iceberg with pretty much any lens but decided in this instance that it was the iceberg in its entirety that was amazing to me. I deliberately included the distant shore on the left of the iceberg to put the iceberg into context and I also included the distant tabular iceberg on the right to balance the frame. Although I am still editing, sorting and processing my photographs from this expedition, the end result in this instance is a photograph that I feel may stand up as my signature image of this remarkable trip.

Sometimes Bigger Isn't Always Better, It's Just Bigger

Lenses are like shoes, or even better, cars for some people. We can’t define the line where utility ends and accumulation begins; though our spouses often try to define it for us. Sure, the camera companies don’t make life easy; there seems to be a new lens introduced monthly. Canon dangles a carrot on a regular basis for the wildlife photographer’s dream lens (EF 400 f/2.8L IS II) that rarely seems to find its way on to store shelves. When it does, we lurch like a rabid feral animal at its first meal in days. Wildlife photographers in particular are special beasts that feed on bigger glass. As we stare at our ever-growing collection of optics, the question begs, which one will come out of the bag and why?

Copyright Joshua Holko, 2011.

Often, the reasons are an interesting study in human psychology. When shooting in a workshop setting, group dynamics often come in to play; each person looking around to see what lens everyone else is shooting with and either pulling out the same lens, or a notch up longer for ego sake. But bigger isn’t always better, its just bigger.

There is nothing wrong with a long lens. Focal lengths from 300mm to 600mm are great for situations where focusing in on the subject is key to the frame. Sometimes background distractions are easily obscured with a longer focal length by virtue of physics and their shallow depth of field capabilities. (A great primer on depth of field can be found on Luminous Landscapeshttp://bit.ly/I72OR) In the case of the dirty penguin shot by my friend, and phenomenal photographer Joshua Holko, the dirty details matter. It’s bath time for this little fellow.

In many instances, a long lens is the only ‘safe’ solution. This is often the case when shooting certain types of wildlife. Mammals like giraffes tend to have a wide safety zone where no man shall enter. Predators or prey in environments where humans don’t frequent also don’t tend to allow us to get close enough with that 50mm f1.4 prime we love. Getting closer to fill the frame is simply not an option, so out comes the bazooka.

The biggest downside to shooting with a burly 500mm f4 isn’t the weight, or the limitation in movement; it’s simply that it often forces us to ignore the bigger picture. Sometimes, when every one else is reaching for the big guns, we should instead look around and see what the entire scene in front of us has to offer. I think the photo below drives this point home very well. On his recent trip to Antarctica, Andy Biggs focused on using lenses that don’t find enough time in his hands. Shot with his 24-70mm f2.8, this photo of a penguin tells a story that only a wider perspective can tell.

Copyright Andy Biggs, 2011. |  Nikon D3, 24-70mm f2.8, shot at f6.3, ISO 800

Lens selection plays an important role in the photographic process. But ultimately, the lens itself is simply a tool. Understanding which lens to use when and why is important. Having a vision and knowing how to use the tools is more important than simply being able to say that you own them.

Joshua Holko's Antarctica Recap

Joshua Holko, who was on the Antarctica voyage with Andy Biggs last month, recently wrote about his experience and shared his thoughts about Gura Gear.

On the Way to the End of the World

From Joshua Holko’s blog:

In many ways this was the Gura Gear trip to Antarctica. I would estimate somewhere around 40-50% of all the photographers on this trip were sporting at least one Gura Gear Kiboko camera bag. And who can blame them? There is no such thing as the perfect camera bag for all occasions; but it was universally agreed amongst all those photographers I spoke with that the Gura Gear Kiboko is the best camera bag on the market and as close to perfection as possible. I am utterly convinced that the Kiboko is the number one camera bag on the market and it was great to be able to spend some time with Gura Gears founder and chief designer Andy Biggs to relay my experience with the Gura Gear product. One of the added side benefits of the Kiboko is that it has very much become the photographers ‘introduction tool’. With so many photographers choosing the Kiboko it has become a symbol for the travelling photographer and both my friend Martyn and I had conversations with several others at airports who recognised us as fellow photographers due to our Gura Gear bags. All good fun and a really great way to meet other photographers.

Gura Gear Founder Andy Biggs - Looking very ‘North Face’

This was the maiden voyage for the Gura Gear Chobe for me. If you read my pre-flight review HERE then you are already well aware that I had high hopes for this bag based on my initial impressions and thoughts on how I planned to use it. I am very pleased to report that the Chobe lived up to my expectations throughout the trip. In fact, the Chobe has convinced me that it really can serve as both an overnight bag and as a dedicated camera bag depending on your specific needs at the time. Given its ability to also carry a laptop, card readers, back up hard drives and other accessories it really can meet just about any demand. Whilst I wouldn’t do any serious  hiking with the Chobe (and it was never designed for this purpose) I would quite happily sling it over my shoulder and carry it in the field for an extended period. Quite a few other members of the trip were also sporting Chobe’s in addition to their Kiboko’s for additional camera gear, laptops and accessories – Gura Gear are definitely on a winner.

Penguin trying to nick my Kiboko

To read the rest of Joshua’s experience check out his blog HERE.

Gura Gear Goes to Antarctica

Gura Gear products were well represented on a journey to Antarctica, which was lead by our founder Andy Biggs, as well as Seth Resnick, John Paul Caponigro, Eric Meola and Arthur Meyerson. Out of 73 travelers on the privately chartered vessel, the M.V. Ocean Nova, there were roughly 25 Gura Gear bags on board. Not a bad stat! Our Kiboko 30L, 22L+, as well as Chobe shoulder bags all in the mix.

Iceberg, Penguins and Snow

From Andy Biggs’ blog:

How the Gura Gear bags were used

There are different shooting scenarios when visiting Antarctica: shooting from the main ship’s outside decks, shooting from zodiacs as well as shooting on land itself. All of these scenarios require different approaches to carrying camera gear. Let’s break down each scenario.

Shooting from the decks of the boat is easy from an equipment carrying standpoint, and the easiest method is to just walk around with 1 or 2 cameras around your neck, with lenses ranging from 16mm all the way to 300mm. Typical scenes include large landscapes, far away icebergs, close-up icebergs, birds as well as seals and whales.

Shooting from zodiacs is usually before or after a landing on to dry land, which means most people will want to bring a larger assortment of gear on board. Most of our Gura Gear users were using their Kiboko 30L and 22L+ bags to transport their gear onto the zodiacs, and then would put a camera or two around their necks for whatever they were ready to shoot from the moving boat. Some, if not most, of the people would use small dry bags to manage the slight water spray or snowfall in between shooting scenarios. The Kiboko bags held extra gear, from longer lenses (for wildlife when on land) to tripods, accessories, lens wipes and foul weather clothing.

Shooting on land involved moving Kiboko bags from the zodiacs onto dry land, and bags were simply handed off to the expedition staff who were already standing on shore. Voila. Most of our landings had excellent landscape and wildlife opportunities within feet of getting onto land. Most landings offered amazing hikes, ranging from 10 minutes to over an hour. We hiked with our Kiboko bags on our backs and with cameras around our necks

Antarctica is one of the most beautiful photographic destinations, and all of the Gura Gear bags on board worked like a charm for all of those who brought them. My goal is to make sure there is 100% adoption on any future voyages. :-)

FAQ: Do Kiboko Bags Allow For Tripods?

A frequently asked question around Gura Gear central is whether or not our Kiboko line of bags can carry tripods. The short and easy answer is a resounding YES. In the images below you will notice that we have a Really Right Stuff Versa TVC-24L attached to the side of each bag. Keep in mind that the tripod is the ‘L’ version, which means that it is longer than their standard model.

On each Kiboko bag we recommend putting 1 or 2 of the legs down into the stretch pocket at the bottom and side of the bag. Then use the strap with attached clasp to secure the middle/top of the tripod.

Happy shooting!

Gura Gear Kiboko 30L bag with RRS TVC-24L tripod

Gura Gear Kiboko 22L+ bag with RRS TVC-24L tripod