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Monday, June 13, 2016

Wildlife Photography - High Arctic Photo Tour


On top of the world (Almost)


Photographing wildlife inside the Arctic Circle

I am off to the high Arctic on a wildlife photography shoot in Svalbard, an archipelago deep inside the Arctic Circle, in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Last month, I took the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II to the Upper Amazon and Peruvian Andes for a vigorous field test. Will be performing more real world tests and you can read my review on the camera here.


Atlantic Walrus family in the high Arctic


During the summer months in the high Arctic, there is 24 hour daylight and the weather and seas are unpredictable. It can range from a blustery, snowy day with 40+ knots winds and freezing temperature to sunny, T-shirt weather the next. 


Polar bear foot prints on ice floes


The wildlife in Svalbard is diverse. There is a population of about 3,000 Polar bears on the islands, together with indigenous herds of Reindeer. Arctic foxes, Atlantic Walruses, many species of whales, dolphins, seals and pelagic birds can be found among the ice floes, cliffs and numerous islands and coves.


Polar bear leaping on ice floes


The erratic pattern of ice floes and weather conditions will be a challenge for the ship's captain and my equipment but the Arctic scenery, replete with glaciers and ice cliffs are so spectacular, I will be too engrossed to worry about the rough seas and temperatures, as long as I am properly dressed. 


Virgin ice cliffs goes on for miles in the high Arctic


There are no Internet access on the expedition ship so I have to wait till my return to reconnect. In the meantime, you can see my equipment bag, read stories from my previous tours and see my works on MichaelDanielHo.com. 


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