NikonGear'23
Travelogues => Future NG Events - and Location Reveries => Topic started by: elsa hoffmann on June 10, 2015, 14:08:48
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I am seriously - VERY seriously considering a trip to Svalbard - 2016
SO much to consider - mostly - who to go with .....
There are several "tours" for photographers but obviously they dont come cheap.
So I am really testing the waters to see if anyone else has Svalbard in mind?
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Svalbard is on the list of places to visit but so are many other places, and I definitely want to buy a serious tele lens again to shoot the polar bears.
The main priority currently is buying a new house however in the coming 6 months so I expect travel / gear resources to be on the low side in 2016.
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You are right of course - But I am still on a fact finding mission - and if anyone is interested - I can post info here
If there is another (better???) option for something spectacular - do share :)
With the exchange rate I might only make it in 2017!
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Svalbard is on my list for quite a while as well so all infos are highly appreciated. From the finances 2017 might be more realistic than 2016 for me as well...
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Svalbard is attractive, but travelling around is severely limited because there are hardly any roads. Most visiters opt to go around the archepelago by ship. There are cruises as well, but not targetted for photographers. Travel agents might be able to inform of the options.
You are obliged to carry a rifle whenever onshore due to the very real threat of being the victim of a hungry polar bear. People are killed by polar bears almost every year.
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When I searched the net I found a couple of ship cruises targeted for photographers but they were incredibly expensive ... especially if you have to pay the "single penalty" it is way beyond my financial possibilities ....
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I have done a LOT of reading and searching so far - and I am sure there is still plenty more to read. And plenty time needed to save - if
Trips for photographers specifically is available - but as said - hellishly expensive. BUT It would be a trip of a life time
Peculiar that most of the photographer trips I found, are run by South Africa based Tour groups - by photographers themselves
One has to be careful not to join a boat like Akademik Sergey Vavilov (ONE OCEAN) - it appears you join the whole bloody ship and the tour leader (a photographer from SA) books only some spots, (eg 10) and one zodiac is allocated to that group specifically. They kind of give extra attention to the photographers, but not so much that you would notice
Prices range from here to eternity on these trips.
However - there are tours that are photo specific, see attachment for an example of what is on offer. Its just one of the tours so you can see how it works.
so you basically go on a boat trip. Why not book our own boat - no need to pay for the tour group photographers trip and plane ticket?? We have one another !
then there is JOshua Holko - which I think chased bears (POLAR variety) in a big way and I would kill to go with him
http://blog.jholko.com/2015/04/14/polar-bears-of-svalbard-expedition-2016-limited-places-only/
I know 2 people who have done trips in the past year with different operators - and will get full info from them too, and share when available.
ORYX is NOT recommended (thats the one you join the rest of the world on one ship)
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I would love to go there and Joshua Holko's blog doesn't make it any better ... great images there ...
I can not really come up with more information since I don't know anybody who could share his experience with me. The trips I am aware of are more or less like the one you attached to your post.
Don't know about booking a boat on our own ... I guess at least a guide would be needed and I am not sure whether boats suitable for such a trip are easily booked for a small group of people. Have you got any information on that? We certainly don't need other photographers but not sure how to set that up. Great would that be anyway :)
Looking forward to more information and I am seriously interested!
Cheers,
Chris
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Lofoten or other parts of Arctic Norway would be easier to access and much less expensive as well. Lots of people would be happy to assist or guide you.
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are there polar bears? Or only fierce bears?
:)
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No polar bears on mainland Norway. Just a managable number of fierce bears :D
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We need to get you a costume then :)
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While I think the fierce bear might work as a single polar bear - it simply wont do. He is one - I need many polar Bears :)
For me personally - a huge part of the trip is to see the polar bears. Hence Joshua's trip being the ultimate (and totally unaffordable)
The thing about this trip is that is will be a once in a life time experience. For all other trips I wouldn't mind the rest of Norway at all! In fact Lofoten is also on my list to visit at some point.
Polar bears are becoming less easy to see and shoot every year. I need to do that thing. Perhaps I also win the Lotto.
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I have been to Svalbard a few times, but that's many years ago. I visited Barentsburg and Ny Ålesund, but didn't see any polar bears. Only a not-so-exciting reindeer :) . What i remember most is the long walk inside a coal mine, all the way to the bench where they take out the coal. As a claustrophobic, that was a scary experience inside the 150cm height mine.
A trip to Svalbard certainly will be a trip of a lifetime. I think you can attend guided tours on small ships, with maybe 10-12 people on board, and I think the tours are specially designed for photographers. There is no guarantee you will see polar bears, but the guides know where there are greatest chance of seeing them.
If you instead wish to see the Lofoten islands, I'll be happy to show you around! Look at www.lofotenimages.com :)
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Bjørn, The more I look - the more I get worried I wont be seeing Polar Bears either.
I get the feeling, that unless you are lucky - or go with Joshua, they will be far away anyway. And the 800mm is not on the shopping list just yet.
That means I have to settle for the rest of Norway - on the plus side - I will see you guys hopefully.
Your photos are really lovely - I actually came across some of them when I was researching Norway.
I do see they span over seasons - and I will only be there during summer (I assume) so I will miss out on some opportunities.
Unless I find a nice young rich man that can cook - I will have to come home before winter.
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Are you giving up on Polar Bears?
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Chris - I hope not. But at the moment I dont see much light!
I am however planning to speak with 2 friends who did the trip a year ago - but only next week.
I mean - the dream trip is $14250...... I can almost retire on that amount of money (if I only live another year)
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A gathering of Nikongearheads in northern Norway summer 2016 would be fantastic!
I can take care of all the arrangements, and I know the area well and will be your local guide ;D
This is a brilliant idea!
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that really sounds cool. Many of you already in Europe which helps
Can I be the head lady?
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Oh yes ... 14k + flight for the dream trip is a lot and if going alone you probably have to share rooms with an unknown person which has the potential to spoil the whole trip ...
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With Johua - you get your own digs :)
probably why its so expensive!
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Polar bears are "easiest" to meet in the northern and eastern part of Svalbard. When I was up there (a loooong time ago), we saw and met quite a few of them. One particular one came too close and ended its days there and then...
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The first time I was at Svalbard, we saw polar bears in the north (around Liefdefjorden), in the east (Hinlopen, Edge Island, Barents Island and Halfmoonisland) and in the south west (Hornsund and Bellsund). Some of them are at my flicker gallery: https://www.flickr.com/photos/afoton/sets/72157629599971070
I was mostly using focal length from 180 to 300mm.
The second trip was shorter, so we was just seeing one bear in the Liefdefjorden before we headed west for Greenland.
For looking polar bears, one have to travel far away from Longyearbyen. The easiest way is by boat, and that is also the safest way to come near a bear.
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Thanks Asle - did you notice your name is the same as mine ? just spelled backwards ? ;)
Very nice images ! And useful info on the focal length most used. That was a serious concern for me - although no guarantee one could get close enough for those shots.
I also see there are a number of polar bears in Alaska....
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Indeed nice images and useful info that the 300 is long enough!
Elsa, damn ... just when I thought I was out, you pulled me back in.
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Chris.... and Alaska is cheaper..... and almost affordable (if you dont eat the rest of the year)
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who needs food anyway ... but Alaska? hmmm...
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Alaska...
http://www.expeditionsalaska.com/phototours/polar-bear-photo-tour.html
then there are grizzly bears too...
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I asked Joshua about the recommended lenses and this is what he wrote: "In general, a lens around 200-400mm with inbuilt 1.4 TC is sufficient for polar bear photography. 600 and 800mm can also be used but are not as versatile in my experience. I prefer the 200-400 for most use. You don’t need a 600mm or 800mm as well as the 200-400mm. One or the other is sufficient."
Regarding Alaska ... the price point is not much different to Joshua's trip (relatively seen). It is 8.900 + 1.500 (single fee to make it comparable) + more expensive flight (for me) for 6 days versus 14.2k for 9 days. Actually if you consider the cost per day Joshua offers the slightly cheaper one but it will be more or less the same I guess ... or maybe my calculus skills are just too bad early in the morning ...
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A gathering of Nikongearheads in northern Norway summer 2016 would be fantastic!
I can take care of all the arrangements, and I know the area well and will be your local guide ;D
This is a brilliant idea!
This sounds great - I would love to come and it would be my wife and me
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Chris - you are of course correct if you work out the cost /day thing - HOWEVER -
&14k + is not actually do-able for me - whereas $9k+ MIGHT be.
Joshua's trip will be a whole years salary (once you include extras and flights)
remember the Rand exchange rate is very very weak at present. and not looking up.
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Elsa, you are of course right ...
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Last year I circumnavigated Svalbard on the Academik Sergei Vavilov. We travelled beyond 80 deg N and saw the polar ice cap. It was a great trip and later this year we will visit the Antarctic on its sister, the Ioffe. The ship is a Russian scientific research vessel with a very high ice rating, which means it can handle situations that most other ships on this route could not. It also has a sophisticated stabilisation system (designed to facilitate accurate scientific measurements - and perhaps tracking NATO submarines?) which we did not need as the sea was so calm. Generally we were very lucky with the weather.
The ship carries no more than 100 passengers. This was quite a good number, as it meant that it was big enough to handle rough weather (which we did not have) and we could get to know a variety of people. It was not so big that it felt like a city on the sea.
We saw four polar bears, but while there is a good chance of seeing them, you are very unlikely to get close. Even when a bear was on the shore (and especially when it was swimming), our zodiacs kept well away, both for safety and to avoid stressing the bear.
I do not think that it is at all necessary for a competent photographer to go on a specific photography tour for such a trip. The crew and expedition leaders (the latter were from a variety of countries) did their best to give everyone a great experience, depending on their needs. Almost every day we went out in zodiacs twice a day, sometimes staying on the water and sometimes on land. When on land different options were made available, depending on what people wanted to do. I usually went with the slow group, because that gave lots of time for photography. Usually we were on land for two to three hours at a time, and that is really enough.
The voyage had an official photographer, Nikon Ambassador Daisy Gilardini http://www.daisygilardini.com/#/0 and I spent a lot of time with her - it is always interesting to be around an expert. But even if she had not been there (not every voyage has an official photographer) I would still have had far more photo opportunities than I could exploit.
Most of the other expedition leaders had MAs or PhDs in relevant subjects. Some had written books. There were lots of lectures on the Arctic and its history and I went to as many of those as I could. The expedition leaders were very professional and greatly added to the experience.
The company tries to offer sharing arrangements for single travellers, and that can help to keep control over the cost. There were several singles who shared in this way.
We also spent a day and half in Longyearbyen, the capital of Svalbard, and that was as much time as I would want to spend there. We did take the opportunity to go dog sledding (including harnessing the dogs to the wheeled sledges (no snow in Longyearbyen in the summer). It was a lot of fun. I would not recommend basing yourself in Longyearbyen. We met a Danish couple who had done that and it did not sound very appealing.
Here is a link to some of my photos of the trip. http://anthonymac.smugmug.com/Travel/Svalbard-July-2014/
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Wow Anthony - this was the kind of info I wanted.
One of my friends did a trip on the same boat last year - but with a local tour guide (photographer) and his comment was that he might as well have just joined the cruise with everyone else for a cheaper price (which makes sense to me)
The smaller boats take fewer people - that of course appeals to me - the price doesnt.
The part that bothers me most is that you also say you dont really get that close to the Polar bears to get good images. Hence me looking into going to Alaska instead. But nothing is cast in stone. As a matter of interest - lens(es) did you use most of the time?
Your post was really great and informative - thank you. I looked at your images - really a lovely set. The Artic fox (I think) - wow - stunning!
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You never know what will happen, and that is part of the experiencing with this type of adventure. You can have luck and see many bears and come close to some of them or you can have less luck. I was lucky and saw 13 bears at my first trip with a boat with about 70 passengers. We were very close to 2 of them, and got excellent opportunities to photograph at least 3 more of them at little longer distances. Some of them was just a white spot at long distances.
And don't forget that Svalbard is more than polar bears. There are also valross, seals, reindeer, arctic fox, plenty of birds, landscape and the unique polar light.
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Elsa, I started with the 300/4 AFS on the D3s, and later added the T/C 1.4. I was really impressed with this combination - the arctic fox cub close ups were shot with this. I found I could hand hold successfully. The polar bear was with the 300 on its own, and heavily cropped. The 300/4 has slow AF, so BiFs are problematic, but the rendering is lovely I took a tripod but did not use it. On a ship or a zodiac the engine vibrations are an issue as a tripod or monopod can transmit these.
I agree with Asle's comments - Svalbard is more than bears, but bears are of course what we want.
A smaller ship might be challenged if the weather turns bad.
I contacted One Ocean direct to book. They got back to me after a while with a last minute cancellation space, and a discount offer. They asked me to book through http://www.polarcruises.com as their preferred agent to deal with the paperwork. It did feel a bit strange sending rather a lot of money to a bank in Bend, Oregon, but it all worked out fine.
We have booked our Antarctic trip through the same agent. They have given me a returning client discount, and so have One Ocean. Every bit helps. Please feel free to contact me for further information if this would help.
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I am of course quite happy Svalbard is about more than Polar bears - the Arctic fox is another favourite of mine.
But of course one wants to see those bears up close - and come away with good - if not great - photos.
One Ocean's trip is really more affordable than any other's I have seen. But being between 70 - 100 people is not what I had in mind.
Mind you - I also didn't plan on being bankrupted by a trip..... so the jury is still not out and I am still thinking
Just purchasing the right clothes is going to cost a fortune. Remember I live in sunny South Africa. We don't have weather like you do in Norway
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But being between 70 - 100 people is not what I had in mind.
Actually my first trip was arranged by a friend of mine. So all of the 70 was our friends and their friends. My friend was telling me that it was the one trip for the lifetime. But actually it was just a start... My second trip, when we also went to Greenland, was with the same ship, but with only 34 passengers.
If 70-100 was more then you had in mind, and a trip specially adapted for photographers, I can recommend wildphoto.com, but then you will get the same pictures as many of the best naturphotografers in Norway. Their autumn-light-trip use the same ship that I have been on.
With bigger ships and more passengers, the chances to get good photographs of polar bear get poorer. Both because a bigger group can't get as close, and because a smaller ship can go many places where bigger ships can't go. For the really big ships, the chances for good photos of polar bears are near zero.
Yes you need good clothes. Underwear of wool and rain- and windproof outerwear.
As we are still beta-testing, I try to post another polar bear. ( D1X with 180mm/2.8 )
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One important thing to research is the ice classification of the ship. More highly rated ships can go to more interesting places.
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I spoke to another photographer last night who did the Svalbard trip last year with C4 (touring company)
They were a group of 10 people, on a boat dedicated for photography - specifically low (where-ever it is supposed to be low and zodiacs - I think they are low too - for photography. She only raved about the boat and crew - skipper being very cautious and experienced - and never took any chances where safety was concerned.
The boat ride can be rough and most people got sea sick along the way. Not for the faint hearted. One needs to be fit also to hang on at times. The wind can be hectic too.
The time of year is very important - she went in September which was a bit late, so the saw only 5 Polar bears. 2 Walrus - right up close and very smelly - and many other things including great landscapes. She used her 200-400 mostly which worked well. The ride on the zodiac can also be rocky and you need to keep your wits about you and shoot fast. Her friend did the trip the previous year in August and saw many more bears - including babies.
Mostly older people (50 - 76) on the boat - the young ones cant afford such a trip.
And it was cold. very very cold. They all recommended BOG HIGH boots - as you do step into water, and if water flows into your boots - you are done for the day.
This is for sure a trip of a life time - but I am having second thoughts because of the cost involved. Her trip cost $15k for the 10 days - including flights. 2016 will be more expensive - for us in SA due to the weak Rand value. (our currency) I would also have to spend at least $1500 on clothes - and order everything from overseas as we simply dont stock cold weather gear like that here in SA.
Trips on the big ships are not recommended, boat is too high and the trips have a fixed itinerary - whereas the photo tours have no schedule to keep to.
I am waiting for info on the boat she was on. It may be possible to contact the company in Norway direct and book through them - which would make it less expensive already.
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Thanks, interesting update.
The sea sickness issue is potentially a problem with smaller ships. We were lucky - the sea was very calm for our trip. It can be severe. We had one bouncy zodiac trip, and I was not sorry when that ended.
Another issue is the ice class of the ship, which determines how well they can deal with ice in the water, which in turn influences where they can go. In this context it was interesting to read on the C4 website that the ship they use, the Stockholm, does not currently meet the forthcoming International Maritime Organisation standards for polar cruises. http://www.c4images-safaris.co.za/Arctic-Photo-Expedition-Svalbard-15-25-September-2014-@54.html
It is not correct that the larger ships have a fixed itinerary. Nothing is fixed in polar waters and all itineraries are indicative only. Our ship's captain and the expedition leader constantly reviewed conditions and had a variety of options to maximise the experience. In our case, the decision to go round Svalbard rather than return was only taken the day before, based on the up to date assessment of ice conditions.
Our ship provided waterproof parkas, trousers and boots as standard. There were options to hire other gear. You can also consider buying most of your clothing in Longyearbyen (there are several outdoor gear shops) which is likely to be less expensive than SA.
It will probably be less expensive to book direct with the ship or with a northern hemisphere agent. You would then avoid paying the cost of the photographer flying out from SA, and his profit margin. Of course, it is the overall price which counts, and a package booked in SA may make financial sense.
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MS Stockholm is a nice ship. That ship was actually used in a swedish movie from 2012, En fiende att dö för http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1904887/
We met her by Austfonna in 2009. She was the second ship that sailed through Hinlopenstrertet that season, we were thorough an hour before. This picture is taken 27 second before midnight:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/339/18897938508_942ff3b174_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/uMWSJ1)
MS Stockholm (https://flic.kr/p/uMWSJ1) by Asle Feten (https://www.flickr.com/photos/afoton/), on Flickr
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You guys are correct - the M/S Stockholm is the ship my friend was on.
Regarding bigger ships - the captain makes a call on what is best for everybody - not only the photographers. I have no idea how much that will change the whole thing though.
At this point I am scrapping the idea of a trip to Svalbard - just too expensive. C4's new price apparently is $13000. Excluding flights and lots of clothes.
I can do 5 trips for the price of that one trip. So come on guys - where to??
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Come over to Norway. Lots of friends to greet you here.
You lured me to South Africa remember, so time to reciprocate :D
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Bjørn - keep talking. And arrange a place and space with lots of things to shoot - besides landscapes that is :)
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Lots of crazy Norwegians of either sex. Endless forests. coast lines, fjords, mountains, the odd glacier, a few Stave churches to show we were in about the same mental state 1000 years ago, rivers, fisheries, a few cities, flowers, etc. etc. And don't forget SNOW. In summary probably enough to keep you happy for a few days.
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One sex is fine - I dont need either sex :)
We shall have a good discussion about it soon :)
Glaciers and snow....mmm
edit - OOOPS men. not woman ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Svalbard is on my list of travel goals too. My preference would be an expedition on land traveling by snow scooters and sleeping in tents. Among other things one must bring approved weapons as a protection against ice bears.
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here we go again. Just when I think the trip is off the charts - you want to go also and I want to go again.
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here we go again. Just when I think the trip is off the charts - you want to go also and I want to go again.
My guess is that the over land expeditions are a lot cheaper than the naval expeditions, might be worth checking :)
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here we go again. Just when I think the trip is off the charts - you want to go also and I want to go again.
My guess is that the over land expeditions are a lot cheaper than the naval expeditions, might be worth checking :)
Over land expeditions are for the winter. Or by foot, but then you will not come very long. Naval expeditions are for the sumer, and is the way to come around everywhere.
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Snow scooter/snowmobile expeditions are arranged from february to mid May.
Here is one link out of many:
http://www.polar-travel.com/english/more_destinations/svalbard_extreme/00039.htm
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Terns - I am too scared to enquire about the price on the 17 day strip... and I think by day 17 you will have a perfectly preserved 14 day old corpse to photograph.
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Elsa:
They do have shorter trips, like 5 days, too (price about 1600 euro):
http://www.polar-travel.com/english/more_destinations/svalbard_winter_safari/00038.htm
There also exists short two days trips (some $350)
Of course, the 17 days extreme trip is only for those few who already have got some experience with arctic expeditions.
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Bear in mind that daylight hours in winter are limited.
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a 5 day trip sounds more affordable - but it comes with its own set of limitations - winter.
Perhaps if one has a get together somewhere - we can go on a 2 or 5 day trip before or after :)
BUT being on land - how much chance of getting close enough to DA BEARS ??
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Bear in mind that daylight hours in winter are limited.
Not in april and may. There is midnight sun in Longyearbyen (at 78°N) from 20.april.
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when I looked at tours (by ship/boat/water) they all booked around June - august and some as late as September. One friend told me she thought September might be a bit late. She only saw 5 PB
whats the viewing chances in May? I think the state of the ice is crucial for the moving about?
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You are unlikely to get close to a polar bear on a land trip. If you do, then there is a good chance that you or the bear will die.
May is too early - probably too much ice for a ship to get very far. September is a bit late, but possible. Five polar bears is a good result - finding bears is not at all like finding lions in Africa.
This website gives some useful information on timing http://www.spitsbergentravel.com/Start/About-Svalbard/info/faqs/
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thanks for the link -
so we are kind of back to a ship - or not :)
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My second trip was in september. I have to say that the midnight sun is overrated. The darker night of september have so much more interesting light than juli and august where there are no nights. The birds are gone and the plants have died, but the nights of september are fantastic.
For polar bears, yes go for a ship, and yes it will cost.
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In addition to the expedition costs, one may have to purchase or rent some rather long lenses. Even if some ice bears are spotted during the journey, there is no guarantee they will be anywhere near the ship.
On a sidenote, a beta tester of the new Nikon 600mm f/4 FL, Ole Liodden, is a photo guide on some of the Svalbard expeditions,
http://oleliodden.com/ (http://oleliodden.com/)
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Tersn - I am painfully aware that a long lens will be needed... painfully...
Okey - I thought this guy's tours were the cheapest - but not really
I think that the tours are not going to get cheaper - no matter how long I look.
WINTER TOUR - M/S ORIGO -
The question is - is this a good time to go?
18.03-26.03 2016 2 spots
Prices from: USD $6.290
11.04-19.04 2016 8 spots
Prices from: USD $6.290
On another small boat - route is different M/S MALMØ
ICELOVER TRIP
05.07-15.07 2016 8 spots
Prices from: USD $8995
M/S ORIGO - SVALBARD CLASSIC TOUR
04.08-14.08 2016 12 spots
Prices from: USD $9.995
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No one mentioned it [perhaps everybody are aware but do not like the setting]:
If all you want is guaranteed polar bear sightings, going on the tundra boogies [wide angle polar bear shooting...] or another excursion near Fort Churchill in Hudson Bay where polar bears are stranded during summer is probably one of the safer bets. If one like that kind of setting is another matter though. Svalbard has so much else to offer.
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Øivind Tøien, Polar BEars and Walrus would be top of the list for me - but I dont only want to end up with 1- photos of Polar Bears - I would like a variety. Landscapes would be great
But not at those prices.
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A cautionary tale for those considering camping in Svalbard - you can be fined for saving your own life:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/norway/11736382/Tourists-in-Norway-fined-800-after-shooting-polar-bear-that-attacked-them-in-their-tent.html
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oh we have those incidents regularly in South Africa. Usually Great white sharks are to blame when they chomp on someone and everyone and his uncle wants to blow up the sea to kill them all. Well fortunately not everyone and his uncle - but you know what I mean.
And then we have had a few lion attacks - in parks - people being reckless and then the animal has to be put down.
Pity no one thought of putting Zuma and Mugabe out to pasture yet.