OP – The Blog

Posts Tagged ‘arctic’

November 1st, 2011

Heading South…and North

Posted By Kevin Schafer
Chinstrap Penguins on Iceberg, Antarctica
There are places in the world that are so unique, and so visually stunning, that both as a photographer and a lover of wilderness I find them irresistible. First among these has to be Antarctica, simply one of the most spectacular corners of the planet. The wildlife is fabulous, which sort of goes without saying,  
August 26th, 2011

Arctic Documentary Project – Svalbard, Norway Final Post #5

Posted By Daniel J. Cox
August 10, Danskøya Island 37F This morning is cold. Most definitely the coolest we’ve experienced. Danskøya Island is on the northwest part of the archipelago and is on the edge of better polar bear habitat. The ice is nearly 80 miles offshore, so any bears that are stranded on the Islands of Svalbard migrate towards the  
August 11th, 2011

Arctic Documentary Project – Svalbard, Norway Post #4: Second Trip

Posted By Daniel J. Cox
August 8, 2011, Cloudy and 43F Tanya and I spent the past three days in Lonyearbyen in a small, very European, apartment, catching up on business matters, writing and a little rest before our next group of guests arrived. The first trip went really well, but every adventure to the field is new,  
August 5th, 2011

Arctic Documentary Project – Svalbard, Norway Post #3: Whales, Walrus Bears and Seals

Posted By Daniel J. Cox
A curious young male walrus spy hops to get a better view of our photo group. Nikon D7000, 200-400mm lens.
July 27 – Clear skies, Temp Around 45F Sailing into the midnight sun, Svalbard, Norway. Nikon D7000 The weather continues bright and sunny. For two days now we’ve had skies with virtually no clouds. Some wind yesterday afternoon but amazingly if it weren’t for the desolate landscape, void of vegetation, and cool  
July 25th, 2011

Svalbard, Norway Post #2: Polar Bear Sighting

Posted By Daniel J. Cox
July 23, 2012 Two years ago on my first trip to Svalbard we found a dead whale, floating in the waters of Holmiabukta. It was partially beached, the underside of its large, bloated carcass coming aground on the bottom of the fjord, 50 feet or more from the gray, rocky shoreline recently  
July 21st, 2011

Svalbard, Norway Post #1: Montana to Fidembukta Harbor

Posted By Daniel J. Cox
July 20, 2011 Our trip from Montana was uneventful – though flying anymore I find literally painful. When Tanya and I travel overseas we always plan to arrive at least a day early, ideally two or even three. Acclimating to a new time zone slowly can make all the difference on  
May 3rd, 2011

Polar Bear Photography Tour

Posted By Jon Cornforth
This fall, renowned wildlife photographer Steve Kazlowski and I will be leading a polar bear photography tour in Arctic Alaska. Steve has been successfully photographing polar bears in this location for the past 13 years. His images have been published by Time and National Geographic and he is the author of The Last Polar  
March 10th, 2011

Big Night Coming…?

Posted By Kevin Schafer
Aurora Borealis, X-Class Solar Flare, 2003
A major “X-class” solar flare exploded on the surface of the sun yesterday, an event which typically results in active and widespread Auroras here on Earth over the next 24-72 hours.  These things are always unpredictable, but weather permitting, the lights should be visible throughout Alaska and possibly as far south as the Canadian border  
March 8th, 2011

Midday Madness

Posted By Kevin Schafer
Grasses in Lake Ice, Northwest Territories
During our recent Aurora trip, we obviously had long hours of daylight when the aurora was invisible. It was usually a good time to get some much-needed sleep after a long night under the sky, but it also offered some great hiking and snowshoeing opportunities. And since the middle of the day is rarely the  
March 4th, 2011

Quite a Week

Posted By Kevin Schafer
Celestial Dance
Last night was our final one at Blachford Lake, and it didn’t disappoint. After a slow beginning at 7:30 pm, the lights really got going 3 hours later with a dramatic burst of activity that had everyone outside and gaping skyward.  I tried getting some broader landscapes like this one to balance the many detail