"The Arctic Fox is Nature's Greatest Feat of Engineering."
Joshua Holko
About this Expedition: This is a unique and specialised opportunity to photograph wild Arctic Foxes in the remote north-west of Iceland during winter. This exclusive expedition is open to just five photographers who will travel to the remote Arctic peninsula in the Hornstrandir Nature reserve to photograph what is perhaps Nature’s greatest survivor - The Arctic Fox.
Arctic Foxes are unfortunately hunted and shot across most of Iceland making them extremely shy and difficult to find (and even more difficult to photograph). In the remote north-west however the Arctic Foxes are protected inside the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve and can be more easily approached and photographed.
Accomodation: We will be staying in a small remote cabin that is rustic, but functional and clean. During our stay in the cabin we will have a dedicated staff member to clean and prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner for us (all included). However, this expedition is all about photography and we will be putting in long hours in the field in order to ensure we give ourselves the best possible opportunities to photograph the Arctic Fox. We may take food and drink with us into the field to ensure we are in position and ready to photograph when the foxes are active. We will have up to 10 hours of good light during the day with which to photograph the Arctic foxes. With luck, we may also see and photograph the spectacular Northern lights.
The cabin we will be using for the duration of the expedition is privately owned. Facilities include shared bathroom, toilet and shower as well as a kitchen with hot and cold water, a communal eating area and lounge. There is even an outdoor sauna available for use. Bedrooms are a bunk bed arrangement. The cabin is heated with both a hydronic heating system and a log fire.
PHOTOGRAPHY ON THIS EXPEDITION
Arctic Foxes are predominantly territorial animals that roam and patrol vast areas of the Arctic. The Arctic Foxes of Iceland are particularly tough and hardy. They have to deal with constant freezing and thawing conditions throughout the winter months in areas where this is little or no food available. Arctic Foxes are by their nature inherently very curious animals and will approach quite close if we are patient.
The number of Arctic Foxes we expect to see and photograph in the area of the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve where we will be staying will likely vary between one and two pairs (two to four individual foxes) of both white and blue morph varieties. As the foxes are territorial they will visit us repeatedly on a daily basis (often several times per day) which provides us with multiple opportunities to photograph them.
In addition to the Arctic Foxes there is also bird life along the coastline including Iceland Gulls, Eider Ducks, Ravens and Ptarmigan in winter plumage.
Joshua Holko has been leading photographic expeditions to the Arctic for over a decade. He is intimately familiar with this territory and the seasonal nuances experienced at this time of the year.
Credits:
All photographs by Joshua Holko