‘HEART OF WINTER’ - GREENLAND WINTER PHOTO WORKSHOP

Day 1 Meeting in Uummannaq

We will meet in Ilulissat airport around noon and board a flight to Qaarsut, from where we will board a helicopter which will fly us above the spectacular Uummannaq Fjord, to the small town of Uummannaq. After being picked up from the heliport and dropped off in our guesthouse, we'll settle in our rooms and head down to the restaurant downstairs. We will have a meet-and-greet over dinner and discuss the trip ahead. If conditions are favorable we will head to the sea ice and shoot sunset or Northern Lights above the icebergs embedded in the frozen Uummannaq fjord.

 

Days 2-4 Shooting in Uummannaq

Uummannaq is one of Greenland's most spectacular locations. The iconic, 1170 meter Mount Uummannaq dominates the landscape with its heart-shaped peaks, and supplies the perfect backdrop for many subjects.

From our perfectly-located guesthouse right above the port, we will go by foot onto the sea-ice, where many gigantic icebergs are embedded, allowing us to venture relatively close and to get unique images. During our 3-day stay we will try to maximize the photographic potential of the icebergs, shooting them by sunrise, sunset and moonlight and in various conditions.

 

I highly recommend bringing a drone, which can be legally used sufficiently far from town, to capture fascinating perspectives of the icebergs and mountains.

 

With Uummannaq's unstable weather, we might get to experience a bone-chilling Arctic gale or snow-storm, which might make shooting a bit more challenging, but also make for unbelievable conditions and allow the creation of spectacular winter shots. The landscapes, town, people and sled dogs all look so much more interesting when snow is blowing over!

 

There are many other things to shoot in Uummannaq Fjord. On the top of my personal list is lake Tasersuaq, at the foot of mount Uummannaq. The lake is frozen solid at this time of year, and the ice is highly transparent, allowing us to see deep into the lake, shoot cracks, bubbles and curious patterns, all with the majestic mountain lit by sunset light and reflecting in the ice. We will scout the lake thoroughly to find the best cracks and patterns, and shoot them by sunset and by moonlight.

 

Uummannaq is a wonderful place to shoot the Northern Lights. There is a huge variety of natural foregrounds right outside the port. If conditions are favorable, we'll head out by foot or snowmobile to shoot the Aurora Borealis above the beautiful icebergs embedded in the sea ice.

 

Day 5 Uummannaq to Ilulissat

After a sunrise shoot on day 4, we'll take a helicopter flight out of Uummannaq and head to Ilulissat, where we will settle in our contrally-located, cozy hotel and begin the second part of our journey. 

Day 5-6 Shooting in the Disko Bay Area

Ilulissat is a large town on the edge of Disko Bay, where the gigantic Sermeq Kujaleq (Ilulissat Glacier), the largest glacier in the northern hemisphere and one of the world's fastest-moving glaciers, dumps immense icebergs into the fjord, which later disperse into the bay. It's a magnificent location in any season, but in winter it is at its best.

 

Ilulissat is a great place to shoot dog sledding, which can be arranged (although not included in the workshop's price since some pople may wish to refrain from it) on the morning of day 6.

 

Another highlight will be a 3-4 hour boatsail to shoot the incredible icebergs floating around the bay. In winter, the water is usually coated with a layer of slush, which makes for a uniques experience by itself, but we'll brave the ice and use a spacious local fishing boat to get as close as possible to these fantastic giants. I highly recommend using a drone to shoot these icebergs from the air, which result in unique, captivating imagery.

In the afternoon of day 6, we will board the last domestic flight, this time to Kangerlussuaq, a small town further inland, boadering a gigantic fjord.

Day 6-8 Kangerlussuaq Wildlife

Kangerlussuaq has many natural treasures around it, but the most prized is the one we will spend 2 full days shooting: the majestic, furry and incredibly beautiful muskox.

We will have 2 sessions, 6-7 hours each, shooting the muskoxen. To get to them, we will drive in an all-terrain Unimog to traverse the ragged landscape and get as close as possible to the muskoxen and shoot them from land and by drone.

 

After the shoot on day 8, we will have dinner and board an evening flight to Copenhagen airport, from where you will continue to your home country.