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This year, I was planning to have a break from leading our Iceland - Arctic Fox Photography tour, but at short notice I was called up to lead the tour. And so I found myself with the group in Reykjavik, before our onward flight to the town of Ísafjörður. There was a slight issue - a massive winter storm was hitting Iceland's northwest and we were stuck in Reykjavik. After two nights in Iceland's capital, we decided to make the journey north by road. What an adventure we had as we made our way through blizzards and an epic snow-covered landscape. The following morning we made our way across to Hornstrandir Nature Reserve and we finally got to spend a couple of days with the wonderful Arctic foxes. Here is a selection of my favourite shots from this year (including some particularly obliging ptarmigan).   Most foxes in this part of Iceland are blue morph and white individuals are actually a rarity. Therefore, we were absolutely delighted when this white fox made a brief, but close appearance.    Throughout our time in the pristine surrounds of Kviar Lodge, we were blessed a whole range of weather conditions which allowed everybody to build up a wonderful collection of images.    Although a little unexpected, it was a delight to be back in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve. The foxes are always an absolute delight and we couldn't have asked for more from our brief time there. Join me in 2025 as I return once again with Wildlife Worldwide.
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Back in March I was heading overseas once again, leading another photography tour to Iceland for Wildlife Worldwide. We were going to spend 5 days in the remote Horntstrandir Nature Reserve, in Iceland's remote north-west, focussing on the area's population of blue morph Arctic foxes. First, we had a night in Reykjavik, before flying up to the town of Ísafjörður the following morning. The only catch might be if our flight was delayed due to the weather. As we arrived in Ísafjörður, we were met by our host and local guide for the next 5 days. We had a bit of time before our boat across to Kviar Lodge, and so the group were able to grab a cake and a coffee. It wasn't long before we were climbing aboard the vessel that would take us across the fjord and we were then on our way. Upon our arrival at Kviar, we had a strong wind whipping up snow, but we were soon ashore and started to haul our luggage and supplies up to the house. With foxes already showing, it was time to head out with our cameras and embrace the blizzard conditions for some challenging, but incredibly rewarding photography.    Over the next few days we enjoyed some truly exceptional photography opportunities with several different foxes. We were able to build up an impressive portfolio of images with some incredibly varied weather. It was the perfect few days to be out in this area of wilderness, just alone with the foxes and eider ducks.      Just as the first day at Kviar Lodge, there was a strong wind blowing on the last day, picking up snow and creating a very atmospheric scene. Once again it was perfect for photography and an amazing way to end the trip.   With another magical week in Iceland behind us, it was time to head home and reflect on what a beautiful and captivating part of the world this is. I hope these images inspire you to visit this wonderful part of the world - you'll fall in love with the foxes if you do.
It has been another action-packed year for me. With the travel sector back in business, I was busier than ever (making up for lost time) leading tours left, right and centre. With such a busy year, I haven't really had time to focus on my own projects, but I was able to capture a few wonderful moments when out in the field with clients. So with that in mind, I thought I would share my 'Top 5' images from the year of 2022. I should add that these are in chronological order and just a small selection of some of personal favourites. In case you haven't yet realised, I really love taking portraits of wildlife.  1. Blue morph Arctic fox in Iceland  2. Wolverine with a severe injury to it's eye, Finland  3. An Arctic fox leaps up a vertical cliff in Svalbard  4. Grey-breasted mountain toucan posing on a branch in Colombia  5. A leopard in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia I would love to know which is your favourite. The wonderful thing about photography is that it is completely subjective. My decision making behind this selection is probably biased, as my memories of each moment are likely to change my perception of the image itself. Anyway, I do hope you enjoy them.
2023 promises to be another busy year and I will do my utmost to keep this blog up to date. In the mean time, I have two more posts to come from my Colombia tour, another focusing on South Luangwa in Zambia and a final one from Australia. Happy reading! Back in March I led the inaugural tours for Wildlife Worldwide to Hornstrandir Nature reserve in the remote north-west of Iceland. Staying at the delightful Kviar Lodge, our sole focus here was the blue morph Arctic fox on our Arctic Fox Photography tour. Coming face-to-face with an Arctic fox has long been on my wishlist, particularly after seeing them in the wilds of Svalbard many years ago. The lodge is situated on an uninhabited peninsular, over 40 km from the nearest settlement and only accessible by boat. Our voyage from Ísafjörður was not the smoothest, but on arrival a fox was running along the high snow bank above to greet us. It doesn’t really get any better for a wildlife photographer. I led back-to-back trips in this spectacular landscape and enjoyed some of the very best photography opportunities I have enjoyed for many years. My clients were spoiled with all sorts of weather conditions and countless moments to capture some breathtaking imagery. Here is just a taster of what we enjoyed …   As you can see, the first day was pretty wild with incredibly strong winds and a few snow storms. Although the photography was challenging, it was also particularly rewarding.   The weather was very changeable, as you would expect in Iceland during March, but that enabled us to photograph the different foxes in a host of different conditions. The photography was exceptional. I was able to use my phone to capture some wonderful images, that's how obliging they were ...    We were also treated to a marvellous display of Aurora borealis and all my first group were able to capture some stunning imagery.  But of course the primary focus was the Arctic foxes. Here is a selection of images from the second of the two departures - we really were incredibly lucky with the weather and the cooperative wildlife.         I hope the photos above have whetted your appetite - if you would like to join me in Iceland to photograph these charming foxes, there is still space remaining in March 2023. You can register your interest here.
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