Agenda

8 days of guided photoshoots and reviews
September 13 - 20, 2017
NOTE: Itinerary might change based on weather condition

Day 0 (September 12): Arrival on your own in Reykjavik
There are many hotels in Reykjavik. We do suggest searching www.kayak.com for a hotel class that fits your needs. Overnight in hotel (Reykjavik).

Day 1 (September 13): Flight to Greenland, Ittoqqortoormiit village
Flight to Constable Point airport (Eastern Greenland).
Board the sailboat (Schooner Opal) and get safety briefing
Sail to the town of Ittoqqortoormiit (450 inhabitants), founded in 1925 by people from Ammassalik island. It is the most northerly settlement on the east coast of Greenland.
The 450 inhabitants make their living mostly by subsistence hunting of seals, Narwhale, Muskoxen and Polar Bear. The quaint little houses dot the rocky slopes of south Liverpool Land with magnificent views of Kap Brewster and the Volquart Boons Coast to the south.

Overnight Schooner Opal


Day 2: Sailing West through Scoresby Sound
Greenland is going thru drastic changes with the overall climate change. We’ll experience first hand what it means, by looking at impressive icebergs.
We’ll sail west between whole palaces of icebergs that gently drift under the influence of the currents in the Arctic waters in the mighty fjord of Scoresby Sound, after calving from the parent glaciers originating in the Inland Ice.
Anchor at Hekla Havn, on Denmark Ø, the site of an old Inuit settlement and wintering camp of the first scientific expedition to Scoresby Sound over a hundred years ago.
A short evening walk exploring Hekla Havn, and the surrounding area.

Day 3: Føhnfjord and Harefjord
Sail west through the narrow Føhnfjord with the majestic basalt mountains of Gåseland on the port side and 2000 meters high sheer granite cliffs of Milne Land on the Starboard side. After being up close to the peculiar looking Red Island and even landfall at the red sandstone shore the tour continues to the north through Rødefjord, which is often filled with both larger icebergs and ice crust from icebergs that are breaking up. We will arrive in Harefjord in the late afternoon where anchors are set for two nights.

Day 4: Harefjord
The whole day is spent ashore in Harefjord scouting for muskoxen, snow hares, grouse, geese and other wildlife, which normally graze on the south facing slopes.
Walk the top of a ridge with a breath taking view over Harefjord where the glacier tongues descend into the sea.
In the evening the crew will make a bonfire and prepare BBQ at the rocky beach.

Day 5: Øfjord
Today our focus points will be on grand mountain peaks and summits while sailing through Øfjord. Granit walls of 200 meters rising from sea will be in front of our eyes and cameras, a true feast for the eyes. The land surrounding the fjord is mostly mountainous with steeply rising edges. We will end our day setting anchors in Jyttes Havn at Bjørneøe that is known to be very barren with endless rocks plains and lakes. The coast at Bjørneøe is quite spectacular with high almost vertical cliffs and caves offering very picturesque sceneries.

Day 6: Bear Islands
The day is spent in and around Jytteshavn in Bear Islands as this is possibly one of the nicest and most picturesque anchorages in Scoresby Sound.
Jytteshavn is the place to try your skills at sea swimming at 71°N!
The island was declared a nature reserve few years ago and is protected. Landscape wise the island is unique with gentle slopes reaching higher altitudes from north to south. Sea stacks and steep coastal cliffs on the island are home to some of the largest seabirds colonies of the North-Atlantic, in other words great spot for landscape and wildlife photography. The polar bear who gave the island its name pays only occasional visits to the island when it´s surrounded by drift ice during the winter so we don’t have to worry bumping into one when wandering around. We will end this beautiful day by dining on the beach in nature’s finery.

Day 7: Milne Land
Sailing the channel between the Bear Islands and Milne land with a breathtaking view of the spectacular archipelago. As we sail into the last evening and night of the trip it is likely that we‘ll be experiencing sights of the largest and the most fascinating icebergs of the journey. This provides a fantastic opportunity for photographs of the majestic and impressive icebergs that are often found in this particular area. When we wake up the next morning we are anchored at the airstrip in Constable Point.

Day 8 (September 20): Constable Point, Keflavik International Airport Today we will relax and enjoy our last moments in Greenland having a good breakfast with the group while sharing the experience of our journey. After breakfast we leave the schooner and connect with a flight back to Reykjavik Iceland.

Conclusion of the workshop at Keflavik International Airport.

What to Bring

Upon signing up for the workshop, you’ll receive a detailed coursebook describing what to bring, recommended camera gears, booking your flight, extra activities pre or post workshop.

Clothing: (temperature ranges from 32 – 70F)
- Comfortable and warm layered clothes (neutral color recommended)
- Weather proof cloth (rain and wind)
- Sturdy shoes (hiking)
- Hat, sunglasses, and sun screen
- Knee pads for low angle shooting


Camera Equipment:
- Camera with extra batteries and memory cards
- Lens for wildlife: 200 – 400mm+
- Lens for grand landscape: 10 – 300mm
- Lens for villages: 35 - 200mm
- Lens for grand details: 100 - 200mm
- Tripod


Other Equipment (Optional):
- Small notepad (notes, observations, …)


Photography Review Equipment (Recommended):
- Laptop (with power cord), memory card downloader
- Post processing software (Lightroom, Photoshop, plug-ins)
- External hard drives (backup)

Logistics

This workshop includes

Included:
- Roundtrip Flight from Reykjavik to Constable Point (Greenland)
- Accommodation in made up bunk/beds with shared facilities (Schooner Opal)
- All meals on board the schooner
- All excursions (on sea and on land)
- Daily reviews (including tips on post processing, file management, idea to build portfolio)


Not Included
- Airfare to and from Iceland (KEF Airport)
- Excess baggage charges
- Personal expenses, alcoholic beverages
- Travel Insurance (recommended)
- Tips to local staff


Travel Recommendations:
- Plan on arriving in Reykjavik no later than September 12 (any time). Your return flight can be booked after 4PM on September 20.
- We can assist with booking extra nights in Reykjavik (pre workshop) and airport transportation.


About the Schooner Opal


Built at the Bodenwerft in Damgarten, Germany in 1951, she served as a trawler in the Baltic- and North Sea and in the Barents Sea. In 1973 new owners started her restoration. During 8 years until 1981, Opal was converted to the elegant but seaworthy, two masted schooner she is today. She has sailed all over the world, completing several trans-Atlantic crossings, being carefully maintained through the years. She has undergone restoration and had interior work done to better fit her for the new purpose as an expedition ship.
The Opal has six double/twin cabins plus crew facilities. She has three bathrooms, two showers. She comfortably fits 12 passengers, plus her crew.

Trip Cancellation & Travel Insurance Suggestions:

Here are a few recommendations but please browse around as services and prices vary.

- Travelex Travel Select http://www.travelexinsurance.com (800) 228-9792
- Travel Guard http://www.travelguard.com/ or Travel Insurance Services http://www.travelinsure.com.
- Travel Insurance Services (Walnut Creek, CA) http://www.travelinsure.com/cobrand/select/photoex (800) 937-1387
- Atlas International Insurance (HCC Medical Insurance Services) http://www.visitorsmedical.com/atlasinternational.html
- TEN (Travelers Emergency Network) Emergency Evacuation Coverage https://www.sevencorners.com/insurance/HW7C6YH
- Medjet Assist 1-800-527-7478 https://medjetassist.com