South of France and Camargue
May 15 – 24, 2024
1 Spot Left
Puffins, Gannets, and Dramatic Arctic Landscapes
July 5 – 10, 2024
Finnmark and Hornøya are situated above the Arctic circle at the northernmost part of Norway and continental Europe. The Norwegian coastline sweeps eastward here and is indented by rugged fjords. Finnmark is Norway’s largest and most sparsely populated county. Nature—especially birdlife—abounds here. We will explore and shoot the coast from Hornøya and Vardø all the way up to the old fishing village of Hamningberg.
Our workshop will be based in the seaside town of Vardø, an ideal jumping-off point to this land of the midnight sun. We’ll explore by comfortable private vehicle to some of our destinations and take small boats to others. Our goal will be to photograph various arctic birds (puffins, guillemots, terns, skuas, gannets, eagles, and many others), unique landscapes, and local color. This is a very remote area—while it is known only to Norwegian and a few European photographers, it is definitely on the top of their lists! We know where the wildlife is and where to put our sticks in the ground for amazing photographs!
Expect to learn and fine-tune your wildlife photography skills, with plenty of time to get birds-in-flight and many other types of birdlife photos. Oh, and with the midnight sun, expect to photograph at all hours of the day and “night”! This workshop is designed as an extension of our Svalbard Expedition.
Your Pros
Bjarne Riesto
Location
Norway
Tuition
$4,495
Dates
July 5 – 10, 2024
Availability
Sold Out
Limited to 6 Guests
Itinerary
About the wildlife: This workshop offers significant opportunities for photographing wildlife, and while we do our best to maximize our wildlife encounters—based on past experiences, local knowledge, and the current conditions—we need to impress upon you that the wildlife really is wild and that we don’t control it.
This itinerary is subject to change due to weather, local conditions, and other factors.
July 5, 2024: Today we travel from Longyearbyen to Vardø, by commercial air. We will advise you about specific flights that you should book. On arrival, we’ll begin photographing right away, as the sun never really sets!
July 6–9, 2024: While our exact itinerary will be weather dependent, we plan on two visits to the island of Hornøya to photograph the puffins, razorbills, guillemots, and kittiwakes nesting there. We’ll also take a boat ride out to the island of Syltefjordstauran to photograph Northern gannets, kittiwakes, and white-tailed eagles. In between, we’ll stay busy shooting seaside landscapes in this beautiful part of Norway and conducting our signature image reviews and post-processing sessions.
July 9, 2024: Late in the day, we will depart Vardø for the one-hour drive back to Vadsø and our flights to Oslo. We have rooms for you booked at the airport hotel in Oslo.
July 10, 2024: Workshop concludes. Breakfast on your own at the hotel and flights home or elsewhere from Oslo anytime this day.
Fitness
Moderate: Bird cliff trails with sometimes steep, rocky, and uneven ground. Must be fit.
Flights
Arrive Kirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen (KKN), Kirkenes, Norway before 8:00 PM on July 5, 2024. Flights out can be made after 11:15 AM on July 9, 2024. Air travel delays are common. Please arrive early, possibly even the day prior, so you don’t miss any of the workshop.
What to Bring
Please see our page How To Prepare For Your Workshop. We will send you a detailed information document 90 days before your workshop. This document will include specifics of where and when to meet, gear and clothing recommendations, and more.
What’s Included
- Double occupancy lodging. Single available for $525 supplement.
- All meals, soft drinks, and snacks during the workshop.
- All permits and park fees.
- All transportation during the workshop.
- Photographic guiding and instruction from 2 pros.
- Image reviews and post-processing instruction.
- Adventure, fun, inspiration, and a great time!
Not Included
- Travel to and from Kirkenes, Norway.
- Unscheduled airport transfers.
- Passport and visa fees (if applicable).
- Any meals or accommodations before or after the workshop dates.
- Items of a personal nature.
- Alcoholic Beverages.
- Medical Evacuation Insurance (required).
- Travel Medical and Trip Cancellation Insurance (optional, but recommended).
- Anything else specifically not listed as included.
- Single rooming available for $525 supplement.
Payment Terms
- Your deposit of $2,495 will hold your space in this workshop.
- The balance is due not later than March 1, 2024.
- All of our standard Terms and Conditions apply.
- Need special payment arrangements? No problem, just ask us.
Testimonials
“I thoroughly enjoyed learning so much about the birdlife and photographing so many birds. I have waited for years to see the puffins! Being able to observe the puffins in their environment and to photograph them was magical for me. Once again, I learned a lot from Muench Workshops, the pros were never far away and there to answer my questions and help me with composition. ”
