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Two Lands of the Midnight SunTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
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Follow me as I visit two Arctic locations where the sun never sets to photograph the summertime landscapes of the far north. During my first week I meet up with other photographers in Greenland, then it is back to Iceland to explore the south coast. Read more
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  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Day 2

    Arriving in Illulisatt

    June 21, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    The next time we saw the ground is as we were on final approach to Illulisatt airport, which is tiny and the reason only small aircraft can fly there. We were pleased to see icebergs as we descended, given that's one of the reasons we came here, to photograph them.

    The final two photos show the view from my room after I had checked in at the hotel. I can't complain for sure and it got better too. The hotel was lovely in fact and not what you'd expect in a small town in western Greenland.    Read more

  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Day 2

    An Evening Walk

    June 21, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    Having discovered our rooms and sorted ourselves out we then went out with our cameras. Our first stop was for something to eat and drink then we walked to the southern end of the town, down to a wooden stairway. This took us up onto the granite rocks where we could then walk along the coast, following yellow markers.

    It was only now that we could all appreciate the scale of things. Yes, there were normal sized icebergs, if you know what I mean, but there were impressively masssive ones too and as I looked southwards they were so big they looked like mountains to my eyes. Clearly they weren't as big as that in reality, but they were huge and did look exactly like a mountain range.

    When we first arrived at a suitable location to stop and take photos, pretty much everyone wondered how on earth you could photograph what lay before us and do it justice. This was going to be hard.    Read more

  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Day 3

    A Long Day

    June 22, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    When you are out taking photos time seems to disappear and all of a sudden it was getting late. The group didn't stay in the same place all evening and at one point we split up to explore. We walked to another location but a few went much further on to get higher and see more of the coast, but I decided not too. Mist occasionally drifted through obscuring the view, so I decided to stay lower.

    On the way back the light improved and perhaps my best photo was taken as we were walking back into the town. It was getting late now and we were all getting very tired: I was definitely glad to get back and sleep and I know I'm not the only one who felt that way.

    Somehow, I think you are going to see a lot of icebergs for a while. 😄    Read more

  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Day 3

    The First Boat Trip

    June 22, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    During the week there were four boat trips scheduled to allow us to get up close and personal with the icebergs. There were two days allocated for these 4hr excursions and each had a daytime sailing then an evening departure at 9pm.

    Our boat was called Lisa, as you can see, and our first trip left at 11am. It's not a big boat but it is ideal for twelve photographers and its small upper deck was ideal for those wanting to fly drones. I was surprised that not only Nigel and Jeroen (our workshop leaders) had them, but also four of the group, so potentilly up to six drones could be in the air. In reality this never happened because flights were coordinated and the most that were in the air at once was actually four.

    Lisa headed out of the harbour and turned south towards the area we had photographed from land last night, but now we were quite a way from there and trying to make sense of what we were seeing. Yes, I know we were surrounded by icebergs, of every size imaginable, but how to you make photographs from what appears to be a jumbled mess?

    As Lisa motored deeper into the iceflow the bergs became bigger and we started to find order in the disarray around us. It was definitely hard as compositions would appear and disappear in seconds as the boat moved slowly through the drifting ice. I took loads of photos but it was rather overwhelming if I'm honest. More practice was definitely needed.    Read more

  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Day 3

    An Unexpected Event

    June 22, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    We had all settled into things after a while and I definitely started to see images worth taking. I'm sure loads weren't of course, but I'm confident some were worth it ... hopefully, with luck! 😄

    You can see from the photos here that even these phone images have a more considered look to them, but what's with the first photo, which appears similar to the last one in this footprint?

    This iceberg is very special because not long after I took these two photographs, with my phone and my camera, something totally unexpected happened.

    Look carefully at the right hand edge of the iceberg, it looks like a face maybe. Look at the side and you see some cracks which most icebergs have. Nothing special then?

    At first there was a loud crack then the face of the iceberg fell away to the sound of crashing ice. We all tried to photograph it - we had our cameras to hand of course - and luckily some were able to video the event. There were even two drones in the air. It was spectacular and we felt so lucky to have seen it so close. Then the mood changed.

    That tumbling ice caused tidal waves which were now racing towards us. The first wave wasn't too bad, but then the second very large and dark wave appeared which, in all honesty, was extremely scary. A few of the group felt our time was up.

    It was quite scary but I could see our skipper turning the boat so it would ride the wave, and it did. My video at the end of this footprint records things just after the waves passed through and you can hear the relief in the comments, so make sure the sound is on.

    I can only add one video to a footprint so in the next footprint you can see a video showing the waves pass through.    Read more

  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    2
    Day 3

    Ice Calving and Tidal Waves

    June 22, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    Not having the original video, I've screen recorded this from Nigel Danson's Instagram story. Make sure the sound is on and you play it from the beginning.

    You don't see it in the video here, but the drones saw ice debris landing around our boat. Fortunately nothing landed on us.

    I think he's correct, this is a very memorable event from the trip to Greenland. Unique and scary all in one. Totally amazing. Loved it.    Read more

  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    3
    Day 4

    Night Time Boat Trip

    June 23, 2023 ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    The evening excursion on Lisa, our faithful boat that kept us safe, was at 10pm until 1am and though in Britain that is at night, you can see that it is still very much day time here.

    The aim was the same as before, though we headed north out of the harbour this time. In this direction the icebergs were less densly packed, but it was thought that by going this way there may be more chance of seeing a whale.

    The evening light was lovely, being extremely yellow/gold. This might be due to the contrast between the iceberg white and the deep blue of the sea.

    As you can see, the nature of the photos here is different than this morning and although it had been cluttered, I felt that the morning cruise provided more of a photographic opportunity. I still got some photos however, but we didn't get to see a whale. 😓

    Overall then, an enjoyable time with no scary moments. 😂    Read more

  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Day 4

    Morning Board Walk

    June 23, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    We were late to bed, perhaps 2.30am or so and sleep was welcome I must say.

    Breakfast was at 9.30am and afterwards we grabbed our camera gear and took taxis across town to this board walk that takes you over rocky and boggy ground to the coast. This was much further around the southern headland than our first walk with an excellent view across the Icefjord. If you follow the fjord to the left you arrive at one of the tongues from the massive ice sheet that covers much of Greenland. This is where all these icebergs originated but that is quite a way from here though.

    Once we arrived on the rocks at the end of the board walk there was time to pick out compositions, whilst those with drones flew them to see what they could find. Still no whales though.

    The weather was very pleasant and the views stunning and I found it an excellent opportunity to relax and simply appreciate where I was. Unbelievable really.    Read more

  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Day 4

    Trip to Oqaatsut

    June 23, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    After our morning walk, we took fast boats to visit Oqaatsut, a small settlement north of Illulisatt. There are no roads so the only way to reach the village us by boat, though you can walk along a trail which is eight miles, I think.

    On the way there one of drivers (is that the right word?) thought they saw a whale so we spent some time searching for it. Everyone was eager to see one but after quite a while the two boats headed for the village, having failed to spot it.

    There are about forty people living here and how on earth they manage I will never know. There's nothing here and in the winter the sea freezes so I'm not sure how boats get here. I'm also not sure if walking is an option given temperatures can be -30c. Or maybe they are just used to it.

    There is a small infant/primary school here but when the children are older they go to school in Illulisatt. Fishing provides the main income.

    I enjoyed visiting but it did feel a little strange to be honest. As you can see, there are no defined gardens so I had no idea if I was intruding. The locals pretty much ignored us so I wonder what they must make of all this, when strangers arrive by boat, wander around taking photos then leave. There is a guest house on the hill where you can get a coffee but we didn't use it.

    I didn't go too close to any of the houses and didn't take all that many photos either, because it felt wrong somehow. I ended up finding a comfortable rock and looked out to sea and although I didn't see it, some of the group say they saw a whale in the distance. I think they did, or maybe it was just wishful thinking.    Read more

  • TravelerTwo Lands of the Midnight Sun
    Day 4

    The Incongruous Meal

    June 23, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    We knew that a meal was included in our trip to Oqaatsut and I assumed it would be at the guest house, but it wasn't. It was actually in the building nearest to where the boats were moored. It was a restaurant called 'H8' - it had a huge yellow 'H8' painted on the roof.

    During the war the American forces dropped supplies to various locations in the area and so the pilots could tell one from another, they were numbered. This location was H8 and the next one along H9 and so on, but now the building with the number is an exceedingly posh restaurant run by a Danish company. The prices on the board are in Danish, not the local currency, though as one would pay by card I guess it doesn't matter.

    This was Michelin Star level gormet food. The meal was excellent, all included with our excursion and only the drinks to pay for, being a set meal with reindeer for the main course. Each course was presented and explained to us before we ate.

    It was amazing to be pampered like this in a location such as this and definitely a great experience, but just outside there were forty people living like they do. I couldn't help thinking about that as we left to return to Illulisatt.    Read more

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