Newfoundland Photography Tour for lighthouses and icebergs

We will begin our time together as we live the life of a lighthouse keeper overlooking “Iceberg Alley”.

 

Here we will hear the Killer Whales’ call echoing off massive icebergs in our own private cove and hopefully awaken to the sounds of the Humpbacks calling you across vast stretches of the North Atlantic. From this location we will explore the rugged landscape made famous in “The Shipping News”, the Pulitzer prize-winning novel and Kevin Spacey movie.

 

Dates of Workshop: Workshop #1 - June 9 to June 18, 2016 (Sold Out) and Workshop #2 - June 19 to June 28th, 2016

Price of Workshop:  $4885CDN

Photographic Leader(s):  Kevin Pepper and Len Silvester

Maximum Number of attendees: 7

Deposit to secure space in workshop:  $750CDN

What is Included: 10 day workshop with 9 nights’ accommodation (including 3 at Quirpon Lighthouse Inn and 2 at Cape Anguille Lighthouse Inn). 5 breakfasts, daily snacks, juice and water, 5 dinners. Western Brook Pond boat tour. All park and site passes. Transportation.

What is not included: anything not mentioned as included, alcohol, International airfare, items of personal nature, travel insurance.

Arrival should be early afternoon on June 21st and departure times after 2pm on June 30th from Deer Lake Airport in Newfoundland.

Imagine the feel the salt spray in your face as you journey out to remote Quirpon Island amidst the dolphins and whales. As you land in the cove, imagine you are returning home to the sod huts, thousands of years old, which lay undisturbed here. Forge a link with ancient humans as you stand in the remains of their huts overlooking the cove and picture the tiny beach coming to like as it was eons ago.

 

This is your home for three days. It lies atop the cliffs at the northern tip of this deserted island. The contrast of the rugged beauty of the island and the cozy luxury of Quirpon Lighthouse Inn will bring back your childhood feelings of laying by the fire as a storm raged outside. Imperceptibly your priorities in life will shift as you become part of the primal connection between humans and the remote reaches of the sea.

You are now in the best spot on earth to visit with whales and icebergs. At dawn, be certain and capture them through your lens while you introduce yourself to your only neighbors – the whales migrating past your doorstep. An abandoned fishing village near the lighthouse will just be one of many hiking destinations at Quirpon. Learn of the tragic but romantic mass murder and suicide that inevitably lead to its demise.

View the “vast cathedrals of ice”. On sunny days they appear lit from inside. On dull days other senses take over as they seem to grow in size. Their chilling effect spreads to your mind and you feel a timeless empathy for sailors who have dreaded these giants for a millennium.

Europeans first arrived in North America 500 years before Columbus. These Vikings settled in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of L’anse aux Meadows. As you visit, one question will fill your mind- Why here? Be sure to ask resident Vikings who work here today. Join them in their huts and sample cuisine from ten centuries ago.

From here we head south along the Viking Trail. If you think the shoreline to this point has been spectacular, wait until your boat tour of Western Brook Pond in Gros Morne. This landlocked fjord was left as a slash in the cliffs when the last ice age ended. 2000 vertical faces slowly come together as your journey on the purest lake in the world. This voyage is guaranteed to give you memories to savor back in the real world. Afterwards, stretch your legs on a valley of ancient earth’s mantle that has made this park a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The landscape evokes images of the moon more than the earth, but this geological wonder has its own charms. You will enjoy it from sun up to sun down through the lens.
 

 

Last year we hiked the hills and coastline around the lighthouse and surrounding villages. We’re certain all hikers will find enjoyable terrain and spectacular views. Fortunately for those that aren’t interested in the idea of hiking, the beauty of the sea and the sounds of the birds start at the doorstep and a gentle seaside path starts at our lawn.

Contact me to reserve your spot. Email me through our Contact Us Page or email Kevin at kevinapepper@outlook.com

What causes the northern lights to occur

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, offer an entrancing, dramatic, magical display that fascinates all who see and photograph it — but just what causes this dazzling natural phenomenon?

As we all know, at the center of our solar system lies the sun. The sun's many magnetic fields distort and twist as our parent star rotates on its axis. When these fields become knotted together, they burst and create what we hear referred to as sunspots. Usually, these sunspots occur in pairs; the largest can be several times the size of Earth's diameter.

At the center of the sun, the temperature is 27 million degrees Fahrenheit (15 million degrees Celsius). As the temperature on its surface rises and falls, the sun boils and bubbles. Particles escape from the star from the sunspot regions on the surface, hurtling particles of plasma, known as solar wind, into space.

It takes these winds around 40 hours to reach Earth. When they do, they can cause the dramatic displays known as the aurora borealis.

When these winds hit earth, those who visit high latitudes with me experience colored lights shimmering across the night sky.

Some Inuit believed that the spirits of their ancestors could be seen dancing in the flickering aurora. In Norse mythology, the aurora was a fire bridge to the sky built by the gods.

So that’s the simplistic science behind how they are created…

Want to come see the aurora with us in Canada, one of the best spots on earth to see this spectacle? Check out our tours and workshops to the Yukon on our Canadian workshop page by visiting this link, http://northof49photography.com/photo-workshops/

Canada Destination Spotlight - Iceberg Alley, the best place on earth to photograph icebergs

Did you know that one of the best places in the world to photograph icebergs is in iceberg alley off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada? We do, and that’s why we have been running photography tours and workshops to photograph these incredible structures for years.

On our tours you can live the life of a lighthouse keeper overlooking “Iceberg Alley”.

Hear the Killer Whales’ call echoing off massive icebergs in your private cove and awaken to the sounds of the Humpbacks calling you across vast stretches of the North Atlantic. Explore the rugged landscape made famous in “The Shipping News”, the Pulitzer prize-winning novel Judi Dench, Kevin Spacey movie.

Feel the salt spray sting your face as you journey amidst the dolphins and whales. As you land in the cove, imagine you are returning home to the sod huts, thousands of years old, which lay undisturbed here. Forge a link with ancient humans as you stand in the remains of their huts overlooking the cove and picture the tiny beach coming to like as it was eons ago. Your home for a portion of our trip lies atop the cliffs at the northern tip of this deserted island.

The contrast of the rugged beauty of the island and the cosy luxury of our Lighthouse Inn will bring back your childhood feelings of laying by the fire as a storm raged outside. Imperceptibly your priorities in life will shift as you become part of the primal connection between humans and the remote reaches of the sea.

You are now in the best spot on earth to visit with whales and icebergs. At dawn, be certain to introduce yourself to your only neighbors – the whales migrating past your doorstep. An abandoned fishing village near the lighthouse is a great walking destination today. Learn of the tragic but romantic mass murder and suicide that inevitably lead to its demise. Our audio app of the island offers interpretation as you wander.

View the “vast cathedrals of ice”. On sunny days they appear lit from inside and on dull days other senses take over as they seem to grow in size. Their chilling effect spreads to your mind and you feel a timeless empathy for sailors who have dreaded these giants for millennia.

Icebergs are edges of glaciers that have broken off and slipped into the ocean. Glaciers form on land by snow building up over thousands of years. Each layer of snow compresses those below until, 60 to 70 metres down, glacial ice forms. Glaciers then "flow" or "creep" towards the ocean under their own weight, and eventually slip in. The glaciers of western Greenland flow at speeds of up to seven kilometres a year, among the fastest moving in the world. After slipping into the ocean, the bergs float in frosty arctic bays melting slowly, if at all, until passing through the Davis Strait and into the Labrador Current which carries them south into Iceberg Alley. Once they head south, they rarely last more than one year.

Every year about 40,000 medium- to large-sized icebergs break off, or calve, from Greenland glaciers. Only about 400-800 make it as far south as St. John's, but these numbers can vary greatly from year to year. The chances of seeing icebergs in a particular area depend on the number of bergs, wind direction, oceans current and temperatures, and the amount of sea ice, or pack ice.

We monitor the icebergs every year and work with locals to predict when and where they will wail past our locations… and time our tours appropriately.

And just think, almost 90% of an iceberg is under water, hence the phrase “tip of the iceberg.” Its maximum width under water is 20% to 30% larger than you can see at the surface. The average depth, or draught of an iceberg, is slightly less than its apparent length above water.

How big can these icebergs get? Well, in the Northern Hemisphere, the largest iceberg on record was encountered in 1882 near Baffin Island. It was 13 km long, 6 km wide, and was about 20 m above water. It weighed over 9 billion tonnes – enough for everyone in the world to drink a litre of water a day for more than 4 years. Icebergs from Antarctica can be many times larger. In 1987 an iceberg, with an area of 6,350 sq. km, calved from the Ross Ice Shelf. It weighed about 1.4 trillion tonnes and could have provided everyone in the world with 240 tonnes of pure drinking water.

Icebergs can vary greatly in size, ranging from very large – greater than 10 million tonnes and hundreds of metres long – to large, medium, and small bergs. The smallest are termed “bergy bits,” which are the size of a small house, and “growlers,” which are the size of a grand piano. These smaller pieces are hazardous to ships because radar may not pick them up as they bob up and down among the waves. The average weight for a Grand Banks-area iceberg is 100,000-200,000 tonnes – about the size of a cubic 15-storey building.

Why don’t you come see for yourself, we run tours to Newfoundland every year… but not just for the icebergs… we see humpback whales, a variety of seabirds, and some of the most photogenic landscapes Canada has to offer.

To see our 2016 tour, please visit this link. http://northof49photography.com/new-page-1

To See our 2017 tour, please visit this link. http://northof49photography.com/2017-tour-of-newfoundland

Canadian Species Spotlight - The Spirit Bear

The rare Spirit Bear is known locally by several names;

-Kermode Bear, named after Francis Kermodei, former director of the Royal B.C. Museum.

-White Bear or Ghost Bear is often used by local folks.

-Moksgm’ol by local First Nations.

-Ursus americanus kermodei by Scientists.

-Spirit Bear is a more recent name for the White Bear.  Appropriate for a bear that is known for it’s elusive, ghostly yet timid nature.

This rare White Bear is actually a Black Bear! Scientists are actively studying this rare genetic trait that is possibly due to a recessive gene, or could be due to a result of a concentration of gene in a given area. The Spirit Bear is not an albino.

Scientists estimate there are 1,200 black and white Kermode bears in the coast area of British Columbia that stretches from around the northern tip of Vancouver Island northwards to the Alaska panhandle.

Many sightings are reported around the Terrace area, making the Spirit Bear it’s official mascot. They are often seen as far east as Hazelton, as far north as the Nass Valley up to Cranberry Junction and as far west as Prince Rupert.

Even though Kitimat is closest to the largely populated area of Princess Royal Island, there are almost no sightings in the area.

Like most black bears, the Spirit Bear only weighs about half a pound at birth, growing to 150-300 pounds when fully grown. The Kermode’s size averages between 4 and 6 feet. Height measured from paw to shoulders averages between 2 ½ and 3 feet.

The beautiful Spirit Bear will eat almost anything. Including you! However, there have been no reports of them eating people.

Being omnivores, they mostly live on fish and berries, but also eat deer and moose fawns, carrion, insects, plants, fruits, nuts, mushrooms and nuts. They depend on salmon runs in the fall to fatten themselves up for the long winter hibernation, where they can go without food for up to 7 months. This is the time frame we visit BC to photograph the spirit bears… and timing is everything to increase your chances. Having lived in BC I constantly monitor and watch the salmon spawns as they change slightly year over year. This allows us to adjust the tours for spirit bears to make sure you have the best chance to see them as they feed on the salmon.

Females reach sexual maturity at three to four years of age. They mate during the late spring, early summer months, gestating about 220 days. Cubs are born in their mother’s winter den in January or February, and are weaned at about eight months, but may remain with their mother for up to a year-and-a-half, when she is ready to mate again.

Like black bears, their average life span is about 25 years.

If you want to go photograph teh Spirit Bears with us, please check out the information on our next Spirit Bear trip to photograph grizzly, black and spirit bear. Details can be seen here.  http://northof49photography.com/spirit-bear-photo-tour 

How To Photograph Northern Lights

The spectacle known as the northern lights is something I promise you will never forget, and if you are prepared to photograph them, you will be able come home and share your photos you are proud of with friends and family.

The Aurora Borealis occurs in the Northern hemisphere.  It can be experienced in locations further from the Arctic circles, but to improve your chances of seeing them you need to spend some time on or near the activity zones. Iceland, Norway, Yukon and Alaska are just some of the places famous for the Aurora Borealis in the Northern hemisphere.

How to Photograph the northern lights

BASIC EQUIPMENT:

A good sturdy tripod that also can withstand colder nights if you are out in the winter time.

A remote trigger so you don't have to touch the camera.

The camera should be DSLR camera with manual focus (set to just shy of "infinity"), which works well for Northern Lights photography.

You should also consider a camera that has BULB mode so you can manually control exposure times.

Digital cameras will need to have to be manually adjustable focus with ISO ranges up to 3200 and higher for shorter exposure times

RECOMMENDED PHOTO GEAR:

Beyond the basic photography equipment, you should bring the following gear for great results:

A wide-angle zoom lens, f2.8 (or lower numbers), will give great results photographing the Northern Lights.

If you have a prime lens (with fixed focal length) for your camera, bring it.

TAKING A PICTURE:

You generally will not be able to take good pictures of the Northern Lights with short exposure times without high ISO settings. Good exposure times for this are 20-40 seconds per picture (the tripod will help you eliminate shaking of the camera - you can't hold the camera by hand.)

A sample exposure time for ISO1600 with an aperture of f/2.8 would be 5 to 10 seconds depending on the brightness of the lights.

LOCATIONS & TIMES:

It can be hard to predict the Northern Lights so you may be in for a few hours of waiting during a cold night.

The best times generally are after midnight and range from October to the end of April each year.

You should head out of the city and get away from light pollution to obtain maximum quality of photos.

TIPS:

1.Batteries don't last as long in cold nights. Bring spare batteries.

2.Try lots of different exposure settings; night photography is challenging. Test your setup first.

3.Include a part of the landscape to make the photos more attractive and as a visual reference for size.

4.Do not use any filters, as they tend to distort the beauty of the Northern Lights and degrade the image.

5.Turn on "noise reduction" and the white balance can be set to 5000K or set to auto on digital cameras.

TECHNIQUES

To increase your chance of a successful aurora hunt, you need to be aware of the weather. If it is cloudy, your chances of seeing the aurora grow weaker. If you have a clear sky you have a much better chance.

You also need to check the space weather for the northern lights forecast. Please not, even if the space weather forecast is weak, it may still be worth venturing out if you are up north in the areas that I previously mentioned… Iceland, Norway, Alaska, Northwest Territories and the Yukon.

So you are in an active zone and you have a clear sky and the space weather is a bit uncertain. You can increase your chances again by eliminating light pollution.

The moon can also work against you. If you are planning a trip to an Aurora zone, try to book it as I do when there is a new moon.

Get your camera set up so that it is easy to handle. Using a flash light make sure your cable is connected, your lens is set just short of infinity and the camera is level to the ground. Then turn off the flash light and let your eyes adjust to the darkness.

You can use the waiting time constructively. You can practice with your bulb and find a good composition. Set your camera to f/2.8 (or as wide as possible) iso 800 and take some test shots for 30 seconds. Do this in all directions but mainly due north (Aurora Borealis). You may start to see a green hue on your pictures near the horizon. This is a good sign and this is the part of the sky you need to watch.

As the aurora starts to get brighter you need to start adjusting your settings accordingly. Start by shortening your exposure times.

Important note… Always check the brightness of your image on the histogram and never rely on the camera preview screen. Your eyes have adjusted to the dark so an underexposed image will look fine – until you get it home! Speaking from experience… the back lit LCD screen in the dark makes photos look brighter than they actually are.

If the whole sky explodes and the Aurora casts a shadow, you need to be quick to adjust your exposure times. The best Aurora shots occur during these brief moments. A faster shutter of 8-25 to 10 seconds will preserve some of the details of the display.

ADVANCED TIPS FOR BEGINNERS:

When taking aurora images we have our cameras set completely on manual... manual focus set to infinity... its set on BULB mode so you can control how long you take the image for, and you have set your aperture as wide open as possible... But where are you metering?

The scene is black, you probably are metering off a dark spot in the sky... then this bright glow occurs in the sky.... if you are not careful, you will have an over exposed aurora in a night sky. I tell people to set your EV compensation to -2/3 to ensure you don't over expose. Its a sure fire way not to over expose when you are so excited just to be seeing the lights. ;-)

Star trails

The added bonus… Sometimes you cannot avoid star trails if you don't trust iso 800 and you lens stops at f/4, you might be exposing for 2 minutes with a weak aurora. Generally it is preferred to expose for less than 30 seconds to prevent noticeable star trails. Stars begin to move over 20 seconds… so if you want fixed stars you will have to increase ISO to keep exposure times under 20 seconds… but, sometimes star movement adds an element to the images you take.

Please join me as I travel to northern Canada to photograph in the best locations to photograph the aurora in the world. http://northof49photography.com/photo-workshops