Puffin, Eagle and Ruff Workshop
7 days workshop May/June at Alta folkehøgskole, Alta, Norway, with 3 days trip to a Puffin bird colony at one special island on the coast of Finnmark. We will give you exiting days and a wonderful experience with a lot of photo opportunities. This island has probably most different bird species of all similar nesting-places in Norway. In addition; the landscape is also great! The timing is also good: in June the bird activity is peaking and the nature is becoming green and fine, but mostly – the light is the best with midnight sun and 24h photography. We also have trips to a highland area where Ruffs are fighting for the females attention. These trips are also a good opportunity for landscape and other birds like Lapland bunting, European golden plover and more.
How to get here: Daily nonstop flights from Oslo to Alta (2 hrs).
Price: NOK 11.450 / 12.650 (Dbl/single room) breakfast incl.
(Note: 2 nights at Puffin Island is tent accommodation).
Small groups, max 11 places.
Dates 2024: 30. May – 5. June.
Contact/registration: perarne@photography.no
Aurora Borealis/Autumn Colors Workshop
In September the landscape is on fire, autumn colors here at 70 degrees north is stunning – and – something magic starts to happen! The night sky is now dark enough to show the beautiful colors of the Northern Lights! Alta becomes nirvana for nature photographers. Long sunrises and sunsets plus Autumn colors combined with a strong possibility for Northern light – Aurora Borealis!
Alta has a long history as a place for scientist to observe the Aurora – starting in the beginning of last century. We will do the same thing with our modern cameras – seeking sea reflections and great landscape to match the light. After each day-trip we work with our files in the computer lab, and show our material to get response from each other. This is a 6 days workshop at Alta folkehøgskole, Alta, Norway.
Dates: Mid September – or any time between September and March on demand (Custom tailored course).
Note: All courses/workshops are lead by the creators of the Northern Lights Film shown i the Northern Lights Cathedral, Alta.
Please contact by mail for info/booking.
Contact: perarne@photography.no
Northern lights/Bird photography workshop Finnmark
Seeking good spots for Northern Lights photography in Alta and Finnmark – and trip to Varanger looking for Stellers Eider, King Eider, White-tailed Eagle and more! Experience the harsh and beautiful landscape of the sub-arctic both at the coast and inland. The area by the Varanger Fjord is well known for its birdlife, maybe one of the best winter birding locations possible. The fishing villages and coastal landscapes alone justifies the trip. Overnight accomodation in Alta fhs or huts with electricity – most nights also wi-fi (internet). Included in price is overnight acc, transport after arriving in Alta, Norway, and breakfast.
Also included is boattrip with RIB with bird in flight photography and one night in a floating hide (on the sea). You may book one additional night in the hide. A lot of tips for better photographs; birds, landscape and low-light/Aurora.
Dates 2025: TBA – e-mail us for details.
Small groups, max 11 paticipants.
Course leader: Per Arne Askeland, teacher in nature photography at Alta folk high school, Alta, Norway.
Contact: perarne@photography.no
Photoworkshop USA
Let your American Dream come true! Treat yourself with 14 days photography and great nature experiences in the most photogenic national parks in the US; The South-West!
This workshop is set either in October/November or January/February – at a time when NorthEuropeans will consider the temperatures in California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona quite comfortable!
National Parks that might be part of our next workshop: Bryce, Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Natural Bridges and Grand Canyon. Other areas of interest: Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley.
Specific details on next USA workshop will be posted on this site when ready. You may also register by e-mail and be among the first to be notified by mail.
UPDATE: Next workshop is 8. – 22. October 2024.
Info/register by mail to perarne@photography.no
Photograph wild wolves and bears in Eastern Finland
From well-equipped hides in Kuhmo on the Russian border, we give you excellent chances to take close-up action shots of wild wolves and bears, which at our feeding places can be enticed to as close as 20m from our hides. It is not unusual to capture wolves and bears in the same shot!
Dates: Late September – Not set for 2024 – Contact us for info
Experienced English speaking course leader/guide.
(Starting from Alta, Norway with minibus to Finland. Camping std overnight acc. both south and northbound. Hostel std room in Bear-camp with sleeping bags).
Flights to and from Alta, Norway not included.
First evening in Alta we will photograph northern lights if weather permitting.
We occupy the hides from late afternoon to early morning. The hides are insulated and have soft rubber floor, so we recommend that participants take a sleeping bag, as nights can sometimes be cold. There are sockets and screws for mounting of tripod heads (sturdy ball heads or gimbals are best), but no tripod is needed. It is best if you take your own ball head, but a few are available for loan. We take packed food to the hides, but bring a thermos flask for tea or coffee if you have one. Otherwise some are available for loan.
The hides are situated in several different locations in the forest marshes along the border with Russia and we will have the chance to sit in different hides on different nights. Bear sightings are more or less guaranteed and wolves highly probable. All hides are a short walk from the road and we strongly recommend long rubber boots, especially after rain. Some hides are situated within the border zone, so take your passport along in case you are asked by a Finnish border patrol to identify yourself. The animals will of course not come close except when we are in the safety of the hides!
Other likely sightings are golden and sea eagles, goshawk, ravens and possibly elk, wolverine.
During the day we can enjoy the taiga environment around the log cabin where we stay (cabin has electricity, warm water and wireless Internet), swim in the lake, take a traditional Finnish sauna, catch up on some sleep, pick berries in the forest, download and compare our photos from the previous night, and enjoy good meals made with fresh local produce. Professional photographers will hold lectures, give photographic advice and constructive comment on participants´ photos.
Small groups, max 11 paticipants.
Course leader: Per Arne Askeland, teacher in nature photography at Alta folk high school, Alta, Norway.
Contact: perarne@photography.no
Mørketidslyset i Finnmark er på sitt beste i november. Sola er under horisonten nesten hele dagen – og kan skape et fantastisk fargespill over himmelen. I de mørkeste timene kan nordlyset fylle himmelen. Alta har en lang historie som sted for nordlysobservasjoner; vi vil oppsøke flotte landskap hvor nordlys og mørketidslys kan skape unike motiver! Dette kurset kombinerer grunnleggende innføring i digitalfotografering med vekt på individuell veiledning, med praktisk fotografering ute. Flere utflukter dag/kveld med fotografering, samt undervisning og tid for bearbeiding/fremkalling av digitalfiler og bildevurdering. En tur med nattfotografering og overnatting i lavvu.
