Red Sails of Greenland Photo Workshop
Greenland is a mysterious land home to plenty of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders. Yet it remains just beyond the reach of conventional tourism.
Luckily, we’re not in the business of conventional tourism. We specialize in providing unforgettable trips for photography enthusiasts, and one thing’s for sure: For any keen photographer, the lure of Greenland’s pristine icebergs, quirky villages, and untouched, icy wilderness is too tempting an adventure to turn down.
And if the guarantee of memory cards packed with striking landscapes and serenity isn’t enough to get your heart racing, factor in the near-constant sunshine of the summer months this far north and you’ve got a tasty recipe for photo tour paradise!
Please note that this is a drone-friendly workshop.
We have a limited number of drones available for hire if you do not have your own and wish to learn – please contact us at info@vip-llc.com for information and rates.
Dates
17 - 22 August, 2024 - SOLD OUT!
22 - 27 August, 2024 - 3 Spots left.
28 Aug - 2 Sep, 2024 - 2 Spots left.
2 - 7 September, 2024 - SOLD OUT!
Group Size
Maximum of 16 participants (8 on each boat)
Price (USD)
$5,500 (Double Occupancy)
$6,500 (Single Occupancy)
Workshop Highlights
Wildlife: Our daily excursions out onto the serene waters of the Icefjord will be a perpetual whale safari. Hours will be spent at sea every day, and we expect to encounter plenty of whales as we glide through the water.
Photography instruction: Throughout the duration of this photo tour the group will be guided by two award-winning professional photographers. Instruction will include post-processing classes, portfolio reviews, and critique sessions during the day.
Comfort: Each night the group will be hosted at one of Greenland’s 4-star hotels, where we will enjoy local food and fabulous 3-course dinners.
Incomparable scenes: This tour focuses on the Icefjord, a UNESCO world heritage site overflowing with natural beauty and striking spectacles. The landscapes and seascapes of Disko Bay will be our main photography hot spot, where we will sail alongside the greatest icebergs in the world under the magical illumination of the midnight sun.
Local culture: Many of Greenland’s settlements are only reachable by the sea. Our exclusive boat means that we have access to many of these remote places, and you have time for travel and people photography during the expedition.
Included
- 6 day workshop with 5 nights accommodation in 4-star hotels
- Breakfasts and dinners
- Private boat charter on two sailboats
- Award-winning, professional Photo Guides who will provide a combination of instruction, masterclasses, and in-field guidance
- Airport transfers
- Post-processing sessions with Photo Guides
- Port taxes, fees, and fuel
- Access to exclusive discounts on gear from our partners
Excluded
- Flights/transportation to and from Ilulissat
- Lunches and snacks
- Alcohol and beverages
- Items of a personal nature including (but not limited to) laundry services, clothing, Wi-Fi, email, or phone charges
- Personal Travel, Medical, Equipment or Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Visas (if applicable)
- Gratuities for Photo Guides, local guides, and/or drivers
Book Now
This workshop is provided through a partnership with Iceland Photo Tours and will be co-guided by our own award-winning photographer, Sigurdur “Siggi” Brynjarsson.
To secure your spot on this workshop, select from the date options below to pay your deposit.
Completing your payment confirms acceptance of the Terms & Conditions as outlined in the Important Workshop Information below.
Please note that the remaining balance will be completed directly through Iceland Photo Tours.
The full amount is due 90 days prior to the start of the workshop.
Occupancy Type is subject to availability.
Itinerary
You can find more information about what to expect during this workshop below. However, to give you the opportunity to capture the best images possible, this itinerary will be kept flexible.
This workshop is timed to take advantage of the Midnight Sun – a phenomenon that occurs in far Northern countries where sunsets merge into sunrises with no darkness in between, and Golden Hour stretches for 2-3 hours.
These Golden Hours are a fascinating time for photographers, as the landscapes and seascapes can be painted in an ethereal palette of soft pinks, warm yellows, deep oranges, and dreamy purples from the rays of the low-lying sun.
To capture this light, we will be switching up our sleep cycles – shooting from afternoon until early morning and sleeping in late.
Our goal is to put you in the best locations at the right time with the best light so you can capture fantastic images.
Day 1: Arrival
We recommend a flight to Ilulissat with an arrival time around 13:00.
Please check AirGreenland for available tickets. Flights via Copenhagen are usually with one change at Kangerlussuaq.
If you fly from North America you can take Air Iceland Connect flights, which have regular direct flights from the Reykjavik Domestic airport.
The arrival time to Ilulissat is flexible but make sure it’s before 5 p.m!
Our Arctic hotel provides an airport shuttle.
After dinner, we will load to our vessel and depart to the Icefjord. You meet with the greatest icebergs in the world tonight!
The magic light usually lasts around 2-3 hours. Sun slightly touches the horizon, giving incredible colors, and rolls over distant mountains. In all these 3 magic hours we photograph icebergs, cruising around the fjord.
Our trip is constructed for photographers, unlike touristic cruises that you may book on a trip to Ilulissat.
We finish the cruise around 2-3 a.m.
We then have spare time until breakfast. If you feel you can endure some more, you are welcome to walk around Ilulissat after breakfast, observing how the settlement wakes up and starts its normal everyday life.
Day 2: Exploring the Settlements
After breakfast, we will get together with our photography guides and have a session on post-processing.
After one night of incredible conditions, there are sure to be plenty of questions on everyone’s minds!
After, we’ll have a fairly leisurely afternoon, plan for the evening ahead and get some much-needed rest.
After dinner, we will once again sail out into the ice fjord. We’ll start a little earlier on day two, as on top of our usual ice hunt we will be visiting several small settlements to the south, including Kangia, Qasigiannguit, and/or Ilimanaq. The final stop will depend on the conditions of the ice. Greenlandic settlements tend to be colorful, with colonial buildings full of character.
On our journey back we will hunt for some open-water icebergs, which vary in size and come in a staggering variety of shapes. Castles, archways, towers – we will spend plenty of time under the midnight sun photographing these natural masterpieces.
Our expedition will arrive back in Ilulissat between 2-3 in the morning.
Day 3: Night Hike
After another late one, we’ll take some time out to rest after breakfast.
Following a quick lunch, we’ll hop aboard our boat and head to either Oqaatsut or Rodebay.
Rodebay is a small settlement to the north of Ilulissat. There we will take a walk through the village, which currently has under fifty inhabitants. Despite the small population, there is a church, a shop, and a school!
We will eat out that evening, in what is known as the “whale hunter’s pub”, a small restaurant with a big history. There aren’t a huge amount of options, so we may just go there for lunch instead – it’ll depend on their weekly schedule!
After eating we will head back to Ilulissat and begin a night hike to Sermermiut and the nearby Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. This is where all of the Disko Bay icebergs begin their journeys. Our walk will start from the outskirts of Ilulissat, before heading past Seqinniarfik, and up to the hilltop where local people meet the first rays of sun on January 13th every year.
The path is straightforward, fitted with wooden paving for the majority. It’s around 1 hour each way, with striking views and comfortable slopes. We will have plenty of stops on the way, and enjoy the midnight sun while keeping an eye out for the local wildlife. We will spend a couple of hours harnessing our tripods and long exposures to take some memorable photographs of the Icefjord.
Day 4: Exploring Glaciers
After another late-night hike, we’ll settle in for a cozy sleep back at our hotel in Ilulissat.
After breakfast, our guides will take us through another post-processing session.
As evening rolls around again, we’ll prepare for another night out on the water. Just before midnight we will once again set sail, skirting around the Icefjord in search of the best compositions and light conditions. The area is a UNESCO world heritage site after all, so it’s definitely worth visiting as much as possible. After several hours gliding over the waveless expanse, we will head back to port.
Day 5: Sailing
After breakfast, we will spend several hours in discussion with two of our award-winning photography guides. By this point in the expedition, there will be a mountain of photos to process and plenty of questions to be answered. Our guides will do their best to satisfy your curiosity and improve your photography as much as possible.
As evening falls we will once again set sail in search of icebergs, wildlife, and any spectacles that the midnight sun will illuminate for us.
Day 6: Departure
Today will be our last in Greenland.
After a hearty breakfast, we will have a farewell meeting, say our goodbyes, and talk through some highlights.
Transfers back to the airport are included.
You will leave with vivid memories, thousands of incredible photographs, and your skills with a camera taken to another level!
Important Workshop Information
Our workshop’s itinerary is subject to change at the discretion of our Photo Guides depending on factors including but not limited to weather, road conditions, transportation delays, and other factors beyond our control. We will check the weather forecasts and road conditions and plan our day to optimize shooting conditions.
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to visit all the locations on the itinerary.
A mild to moderate level of fitness is required for this workshop.
Most shooting locations are easily accessible via a short hike. However, sometimes this may be across rough, uneven, icy or muddy terrain that includes elevation changes. Our Guides will let you know if a photography destination involves a long hike, steep incline or particularly challenging terrain, and provide alternative shooting locations or other options if you don’t feel comfortable.
Participants should also be able to carry their own camera gear while hiking.
Sometimes we may remain in a location shooting for a few hours. Participants should be comfortable outdoors for extended periods of time in various weather conditions such as wind, rain, sun and extremes of temperature. Wherever possible, our Guides will keep the vehicle available nearby so participants can rest and take a break.
All participants should be in good physical shape with no mobility issues. If you have any concerns about your suitability, then reach out to us and we will be happy to discuss the particular location details of the workshop with you.
You must advise Viking International Phototours in advance and in writing via email of any illness, injury, or pre-existing medical conditions that might reasonably be expected to affect your participation during the workshop.
If you own a drone, you are welcome to bring it along to the workshop.
Please note that you are solely responsible for your equipment, and are expected to adhere to all rules and regulations as specified by Greenland Drone Laws, which are regulated by Danish law and can be found here.
We also highly recommend that you become comfortable with catching and releasing your drone by hand ahead of the workshop, as this will be the way you will launch and land your drone while you are on the sailboats – sometimes while they are still moving.
Viking International Phototours and our Photo Guides will not be liable for any injury or damage caused to equipment, environment, or people caused by you operating your drone during our workshop.
Please also note that the wind and weather in Greenland can change suddenly, so use your judgement and be mindful of conditions.
If you are interested in this workshop but would prefer a private experience or to attend with your own group of people, we can arrange that for you – contact us to discuss.
This workshop is provided through Iceland Photo Tours.
For booking terms and conditions, cancellation, and refund policies relating to this workshop please refer to their website at www.iceland-photo-tours.com.
If you have any questions about this workshop, please get in touch with us at info@vip-llc.com.
