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28 May to 7 June, 2010
Iceland is a bird photographers paradise. Although there are only about 75 bird species that breed in the country many of them breed in extraordinary numbers or are species that are difficult to photograph in other places of the world.
On this workshop we'll be based at Lake Myvatn in the northeast, then on the South coast, the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and at Latrabjarg in the West Fjords. This workshop will be about photography and lots of it. Participants and the group leader will work side by side, sharing their knowledge, vision, philosophy and experience. A small group of participants (max. 6) guarantees a more personal and intimate experience than bigger tours can provide. This is a unique opportunity to travel and photograph with one of Iceland's most experienced bird photographers in a country that borders the Arctic Circle and receives about 22 hours of daylight at this time of the year. Photography in Iceland during the summer can be hard work and challenging, but great fun and very rewarding. It is an adventure unlike any other!
We will start the workshop at Lake Myvatn where we'll be based for 4 nights. Myvatn is an incredible place for waterfowl with 15 species of ducks breeding by the lake and Laxa River. The best way to photograph some of the ducks is from a hide (blind) and we will erect three portable photography hides by a pond that is just outside our hotel. Each participant will therefore have two mornings of photography from the hides and the activity on the pond peaks between 5-8 A.M. The birds that can be photographed from the hides include Barrow's Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, Scaup, Tufted Duck, Wigeon, Red-necked Phalarope and Horned Grebe. Also close by the hotel there is a pair of breeding Common Loon (Great Northern Diver) and on Rive Laxa we'll be photographing Harlequin Ducks.
After our stay in the north we'll travel back to Reykjavik and stay for two nights on the southern coast. From there we'll have access to the Floi Nature Reserve, a wetland area that holds a significant breeding population of Red-throated Loon (Diver). It's also a very good area to photograph waders (shorebirds) such as Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Golden Plover and Dunlin.
Our next destination will be the Snaefellsnes Peninsula on the Western coast and after a day spent there we'll take a ferry over to the West Fjords and stay for two nights at Latrabjarg, Europe's biggest seabird cliff. Nowhere else in Iceland are Puffins as tame as at Latrabjarg and other seabirds nesting on the cliff include Razorbill, Common Murre (Guillemot), Thick-billed Murre (Brünnich Guillemot), Kittiwake and Fulmar. Other birds we can expect to photograph are Arctic Tern, Black Guillemot, Eider Duck, Whooper Swan, Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua) and many, many more.
This workshop will last for 11 days (10 nights). We will be staying in good hotels (en suite). There will be moderate hiking on uneven ground. A telephoto lens with a reach of 400mm or greater is required.
The cost for this workshop is $5900 US. This is an all-inclusive price, but excluding your airfare to Iceland. What is included are domestic flights between Akureyri and Reykjavik, ferry over Breidafjordur, transportation in a minibus, food, drinks (excluding alcoholic beverages), accommodation (which is based on sharing a room) and tuition. Single supplement is possible for an additional $700. Payments are made in two installments. A deposit of $1500 must be made within 2 weeks of registration. The balance of $4400 is due by March 15th, 2010.
Contact me at info@danielbergmann.com for registration and further information, including a detailed itinerary. |
