News and reviews

In early March I was in Iceland running a trip to photograph Arctic Foxes which is a trip we have been running for several years now. The location is Hornstrandir in the northwest fjords of Iceland and is a remote location with no roads going into the area. Although the beautiful Arctic Fox can be found throughout Iceland it is still heavily persecuted so it is very shy and elusive but Hornstrandir is a nature reserve and so the foxes are fully protected. This makes the foxes much more approachable and so the location is fantastic in seeing and photographing them. The blue morph form of the Arctic Fox is very rare in most of its Arctic range but in Iceland it is the prominent gene, so over 80% are this blue morph. It makes sense because during the winter the foxes get most of their food source from the coast, searching the tideline for any washed-up fish or hunting for any roosting birds. The peninsula supports a healthy population and I have found it one of the best places to photograph this cracking little fox.

It can be a challenge getting to Hornstrandir as our first leg is to fly into the northern town of Isafjordur and then we must take a boat journey onto the peninsula itself. We are then based in a rustic old farmhouse which adds to the unique charm and experience of the trip. The weather is our main barrier during the winter but throughout this trip we were blessed with some very settled conditions. It was too warm in some respects and so we had the challenge of finding fresh snow and to some extent fresh ideas.

Usually here you get some very extreme conditions which makes it a challenge for photography and in some way that’s what we really hope for but for this trip that wasn’t going to be the case. In a way it was nice to work in these calm conditions and at times we had some beautiful light to work in.

When we first got there the snow cover was still good on the ground but with warm weather predicted it was going to melt fast. Fortunately, the huge snowbank along the beach was going nowhere and so we spent most of the time working along this bank of snow. Photographing the foxes along here was a nice change for me personally because usually when you get bad snowstorms it is just not safe to work along the beach.

There had been a shift in the dynamics of the breeding pair since the last time I was here. The old male had passed away and a new male had taken over. He was shy and elusive though and we only saw him in the distance. There was a couple of young foxes hanging around the house though and one in particular was very confiding which gave us some of the best photographic opportunities. When the adult female did come in though she was very aggressive to these younger foxes and certainly stamped her authority.

The fighting foxes was also a highlight for me too as it is a bit of behaviour, I have only seen a few times before and so was a real bonus. Also, on this trip we had the pleasure of spending some time photographing a mink that was hunting along the shore at low tide. The Mink is a non-native animal in Iceland and is not welcome like elsewhere where it has been introduced. This Mink seemed to be making a good life for himself though along this remote shoreline and was very good at catching fish as the tide was going out.

I have never had the opportunity to photograph these beautiful mustelids before and so it was nice to see one and spend some time with him. I suppose I must thank the good weather for this chance because usually if the weather is bad, we spend all the time at the top photographing the foxes and no time along the beach.

The clear sky and fine weather were also a bonus as on one of the nights we had a great opportunity to photograph the Aurora Borealis which is one of natures greatest spectacles. It was nice to have the foxes bathed in this glorious winter sunshine and we did have some cracking light to work in.

All in all, it was a great trip with some great company in one of the remotest corners of northern Europe. If you fancy a great adventure, then we still have places on next years trip so please get in touch if you want anymore information or you can check out the website.

Danny