Exclusive photography expedition to Canada: arctic wolves in the far north

Vincent Munier is a household name in the world of nature photography. He is fascinated by the harsh nature and often travels to the most remote and inhospitable areas to photograph animals. He prefers to photograph fauna that is confronted with the elements of nature. After Japan for the cranes, China for snow leopards and Snowhill for the emperor penguins, he pushed the boundaries to one of the most remote places in the world, Ellesmere Island. At this location he came face to face with arctic wolves! One of the most tantalizing mammals on our planet and rarely seen, let alone photographed. The big plus? These animals aren’t too skittish of people and if you find a pack, they often come closer than you can imagine. Are you ready for this immense adventure?

→ DATES ARE INDICATIVE. ONLY IF THERE ARE SUFFICIENT PARTICIPANTS CAN WE PROCEED TO DETERMINE EXACT DATES.

Arctic vibe

Photographing arctic wolves is done in style: wrapped up in a warm, down parka. Add to that a thick hat, gloves and super-warm snow boots. We spend hours on the tundra looking for arctic wolves. If we succeed, one thing is for sure: you’ll get to experience an incredible show that cannot be surpassed. The landscape in which you are home for this trip, as well as the winter conditions, appeal to the imagination. Just as an indication: it is not unusual to end up in a blinding snowstorm … But these conditions provide the most unique photos.

Every day we go out, regardless of the weather forecast: icy cold sunrises, light or heavy snow showers, misty or sunny, … Every kind of weather offers unique opportunities to take impressive photos. Arctic wolves and other arctic animals do not care about the weather. And although it is challenging, these are perfect weather conditions to photograph the silent hunters with their piercing yellow eyes. White on white, in the purest form. You will learn how to properly expose in snowy conditions and how to protect your equipment and yourself from the cold.

One, two, … arctic wolves

Target species number one is of course the arctic wolf. But we will also be able to see other bonus species such as musk ox, arctic hare, arctic fox, … and various marine mammals. With a lot of luck we will even see narwhal or belugas.

Mastering photography skills

There is probably nothing as captivating as capturing an arctic wolf. To immortalize this moment, you will be guided by the Maradona in our team. Yves Adams is the photography guide within STARLING with the most snow experience. He has guided dozens of trips to the Far North and is the perfect man for this trip.

During this trip, your guide will take the time to show you – regardless of the brand or type of your camera – how to photograph fast action. The other settings and the choice of the right autofocus (AF) to take sharp images are also discussed. Lighting white subjects in a white environment is a tough challenge for your camera. So we will also discuss that in detail. And before we head out into the cold, we will prepare you carefully. How do you dress best, how do you protect your equipment and how do you best handle your lens and tripod? We leave nothing to chance, so that you can optimally enjoy perhaps the greatest bird action your lens will ever see! Before the trip we organize an extensive information session to get to know each other and discuss the trip in detail.

NOTE: As we have not yet travelled to this destination, the images of wolves in the gallery are not of the desired quality. Most of the other images were taken on our travels in Spitsbergen and represent what we can see and expect.