Aurora Expeditions Offers Free Polar Bear Photography Workshops In The Arctic

by Jessica Festa on

For any traveler whose bucket list includes visiting the Arctic, Aurora Expeditions is giving you a reason to cross it off in 2013: free polar bear photography workshops.

From August 5 to 18, 2013, cruise, passengers will explore the Arctic areas of Spitsbergen and eastern Greenland before docking in beautiful Isafjordur, Iceland. During the trip, they will have the opportunity to take complimentary polar bear photography classes with Moab Master photographer Joshua Holko and professional wildlife and nature photographer Daniel Bergmann. All levels are welcome, and participants will also get the chance to take pictures of walruses, Arctic fox and reindeer. Prices for this trip start at $7,748 per person, with the trip departing from Longyearbyen in Svalbard.

The company will be also be offering a free wildlife photography workshop aboard their 54-passenger “Polar Pioneer” cruise to Antarctica from November 9 to 23, 2013, with opportunities to photograph seals, whales and penguins. The journey departs from Patagonia’s Ushuaia and ends in the Falkland Islands, giving photographers special access into areas usually restricted to scientific research. Passengers will also explore the Lemaire Channel, the Gerlache Strait and the geothermal Deception Island. The 14-night sail/fly voyage starts at $9,990 per person.

To learn more about Joshua Holko’s photography, click here.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Photo Of The Day: Santa Monica Bicycle

by Jeremy Kressmann on

There’s some wonderful technique at work behind Flickr user Ambre’s photo of a cyclist in Santa Monica, California. Ambre is using a special camera called a Lomo, which among other effects, allows the photographer to take four sequential shots on the same frame of film. She’s used this feature to great effect in today’s shot: I love the sense of motion as the bike glides in (and out) of the viewer’s field of view, along with the washed out colors that capture the brightness of a sunny California day. You almost feel as if you were out there on a beach cruiser, gliding along the Pacific coastline.

Taken any great travel photos? Why not add a few to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

[Photo Credit: Flickr user Ambre]

Exploring Zion National Park In Autumn

by Jessica Festa on




As summer nears its end and fall is just upon the horizon, travelers are beginning to think about where to go to check out vibrant autumn foliage. One recommendation I have is to visit Utah’s oldest national park, Zion.

The end of September is usually when the temperature begins to drop to a more bearable number in the 70s. Luckily, it’s also when the flowers turn a rainbow of colors and the already beautiful park is enhanced with bright hues of purple, red, green, orange, yellow, blue and pink. If you want the best views of changing shades, hike to the higher areas where the colors tend to change first. It’ll also reward you with a more encompassing view of the park. Think about starting in Springdale, skipping the highway, and taking the SR 9 to Virgin, then up to Kolob Terrace Road, viewing every layer of the mountains, canyons, forests and rivers until you reach over 7,500 feet.

For a visual idea of autumn in Zion, check out the gallery below.

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[Images via Shutterstock]

Photo Of The Day: Vermilion Lakes Side Road

by Chris Owen on
This Photo of the Day, titled “Vermilion Lakes Side Road,” comes from Gadling Flickr pool member `James Wheeler who captured this image using a Nikon 5000D and a Tokina 12-24mm f/4 lens with a Nikon Polarizing Filter.

Captioning the photo, James tells us:

“Just out side of Banff is a small road that runs parallel to the Trans Canada highway. This little side road offers some spectacular views of the Vermilion lakes.”

Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as Photos of the Day.

Tips for getting featured: include the camera you used along with any other equipment or processing software that might help other photographers know more about your image.

On this image, for example, James brought along a Sirui T-2005X Tripod with K-10x Tripod Head. Completing the image, James used photo-processing software including Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Nik Color Efex Pro and Topaz Adjust.

Photo Of The Day: Meanwhile On Muni

by Meg Nesterov on


Whether you are traveling in an exotic city, or just commuting to work, public transportation is always a rich source of photography subjects. Flickr user (and PotD favorite) davitydave is a frequent photographer on San Francisco‘s Muni, adding his favorite shots to his Flickr page with the title “Meanwhile on Muni.” This shot particularly captures the range of human expression, from suspicion to sleep.

Add your best transit shots to the Gadling Flickr pool for a future Photo of the Day.