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A SCHOONER EXPEDITION
EXPLOREGREENLAND
& ICELAND
13 DAYS OF ADVENTURE
SCHOONEREXPIDITION
PREMIERE
PHOTOGRAPHY WITH PASSION
Photo
by
Dav
id T
rud
Better Moments CEO and founder: Christian Nørgaard
Graphic design: Anders Lundgren
Text editor: Jeff Grant
All images and text in this catalog are under Internatio-nal Copyright Legislation.
However, Better Moment’s guests and potential custo-mers may download the catalog for private use, but not for any commercial use.
Any violation of the International Copyright Legislation will be reported to the International Court of Justice of International Copyright Legislation
Cover photo by Donna Wood
Thanks for choosing Better Moments for your next adventure workshop.
Better Moments was founded in 2011 by Philip Boissevain and me, two experienced veterans of the international professional photography industry. We met when working at Hasselblad, Philip as the Global Marketing manager and me as the Global Photographer Relations manager.
Today Better Moments has become the leading photo workshop platform organizing high-end workshops for photo enthusiasts worldwide.
You will learn from the world’s most experienced photographers within their fields to refine your personal style and sharpen your technical skills. Additionally, we want you to share your excitement for photography and enjoy great moments in life. And we want you to explore your passion and expand your photographic skills and vision.
Better Moments mission is to deliver exclusive workshops in landscape, wildlife and travel photography at unique locations around the world. I want you to explore your passion for photography and work and earn from the world’s most renowned photographers who all have excellent teaching skills, local knowledge and experience.
Photography with passion,Christian Nørgaard
SCHOONEREXPIDITION
PREMIERE
Photo
by
Donna
Wo
od
A SCHOONER EXPEDITION
Greenland offers some of the most spectacular and unspoiled scenery on earth.
On this workshop you travel along the coastline of East Greenland, exploring its majestic icebergs, glorious landscapes and rich wildlife.
We’ll end up at the beautiful Ittoqqortoormiit “Scorebysund”, with a complex network of smaller fjords as well as one the worlds longest fjords.
Photo by Donna Wood
SCHOONEREXPIDITION
PREMIERE
TRAVEL WITH PASSIONBetter Moments’ mission is to deliver exclusive workshops. We want you to explore your passion for photography and work with the world’s most renowned photographer, Magnus Elander during your Greenland expedition.
HIGHLIGHTS
Chances to shoot the Aurora Borealis.
Sail, live and photograph from a beautiful schooner.
Discover amazing glaciers.
Explore some of the worlds most isolated villages.
Basalt mountains and high sheer granite cliffs.
Muskoxen, snow hares, grouse, geese and other wildlife.
Great opportunities for whale watching.
Landscape photography with massive icebergs.
Glacier trip to the snow cap of Snaefellsjökull (Iceland) reaching 1446 meters.
Brúarfoss (Iceland), one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world and many other amazing waterfalls.
Shoot between continental plates (Iceland) and see the clearest water on earth.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Learn how to approach the unique challenges of landscape photography and how to capture
expansiveness, dynamic energy and the simplicity of natural landscape photography.
ON LOCATION
Teaching and training in the best techniques with personal hints and advice.
Composition and focus on lines, golden section, perspective, foreground, middle ground and background.
Work in different lighting and with short/long exposure times and different apertures.
How to handle equipment with care on location.
Private hands-on lessons that can help to take your photography skills to the next level.
IN CLASSROOM
Expert review and constructive criticism of shots taken during the day.
Private portfolio review.
A Better Moments Certified Photo Instructor is available during the entire workshop to offer assistance with camera settings, the basics of composition, and to generally guide and help.
COMBINE WITH AN ICELAND
WORKSHOP
This is our most ambitious workshop so far. We have combined the best of Greenland and the best of Iceland – offering you a true Northern adventure.Because many travel great distances for this expedition, we have decided to offer a great Iceland workshop, before the Greenland adventure starts.
KICKSTART IN ICELAND
Those who want to join the Iceland workshop will meet us in Reykjavik. You can kickstart your adventure by exploring Iceland for five days before we fly to Greenland, to begin our expedition on the great Donna Wood schooner.
The price includes:
All transport, hotels and food in Iceland and Greenland. Flight to Greenland from Iceland, schooner cabin, zodiac tours.
BEGIN IN GREENLAND
Those who don’t want to join the Iceland workshop will meet the group and fly together to Greenland.
BOOK TODAY
Bear in mind that we will run workshops everyday and we will make sure that we will be at the best locations at the best times of the day, night and morning – this is your opportunity to shoot images never taken before!
Photo by Donna Wood
PRICE & BOOKING
MAGNUS ELANDERMagnus Elander who was born in 1946, and is a professional photographer and author with special focus on wildlife, nature and science. Magnus has participated in expeditions and cruises around the Arctic for nearly forty years and spent three years in Greenland. He was awarded BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2003 and has published features and images in Swedish and international magazines and newspapers, such as National Geographic Magazine, Terre Sauvage and BBC Wildlife.
Magnus has written and co-authored ten books about the Arctic, ecotourism and Scandinavia’s large predators. The World Wide Fund has also recognized him with the “Pandabook of the year” award three times.
Magnus has previously worked on assignments for WWF Inter-national, Swedish Polar Research Council, Swedish Maritime Administration, Cosmonova IMAX theater, Danish Polar Center, Sirius Dog-sledge Patrol and several expedition companies.
His photos have been shown at exhibitions in Sweden, Norway, Canada, Japan and Germany. Magnus is one of the founders of a national visitor center called ”The Scandinavian Big Five” and is a member of the International League of Conservation Photo-graphers. Magnus also has been and continues to be an expedition leader on cruises and private expedition cruises to Greenland.
Explore Greenland together with
award winning Swedish wildlife
photographer
Photo by private
Photo
by
Mag
nus
Elan
der
WILD MUSK OXES,
GREENLAND
Photo by Magnus Elander
ONE OF MANY DAILY VIEWS
FROM THE SCHOONER
Photo by Magnus Elander
DAY 1
ARRIVAL IN ICELAND
Better Moments will meet you in Reykjavik for dinner and present the upcoming Iceland and Greenland workshop.
DAY 2
SNAEFELLSNES, BASALT CLIFFS, BLACK PEBBLES AND LAVA FORMATIONS
Departure for Snaefellsnes. Shooting the steep basalt cliffs of Arnarstapi and the motion of the sea. Just a few kilometers north are the huge sea stacks and lava formation of Lóndrangar. We’ll also be shooting along Djupalónsandur Beach with its black pebbles and cubist basalt walls.
DAY 3
GLACIER TRIP AND AURORA BOREALIS
A full day glacier trip to the snow cap of Snaefellsjökull reaching 1446 m. Later we’ll have an evening session of the mesmerizing aurora borealis at Kirkjufell on the north side of Snaefellsnes.
DAY 4
MAGICAL BRÚARFOSS AND MAJESTIC GULLFOSS
Departure from Snaefellsnes. A full day shooting waterfalls. First stop at the complex system of waterfalls at Hraunfossar. Where the water comes straight out of lava field and enters a 1 km long canyon. Next stop is at Brúarfoss, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. Evening shoot of aurora borealis at the gigantic waterfall Gullfoss.
DAY 5
BETWEEN CONTINENTAL PLATES AND CLEAREST WATER ON EARTH
In the evening we arrive at our hotel, but first we stop at Thingvellir to shoot the crack between the North-American and the European continental plates and the volcanic landscape. We’ll also shoot at the crystal clear waters of Silfrá. This dreamlike water area with its 200 m visibility has some of the clearest water on earth. We meet in the evening for a briefing about Greenland and a ” get together drink ” in the center of Reykjavik.
ITINERARY ICELAND
PRICE & BOOKING
HOME
Photo by Christian Nørgaard, Iceland
ITINERARY GREENLAND
DAY 1/5
ARRIVAL IN ICELAND
We encourage all our guests to arrive in Iceland at least one day before we depar for Greenland.We meet in the evening for a briefing and a “get together drink” in the center of Reykjavik.
DAY 2/6
EXPEDITION START
Depart Keflavík for a flight to Constable Point in Greenland. Embark the Better Moments Schooner and then sail towards the village of Ittoqqortoormiit where the evening is spent with locals in perhaps the most isolated village of the world.
DAY 3/7
SAIL WEST
Sail west between whole palaces of icebergs gently drifting under the influence of the currents in the Arctic waters of the mighty fjord of Scoresby Sound. These icbergs have recently calved from parent glaciers originating in the Inland Ice. Anchor at Hekla Havn, on Denmark Ø, the site of an old Inuit settlement and wintering camp of the first scientific expedition to Scoresby Sound over a hundred years ago. An evening walk exploring Hekla Havn, and the surrounding area.
DAY 4/8
FØHNFJORD
Sail west through the narrow Føhnfjord with the majestic basalt mountains of Gåseland on the port side, and 2000m high sheer granite cliffs of Milne Land on the Starboard side. After being up close to the peculiar looking Red Island, and even landing on the red sandstone shore, the tour continues to the north through Rødefjord, which is often filled with both larger icebergs and ice crust from disintegrating icebergs. We arrive in Harefjord in the late afternoon where anchors are set for two nights.
DAY 5/9
HAREFJORD
The whole day is spent ashore in Harefjord scouting for muskoxen, snow hares, grouse, geese and other wildlife, which normally graze on the south facing slopes. Between 6 and 7 hours of easy to moderate hiking with a lunch break at the top of a ridge rewards us with a breath taking view over Harefjord where the glacier tongues descend into the sea. Those who prefer less exercise can stroll along the coast or stay on board enjoying the view. In the evening we make a bonfire and enjoy a BBQ on the rocky beach.
DAY 6/10
THE AWESOME ØFJORD
The sailing continues eastwards. This is one of the most spectacular parts of the trip. Terrific mountain peaks and granite walls tower 200 meters up from the sea just as though the Cerro Torre (one of the majestic mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America) and Fitzroy river (in Queensland, Australia) were moved to the Arctic: A true feast for the cameras. Usually the sea
breeze in the Øfjord during the middle of the day allows sails to be set. We get a close look at some of the most amazing cliffs and a glacier front. This day ends by setting anchor in Jyttes Havn Bjørneøe in the late afternoon.
DAY 7/11
BEAR ISLANDS
The day is spent hiking in and around Jytteshavn in Bear Islands as this is possibly one of the nicest and most picturesque anchorages in Scoresby Sound. There are two options of a longer or shorter hike in the Bear Islands, or on the northernmost tip of Milneland, a short zodiac ride away. In the evening, night photography and bonfire on the beach.
DAY 8/12
MAJESTIC ICEBERGS
Sailing the channel between the Bear Islands and Milne land with a breathtaking view of the spectacular archipelago. As we sail into the last evening and night of the trip it is likely that we’ll be experiencing sights of the largest and the most fascinating icebergs of the journey. This provides a fantastic opportunity for photographs of the majestic and impressive icebergs that are often found in this particular area. When we wake up the next morning we are anchored at the airstrip in Constable Point.
DAY 9/13
MORNING PHOTOGRAPHY
Morning photography and workshops. Disembark the schooner for your aircraft in Constable Point and fly back to Keflavík Iceland for departure to home destinations.
Photo by Donna Wood
PRICE & BOOKING
HOME
Photo
by
Donna
Wo
od
HISTORY AT SEA
Donna Wood is a beautiful two masted oak ship built in 1918, representing Danish shipbuilding tradition at its very best. Donna Wood was originally built as a lighthouse ship but in 1990 the ship underwent extensive restoration and was equipped with rigging and sails.
YOUR HOME FOR ADVENTURE
Donna Wood is a roomy ship with a deck saloon seating 24 and ample space below deck comfortably accommodating 12 people in 7 cabins equipped with washbasins and closets. The hallway features spacious shared shower facilities and toilets.
DONNA WOODA passionate photographer speaks out“Over the past few years I have been privileged to travel and explore the coast and mountains of Iceland and also further afield above the Arctic Circle in Sweden and Greenland. These remote, wild landscapes are the inspiration for ‘Nature’s Elements’.”
Ross Brown
Expedition ship Donna Wood, Danish shipbuilding tradition at its very best
WCShower
WCShower
SALOON
DECK PLAN
Single cabin with shared shower/WC no: 6
Twin cabin with shared shower/WC no: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8
Photo by Donna Wood
SCHOONEREXPIDITION
PREMIERE
PRICE & BOOKING
HOME
GREENLANDVISA
The tourist entry requirements for Greenland are the same as for Denmark, except Greenland is not a member of EU or a party in the Schengen agreement. This means citizens of Nordic Countries need only bring a valid identification card. Three-month visa-free stays are available to citizens of EU nations, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, South Kore, Brunei and several central-European and Latin American countries. Most ex-Soviet and African nationals require a Danish visa
WEATHER
The average daily temperature in Ilulissat during August ranges normally from -3°C to 1°C.
LANGUAGE
The official language of Greenland is Greenlandic and most Greenlanders speak Danish and English as well.
CURRENCY
The currency of Greenland is the Danish Krone (DKK).
QUICK GUIDE
Great opportunities for whale watching
Landscape photography with mas-sive icebergs
During the colder months one may on occasion see the magnificient aurora borealis
Eqip Sermia Glacier, a large glacier in the vicinity of Ilulissat.
EMERGENCY Emergency phone number: 112.
QUICK GUIDEICELANDGETTING THERE
There are several flights, many on a daily basis in the summer, from a number of major European and North American gateways to Keflavik International Airport in Iceland. Flight times are approximately 3 hours from London and about 5 hours from New York. Keflavik is 48 km to the west of Reykjavík. Domestic flights, flights to Greenland and the Faroe Islands operate mostly out of Reykjavík Airport, which is located in the city center.
VISA
Iceland is a member of the Schengen Agreement. Nationals of EU and EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) countries only need a valid national identity card or passport for entry. All other visitors are required to have a passport valid for at least three months beyond the intended stay, and some will need a visa. Please check with the local embassy.
WEATHER
Iceland enjoys a cool temperate maritime climate thanks to the Gulf Stream, but the weather is known to change quickly and often. The average daily temperature in Reykjavik ranges from -1°C in January to 11°C in July.
LANGUAGE
The official language is Icelandic, but most Icelanders speak English.
CURRENCY
The Icelandic monetary unit is the Krona (ISK).
QUICK GUIDE
The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa and the most famous sight in Iceland.
The Gullfoss waterfall is spec-tacular.
Geysir, the namesake of all geysers,
and its neighbour Strokkur, which erupts every five minutes or so.
Þingvellir National Park, a beautiful landscape of watercut lava fields, which is historically important as the site of Iceland’s parliament from 930 AD.
Vatnajökull glacier is in Southeast Iceland and is Europe’s largest glacier.
Jökulsarlon, the largest glacier lake in Iceland, is located off Route 1 and part of Vatnajökull glacier.
In the colder months, one may frequently get stunning views of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights), anywhere away from city lights.
Whale watching available all year from Reykjavik and during the summer from Husavik.
Iceland is one of the safest places in the world, and there is almost no risk of getting robbed or harassed
EMERGENCY
Emergency phone number: 112.
We wish you to travel with the greatest possiblecomfort and to know that you have received as much
information as possible
PRICE & BOOKING
HOME
Photo by Donna Wood
EQUIPMENTWhether this is your first trip or your ”hundredth” workshop with us, it’s always helpful to have a rundown of what items
you may want to pack so you have a travel checklist. Bookmark this packing list, because you’ll want to refer back to it to make
sure you’ve thought of everything you might want to pack.
CLOTHING
The camera list is for inspiration, since you know better than any-one what equipment you prefer.
Bring you own laptop compu-ter and storage medium
Camera bodie(s)
Tripod
Lenses, 24-70mm zoom and 70-200mm zoom or similar lenses are very good
Bag for all camera gear
Light bag for easy hiking with camera bodies and accessories
Cleaning kit for cameras and lenses
Rain/dust covers for cameras and lenses
Charger for batteries
Spare batteries
Standard power converter
Raw processing software
Memory cards and card wal-lets
Memory card reader
USB key to exchange images
NICE TO HAVE
Lens extenders
Camera straps for ease of changing from one camera to another
Graduated filter set
Filter holder
High quality polarizing filter
Lens belt
A good plan is to dress “lay-er-by-layer”. You then are well prepared for whatever weather arrives.
Wind and waterproof jacket
Wind and waterproof pants
Rubber boots - with room for extra (wool) socks
Hiking boots
Wool underwear
Fleece/sweater
Cap
Gloves
Waterproof outdoor cushions - nice to sit on when we sail in the arctics or when we sit and enjoy the scenery on land.
A small backpack
Binoculars
NICE TO HAVE
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
A swimsuit (for hot springs in Iceland only)
CAMERA
Photo by Donna Wood
BETTERMOMENTS.COM
PHOTOGRAPHEROF T
HE M
ON
TH
Regular Better Moments traveler, Ross Brown, has received several international and prestigious photography awards, and has been selected for this month’s Photographer of the Month award. Ross Brown is a true inspiration for all photographers, as he has a special talent for details, colors, compositions and capture of dramatic light.
The photo was taken in Ilulissat Icefjord, captured from our private Better Moments helicopter.
Ross Brown was awardedPhotographer Of The Month, November 2015
Each month we select a photographer from one of our many workshops who deserves special recognition. The Photographer of the Month is chosen by the Better Moments workshop experts, including Better Moments CEO, Christian Nørgaard.