Algerian Arch Angels IV by MarselvanOosten

Last month I was Highly Commended in the Travel Photographer Of The Year Awards for a series of images that I shot in Algeria.

This is the fourth image from that series. The first image is here, as well as some background info.

The Sahara is constantly changing – the sand goes where the wind goes. As a result, the dunes are always on the move. In some areas entire rock formations have been swallowed by the sand, in others you can still witness this happening – like in this shot. The guy on top of the arch is one of our crew.

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If you’re interested in joining us on one of our photo tours, please check out my website for more tour dates, images, video clips, and more:

Squiver Photo Tours & Workshops

Marsel

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©2015 Marsel van Oosten, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.

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Entrapment by MarselvanOosten

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The ice in Antarctica can not be trusted. It tries to seduce you with its amazing shapes, subtle tones, and ultimate wildness, making you want to go in there with a zodiac and explore. And weak as we were, that’s exactly what we did.
To see skyscraper sized icebergs from aboard a zodiac is pretty incredible. And if you get the perfect conditions, it looks even more impressive. Big ice, gloomy skies and the dark Antarctic waters are very effective aphrodisiac for any photographer.

But you have to be careful – the current can suddenly change and all the ice can be pushed into one direction, yours for instance. That what happened with us. One moment we were photographing the giant icebergs reflecting in the black water, the next we were slowly being surrounded by sea ice that came from all directions and got denser by the minute.

The nightmare scenario is obviously that you’re gonna get trapped and can no longer move the zodiac. Our ship could of course rescue us, but that really depends on where the zodiac is and whether the water is deep enough for the ship. Luckily, the zodiac drivers are all very experienced, and we managed to get back to the ship safely, but you can imagine how those first explorers must have struggled in situations like this.

It was a great experience and it made for some excellent photography. Everything handheld of course.

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If you’re interested in joining us later this year on our Antarctica photo tour, please check out my website for more pictures, a tour impression video clip, and a detailed PDF:

Squiver Photo Tours & Workshops

Hope to see you there!

Marsel

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©2015 Marsel van Oosten, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.

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Watching Television by MarselvanOosten

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In two weeks time I’ll be off to Japan again for our annual White & Wild Japan tour.

Many years ago, I started to experiment with off-camera flash in an effort to create truly original images of the often photographed Japanese snow monkeys. At the time, no one else was doing this, so it seemed like a good thing to do. And it was. Over the years I’ve created an entire series using this technique, and it eventually won me the Grand Title ‘International Nature Photographer Of The Year’ at the International Photography Awards. I’m still very proud of that achievement, but it also taught me a valuable lesson: it pays off if you try to be different.

We’re still in the early stages of the digital revolution, but you can already see how it has changed photography. Just look at this website for instance. Someone posts a picture on 500px, that picture becomes very popular, and soon after you will see a lot more pictures taken at that same location or of that same subject. Locations that were once exotic have turned into cliches within a decade. If you’re the exploring type and/or love hiking, you don’t have to worry – people probably won’t be able to find your locations and copy what you’re doing. But the moment you decide to photograph a common subject or a well know location, it’s good to know that you have to put in some extra work to make your images stand out from the rest. That’s not easy, but in the end, it will be a good thing for both yourself as an artist and for the quality of photography in general.

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If you’re interested in joining us on our White & Wild Japan tour to photograph snow monkeys, Japanese cranes, Steller’s sea eagles and whooper swans, please check out our website for more information:

Squiver Photo Tours & Workshops

Marsel

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©2015 Marsel van Oosten, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.

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The Big Freeze by MarselvanOosten

Antarctica is probably the wildest place on earth. It’s very remote, the climate is extreme, the terrain is treacherous, and tourism is highly regulated. Over the past years, I have visited this amazing continent several times, and each time I’m baffled by the awe-inspiring landscape. If you like rugged scenery, floating ice and reflections, this is it.

If you’re interested in joining me next year on a landscape and wildlife photography trip of a lifetime, please check out my website for more pictures, a tour impression video clip, and a detailed PDF:

Squiver Photo Tours & Workshops

Hope to see you there!

Marsel

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

©2014 Marsel van Oosten, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.

http://bit.ly/1JbykvZ

The Big Freeze by MarselvanOosten

Antarctica is probably the wildest place on earth. It’s very remote, the climate is extreme, the terrain is treacherous, and tourism is highly regulated. Over the past years, I have visited this amazing continent several times, and each time I’m baffled by the awe-inspiring landscape. If you like rugged scenery, floating ice and reflections, this is it.

If you’re interested in joining me next year on a landscape and wildlife photography trip of a lifetime, please check out my website for more pictures, a tour impression video clip, and a detailed PDF:

Squiver Photo Tours & Workshops

Hope to see you there!

Marsel

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

©2014 Marsel van Oosten, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.

http://bit.ly/1JbykvZ