Thank you for joining us in the 17th edition of PT Explorers! Ole, it is a pleasure to have you here. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a photographer, expedition leader, author and conservationist based in Norway. I started as a fulltime photographer in 2003, mainly photographing wildlife, but since 2005 I have also been one of the founders of an expedition company now named WildPhoto Travel, with photo expeditions to Svalbard, Antarctica, Greenland and Alaska. I’m also a family man with five children.
How did your photography journey begin?
I started my photographic company in 1998 as a side business, but after five years I decided to follow my dream as a full-time photographer. In the beginning I earned most of my money on publishing photographic books, but after a few years I became more and more involved in arranging and leading photographic expeditions to Polar regions.
Can you name a few challenges you face in the conservation field?
As a conservationist it has been challenging to create awareness about certain topics. I’ve worked four years with a project called Polar Bears & Humans, where I have collected information about the high level of polar bear hunting and tried to prove that the Canadian hunting management is not sustainable, and the international trade in polar bear skin should be banned.
At the moment, most conservation organizations only focus about climate change issues – which of course is important – but nobody seems to care about the 800–1000 polar bears killed every year. That makes me frustrated!
What are your principles and how do you bring them into your work?
My main principle is to try to reveal the true information about what is happening, even if it’s not supporting what I initially thought was the main problem. For me it was difficult to accept that climate change last 15-20 years has not been the main problem for polar bears in areas with hunting, like Canada, Alaska and Greenland. The main problem has been and still will be for the next 10- 15 years the unsustainable hunting and killing of the strongest and healthiest bears with the best fur quality. I needed at least one year to digest and accept this information, but I still wanted to get the statistics and information out to the public about the current threat to polar bears.
You have an amazing collection of photographs. Do you have any advice or photography tips that you can give to our readers?
My main advice in photography is to learn how to use your equipment, learn the photographic techniques and then take the pictures you want – not what you think other people want.
I also encourage photographers to not just copy other photographers or images but try to find your own path based on your own interests, background and history.
How would you like to see your work make an impact on over the next five years?
I’ve just published a conservation book named “Polar Bears & Humans”, and I’ve already had a few meetings with governmental wildlife managers for changing the laws and regulations. I’m working with a few magazines to get the information out, and I also hope to make a documentary film about polar bear management. I hope the information I’ve collected and the images I’ve taken will work as a wakeup call for governments, organizations and other people to stop the International trade in polar bear products and secondly ban polar bear trophy hunting. I hope to see an awakening about unsustainable hunting and actions to change the laws in the next 2-3 years. I will continue to talk to decision-makers, have presentations and make articles about this topic, and hopefully more people will be engaged, and we will have a successful campaign to give polar bears better protection. We will see if it will be successful or not.
Do you have any meaningful or special moments that you’d like to share from your expeditions?
For me it’s always great to be up in the Arctic, in the drifting sea ice where the polar bears, seals and arctic birds are found. The silence, fresh air and wilderness is just breathtaking, and I wish more people could experience it. This habitat is melting, and we have to protect it before it is too late!
Let’s chat about your upcoming expeditions. What does a typical trip out to Svalbard or Antarctica with you look like?
In Svalbard we use a small ice strengthened ship, so we can travel northeast to the main polar bear areas. We only allow 12 photographers on board which makes the expedition much more interesting and better for photographers who like more space and small crowds. Our main target for these expeditions are polar bears, whales, seals, arctic birds and of course the great landscape with glaciers and sea ice. The light in the Arctic is also magic, so it’s a dream area for photographers! An Antarctica expedition is similar, but we need a bigger and stronger ship (about 74 guests), and we do more landings than in Svalbard. We try to enter land early in the morning and late in the evening to get the best light conditions. Antarctica is really great, but we have decided that September 2019 will be our last photo expedition to Antarctica, since bigger ships will enter the market soon, and I’m afraid it will soon be crowded around the best areas in Antarctica.
Can you share any tips/advice to readers who would like to venture out into Svalbard?
If you want to photograph polar bears, you have to book your trip with an expedition ship to the northern and eastern areas of Svalbard to maximize your chances of great photo opportunities. From the ship or a zodiac, you can photograph polar bears safe and without disturbing them. I recommend you do some research and find a serious tour operator with great experience. Make sure you join a ‘photographers only’ expedition, otherwise you will waste your money on a normal tourist trip.
Of the countless photographs you have taken, do you have an all-time favourite?
My most successful image is “Living on thin ice” which was a category winning image in the Wildlife Photographer of the year 2012. The polar bear on the ice floe in its fragile environment, was an emotional moment for me. I had thought about that kind of image for years, and suddenly all things came together.
Was there ever a time where you felt like you were in danger on your expedition? Do you mind giving some more information for those who are in such scenarios?
The main danger in the Arctic for me in Svalbard is not polar bears but glacier ice. Even at a distance of 300-500 meter from a glacier wall it can be dangerous if the glacier front is collapsing. I’ve experienced such a collapse once while in a zodiac, but at about 500 meter we were safe, but it was a scary experience. So always keep safe distance from active glacier fronts.
Are you partial to any specific type of equipment in your photography trips? Is there any particular reason why?
My main equipment on photo expeditions to Svalbard or other destinations is my 600mm long lens. Birds and mammals might not be close to the ship or zodiac, and a long lens is great for capturing some action. Secondly, I always bring a wide angle, like 14-24mm or 24-70mm to include the landscape and environment around the wildlife in my photographs.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be and why? How do you think we as a community can work closer towards that?
If people cared more about each other and nature, and not only about how to maximize our own private benefits and consumption, I think the world would be better. To move towards this situation, I think we must start early with the children and educate them more about respect, awareness and values, instead of only rating them how good or bad they are at school. Adults are more difficult to reform…
Finally, how do you think wildlife photographers can make a difference when it comes to conservation?
Conservation is about raising awareness about species, nature and our environment and inspire people to take actions to protect and enjoy it. I think photography is one of the most powerful tools to help people connect to nature and wildlife, and feel responsibility to love and protect what surrounds us.
