SNOWY OWL
UP CLOSE

WITH PHOTOGRAPHER ARNFINN JOHANSEN

SNOWY OWL UP CLOSE

WITH PHOTOGRAPHER ARNFINN JOHANSEN

COUNTRY: Canada PHOTO: Birds LENGTH: 7 days DATES: 17-23/1 2027 GROUP SIZE: 8/10

The snowy owl is one of the most beautiful and photogenic birds I know. In a sparkling winter landscape, you can create minimalist, graphic images where shape and negative space elevate the subject. I look forward to taking you to Canada to experience and photograph these magnificent birds.

Arnfinn Johansen

Encountering a snowy owl in a winter landscape is an experience few nature photographers ever get to have. Imagine how it sweeps silently over snow-covered expanses, or how it sits still and alert at close range while the winter light sparkles around it. These are moments that feel both unreal and intense — and that offer photographic opportunities beyond the ordinary.

The snowy owl is considered one of our most fascinating birds. Its pure white plumage, piercing yellow eyes, and powerful, silent flight make it a subject that has attracted photographers and nature lovers for generations. The species lives in harsh northern environments, and sightings at our latitudes are both rare and unpredictable. That is precisely why encounters with this iconic bird are something many people dream about for a long time.

In parts of Canada, winter landscapes create particularly good conditions for photographing snowy owls. Vast snowfields, open horizons, and low, clear light create an environment where subject and surroundings interact in a unique way. Here, you can explore creative image solutions and work with mood, movement, and presence in every exposure. We are proud to offer a tour fully focused on the snowy owl, led by award-winning nature photographer Arnfinn Johansen.

The trip’s five intensive photography days revolve entirely around encounters with the tundra’s white hunter. In daylight, it often moves freely through the landscape and shows little fear of humans, providing unusually good opportunities to work close to the subject. The natural light highlights details, textures, and expression — perfect conditions for carefully crafted nature images.

During the photography sessions, we shift between different situations where both drama and stillness have their place. You will have the chance to follow snowy owls in low flight over sparkling surfaces, create graphic compositions against winter skies, and work with close portraits when the bird rests in its environment. Throughout, the focus remains on authentic behavior, technical quality, and images that convey the feeling of being right in the middle of the moment.

Even though the snowy owl is the main focus, nature is always dynamic. The landscape can offer unexpected encounters and additional photographic opportunities. If other species appear — for example, American Great Gray Owl or Barred Owl moving across the open terrain — we will of course take advantage of these opportunities.

TOUR HIGLIGTS

Excellent opportunities to photograph snowy owls.
Five full days dedicated to photography.
An almost tundra-like winter landscape.
Opportunities to photograph American Great Gray Owl and Barred Owl but the snowy owl is always the main priority.
Photograph snowy owls in flight over snow-covered surfaces, against the winter sky, and perched in their natural environment.
Arnfinn Johansen will be with you throughout the entire trip.
Personal photo coaching, guidance, tips, and advice from Arnfinn Johansen.

BOOKING

COUNTRY: Canada PHOTO: Wildlife LENGTH: 7 days DATES: 17-23/1 GROUP SIZE: 8/10

The snowy owl is one of the most beautiful and photogenic birds I know. In a sparkling winter landscape, you can create minimalist, graphic images where shape and negative space elevate the subject. I look forward to taking you to Canada to experience and photograph these magnificent birds.

Arnfinn Johansen

Encountering a snowy owl in a winter landscape is an experience few nature photographers ever get to have. Imagine how it sweeps silently over snow-covered expanses, or how it sits still and alert at close range while the winter light sparkles around it. These are moments that feel both unreal and intense — and that offer photographic opportunities beyond the ordinary.

The snowy owl is considered one of our most fascinating birds. Its pure white plumage, piercing yellow eyes, and powerful, silent flight make it a subject that has attracted photographers and nature lovers for generations. The species lives in harsh northern environments, and sightings at our latitudes are both rare and unpredictable. That is precisely why encounters with this iconic bird are something many people dream about for a long time.

In parts of Canada, winter landscapes create particularly good conditions for photographing snowy owls. Vast snowfields, open horizons, and low, clear light create an environment where subject and surroundings interact in a unique way. Here, you can explore creative image solutions and work with mood, movement, and presence in every exposure. We are proud to offer a tour fully focused on the snowy owl, led by award-winning nature photographer Arnfinn Johansen.

The trip’s five intensive photography days revolve entirely around encounters with the tundra’s white hunter. In daylight, it often moves freely through the landscape and shows little fear of humans, providing unusually good opportunities to work close to the subject. The natural light highlights details, textures, and expression — perfect conditions for carefully crafted nature images.

During the photography sessions, we shift between different situations where both drama and stillness have their place. You will have the chance to follow snowy owls in low flight over sparkling surfaces, create graphic compositions against winter skies, and work with close portraits when the bird rests in its environment. Throughout, the focus remains on authentic behavior, technical quality, and images that convey the feeling of being right in the middle of the moment.

Even though the snowy owl is the main focus, nature is always dynamic. The landscape can offer unexpected encounters and additional photographic opportunities. If other species appear — for example, American Great Gray Owl or Barred Owl moving across the open terrain — we will of course take advantage of these opportunities.

TOUR HIGLIGTS

Excellent opportunities to photograph snowy owls.
Five full days dedicated to photography.
An almost tundra-like winter landscape.
Opportunities to photograph American Great Gray Owl and Barred Owl but the snowy owl is always the main priority.
Photograph snowy owls in flight over snow-covered surfaces, against the winter sky, and perched in their natural environment.
Arnfinn Johansen will be with you throughout the entire trip.
Personal photo coaching, guidance, tips, and advice from Arnfinn Johansen.

BOOKING

OTTAWA

The landscape around Ottawa is an open, bright agricultural landscape where fields and open areas in winter are covered by a thick layer of snow that reflects light even on cloudy days. For a snowy owl, which hunts by sight and hearing, this is ideal hunting ground where small movements from voles and other small animals are revealed against the white background. Scattered groves of deciduous forest, frozen wetlands, and low shrubbery break up the open landscape. Here, there are perches where the owl can rest, scan, and conserve energy between hunts. From a pole, a hay bale, or a low tree branch, it can survey large areas without being particularly visible itself in the pale winter light. In the middle of the day, they may also sit completely still out on the tundra.

The wind often sweeps freely across the fields and shapes the snow into soft drifts and wave-like formations. For the snowy owl, the wind is both a challenge and an advantage — it can carry sounds and scents, but also helps the owl glide silently across the landscape while hunting.

The light during the Canadian winter is low and soft for large parts of the day. The sun stays low above the horizon, creating long shadows and a warm, golden light across the snow.

ITINERARY

17-23 JANUARY 2027

DAY 1 (Jan 17) – ARRIVAL IN OTTAWA
Arrival in Ottawa during the day. At our hotel, Wingate by Wyndham, you will be welcomed by Arnfinn Johansen. Before the evening welcome dinner, Arnfinn will give a presentation on snowy owl photography, where you will receive valuable tips on behavior, photographic technique, and how to best succeed with your images. Afterward, a welcome dinner will be served. (D)

DAYS 2–6 (Jan 18–22) – PHOTOGRAPHY DAYS WITH SNOWY OWLS
Five intensive days fully focused on snowy owls, with both morning sessions and afternoon/evening sessions. We will work with snowy owls in different situations from sunrise to sunset: portraits, behavior, action, and flight photography in backlight, sidelight, wind, snowfall with large snowflakes, or in cold conditions with many degrees below zero and beautiful blue and pink light.

We will lie in the snow and work from a low perspective with focus on foreground and background, white-out conditions, panning, and more. Warm clothing and boots are recommended! Weather conditions are similar to a cold and dry winter, typically between -15 and -25°C.

Normally there is not extreme snowfall, but drifting snow can occur. Regardless, there is always enough snow for the landscape to be completely white, snow-covered, and beautiful. Our photography sessions take place in the best light, approximately three hours per session. In the morning, we will be on location well before sunrise, and in the afternoon we photograph until after sunset. Throughout, the focus remains on authentic behavior, technical quality, and images that convey the feeling of being right in the middle of the moment. Ethics and respect for the birds are always a natural part of our approach.

You can bring a camera backpack with something to drink and space for your equipment. Around midday, we return to the hotel for lunch, which is paid individually on site.

If the owls are cooperative — which they usually are — everyone will return home with an amazing portfolio. If the opportunity arises, we will also look for other species such as American Great Gray Owl, Barred Owl, and more, but the snowy owl is the highest priority and the main photography sessions will focus on it.

As an example, all snowy owl images shown here were taken over two days! All of these images were taken with a 400 mm lens, a few with a 1.4x converter (built-in, 560 mm). On several occasions, 400 mm can be too tight, since the owls sometimes come very close, meaning 300 mm could be better. However, since I especially like the 400/2.8 and the bokeh the lens produces, I used only this lens during those days.

During the days, we also actively work with image composition to develop your photographic vision and strengthen your personal expression. The white snowy owl, with its intense yellow eyes, is very photogenic, and there are excellent opportunities to create beautiful, minimalist images with strong composition in the white landscape.

In the evenings, we gather in a calm and inspiring environment where we review the day’s experiences, edit and discuss images, receive personal feedback from Arnfinn, and share experiences, knowledge, and photography tips with each other. Dinners are taken at local restaurants near the hotel and are paid individually on site. (B)

DAY 7 (Jan 23) – DEPARTURE
After an intensive week filled with arctic nature experiences and unique close encounters with snowy owls, it is time to begin the journey home, which is arranged individually. (B)

Barred Owl

Programme for our trip to Canada.

17-23 JANUARI 2027

DAY 1 (Jan 17) – ARRIVAL IN OTTAWA
Arrival in Ottawa during the day. At our hotel, Wingate by Wyndham, you will be welcomed by Arnfinn Johansen. Before the evening welcome dinner, Arnfinn will give a presentation on snowy owl photography, where you will receive valuable tips on behavior, photographic technique, and how to best succeed with your images. Afterward, a welcome dinner will be served. (D)