Month: September 2025

Photo Tour to Greenland

Below is a recap of the Strabo Photo Tour Collection trip to Greenland in September 2025. We’ll do this trip again in September 2027 if you’re interested in joining us.

We flew round trip out of Newark. Some flew to Iceland first and then to Greenland.

Arrival in Nuuk at 6:45pm.  Travel time was 4 hours and 15 minutes.  Meal on the plane but that was lunch.  Pack your puffy jacket where you can get to it.  There’s a walk across the tarmac and it is cold. 

Terminal is a gray, modern facility built against the rocks.  Efficient and easy to get around.  (Click one of the photos below for a slide show. The images will show full-frame.)

Arrived at Hotel Egede.  Modern and efficient.   My room had two single beds, desk, and couch.  Nice amount of room.  No fridges in the rooms.  Coffee makers, though.

Our first day in Nuuk, we walked to the Nuuk Cathedral and Hans Egede statue.  Church was closed but we stayed there for an hour.  I explored the graveyard behind the church.  Climb to the statue was easy but could be difficult.  The terrain is large round rocks with a bit of moss and dirt between.  A cruise ship was in port so we had 20 or 30 people around us doing the climb and exploring. (Click one of the photos below for a slide show. The images will show full-frame.)

 

We walked toward the shoreline and up a street to Myggadalen or the Pano Viewpoint.  Ocean to the left and colorful houses to the right.  Cold, slippery, and rainy. 

Backtracked to the Old Colonial Harbor and the “Lady of the Sea” statue along the shoreline.  The tide was in so we didn’t see much of the statue.  The group agreed to return at low tide so we could photograph the statue. 

We wandered, photographed and then stopped for coffee and bathroom.  Found a little place near the Nuuk Local Museum and the ferry dock where we’d depart the following day.  Coffee, pastries, and ice cream were very good. 

Continued our walk to the boardwalk that follows the shoreline to the south.  The group spread out and enjoyed the photography.

The walk continued around the old, industrial housing blocks.  Then past a school and back to the road with the Hotel Egede.  We decided on Café LoLo for lunch. 

Back to the hotel and then the grocery store for lunch on Thursday.  Fun to walk the isles and see what they eat.  I found flat bread (30K), cheese (30K), and an apple.  Turned out to be perfect for me for two days.  There are no refrigerators in the hotel rooms, so sandwiches were out.  Several went over at 7am the following morning to buy their sandwiches. 

Left the hotel at 9pm for possible northern lights at the church and statue.  Stayed out until 11pm when it was just too cold to stand anymore.  Very nice half moon coming up at twilight. Walked back to the hotel. 

Thursday, Sept 11, we met in the lobby at 8:15am for a private excursion up the fjord to the icebergs. Our captain and Sebastian, our English-speaking guide, were both native Greenlanders. 

Both were amazing to be with.  Sabastian answered all our questions.  He once lived in the abandoned settlement an hour from Nuuk.  He was also a photographer so pointed to things that were interesting. (Click one of the photos below for a slide show. The images will show full-frame.)

The sun came out when got to the base of the glacier, probably Ilulialik, and the captain killed the engine.  That gave us a chance to enjoy the quiet and photograph the icebergs.  The captain grabbed a piece of clear ice with his net, rinsed it off, and then let it dry in the sun.  Then he chipped it into cups and poured a bit of whisky over the ice.  We saluted, celebrated, took photos, and enjoyed the drink.  I just ate the ice, which was very hard, since I’m not a fan of whisky. 

Icebergs in a quiet fjord.

We returned to Nuuk and arrived around 2pm. Dinner at one of the restaurants in town.

Walk after dark to maybe see the northern lights over town.

Friday, Sept 12th was our journey to glamping at Kangiussaq.  Overnight luggage was stored below.  Boat was full so no room for camera bags in the passenger compartment. 

Arrived at the glamping site at 12pm.  The boat captain circled an iceberg so we could all touch it.  We took pictures of each other with our hand on the iceberg.  ATV came down for luggage.  Some hiked directly over the hills to the dining tent.  It was steep.  Others walked the road that the ATV used. 

We gathered in the dining tent for a lunch of cheese and cold cut sandwiches.  After settling in, some went hiking with a guide to see a lake on top of the mountains.

Sleeping Tents have a kerosene heater that’s turned on at night. Twin beds on very comfortable mattresses. Each had a fluffy down comforter and pillow. There were a couple of pieces of furniture around the tent such as a shelf and small stool for dressing. (Click one of the photos below for a slide show. The images will show full-frame.)

Dinner of muskox stew over pasta and tomato sauce over pasta for the vegetarians.

We were so lucky.  It was clear when we arrived and the forecast was for a clear night.  After dinner, we reviewed the instructions for the camera settings.  Everyone got their tripods ready and attached to their cameras. We then divided the night so each person would set their alarm clock for a specific time. 

I got the 11:00pm time slot.  The camp staff said the northern lights would be around 2am.  When I looked out my tent at 11:00, there was a streak of light right across the sky.  The white cloud effect and not the green light.  I knew what it was so started hollering at the group.  Everyone cooperated with an “I’m awake” so I knew we were all awake and ready to photograph. 

I walked from tent to tent to get some kinks worked out.  Folks were nervous and cold so brains weren’t clicking on all cylinders. 

We all got great shots but the couple in the back tent got the greatest shot!  All the tents in the foreground with not distortion in the tents.  (Click one of the photos below for a slide show. The images will show full-frame.)

Morning of Septembrer 13 was so cold.  There was frost on the ground everywhere.  Getting washed up in from of the heater was miserable.  It was cold. 

Breakfast in the dining tent.  There was cheese and cold cuts on bread.  One bread was made with left over rice.  It was a sort of spoon bread with great flavor.  We made lunch from the breakfast spread. 

Everyone was super happy because they got photos of the northern lights.  Very upbeat attitude.  I did bit of hiking on my own.  We photographed the kayakers as they made their way around the island in the center of the inlet.  We talked and visited with the staff.  Everyone answered our questions. 

Out of tents by 10:00am.  Waiting for the boat to arrive at 11:30.  Departure at 12pm.  Back at the Nuuk harbor at 2pm. 

Sunday, September 14, we got to the airport and checked in by 7:00am.  Vouchers from the hotel for breakfast.  Departed right on time for Newark.  NOTE FOR THE FUTURE: Leave heavy coat out for the walk across the tarmac. 

Strabo Photo Tour Collection

How to Move Photos to Hard Drive

Frequently people ask me how to move their photos from the SD card to their hard drive. Variations include “how to copy photos from memory stick to computer”, “how to move photos from CF card to hard drive”, etc. The basic idea is taking the photos off the camera’s card and putting them on the computer’s hard drive.

Step 1: Plug your card into the computer using a card reader or the slot in your computer. SUGGESTION: Buy a card reader that plugs into your computer. Different cameras use different cards. A card reader might have five slots for different types of cards. These gadgets are always handy to have.

Step 2: Once your card is plugged into your computer you’ll get an icon that looks like this on your desktop.

Open a Finder window. Click on the Hard Drive destination for the photos. I have a folder called “My Picture” on my Hard Drive. That’s where I put all my pictures.
Open a second Finder window. (Right click on Finder and select “New Finder Window”.) Double click on the EOS_Digital and you’ll see a DCIM folder. Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Olympus will call the card something else but everyone has a DCIM folder.
Double click on the DCIM folder to open it. Double click on the folder containing your photos. In the example above, Canon calls the folder 100EOSR6.
You’ll see your photos. The example above is in List view. Notice the date I took the photo is under Date Modified. A correct date and time in your camera will give the correct information here. Select the photos you’d like to move or copy. They will be highlighted in blue. (Note shown here)
Click on your first Finder window. (Click up by the words My Pictures to do this.) Click the icon show above and select New Folder. We’re going to make a new folder for your photos. Name the folder something that makes sense to you. Use the date, location, subject, etc.
Once you’ve made the folder, double click to open it.
Click on the folder you made for the photos. With the folder open, click on the second Finder window. The photos you selected earlier will turn blue. Click and drag the photos into the new folder. If click and drag is hard for you, use copy and paste. Those are found in the Edit menu at the top left.

I hope this helps. Post any questions below. Yes, I know there are other ways to do this. This blog illustrates my method.

Northern Lights: How To Photograph

The days are getting shorter in the northern hemisphere so it’s time to start thinking about photographing Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis.

 How to photograph Northern Lights :

  • Shutter Priority Mode:  Shutter speed about 20” second, ISO Auto. This should give you a wide-open aperture with an ISO in the 800 to 1600 range.
  • Alternative with Manual Mode – 20” shutter, wide open aperture in the 1.4, 2.8, or 3.5 range, ISO 800 to 1600 to balance the light meter. NOTE: this will change as the lights dance across the sky so watch the light meter.  Only change the ISO to balance the light meter.
  • Long Exposure Noise Reduction OFF.
  • Camera on tripod.
  • Shutter release attached to camera.  My preference is the Vello Shutterboss II wired.
    • Focus 1/3 of the way into the scene.  Turn off Auto Focus.  Watch your focus during shooting.
      • Set Focus Peaking if you’d like.  It works very well in the dark.
      • Mirrorless cameras have a focusing scale viewable on the back screen. 
      • Usually there’s a line that you put in the middle of the infinity symbol.
  • Compose so there’s an interesting foreground.  Reflections in the water are nice.
  • Check the first photos to make sure the stars are pinpoints of light.  Double-check the edges. We don’t want streaks on the stars.  If the stars are not pinpoints of light, make the shutter speed faster.  My lens likes 13” seconds.   
  • When the lights are “dancing” across the sky, a faster shutter speed is needed to get defined streaks of color.
  • Green is the only color you’ll see with your naked eye.  The reds, blues, and purples look like hazy clouds.  We see those colors on the finished photo.

Photographing Moths at Night: Ring Light

– I got the set-up to take moth pics on my back porch (like they were using at Bracken cave that night). I got the extension tubes you suggested and they work great. At home I can sit in one of my deck chairs and put a spotlight between my legs and shine it on the moth for lighting.

Someone mentioned a ring light that goes around the lens that provides light. I have the Canon EOS R7. Would that work on my camera and if so which would you recommend? If I am at an event like that night at Bracken I will need a light source attached to my camera in some capacity.

My Answer: So glad that you like the extension tubes.  They are a wonder to have!!

You can use the flashlight to illuminate the moths.  You can use a flash like the Canon EL-5 ($329). 

There’s also the Macro Ring Light MR-14EX II ($589) that fits on the front of the lens.  This gives a more uniform light since the light is coming from the front of the lens versus the top of the camera.  (See example below)

Godox has a ring light, also.  It runs $289.  I’ve never used it but the Godox flashes seem to be pretty compatible with Canon cameras. 

There’s also the two light systems.  Godox has the MF12-K2 Macro Flash Kit for $249.  There are two tiny flashes on the font of the lens.  This allows you to angle the individual flashes for more natural lighting.  Canon has a similar system, Macro Twin Lite MT-26EX-RT but it runs $1079. 

So there’s flashlight illumination method.  The ring light or the two macro flash kits.  Each has its positives and negatives. 

I hope that helps. Post questions or experiences with these products below.

Moths photographed by John Tveten using a basic ring flash. The Book of Texas Moths from Texas A&M University Press by Gary Clark and Kathy Adams Clark with photographs by John Tveten.

Join me for my Macro Photography: Master Class Online
Nov 11, 18, 25, and Dec 2, 2025 7-8:50pm central Register