The Faroe Islands is an isolated archipelago of 18 rocky, windswept, glacier-carved, and sparsely populated volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean roughly half way between Iceland and Norway. The islands rise sharply from the relentless sea, creating some of the most dramatic landscape in the northern hemisphere; tall mountains, steep cliffs, rocky shores, deep valleys, glacial lakes, and narrow fjords. Warm Gulf Stream waters mix with an influx of polar currents around the islands, creating a highly productive and dynamic marine ecosystem. As a result of the intersection of warm and cold ocean currents, these relatively small islands are impacted by ever-changing weather, offering up many opportunities for the patient photographer to capture the variable moods of the landscape, from fog to stunning and dramatic light – sometimes at the same time. Connected by a network of roads, causeways, tunnels, bridges, and ferries, human settlement is found along the coastline while the higher elevations and interior are largely untouched.

Join Mike Shipman on this intimate, 4-person trip to explore some of these islands and their fantastical landscapes, from high overlooks to intimate details, under widely variable weather conditions. Sites on the general itinerary are Kallur Lighthouse, the villages of Bour, Gasadalur, Nordradalur, Tjørnuvík, and others, waterfalls, sea stacks (Drangarnir boat tour, Trøllkonufingur and others), the Slave Cliff Trælanípa, lakes, sheep, people, and a variable coastline. Long exposures, composition, general camera operation, exploring personal vision, and more will be the content of this workshop. May is usually the driest month in this part of the world, but we shouldn’t be disappointed to experience some parts of every season. We will immerse ourselves in the experience, spending quality time at each location, not run-and-gun. Some locations will require an easy to moderately strenuous hike of 1-2 hours each way carrying your gear over sometimes uneven, rocky, wet ground with high elevation views under variable weather conditions. Please consider your abilities when committing to this workshop. On the Drangarnir boat tour, there is opportunity for a short, steep hike with risk of slipping and serious injury, but otherwise is an easy to moderate excursion on this trip. The archipelago covers an area approximately 70 miles x 50 miles and travel between locations is usually less than an hour, but can be as along as 90 minutes. So, we are always close to somewhere to take advantage of prevailing conditions. We will photograph under all but the most inhospitable conditions because the weather can be quite different between locations.