Erez Marom Photography
MONGOLIA WINTER PHOTO WORKSHOP
Price: €13990 pp (or $US equivalent) / Deposit: €5990 pp
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AVAILABILITY
22nd January - 5th February 2029
Mongolia is a vast country located deep in central Asia, bordering Russia and China. It is the least densly populated country in the world, which leaves space for a whole lot of nature. In winter, this nature offers sights unimaginable in other parts of the world, including snowy dunes with great mountains as a backdrop, cracked, frozen rivers, frosted trees and the majestic (yet very grumpy!) Pallas' Cat. On this 16-day workshop, we will travel far and wide to the corners of the frozen desert to shoot all of these from land and from the air.
Main Features
- 15 days in 3 of Mongolia's most incredible winter shooting locations: Lake Khuvsgul, Jargant River and the Mongolian Steppe.
- Small group size (max 6) guarantees unparalleled personal attention
- High winter schedule promises freezing temperatures, incredible ice-frosting on the trees of Jargant River and hopefully lots of snow in the Steppe.
- Private transfers in 4X4 vehicles, domestic flights to ensure quick arrivals to our locations and maximum devotion to shooting.
- Professional photo guidance by an experienced, award-winning landscape photographer.
Day 1 Meeting in Ulaanbaatar
Upon landing in Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN), you will be picked up and transferred to our hotel. We will meet for an introductory dinner and discuss the plan for the days ahead.
Days 2-5 The Journey North, Lake Khuvsgul
After an early breakfast at the hotel, we will head back to the airport for a short domestic flight to the far north of Mongolia: Murun District. From Murun, we'll hop on our 4X4s and head to our first shooting location: Lake Khuvsgul. Reminicent of Lake Baikal in Russia, Khuvsgul's surface is frozen solid this time of year. This completely changes the look of it and its photographic opportunities, and also allows us to drive on it with our cars. Currents and winds push the ice sheets against each other, forming an infinite array of cracks and patterns, which we will spend a lot of time shooting, from the ground and from the air using drones.
During our stay in Lake Khuvsgul, we will reside in a special lodge with top notch ger tents, equippend with all the comfort and amenities you could wish for (well, almost). Western toilets, showers, comfortable beds and heating. Most importantly, the lodge is located smack in the middle of where we will shoot, which means we will avoid long drives and spend as much time as possible scouting and shooting.
After a morning shoot on day 5, we will hop on our cars and take a long, adventurous drive to our next location. On the way, we will fly our drones and shoot some incredible snowy mountain ranges.
Days 5-9 Jargant River
Our drive brings us to the second shooting location: Jargant River. This magical place offers something very few other do: a flowing, liquid river even when it's -35 degrees outside, made possible by the underground source of the water. The intense temperature difference between the water and the air causes heavy condentation, which in turns sticks to the adgacent trees and absolutely cakes them with ice. Needless to say, this is an extremely beautiful phenomenon, and we will spend a lot of time perfecting out shots of it.
There are additional photographic locations in the Jargat River area. Nomadic, reindeer-herding tribes are present and can be visited. In addition, we will take visits to the Ar Bosgot Canyon and to the Singing Spriongs, for some enjoyable photograhic variety.
On the morning of day 9, we will take a different route, this time driving on the frozen Khuvsgul Lake, and get back to Murun Airport. There are beautiful and very shootable landscapes on the way to Murun. Once we arrive, we will hop on a flight back to Ulaanbaatar and spend the night in our hotel there.
Day 10-14 The Mongolian Steppe, Grumpy Pallas' Cats
We will have breakfast at the hotel and then be picked up, this time heading east to the vast, empty spaces of the region known as the Mongolian Steppe. We will settle in traditional ger tents - this time, without all the amenities. Our time here will be dedicated to one thing: the wildlife of the Steppe: foxes, owls and most particularly, the incredibly beautiful Pallas' cat.
The Pallas' cat is very elusive. They are mainly shootable in the afternoons, since the trackers can more easily find them running around and hunting. Once the tracker team finds a cat, we will head to it and spend some time shooting it before letting it go on its business. The cats are very easy to get close to, so it's possible to shoot them without a telephoto lens. However, those will be needed in action shots: we will do our best to get images of the cats bolting and running.
On the morning of day 14 we will drive back to Ulaanbaatar, settle in our hotel for the last time and have a last dinner together.
Day 15 Departure
After breakfast, you will be taken to Ullanbaatar Airport for goodbyes and your flight home.
Total Price: €13990 per person in a shared room
Single Room Suppplement: €1550
Deposit: €5990
Maximum Number of Participants: 6 photographers. Non-photographers are welcome at a reduced price (but please consider the conditions) - contact me for help.
Physical difficulty: Advanced. Winter conditions in Mongolia can be extremely harsh, and you can expect temperatures down to -35 degrees Centigrade, in addition to strong winds (in the worst case), and hopefully some photogenic snow blizzards. There will be a little bit of hiking to get to the shooting spots, but it will not be very far. Suitable clothes and heat packs will greatly help you cope with the cold, so make sure you're well equipped, or else I promise you it will not be funny. I will assist you in buying winter clothes, boots and gloves to make your experience comfortable and enjoyable. Note that in the Steppe, we will be sleeping in Mongolian ger tents for 4 nights, which is a large step down from the comfortable lodge rooms in the other locations. Travels during the workshop are on the longer side, but they are done in comfortable vehicles.
Workshop Price Includes
- Accommodation in twin rooms (where hotels are available) and in heated gers (traditional tents) otherwise.
- Airport pickup and dropoff.
- Full board throughout the workshop.
- Two domestic flights (to Murun and back).
- Professional photography guidance by an award-winning nature photographer.
- Expert local guides with us at all times.
- Travels in 4X4 vehicles
- Post-processing lectures and critique sessions where and when possible.
- Taxes on all services listed above
Workshop Price Does Not Include
- Airfare to Ulaanbaatar Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN).
- Thermal clothing and winter gear.
- Insurance. It is mandatory to insure yourself against physical injury, and highly recommended to insure your photo gear. Tour leaders will not be responsible in case of any personal injuries or damage to photographic gear as a result of an accident during the workshop. A good insurance policy can make a big difference should something happen, and ensure a safe return home.
- Alcoholic drinks.
- Non-meal-time soft drinks.
- Single room/tent supplement (€1550).
Photography Equipment
- A digital camera, preferably a DSLR camera with a full-frame sensor, since these cameras have better low-light capabilities. However, a crop-sensor DSLR will also suffice. Please note that some cameras, such as the Sony A7 series, are more sensitive to cold temperatures and might act up unless kept warm with heat packs. If you have questions regarding your equipment, feel free to contact me for help.
- A light, steady carbon fiber tripod.
- A telephoto zoom lens, with a maximum focal length of at least 500mm. Good options are the Canon 100-500mm or Nikon 200-600mm. Telephoto prime lenses can also be used, but they are more limiting, so only bring them if you have a lot of experience.
- An ultra wide angle lens. For example, a Canon 15-35mm on a FF sensor camera, or a Nikon 10-24mm on a crop sensor camera.
- A mid-range zoom such as a 24-105mm.
- Highly recommended: a camera drone with ND and CPL filters (contact me for help).
Clothing
- Full thermal gear is absolutely essential. I typically wear a thick thermal base layer, a light down jacket as a mid layer and a heavy down coat on top.
- Good quality warm gloves. It's important to use gloves which enable you to operate the camera while wearing them, but are still very warm.
- Recommended: warm mitts to wear above the gloves.
- Thermal long-johns.
- Thermal, water resistant trousers.
- Water-proof, thermal rubber boots. These have to be top notch if you don't want to suffer in the cold - contact me for help.
- Thermal socks. I recommend bringing at least 4-5 pairs.
- An alpine mask (balaclava) to protect your face from the cold.
- A good warm hat which covers your ears (otherwise they will fall off!).
Other
- Heat-packs (lots of them) for your hands and feet. To be safe, pack 2 full sets of heat packs for every day of shooting.
- Head light.
Payment Procedure
In order to secure your spot, you are required to transfer a deposit of €5990. This deposit will be refunded only in case the workshop gets cancelled for some reason. For your comfort, the deposit can be payed either through PayPal or via bank transfer (contact me for details).
The full amount (minues the deposit, after discounts if applicable) must be payed via wire transfer 100 days prior to the workshop starting date. You may pay with any major currency.
In the case you need to cancel your participation, a 50% refund (excluding deposit) will be given up to 75 days prior to the workshop starting date and a 33% refund up to 60 days prior to the workshop starting date.
I reserve the right to increase the price of the workshop if costs rise extremely due to unexpected changes in fees, taxes or exchange rates. This is, of course, extremely unlikely.
Disclaimer
The tour plan above is subject to change. If weather conditions are unfavorable we might not be able to fulfil some of the planned activities. Important: In order to join the workshop, you will be required to sign a contract that establishes that the tour leaders are not responsible to physical or proprietary damages, and that you understand and accept several behavioral standards (e.g. not being late and not taking excessive risk), necessary to ensure the workshop's success and your safe return.
BOOK NOW
AVAILABILITY
22nd January - 5th February 2029