Svalbard 2023 – Gerry van der Walt

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Gerry van der Walt - Life and Performance Coach

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Gerry van der Walt

Svalbard 2023

One of my best Svalbard expeditions yet.

Stay safe and don’t forget to be awesome.

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gerryvanderwalt

Mindset & Performance Coach
International Expedition Leader
Co founder: @wildeyesa
Partner: @helly_hansenza
Partner: @omsystem_sa

Solitude has a voice. In black and white, a polar

Solitude has a voice.

In black and white, a polar bear’s quiet moment becomes something more - a meditation on wilderness, on survival, on the sublime silence of the Arctic. When you strip away color, you’re left with pure emotion, pure presence.

There’s a certain irony in how removing color can actually reveal more truth. Here, in monochrome, we see beyond the white bear and white ice.

We see mood, texture, the weight of existence in one of Earth’s most challenging environments. The bear’s lowered head, the soft light, the ethereal atmosphere - it all speaks to something deeper than a mere wildlife portrait.

This is one of my new personal favourites!

As I prepare for my return to the Arctic next week, I’m reminded that sometimes our most powerful images come not from action, but from stillness.

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” - Baba Dioum

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome!

G.
✌🏼

#PolarBear #MonochromeWildlife #ArcticArt #WildlifePhotography #BlackAndWhiteNature #SvalbardLife #WildlifePortrait #ArcticMood #FineArtPhotography #WildernessPhotography #PolarRegions #WildlifeArt #monochrome #wildeyesa

When Greenland’s ancient ice meets Arctic light,

When Greenland’s ancient ice meets Arctic light, magic happens.

These towering bergs - fragments of glaciers that calved millennia ago - stand like sentinels in the golden glow of a polar sunset. The scene was one of the amazing highlights we had during our recent @wildeyesa Arctic Voyage.

Nature has a way of humbling us with her artistry. Here, light, ice, and atmosphere conspire to create something that feels more like a painting than a photograph. Each iceberg tells a story thousands of years in the making, shaped by time and elements into these magnificent sculptures.

I’m reminded that some of the most profound moments in nature photography happen when we simply stand still and let the light do its dance. The silence of the Arctic has a melody all its own.

For the curious: This is what draws me north again and again. Not just the wildlife, but these moments when the boundary between earth and heaven seems to blur, when reality feels more like a dream.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget be awesome.

G:
✌🏼

#Greenland #ArcticLight #IcebergSilhouette #ArcticDreams #NaturePhotography #GoldenHour #ArcticArt #LandscapePhotography #PolarRegions #NordicLight #WildernessPhotography #WildEyeSA #GreenlandPower #IcebergPhoto #ArcticBeauty #NatureArt

There’s something powerful about witnessing pola

There’s something powerful about witnessing polar bears in their complete habitat.

Not just on the sea ice or swimming between floes, but here - where mountain meets snow, and light transforms the harsh into the sublime.

It’s a reminder that the Arctic isn’t just a frozen sea; it’s a world of contrasts and connections.

The bear’s upward gaze mirrors our own sense of wonder at these landscapes. As I prepare for my return to the high north - first for orcas in Norway, then through Svalbard and Scandinavia, and finally my personal March 🐋 expedition - it’s moments like these that fuel the endless pull of the polar regions.

“Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.” - Anatoli Boukreev

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome.

G.
✌🏼

#PolarBear #ArcticLight #greenland #WildlifePhotography #GoldenHour #ArcticWildlife #MountainScape #WildernessPhotography #PolarRegions #NaturePhotography #ArcticNature #WildlifePortrait #NordicLight #ArcticMountains #BearCountry #wildeyesa

“In the Arctic, time dissolves. What remains is

“In the Arctic, time dissolves. What remains is presence.” - Barry Lopez

Sometimes the most powerful wildlife moments aren’t about action - they’re about presence.

Here, a well-fed male polar bear lounges on his snowy perch, perfectly at ease against that signature Arctic blue sky.

There’s something almost meditative about watching a bear this relaxed in its element. While we often picture these apex predators hunting or swimming, moments like these remind us that even the Arctic’s greatest hunter knows how to appreciate a good rest with a view.

These images remind me why I keep returning to the frozen north. There’s an almost hypnotic quality to watching a polar bear so completely in its element - no stress, no hurry, just existing in harmony with this harsh yet beautiful landscape.

As I prepare for my upcoming Arctic season - from photographing orcas in Norway to guiding through Svalbard, Oslo, Tromsø, Helsinki and Lapland, before my personal expedition in March - I’m reminded that patience often rewards us with these intimate glimpses into wild lives.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome.
 G.

#PolarBear #Svalbard #ArcticNature #WildlifePhotography #BearLife #HighArctic #NaturePhotography #WildlifeMoments #SvalbardLife #PolarRegions #NordicLight #WildlifeConservation #ArcticBlue #WildlifePortrait #Svalbard

The Arctic is calling. This frozen self-portrait f

The Arctic is calling. This frozen self-portrait from my previous Svalbard expedition perfectly captures what draws me back to the north - that raw, unfiltered connection with one of Earth’s last true wildernesses.

When your beard freezes and your jacket turns to armor, you know you’re exactly where you need to be because it’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.

After an incredible US tour sharing wildlife photography insights and presentations, I’m trading warm lecture rooms for icy horizons. In two weeks, I’ll be heading to Northern Norway to guide an intimate @wildeyesa photo tour alongside @johan_van_zyl_photography focused on orcas and the mesmerizing aurora borealis.

December brings a special private guided Wild Eye tour weaving through Svalbard, Oslo, Tromsø, Helsinki, and deep into Lapland.

Then March sees me returning to the ice for a personal 12-day expedition - another step in my ‘white whale’ project that keeps calling me back to these frozen realms. Will be sharing updates on this and some new developments in my newsletter on Sunday. (You can sign up at the link in my bio!)

There’s something addictive about working in extreme environments. Every trip teaches you something new about yourself, your craft, and the delicate balance of life in these harsh conditions.

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destination. More soon.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget be awesome!

G.
✌🏼

#ArcticLife #Svalbard #NorthernExpedition #WildlifePhotography #ArcticExpedition #OrcaPhotography #NorthernLights #AuroraPhotography #ExtremePhotography #NordicAdventures #WildlifePhotoTour #Lapland #PolarRegions #ExtremeConditions #ArcticNature #PhotoExpedition #wildeyesa

Sometimes the simplest compositions speak the loud

Sometimes the simplest compositions speak the loudest - just light, dust, and one of Africa’s most iconic species.

As I wrap up my @wildeyesa US tour here in New York, sharing images like these reminds me why I fell in love with wildlife photography. It’s not just about documenting species; it’s about capturing moments of pure magic when light, subject, and atmosphere align to tell a story.

Thank you to everyone who joined me in LA, Chicago, and now NYC. Your passion for wildlife photography and creative vision has made this journey truly special. Together, we’ve explored how to transform ordinary moments into extraordinary images, just like this dusty encounter with a rhino.

Will be in touch with you all soon as well as sharing the PDFs from the various presentations we shared. 🙏🏼

There more days and then time to head back home.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome!

G.
✌🏼

#WhiteRhino #WildlifeArt #GoldenHour #AfricanWildlife #RhinoConservation #WildlifePhotography #DustySunset #ConservationPhotography #NYCWorkshop #PhotoTour #MinimalismInNature #WildlifePortrait #AfricanSafari

A Madikwe masterpiece unfolds as day bids farewell

A Madikwe masterpiece unfolds as day bids farewell. An elephant and a weathered leadwood tree stand in silent silhouette, their iconic African forms etched against a canvas of dusty orange hues. (Pretty dramatic hey? 😉)

This image captures more than just a moment; it shows the essence of the African bush at sunset. The interplay between the living elephant and the steadfast dead tree tells a story of time, resilience, and the ever-turning cycle of life in the savanna.

Silhouettes offer a powerful way to distill a scene to its most basic elements. By stripping away detail, we emphasize shape and form, allowing the viewer’s imagination to fill in the blanks.

It’s a reminder that sometimes what we don’t show is just as important as what we do.

Remember, great wildlife photography isn’t just about capturing what’s in front of your lens - it’s about conveying the mood, the atmosphere, the very spirit of a place.

If you would like to join any of my upcoming presentations and master classes in the USA, you can check out the link in my bio. 🇺🇸

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome.

G.
✌🏼

#AfricanSunset #WildlifeSilhouette #MadikweGameReserve #ElephantSilhouette #GoldenHourPhotography #AfricanSavanna #WildlifeArt #LightAndShadow #PhotoWorkshops #wildEyeSA #VisualStorytelling #AfricanWildlife #NaturePhotography

Power and presence: A titan of Amboseli towers abo

Power and presence: A titan of Amboseli towers above, framed by a moody sky. This low-angle, wide-angle shot transforms one of nature’s gentle giants into a monumental figure of awe and reverence.

In black and white, every wrinkle and texture of the elephant’s form becomes a study in light and shadow. The tusks, sweeping down from the center, guide our eyes through the frame, emphasizing the sheer mass and majesty of this incredible creature.

An amazing moment that embodies the art of perspective in wildlife photography. By getting low and using a wide-angle lens, we don’t just capture an elephant - we capture the experience of standing in the presence of an elephant. It’s about creating a visceral, emotional connection between viewer and subject.

In my upcoming presentations in the USA - you can find the links in my bio - we’ll dive deep into these techniques. I’ll be sharing how to use perspective, composition, and monochrome conversion to create images that don’t just show wildlife, but tell their story and convey their essence.

Remember, great wildlife photography isn’t just about documenting what animals look like - it’s about capturing how it feels to be in their presence. Sometimes, it’s about making the familiar feel new again.

Stay safe.
And don’t forget to be awesome.

G.
✌🏼

#WildlifePhotography #Elephants #Amboseli #MonochromeWildlife #LowAngleShot #WideAngleWildlife #BlackAndWhiteNature #ElephantPortrait #KenyaWildlife #PhotoComposition #WildlifeArt #BigTusker #PhotoWorkshops #USPhotoTour #VisualStorytelling #wildeyesa

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