Faroe Islands Photo Adventure
February 4-10, 2025
Location: Faroe Islands
Dates: February 4-10, 2025
Tuition: $4,999 (Shared Room) $5,699 (Single Room)
Group Size: 6
Instructor: Raynor Czerwinski and Josh Merrill
Tour Overview: Join us on this exciting new adventure to one of the worlds most amazing island archipelagoes. Located in the North Atlantic, midway between Iceland and Norway, this secluded cluster of islands is full of rugged and rocky mountains. The coasts of these islands are typified by the worlds most dramatic sea cliffs, unbelievable sea stacks, and mixed sand beaches.
During this workshop, we will experience nature’s drama at every level. The dramatic weather in the North Atlantic perfectly compliments this spectacular landscape. High winds, crashing waves, moody skies and snowcapped fjords are the perfect recipe for stunning photography. We’ve timed this trip in order to have the greatest chance of fresh snow on the hills, which takes this amazing landscape to another level. We’ll see a myriad of waterfalls and Fjordlands. We’ll walk along sheer cliffs and we’ll see history on display as we photograph ancient, sod-roofed churches and homes. We’ll take a chartered boat ride (weather permitting) out to Dragarnir, one of the most incredible sea stacks in the world.
An emphasis will be given to time spent in the field, creating incredible images, and working one-on-one with Josh and Raynor to improve craft and creativity. We will explore these stunning places with a very small group that will maximize your learning and will ensure greater flexibility for us to get to the very best locations for the conditions that we experience. This tour will up the ante, with 4-star accommodations, and all meals included.
• 4-Star accommodations at Hotel Føroyar
• Breakfast Buffet, Packed Lunch, and 3-Course Dinner every day of the workshop
• Ground transportation upon arrival at Vágar Aiport
• Private boat tour chartered to Drangarnir (Weather permitting)
• Hiking fees where required
• Ultra small group environment, with only 6 participants
• Instruction in the field: craft and creative strategies for landscape photography
• Image reviews
• Instruction on digital darkroom workflow
• Transportation to and from the workshop
• Alcohol
Most of the locations that we will photograph on this trip will feature easy access, but there will be a couple which will require moderate hiking. None of our hikes will go beyond 3 miles each way, but you’ll need a moderate level of physical fitness and some experience hiking to manage this tour safely.
Several of our locations will be along cliffs with no guardrails. We will emphasize safety in such situations, but will also advise that photographers with significant fear of heights may find this uncomfortable.
SLR, or mirror-less camera system. A camera that you are most comfortable with is key here. It would be ideal to have a main camera body and a backup.
If you are interested in using a great Photography Backpack System, Look no further than Fstop Gear. These backpacks are the best I have ever used. The Lotus would be a great pack for this trip. (make sure to buy an ICU “Internal Camera Unit” for packaging your camera safely, multiple sizes available on the F-stop gear website)
Wide angle lens. I’m a big fan of prime lenses, but a good wide angle zoom will work great as well. Something in the 18-24mm range will be great. If you have an APS-C camera (crop sensor), remember that you will need a 12mm lens to have the equivalent of an 18mm lens on a full frame camera.
Telephoto lens. An 80-200 will be a good lens to have access to on this trip.
Good sturdy tripod. Carbon fiber preferred. I would recommend tripods from: Gitzo, Really Right Stuff, and Manfrotto. If you spent less than $300 on a tripod and head, chances are it is not high quality. Cheap tripods not only will most likely break, but will often not function well due to poor design and low quality.
L-Bracket * I find these to be such an important piece of gear, especially for shooting landscape
Cable Release Not only do these cable releases help to ensure a sharp photo by reducing camera vibrations, they also allow longer exposures.
Graduated Neutral Density Filters (ND Grads). I also find these essential. A lot of my teachings revolve around these wonderful filters. I recommend Grads and filters made by Breakthrough filters. A 2 stop hard and a 3 stop hard is a great start.
ND Filters. If you want to experiment with long exposures, I would recommend getting a couple of their full ND’s as well. A 6 stop and a 10 stop is a great start to help you experiment with long exposure photography. Breakthrough Filters are the best. The are the sharpest and the most color neutral of all the filters on the market. I recommend getting the lee 100mm filter holder system. You will also need adapter rings for your lenses.
Polarizer. If yo have a 100mm filter system for your ND Grads and ND’s, I recommend getting a 4×4 inch polarizer. With this setup, you can quickly add or remove polarization to any scene you are shooting.
Extra Batteries. You will have the ability to charge your batteries every night, but its always good practice to have a few extras at hand.
3-5 Good lens cloths (I find “The Spanky” to be one of the best on the market )
Clothing for a variety of weather conditions from 15F to 45F
• Rain Jacket and Pants
• Down Layer
• Hiking Boots, and Fisherman’s Boots
• Gloves and Hat
• Plenty of Wool Socks
• Moisture Wicking Base Layer
• Traction Device for Boots, in case we experience any icy paths. (Kahtoola MICROspikes are a great option)
Our base of operations will be the 4-Star Hotel Føroyar, in Torshavn. We’ll enjoy comfortable lodging, and a perfect location. Included with your lodging will be an excellent breakfast buffet, packed to-go lunches, and a 3-course dinner.
90 days or more prior to day 1 of tour = Refund of all registration fees and deposits
60-89 days prior to day 1 of tour = Josh Merrill Photography will retain tour deposit
59 days or less prior to day 1 of tour = Josh Merrill Photography will retain full tour tuition
We strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance if you need to cancel your tour and are unable to complete the tour for any reason.
We reserve the right to cancel the photo tour for any reason including low enrollment in the tour. We also reserve the right to operate the workshop with one instructor if enrollment is lower than 6 participants.
All you need to do is contact me via email and tell me which tour you’d like to attend. We’ll e-mail you an invoice that allows you to pay online by credit card. If it’s 90 days or less prior to the start of the tour, the full tuition amount will be due in order to complete your registration. Prior to 90 days out, we’ll invoice you for a deposit of 30% of the total tuition to hold your spot. We’ll then invoice you again for the balance prior to the 90 day point when the full amount is due.
Josh Merrill
Professional Photographer
Over the years, Josh has developed a sizeable portfolio of images that celebrate the beauty of the natural world. His images are often described as joyful, which reflects his mission to return the viewer to a sense of delighting in the beauty of creation. The photographs that he creates utilize digital technology, but undergo relatively minor adjustments, like those that would be done in a traditional chemical darkroom. The image quality and unique colors that he achieves in-camera are a testament to his determination and knowledge of the natural world.
Josh’s photography style has been described as tending towards simple, graphically strong compositions, of compelling subjects in the natural world with a unique vision and skilled use of color.
The artwork is finished in a traditional gallery-style double matting and framing to allow the artwork to be displayed in most any decor style.
Raynor Czerwinski
Professional Photographer
The love of the outdoors and wild places is what first drew Raynor to photography. Thumbing through countless editions of National Geographic Magazine while growing up sparked a craving to explore exotic places around the world. Connection and respect of the places, landscapes or people he has encountered is paramount to him.
Now into his 20th year of doing just that, Raynor is finding that his backyard of Crested Butte is as beautiful and amazing as far off places can be. Raynor and his wife Susan Marrion (an accomplished oil painter) have been managing a gallery in Crested Butte for over 10 years that displays their work. Their gallery has put them in contact with countless art lovers and fellow artists as well.
This is where Raynor first began teaching his simple yet powerful techniques and philosophies about the photographic arts. Raynor has led and assisted on many photography workshops in Iceland, Norway, Scotland, Wyoming, and in his home town of Crested Butte.