Photographer Braves the Frozen Arctic to Capture Incredible Wildlife Portraits
Photographer Joshua Holko has dedicated his career to photographing polar and sub-polar wildlife, and the results are breathtaking.
He was kind enough to take time out of his adventures to share his work and insights gathered through years of photographing in some of the world’s most inhospitable places with PetaPixel readers.
Joshua Holko is a wildlife photographer whose impressive portfolios spans continents. However, his interest in photography was organic, born of his love for the outdoors. Holko grew up in Melbourne, spending most of his youth outdoors enjoying solitude and the scale of nature. It was his first trip to Antarctica, which was the turning point.
“I remember standing on the ice, completely surrounded by silence, the light bouncing off the snow in this surreal, soft way, and penguins waddling by like they owned the place (which, let’s be honest, they do). That moment hit me hard. I knew this was what I wanted to do: tell the stories of these places most people never get to see,” he explained.
“From that point on, I committed myself to polar and sub-polar wildlife photography. The cold, the wind, the isolation — it all just feels right to me. I love the challenge of working in extreme environments, and more than anything, I love the connection that comes from sitting quietly with a wild animal in a place where nature is still in charge.
“It’s not just about beautiful pictures. It’s about creating something meaningful and emotive that helps people feel what it’s like to be out there — to witness the resilience of an Arctic fox, the power of a Polar Bear or the quiet majesty of an emperor penguin. That’s the heart of it for me.”
Beautiful Simplicity
Joshua Holko’s approach to photographing wildlife in remote places is to match the energy and environment by showing nature in its most raw and honest form. He avoids over-stylizing or manipulating his images; instead, he prefers his style to showcase a deep connection to the environment without making it into something it’s not.
“I want to show it as it is: wild, powerful, and often unforgiving, but also incredibly beautiful in its simplicity,” Holko says.
The simplicity is where Holko’s work shines. Like a billboard, every inch of the composition intentionally shows a sense of scale and mood and tells the story of the wildlife depicted.
Holko describes the foundation of his compositions as, “Clean lines, negative space, and a strong subject. I like when the frame feels quiet but powerful—like the animal is a small part of a much bigger world. That’s a big part of what I try to show: the vastness, the isolation, and the harsh beauty of these places.”
His imagery often embodies the definition of an “environmental portrait,” a photography type that is noted by placing the subject smaller in the frame than usual to show a sense of scale and place equal weight on the importance of the subject’s environment. With his wildlife photography, Holko uses the environmental portrait style to highlight the harsh arctic conditions and the animals that survive it, telling their story through his thoughtful uses of compositional space.
Hue, vibrance, and saturation also play a key part in storytelling. This is another area where Holko works with the environment to portray the polar regions’ naturally muted color palette. He described how chasing atmosphere is key to his signature use of light in the scene.
“Color-wise, I’m usually working with a pretty muted palette. The polar regions aren’t overly colorful—it’s whites, blues, grays in a thousand shades; I love that. It helps focus the viewer on shape, light, and mood. I’ll wait for that soft, diffused light or a bit of warm glow at the horizon to give things a subtle punch. But I’m not chasing bright or bold—I’m chasing atmosphere,” Holko describes.
Intuitive and Calculated Decision Making
Decision-making on how exactly to frame his composition is dictated by the story naturally unfolding before him. Telling that story is fine-tuned through an intuitive approach.
“Framing really comes down to storytelling. Am I showing how small the fox is in the landscape? Or am I going in tight to highlight its detail and emotion? I think about what the image is saying, and then I build the frame around that idea,” he explains.
“In the end, it’s less about hard rules and more about instinct, emotion, and respect for the scene. If it feels honest, I know I’m on the right track.”
Like the balance of his compositions, Holko also balances his decision-making processes between intuition and calculation. He finds the sweet spot to straddle using his years of experience and instinct to navigate, avoiding common pitfalls such as overthinking.
Describing that balance, Holko says, “I’d say it leans pretty heavily on intuition. I’ve spent so many years shooting in extreme environments that a lot of the decision-making just happens in the moment, without overthinking. You kind of develop a visual instinct—how to read light, how to anticipate behavior, how to frame a shot before it even fully forms. It’s like muscle memory, but creative.”
“That said, there’s definitely a calculated side too. I’m always aware of technical things like exposure, shutter speed, depth of field—especially when I’m shooting fast-moving wildlife in low light or brutal conditions. You’ve got to be on top of your gear, because the cold doesn’t forgive mistakes. Your gear needs to be an extension of your hands and you need to make adjustments with muscle memory. The moment you have to stop what you are doing in the field and think about the technical craft you are no longer being an artist and have switched to being a technician. It is important to free up the brain from the technical craft so that one can be truly artistic in the field.”
“But when it comes to creative choices like composition or color, it’s mostly guided by feel. I’ll see a scene and just know how I want to shoot it. That kind of instinct has been built over years of being out there, failing, learning, and figuring out what actually works, not just technically, but emotionally. So it’s intuitive… but there’s a solid foundation under it.”
‘Quiet By Nature’
Holko’s desire to show the simplicity and honesty of raw nature is evident in his work, often displaying the vast sense of scale between wildlife and its habitat and masterful use of light. Frequently photographing in contrast, he uses dramatic weather or soft light to help evoke emotion. There is strength in the subtlety of his compositions. That placidity directly links to his efforts to display the solitude that he connects with personally.
Holko describes, “A lot of my work is quiet by nature. It’s less about action and more about emotion. I want people to feel the stillness, the silence, and the space between things. That’s why I often work in wide, open landscapes with a lot of negative space. For me, it reflects how those places actually feel when you’re standing in them.”
To create these compositions of vast habitats, magical light, and strong emotion, his process starts by analyzing the environment. Holko describes himself as an observer, who carefully calculates the weather, light, and animals who together dictate what is possible.
“Ultimately, I’m trying to create photographs that feel like quiet conversations with the natural world — honest, emotional, and deeply immersive are key factors that resonate with me,” he explains.
“For me, the technical stuff—like composition, color, and framing all starts with feeling. I’m not the type to sit there measuring out thirds or overthinking it. I trust my gut, and that comes from spending a lot of time in the field and just knowing what feels right in the moment.”
‘Moments of Connection’
By watching and waiting, he is present and ready to document nature as it is natural. He spends significant time in the field, often with little reward. However, when the patience pays off, the images Holko captures are well worth the effort.
For Holko, the goal is not just in the images he creates but also in his experiences with those animals, and being able to share that moment and connection with viewers.
“For me, the most rewarding part of capturing an image isn’t necessarily the final photograph–it’s the moment that leads up to it. That quiet, electric second where everything lines up: the light, the subject, the atmosphere… and you just know something special is about to happen,” Holko recounts.
“It’s those moments of connection that mean the most–like locking eyes with an Arctic fox as it pauses in the snow, or watching an emperor penguin silhouetted against the soft glow of polar twilight. You’re sharing space with a wild animal, on its terms, in its world. That’s a powerful, humbling experience, and when I manage to translate that feeling into an image, it’s incredibly fulfilling.”
“There’s also a deeper satisfaction in knowing that the photograph might help people feel something for a place or species they may never see in person. If one image can spark curiosity, empathy, or a sense of wonder–that’s everything. That’s when photography goes beyond just being a picture and becomes a way to connect people with the wild. And that, to me, is the real reward.”
Research and Planning Are Key
To create these special moments, Holko’s workflow is simple yet intentional, much like his work. He describes that his process begins long before he’s touched a camera, and proper research and planning are key.
So crucial is this research that he even plans his trips based around specific wildlife behavior and seasonal changes, looking for windows where specific conditions align, such as timing the winter coat of an arctic fox or seeking polar twilight in Antarctica.
He considers gear only once the logistics centered around the subject and time of year are finalized.
‘No Room For Failure’
Holko describes the quality of his gear as crucial when photographing in the harshest environments and sub-zero temperatures in remote polar regions.
“There’s no room for failure. Everything has to work, every time, no matter how cold or harsh it gets. So I’m pretty particular about my kit,” Holko explains.
“I shoot with Canon gear. Right now, I’m using the Canon EOS R1, and my go-to lens is the Canon 600mm f/4—it’s reach and sharpness are unbeatable for wildlife. I also keep a 100-500mm and a 24-105mm handy for more flexibility or wider scenes. A solid tripod is a must, so I use a Sachtler flowtech with a fluid head to keep everything stable, especially in the wind.”
“I carry plenty of batteries because cold just drains them like crazy. And I always have a stainless steel mug full of hot coffee—it sounds simple, but trust me, when you’re sitting in a snow drift for hours, that little bit of warmth keeps you going.”
Working in the polar regions presents Holko with the greatest challenges. He has had camera gear freeze solid, lenses fog up, and been stuck in whiteout conditions where he couldn’t even see himself let alone the subject.
Prepping his gear for this level of cold includes packing twice as many extra batteries, planning for moisture control, and using gear and packs with as much weatherproofing as possible.
Wild Encounters
However, as much as one can prepare, not everything goes according to plan when photographing wildlife. Holko chronicled one of his harrowing experiences in the field:
“One of the most intense moments I’ve had in the Arctic happened while photographing polar bears up in Svalbard. We were out on a small zodiac, cruising the edge of the pack ice in late evening light — just that gorgeous golden glow bouncing off the ice and water. We spotted a huge male bear slowly making his way along the edge of the floe, sniffing the air. He was clearly aware of us, but calm and curious.
“I started shooting with my 600mm lens from the boat — keeping a respectful distance, of course — but the bear had other ideas. He turned, locked eyes with us, and slowly started walking straight toward the edge of the ice, right where we were floating. It was incredible — he was totally relaxed, but there was this unmistakable presence to him. He climbed right to the edge of the floe and just watched us – following us along the edge of the floe.
“It was one of those rare moments where the environment, the light, and the subject all lined up perfectly. I got a series of portraits with nothing but soft snow and arctic sky behind him — completely clean and minimalist. But what made it unforgettable was the moment itself: the quiet tension, the sheer scale of the animal, and the respect he seemed to command just by being there.
“We backed away slowly afterward — always better to let the bear dictate the encounter. But those few minutes, that’s the kind of thing you live for in this work.
“What I’ve learned is that patience and resilience are just as important as camera settings. Sometimes the best photos don’t come despite the tough moments, but because of them. You’ve just got to stick it out, stay flexible, and trust the process.”
Holko described another remarkable wildlife encounter, where the challenge this time came from the very environment itself:
“One of the most intense and rewarding experiences I’ve had photographing Arctic foxes was during a particularly brutal winter storm in northern Iceland. We were in the Hornstrandir Nature Reserve again, but this time, the weather was unlike anything I had encountered before. A blizzard had set in, and the snow was falling so heavily that visibility was almost zero. The winds were whipping at 20-30 meters per second, making it difficult to stand still for long without being completely covered in snow. Despite the conditions, we spotted a few Arctic foxes close by. A young blue morph was navigating the harsh landscape, moving in and out of the swirling snow like a ghost. The way the fox blended with the snow, its fur almost appearing the same color as the swirling white powder, created an ethereal scene. It was almost as if the fox was part of the storm itself, a creature so perfectly adapted to survive in this hostile environment.
“I knew that capturing the essence of this moment, in such challenging weather, would be a real test. My fingers were numb from the cold. But the fox was focused on its task, moving across the snowdrifts, hunting for food in the thick snow. The scene was surreal — snowflakes swirling around it, creating a sense of movement and chaos, while the fox remained calm and focused, despite perching near the end of a huge snow bank.
“I managed to capture a few frames of the fox darting through the snowstorm, with the wind howling in the background. One of those shots stands out to me the most: it’s of the fox sitting against the wind, with snow swirling in the air around it. The contrast between the fierce environment and the calm determination of the fox is striking. It’s a powerful image that speaks to resilience — the fox’s ability to survive in such extreme conditions — and the beauty of the Arctic wilderness.
“Even though the conditions were extreme, it was one of those moments when the challenges of the environment made the image all the more powerful. It was a reminder that these animals are built for these conditions, and they embody the wildness and toughness of the Arctic in a way few other creatures do. I’m incredibly proud of that series, because it captures not only the beauty of the Arctic fox, but also the raw, unforgiving nature of its habitat.”
Looking Ahead
Joshua Holko has spent years mastering the elements to create his unique and powerful wildlife photographs. As he looks to the future and what new stories he will tell, he describes pushing himself to even more remote regions, hard-to-reach spots that he feels haven’t been documented a hundred times over.
In addition, Holko is a passionate educator who teaches and inspires fellow photographers through his company Wild Nature Photo Travel. His impressive list of workshops spans both online post-processing and fine art printing to field expeditions photographing wildlife in countries and continents from arctic regions to South Africa, Mongolia, Columbia, and beyond.
He’s also working on two big book projects, the first of which is a fine art book focused entirely on polar bears featuring his efforts photographing the species across the Arctic from Svalbard, to Canada, and Greenland. With this book, he hopes to share a visual story documenting the apex predators in their rapidly changing environment.
“I want people to feel the cold, the isolation, and the majesty of these animals in their frozen kingdom. Each photograph includes the back story behind the making, where it was taken, what equipment was used etc,” he says.
Similarly, his second project is a book on the Arctic fox, which, in contrast to his polar bear book, will be entirely art-focused. Upon beginning to lead his workshops in Iceland for the Arctic foxes, Holko has been drawn to how resilient, elusive, and full of personality Arctic foxes are. He’s fascinated by how adaptable the species are to such brutal conditions. His book will highlight blue and white morph arctic foxes and how they interact and survive the dangerous yet alluring Arctic landscape.
‘It’s Still About Storytelling’
In further musing over the future, conservation is also an important facet that Holko considers. His travels in remote places have given him rare insight into how fragile the world is. Therefore, he’s always looking for ways to help make a difference, whether by raising awareness, supporting conservation efforts, or inspiring others to love wildlife and the Arctic through his photography.
“There’s always something new to try, but at the core, it’s still about storytelling,” he says.
“I just want to keep creating work that feels honest, immersive, and emotionally resonant. If someone opens a book or sees a print and feels like they’ve been transported to the polar regions, then I’ve done my job.”
Image credits: Photographs by Joshua Holko
