Open Sky Expeditions

26/02/2025

1 month left to snag our special early-bird rate for Sicily 2026! Receive over $500 off per person if you book before March 29, 2025 (one year out from the trip).

Join us during Holy Week in 2026 to witness and photograph a truly fascinating cultural event in the heart of Sicily - Enna’s Good Friday procession.

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Shadows lengthen as a funeral march begins. Crowds gather on cobblestone streets for Good Friday in Enna, Sicily. The Confraternity of San Salvatore, in pale yellow robes, carries the Urn of the Dead Christ, while another group, in black robes, bears the Madonna of Sorrows.

As night falls, nearly 3,000 men join the procession, each marked by their robes’ colors. The solemn march winds from the Duomo to the cemetery and back, guided by lanterns and the beat of a snare drum. Near midnight, the Urn and Madonna return to their churches.

Our hotel, located in the historic center, offers prime access to the procession. We can capture the colorful marchers from various vantage points, and you’ll have the freedom to observe any scene that draws your attention.

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For full trip details, follow the link in our bio, or send us a DM!

Photos by Open Sky’s Patrick Campbell ()

24/02/2025

“I can tell you without hyperbole that [The Magellan Explorer] is the most impressive expedition ship I have ever been on.” - Open Sky’s founder, Alex Ros.

The Magellan Explorer, our home-on-water for our Antarctica trip, is a gorgeous ship built specifically for Antarctic fly-cruises. With a world-class team of expedition leaders, luxurious comfort, and a small passenger capacity, the Magellan Explorer offers the best fly-cruise experience on the 7th continent.

Want to learn more about this beautiful vessel? Our Antarctica trip leader Temu Nana is hosting a live info session on Zoom tonight at 7pm to present our Antarctica 2026 trip! Register with the link in our bio for the Zoom link!

Here are some highlights:

Smaller Ship Capacity: With just 76 passengers, all guests enjoy uninterrupted landings under Antarctica’s 100-person shore limit—unlike larger ships. With larger Antarctic cruise companies, you risk waiting in long lines for landing opportunities.

Skip the Drake: You will board the Magellan Explorer on King George Island in Antarctica, after a short flight over the Drake Passage (some of the roughest seas in the world). The ship operators are not only the most experienced in the industry at flying to Antarctica, but they also get us first priority on flights.

Luxury and Comfort: Magellan Explorer has a glass-enclosed observation lounge, presentation room with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, a spacious and stylish dining room, well-stocked bar, library, meeting room, medical clinic, sauna and a gym. All cabins except Porthole cabins feature private balconies too!

29/10/2024

Our Falklands and South Georgia travelers have returned from an EPIC voyage to the remote southern Atlantic. Two weeks amongst the sea, breathtaking wildlife, and stunning landscapes. Check out some images Temu Nana, the trip’s leader and photo pro, just sent our way. More to come from our travelers!

If you’re interested in joining us on a future expedition to Falklands and South Georgia, let us know and we will keep you updated with potential departures in the coming seasons.

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10/10/2024

Hit the link in our profile bio for NAMIBIA details and registration! Only a few days left to snag your $500pp discount on this incredible photo journey!

Trip dates: May 14-30, 2025
Leader: Temu Nana
Photo Pro: Michael Downey
Starting Point: Windhoek, Namibia

19/07/2024

Photograph Varanasi, India with us in February 2025. One of the oldest living city in the world and a center point for sacred Hindu and Jain tradition. The streets are a beautiful, chaotic convergence of ancient mysticism and modernity - a complex delight for photographers seeking something truly unique in the world.

Our upcoming South India photo journey offers a 3 night extension to this profound place. Highlights include:

➡️ A boat ride on the Ganges River to view the incredible crematoriums

➡️ The evening Aarti ceremony, where thousands of Hindus come to receive blessings on the river banks

➡️ A visit to Sarnath, the site of Buddha’s first sermon

Check out the full South India trip on our website, and send us a message if you’re interested in joining!

26/02/2024

ALAKSA - Live presentation / Q&A tomorrow night at 8pm!
Sign up to receive a $500 discount on the trip cost.

Join us to learn the ins and outs of our 9 day adventure through Alaska’s pristine Katmai National Park, where we will photograph brown bears in their natural habitat. Our presentation tomorrow is hosted by trip leader Temu Nana and photo pro Patrick Barron.

Sign up link in bio!

21/02/2024

Welcome to Open Sky Expeditions. We are curators of extraordinary journeys to the places we have found most compelling on this earth. Our mission is to create powerful travel experiences that awaken your sense of wonder, foster a profound sense of interconnectedness with the world, and ignite a vibrant spark of life within you.

And from there it is, we hope, that you will create art. Our photography journeys follow from this. As photographers it is our medium of expression. It is how we share what moved us in what we encountered. What we noticed. What stood out, with fresh eyes. What may be unseen by the rest. What beauty there is.

But we don’t have just lofty dreams or great imaginations. We back up our vision with extensive experience in high-end educational travel, and an intimate knowledge of what details one must carefully consider in designing & bringing to life journeys in far-off destinations.

Join us on an upcoming experience. Let the planet astound you. Let our expertise reassure you.

Do you have a travel idea not yet offered on our trip line-up? Let’s chat. We are always open to new destination inspiration and bespoke travel guidance.

Featured in:

21/02/2024

Our Photo Journeys are the result of years of returning to the global destinations we have found incredibly inspiring and pouring our expertise and passion for building potent travel experiences in them - with an eye to what photographers will prioritize & find most interesting…And this we know intimately as photographers ourselves.

Each trip is meticulously developed via extensive on-the-ground scouting, as we pledge to present a compelling & logistically-sound production only once we are truly familiar with all the puzzle pieces available for it. They are brought to life via deeply-trusted in-country partners and encyclopedic local guides that enable rich exploration and an ability to meet the unexpected.

Whether you’re a seasoned photographer, or just learning the ropes, each of our Photo Journeys is designed to suit any skill level, with professional instruction to further elevate your shots.

13/02/2024

Sossusvlei, Namibia - rust-red dunes, bleached white pans and some of the best night skies on our planet. And our accommodations are nestled right in the heart of it all. Our team has booked some truly extraordinary lodges for our group traveling to Namibia in May. There’s still space for you to join!

What to look forward to on our Namibia trip:

✔️ Morning and afternoon photo shoots at Kolmqnskop, a deserted mining town reclaimed by the dunes

✔️Three days exploring world-famous Etosha National Park and it’s astounding wildlife.

✔️ A visit with the Himba, one of the last truly nomadic tribes in Southern Africa

✔️ Explore some of the tallest and most spectacularly beautiful dunes in the word at Sossusvlei

✔️ Sunrise at the iconic Deadvlei, one of the most striking photographic opportunities in Africa

✔️Search for elephants and lions in Damaraland

✔️Stay at deluxe hotels and lodges throughout

And so SO much more!! Sold? Simply send us a message. Let’s chat!

08/02/2024

Stunning photos by Open Sky’s photo tour leader Temu Nana from Namibia.

Only a few more spots left on our May 2024 Namibia trip, and it’s not too late to snag them!

This journey overall is an incredible, meticulously designed combination of landscape, wildlife, and cultural photographic opportunity. The itinerary includes visits to some of the most globally renowned protected landscapes in the world, such as the Sossusvlei’s massive sand dunes and the ancient trees of Deadvlei. We spend time in the colorful villages that uphold indigenous ways of life. And we photograph Africa’s top safari animals in Etosha National Park.

Photos by

31/01/2024

We’re eager to hear from our followers where you’d like to go next! We’ve got Bhutan on the loading dock right now as a possible new addition to our Photo Journey collection. Are you in??

Alex and a group of travelers experienced this country in 2019, and we’re excited to build this trip out for the future. DM us a location you’d love to see on our photo journey collection for 2025.

29/01/2024

A few quick and dirty edits of the most spectacular theyyam ritual (as seen on our recent South India photo journey)!

(Feb 2025 dates to be released very soon)

Theyyam is a religious ritual practiced by some Hindus in the states of Kerala and Karnataka in south India, normally from Nov-Feb or so.

In short, common people - traditionally from the lower castes - become gods and/or demons, distributing blessings or scaring people into good behavior.

It is highly stylized - as you can see - with elaborate makeup, specific dances/movements, and incredible costumes. It’s usually performed around small temples, with hundreds of local folks in attendance. Free food is distributed, and several different types of theyyam are performed over the course of 24hrs. This is not done for tourists and dollars, this is for the community, though they don’t mind tourists being there. For much of the time we were the only non-Indians in the crowd.

There are over 450 types of theyyam…this is just one. Not sure how it could have gotten any better than this photographically speaking! It started at 4am, involved incredible amounts of fire, and even a sacrificed chicken! (Not great for the chicken, but it made for amazing photos, and did not go to waste, of course.)

Tough shooting conditions, but we were all up for the challenge!

23/01/2024

Experience a photography opportunity like no other - Antarctica. A once-in-a-lifetime collection of photos and memories. December 11-18, 2024 we’ll be there. Would you like to join?

Send us a message if you’re interested!

19/01/2024

18/01/2024

Bangalore’s KR/City Market on our first full day in South India!

We’ve barely begun the ‘24 version of the trip and I’m already looking forward to next year!

16/01/2024

Our travelers are in India this week to experience the profound celebration of color, history, and culture this country emanates. From the river banks of the sacred Ganges in Varanasi, to the tranquil tea estates of Kerala, this trip is designed to inspire. These gorgeous photos were taken by Vicky Stromee on our 2019 trip to India. We’re excited to see the art our current travelers create alongside instructor and photo pro

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11/01/2024

Calling our wildlife people! Have you considered a trip to the Galápagos Islands to photograph some of the most rare and unique species on the planet? Our September 2024 trip to the Galapagos is a ship-board adventure through visually stunning ecosystem la rich with natural history and wildlife. The trip includes an expert naturalist guide, and a professional photography instructor. Send us a message if you’re interested.

Link to trip webpage for full details:
https://www.openskyexpeditions.com/photo-journeys/galapagos

08/01/2024

Some moody magic by Open Sky’s Trip Leader and Photo Pro Temu Nana. Our Norway Photo Journey is near and dear to our hearts - as it captures the essence of our name - “Open Sky Expeditions”. We spend a week traversing Norway’s backcountry to witness the sky’s endlessly inspiring aurora borealis displays. Between these night time excursions hunting for open sky, we photograph the country’s astounding fjord landscapes and Arctic communities, pictured here.

Our 2024 Norway trip roster is full and we couldn’t be more thrilled for their upcoming experience.