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Speaking · Photo Instruction · Workshops

The best classroom
is the one that
changes you.

On stage, on the expedition deck, or in a small group with cameras — I share what I've witnessed and teach others to see it through their own lens.

What I do

Three ways
to share the work.

01

Speaking

On stage.

From conference keynotes to school assemblies — visual, emotional, first-person. Stories from the ice that stay with an audience long after they leave the room.

German and English. Worldwide.

02

Photo Instruction

On expedition.

For several years I've worked as photo instructor on expedition voyages with Polar Latitudes and Seabourn — guiding guests through wildlife and landscape photography in Antarctica, the Arctic, and beyond.

All levels welcome. All environments.

03

Workshops

In small groups.

Focused photography workshops — wildlife, landscape, night photography. Currently offered as part of expedition work. Private workshops and future online formats in development.

Small groups. Real locations. Real results.

Speaking

Not a slideshow.
An experience.

My talks are built around images — not as illustrations of a story, but as the story itself. I work from first-person expedition experience, the kind that only comes from being there when the polar bear appears at 3am, when the glacier calves, when the silence is so complete it becomes something you can feel.

I've spent years learning how to translate that experience for an audience that wasn't there. The talks are visual, emotional, and honest. I speak German and English.

  • 45 to 90 minute keynote talks
  • Panel discussions and moderated conversations
  • School and university visits
  • Corporate events and brand evenings
  • Expedition briefings and pre-departure talks
Max Unterharnscheidt speaking
Max Unterharnscheidt photo instructor expedition workshop

Photo Instruction

Teaching on
the expedition deck.

For several years I've worked as photo instructor on expedition voyages — daily briefings, one-on-one coaching, and evening image reviews aboard ship. My students range from complete beginners to experienced photographers looking to push further.

The best classroom is the field itself. A polar bear on the ice teaches patience and anticipation better than any textbook. I use what's in front of us.

  • Daily photography briefings — light, composition, wildlife behaviour
  • Small Zodiac groups for better positioning
  • One-on-one coaching on deck and in the field
  • Evening image reviews with individual feedback
  • Camera settings and technique for challenging conditions
  • Wildlife photography — reading behaviour and anticipating moments

Workshops

Small groups.
Real places.
Real results.

Photography workshops in the Alps, on expeditions, and in the field. Night photography, light painting, landscape, wildlife. Small enough that everyone gets attention. Honest enough that everyone leaves with better images and a clearer sense of their own eye.

Currently offered as part of expedition work. Private workshops for small groups are available on request. Online formats and YouTube content are in development.

  • Landscape and wildlife photography in the field
  • Night photography and light painting
  • Swiss Alps — winter and summer
  • Private groups available on request
  • Future online formats in development
Enquire about a workshop →
Max Unterharnscheidt photography workshop small group field

Speaking Topics

What I
talk about.

01

Antarctica — A Continent Under Pressure

27 expeditions south. What I've witnessed over four years on the ice — the beauty, the scale, the fragility. The threat of krill fishing, the retreat of glaciers, the animals that depend on a system in flux.

02

The Arctic — Between Ice and Open Water

Svalbard, the high Arctic, polar bear country. What changes when the ice disappears and what remains. A visual journey through one of Earth's last wild frontiers.

03

Expedition Photography — Stories Behind the Image

What does it actually take to make images in the most remote environments on Earth? The patience, the failures, the moments that happen once. A behind-the-scenes look at expedition photography.

04

Remote Cultures — The Human Edge of the World

From the South Pacific to the Himalayas. Communities living at the edge of the inhabited world. What these places teach us about what matters and what we stand to lose.

"I've lost count of how many times I've quietly cried out there. Not from sadness. From something harder to name."
Max Unterharnscheidt

That's what I try to bring into the room. Not facts. Not statistics. The feeling of being somewhere that changes you — and the question of what we do with that.

Get in touch

Let's find the right
format for your needs.

Speaking

Book a talk

For conferences, events, schools, and corporate evenings. Get in touch with a brief description of your event and I'll come back to you personally.

Languages German, English
Duration 45 to 90 min
Travel Worldwide
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Photo Instruction

Join an expedition

For expedition companies looking for an experienced photo instructor, or guests who want to join a voyage with dedicated photography guidance.

Experience 20 years, countless expeditions
Regions Worldwide — Polar, Pacific, Atlantic, Himalaya
Levels All welcome
Enquire →

Workshops

Private workshop

Small group or private workshops in the Alps or on location. Tell me what you want to learn and we'll build something around it.

Format Field based
Group size Small groups
Location Alps and beyond
Enquire →