Kola, Russia

I’ve just accepted a job on the Ponoi River on the Kola Peninsula in Russia. Has anyone spent much time in the region? Any thoughts, suggestions, or contacts would be much appreciated.

I’ll be on location for a little over six months and am planning on working off of a 13" MacBook Pro, running Adobe Lightroom and keeping photo files on an external hard drive. Will have decent internet access to keep in touch with the outside world. Any thoughts about streamlining workflow or gear suggestions? Or even traveling / Russian customs with photo gear?

Thanks all. Cheers,

Jess

by Jessica McGlothlin at 2012-04-01 13:26:46 UTC | Bookmark | | Report spam→

Anyone? This is Murmansk region.

Thanks,

Jess

by Jessica McGlothlin | 03 Apr 2012 17:04 | Austin, TX, United States | | Report spam→

I was just in Murmansk. I tried to interview Atomflot but they said it would take 7-10 days for their “security services” for a background check. I didn’t have time to wait or a press visa.

There are a lot of nuclear facilities up there but it’s very sensitive and difficult to get official sources on anything.

I would keep a low-profile and avoid blatantly filming anything sensitive. There are ways of securing permission but it takes a long time. You might contact the NGO Bellona. They do a lot of work on this issue and are friendly to journalists. They have an office in Murmansk.

by Jacob Resneck | 06 Apr 2012 07:04 | Istanbul, Turkey | | Report spam→

Thanks, Jacob. I’ll check out Bellona and make touch there.

by Jessica McGlothlin | 07 Apr 2012 14:04 | Austin, TX, United States | | Report spam→