The Majestic White Continent
It is the most isolated, inhospitable yet most beautiful place on Earth. Antarctica is a photographer’s Nirvana, a place where it is impossible not to get great shots, whatever the weather, yet, it’s very isolation suggests a place that is impossible to get to for us mere mortals. Well, Antarctica is accessible, perhaps not to all, but to those with the motivation you can get there. It’s not a cheap vacation but also it can be done fairly inexpensively. In this article we will have a look at how to get to the Antarctic and what to shoot when you get there.
Getting There
The gateway to the Antarctic is Ushuaia in Argentina, the world’s Southernmost town, perched right on the tip of South America. From here numerous expedition ships transverse the Drakes Passage to the Antarctic Peninsular. These ships range from very basic to luxurious but beware if you are not a good sailor, the Drakes Passage is one of the roughest stretches of water in the world. When you choose a cruise down to the Antarctic, be aware that the large cruise lines often promote Antarctic cruises but for the most part, these are sight seeing tours that are not allowed to make landings ashore. For the real adventure you need to get ashore in several locations, and only the smaller expeditions ships can do this.
What Equipment to Take
A good telephoto is a must, there are whales, orca and a multitude of sea birds from Albatross to Skuas to been seen virtually everywhere. As close as they may get to the ship, you will still need a minimum of a 300mm lens, perhaps more if you are using full frame. Ashore, it is worth having a mid range telephoto, you can get up close and personal to the main penguin species, but only if they come to you, you are not allowed to approach them.
A good wide angle lens is also very useful to capture the stunning mountainous scenery of the region as well as the massive icebergs. Skylight or UV filters are a good idea to protect your lenses from sea spray and rain
You will be there in the Antarctic summer, but don’t let this deceive you. It can still be very cold especially with wind chill. For this reason take spare batteries, lithium batteries have a greatly reduced life in the cold. Keep the spares in your pockets, close to your body, these keeps them warm and ready and when you remove a dead battery, transfer that to another pocket. The warmth may well breath some more life into it.
Make sure you have a sturdy waterproof camera bag, you will be taken ashore in Zodiac inflatables and you will get wet even in mild conditions. Another consideration is plenty of storage space, if you are not taking a laptop then make sure you have ample storage on your cards, you will almost certainly take significantly more photographs than you had planned for.
What to Shoot
The photographic possibilities of Antarctica are endless. From the decks of you expedition boat you will be able to shoot whales and orca as well as seals sitting on icebergs. You will need patience to see these, but very often the ship’s officers or resident lecturers will announce things of interest.
From the bow of the ship you can often shoot penguins “in flight” as they leap out of the water in front of the ship. Use a telephoto, fast shutter speed and continuous mode to stand the best chance of a good shot
Icebergs here are truly enormous, as well as trying to capture the berg in it’s entirety look for details in the ice, cracks and fissures. If you can try to give a sense of scale to the berg, very often there may be birds sitting atop the icebergs. Also try to add some foreground interest, very often there are “growlers” small bergs, in the vicinity, use them to lead your eye to the main bergs.
Ashore you will be able to photograph penguins close up. They are naturally inquisitive birds and have little fear of humans. Antarctic rules state that you must allow them to approach you,, not you approach them. Try to carefully kneel down and and shoot at their level for more interesting shots. Another great shot to look for is when the penguins leap from the water ashore, often on mass. Again a fast shutter speed is going to help get the shot.
As well as penguins ashore, you may have the chance to shoot other seabirds, in particular, Skuas. These birds are often found in the vicinity of penguins as they eat penguin eggs. On the zodiac ride in, you may often spot seals lying on small icebergs, as well as more penguins.
Antarctica is an incredible location for photography, and whilst it is not cheap to get there, it is fully possible to experience the last true wilderness as a responsible tourist. It is very much a bucket list destination