For many travelers, going to Antarctica and capturing the wonders of the magical blue ice and the enchantment of the wildlife is an experience that can’t be beat. I can safely say that, especially after having been to about 100 countries and having traveled to Antarctica four times, most recently with Abercrombie & Kent aboard their ship Le Lyrial.
Getting to the white continent is another story. For me, it’s a 10.5-hour flight from New York to Buenos Aires, a 4-hour layover (during which about a 1-hour transfer is needed between the international and local airports), a 3.5-hour flight to Ushuaia (where the ships depart), two overnights in Ushuaia (because it’s a good idea to arrive two days early in case luggage is lost or delayed), and then—finally—a two-day ride by ship to the Antarctica Peninsula. It’s the same travel time on the way back, except for the extra travel day on the way down.
The boat ride from Ushuaia to the Antarctica Peninsula takes intrepid travelers over the 500-mile wide Drake Passage, which can be calm (Drake Lake) or very rough, with seas with 30′ swells (Drake Shake). I’ve sampled both in my four times to Antarctica.
There’s another Antarctica travel option: You can fly to the Antarctica Peninsula from Punta Arenas, which saves time, and without the worry of barfing in high seas. Once in Antarctica, you board a ship. The Antarctica flight, however, is very costly. In addition, strong winds and fog can delay flights going and coming—sometimes for days. So my advice is to go by ship. I travel with Abercrombie & Kent, which uses Le Lyrial and Le Boreal, ships with built-in stabilizers, which considerably smooths out the ride. The Russian icebreakers don’t have stabilizers, which makes the Drake Shake a really shaky shake! I tell you all this for three reasons:
- Photographing in Antarctica is well worth it, even if you lose your lunch on the way there and back.
- After making the commitment in time and money, you don’t want to miss a photo opportunity on site due to camera gear failure.
- You want to come home with all your images safely stored on hard drives.
I’ll cover these topics in this article, and to illustrate my points, I’ll share some of my favorite images that I took with my two Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras. This was my first international trip where I went totally mirrorless. My lenses were the new RF 24–105mm F4 L IS USM lens, which fits on the EOS R camera without an adapter, and my 8–15mm, 16–35mm, and 75–300mm Canon lenses, for which I needed a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R.
A word about having two cameras and those lenses: I was always set up for a wide-angle (seascape) and a telephoto (wildlife) shot. That way, when I saw a shot, I didn’t need to change lenses, which isn’t advisable when photographing in the rain, wind, and snow. Changing lenses when photographing from small inflatable boats, which we did almost every day, is also not advisable, because salt spray on an image sensor is a killer.
To reduce the glare on the water and ice, which is essential when photographing in Antarctica, I use Breakthrough Photography polarizing filters. But there’s another essential accessory that helped me to get sharp, crisp, and colorful pictures: Lightroom. For most of my images, which were taken on overcast days, I applied several basic and global adjustments: Dehaze, Clarity, Contrast, and Vibrance.
These adjustments helped to turn some drab shots (low contrast) into fab shots (images with impact). Of course, because I have OCD (Obsessive Cropping Disorder), all of the images you see here are cropped, even if ever so slightly.
Don’t Lose Your Lunch
Here’s somewhat of a joke about being seasick: There are two stages to being seasick. First stage: You feel as though you’re going to die. Second stage: You wish you were dead. (It’s only funny if you’re not seasick.)
I’m not a medical doctor, but my doctor friends recommend taking Bonine (motion sickness tablets) well before the seas start to pick up. Some people like to wear a scopolamine patch. It works for some people, but can blur your vision, which isn’t good if you’re a photographer.
My nephew, who was a Navy doctor an on aircraft carrier, recommends chewing candied ginger and Skittles, which works for me. Before you set sail, talk to your doctor about taking seasickness precautions.
Total Mirrorless Photography
When I told my friends I was going mirrorless to Antarctica, many of them asked me, “What? You’re going to Antarctica with a one-slot memory card camera?”
I told them that in all my years of shooting digital, I only lost the files on one memory card, and that was due to human error. With only one in-camera card (Delkin Devices), I’m extra careful with memory card handling and file saving (more on that toward the end of this article).
For me, one of the biggest advantages of going mirrorless is that I can see vital information in the viewfinder: a live histogram, level, exposure simulation, effect of + and – controls, focus point, and more—aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc.
I shoot most of my pictures while looking though the camera’s viewfinder, although I have used the camera’s LCD monitor on occasions, especially when it’s very, very bright outside, because for me it’s easier to see images on the LCD monitor while wearing sunglasses than it is to see the images in the viewfinder.
Oh yeah, by the way, sunglasses, sunscreen (lots of it), and lip balm are essential when photographing in Antarctica, where one can get a very nasty sunburn in a very short time.
The winters in Antarctica can be extremely cold, which is why most photographers (including me) make the trip in the summer months: November to February (with almost 24 hours of sunlight). When I was there in December 2018, the daily temperature was about 30° Fahrenheit, not taking into account the wind-chill factor.
So another question I received about shooting mirrorless was about battery power, because just like cold drains your car’s battery power, the cold drains your camera’s battery power. Mirrorless cameras with electronic viewfinders use more power than digital SLRs. Using the camera’s LCD monitor also drains battery power.
My solution? I turned off my camera when I wasn’t shooting; unlike my digital SLR, which I always leave turned on. I also carried three extra batteries with me at all times. These batteries were tucked inside my warm parka, which helped preserve battery power.
So what about size and handling? Well, the EOS R isn’t really that much smaller or lighter than my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. But together, my two EOS R cameras took up less
space and weighed a bit less than my two 5D Mark IV cameras. So that bit of space- and weight-savings in my camera bag helped.
The camera handles pretty much like my digital SLRs, even while wearing gloves. When I had to change my ISO, frame rate, focus point, focus setting (one shot to AI Servo), I removed a glove and used the camera’s touchscreen to make the changes. As I had hand warmers in my gloves, removing a glove for a quick adjust was no problem.
Respecting and not disturbing wildlife is important in Antarctica—and all over the planet for that matter. I try to be as quiet as possible when photographing animals. That’s why I set my camera on silent mode, which is available on many mirrorless cameras. Note: I only use the silent mode
for slow moving and stationary subjects.
One of the cool things I like about my mirrorless cameras is that I can review the image I’ve just taken in the viewfinder, without having to look at the back of the camera. This “fast check” of an image, available in most interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras, tells me if I have the shot I want or not. In one case (above right), I was shooting two penguins “kissing.” My quick check told me I captured this “penguin love” shot.
I mentioned my lens selection earlier in this article. So, another thing I like about my mirrorless cameras, which is the same for most mirrorless cameras out there (for now anyway), is that I can use all my digital SLR lenses, including my 8–15mm fisheye lens, which I used for this photograph that I took on the Drake Lake (top). When choosing a mirrorless camera, check to see which lenses can be used.
Saving Your Memories
Because my images are recorded to only one memory card at a time, I’m extra careful with my image workflow. I’m slow and steady when inserting, formatting, and removing my card each and every time. I’m also slow and steady when I download images to my two portable hard drives. Once my pictures are stored safely in two places, I reinsert and format my cards in-camera.
I would like to leave you with you two more photographs that say something about Antarctica.
First, you’re looking at relatively small, two-dimensional images on a screen that projects light. In Antarctica, the three-dimensional landscapes and seascapes stretch for as far as the eye can see (on a clear day). So the pictures you see here can’t possibly illustrate the wonders of being in this vast and out-of-this-world environment.
Second, getting close to the wildlife is rather indescribable. The animals aren’t hunted, so they aren’t afraid of humans, which means you can get relatively close (no closer than 15′ by law). That said, oftentimes the penguins and even the seals come right up to you for a close encounter.
There’s one more thing that’s indescribable: the smell of lots and lots and lots of penguin poop, which you often need to walk through (avoiding what are called penguin highways) and sit in to get a photograph. At the end of a day’s shoot, you just may smell like a penguin, which is why I shower with my waterproof pants on when I get back to my cabin on the ship.
Well my friends, that’s a quick look at my mirrorless adventure at the bottom of the world. I truly hope you make it there someday. It’s the trip of lifetime for sure!
This article originally published in Lightroom Magazine issue 47 (January, 2019). All images ©Rick Sammon.
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