My step-son and his wife are traveling to Antarctica in January 2010. They are amateur photographers and will be shooting with Nikon D90s. I have found multiple websites with suggestions for gear, accessories, etc. What I am asking in this post is for information from photographers who have traveled to Antarctica. I am interested in information along the line of "if only I had known/thought to bring ....., it would have really helped."
Doris, I'll start with the obvious - plenty of extra camera batteries! Keep the extra charged batteries in a warm pocket for swapping out the old when they become depleted or inoperative due to the cold.
Posted by David Sparks on June 12, 2009 at 6:56 AM
Doris:
I will modify your question slightly and mention three things I was glad I took: lots of memory cards, weather protection for camera and lens, and multiple usb drives for storage and backup.
You can take a lot of shots in a day with 20 hours of light. There will probably be days with constant wet snow in which it is difficult to keep the gear dry and protected.
Posted by Ray Anderson on June 12, 2009 at 4:30 PM
Doris,
You will almost certainly have access to a computer and DVD drive on board (but check first) and bring a blank DVD for each day (you should be able to buy more if required). First chance you get, back up and label the day's images, recharge the batteries and clear the cards.
There are plenty of shots out there of penguins, ice bergs, and whales. Take a good look at them and decide what it is about the composition that you like and keep it in mind when its your turn. In particular look at those reflection images. Also look for interaction as a key emotional component.
Read up on taking images in snow. Don't worry about long lenses, everything is up close and personal. Practice bracketing with different ranges and number of shots - see how long it takes to complete the sequence. Don't forget the company you keep for those private reminisces of a great trip.
Can't say I had any "if only I had known" moments, but here are a few thoughts: (1) Not all subjects are close. Some nests you can't approach because of regulations, others because they are physically inaccessible (e.g., Pintado Petrel nest on a rock wall). I went with four lenses covering everything from 24 to 800mm (400 with a 2X teleconverter) with a full-frame body. Today I'd cover everything from 17 to 1000mm, still with four lenses. With a DX sensor, you could shorten up on the long end, go even wider on the short end. (2) There are some great opportunities for flight shots from the stern and bow of the ship. Something in the 200 (DX only) to 400mm range is good for this. (3) When shooting from Zodiaks, subjects can be as close as arm's length to quite distant. Two bodies with two different zooms would give the best flexibility. (4) If you choose a DVD burner as your only back-up, a problem with your computer would put an end to your shooting. Yes, you might be able to use one of the ship's computers, but there will likely be only a few, and access could be a problem. I prefer to back up to external drives like the ones made by Hyperspace. These can be used with a computer (backing up from the computer after some quick editing) or without (by using the built-in memory card slot). I bought a pair of these for a trip where weight limits didn't allow a computer, but now travel with four of them even when I take the computer. (5) From what I've seen, I'd avoid Neos overboots--everyone using them during my trip needed duct tape to slow the leaks. Take insulated knee-high rubber boots (all that's really needed), hip waders, or chest waders. (6) Don't overestimate the cold. The is the peninsula, not the pole. During my trip, I'd guess it was between 20 and 45 degress at our southernmost stops. During the trip, it was far colder at home in Pennsylvania, and I've been a lot colder at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico than I ever got on the peninsula. Many afternoons I had my parka unzipped with just a single light layer underneath. (7) For landings a dry bag is a good idea, in rough weather, essential. I like one big enough to hold my camera bag, tripod head, and maybe some light extra clothing.
Back-up on two external portable hard drives. They are quite small, I used 2 160GB MyBook portables that can fit in a shirt pocket. One drive is a copy of the other. Don't bother with burning to DVD's, its time consuming and not very secure in terms of image longevity or accessibility since they are easily damaged.
Water-proof bag for carrying your gear in Zodiacs is essential, you're dealing with salt water!
Chest waders (I used a lightweight Goretex sock-style version, with wading boots-much lighter combination than the lugged boot style for airplane weight limits) should be highly considered. True, most of the time knee highs will get you by. However they would not have helped one of my fellow passengers standing on the stairway platform waiting to step into the zodiac. While waiting for the best time to step aboard, there were constant rolling waves causing vertical separation between the zodiac and platform of over 3 feet. A couple of times the platform actually was engulfed by the waves up to her mid-thighs. She was wearing waders and was very fortunate, she stayed dry.
Chemical heat packs for inside gloves. I only used them on 4 different days, but they made the difference between fingers being cold/fumble-fingered and being warm/comfortable.
Lens choice is simple, take every focal length you have.
Discussion
5 repliesThanks for your input.
I will modify your question slightly and mention three things I was glad I took: lots of memory cards, weather protection for camera and lens, and multiple usb drives for storage and backup.
You can take a lot of shots in a day with 20 hours of light. There will probably be days with constant wet snow in which it is difficult to keep the gear dry and protected.
You will almost certainly have access to a computer and DVD drive on board (but check first) and bring a blank DVD for each day (you should be able to buy more if required). First chance you get, back up and label the day's images, recharge the batteries and clear the cards.
There are plenty of shots out there of penguins, ice bergs, and whales. Take a good look at them and decide what it is about the composition that you like and keep it in mind when its your turn. In particular look at those reflection images. Also look for interaction as a key emotional component.
Read up on taking images in snow. Don't worry about long lenses, everything is up close and personal. Practice bracketing with different ranges and number of shots - see how long it takes to complete the sequence. Don't forget the company you keep for those private reminisces of a great trip.
Water-proof bag for carrying your gear in Zodiacs is essential, you're dealing with salt water!
Chest waders (I used a lightweight Goretex sock-style version, with wading boots-much lighter combination than the lugged boot style for airplane weight limits) should be highly considered. True, most of the time knee highs will get you by. However they would not have helped one of my fellow passengers standing on the stairway platform waiting to step into the zodiac. While waiting for the best time to step aboard, there were constant rolling waves causing vertical separation between the zodiac and platform of over 3 feet. A couple of times the platform actually was engulfed by the waves up to her mid-thighs. She was wearing waders and was very fortunate, she stayed dry.
Chemical heat packs for inside gloves. I only used them on 4 different days, but they made the difference between fingers being cold/fumble-fingered and being warm/comfortable.
Lens choice is simple, take every focal length you have.