Antarctica Information

Wow! That's a 'once-in-a-life-time' trip. What system are you shooting? If you shoot slide I would read up on everything I could find on exposure for snow and general winter photography. I've shot in very cold climites (Canada and Minnesota winters) and can provide some infor on how to treat gear. If your system supports a full manual body (like Pentax or Nikon) it might be a worth while backup. Think LOTS of extra batteries, maybe a cold-weather battery cord for gear if it has one. If you will be using a tripod you might look into some wraps for the legs.

There's a lot of other general info on winter photography, maybe you might want to start with a search on this site.

I use hassy, ebony23S or olympus 35, although I don't much like 35. Yes I think it is the trip of a lifetime!

There are some shots taken there by Salgado here

Do you know what part of Antarctica you will be going to?

I have been there a few times in the past and have had great success taking both film pictures and digital pictures.

My advice is as follows:

1) If you do not already have a good UV filter, make sure you get one. 2) If you will be going into the interior (away from McMurdo into the field, to South Pole staion, or to any other place where it will get cold), your best bet is to use as simple a camera as possible. 3) If the camera will be exposed to cold temperatures for extended periods of time and needs batteries, make sure you have plenty of spare batteries. 4) If you intend to use the camera while it is very cold, be advized that the grease used to lubricate the shutter will be much thicker, so exposure time may not be as reliable. You can either use a low-temperature grease or buy a good neutral density filter so that the variablility in exposure due to the grease is a small percentage of the total exposure time. Some of my best pictures were taken this way. 5) Remember to always place the camera in a plastic bag when you come in from the cold to prevent condensation on your camera.

6) Digital cameras work well in the cold, but again the simpler the camera, the better off you are. 7) LCD screens DO NOT work in the cold so if you have a digital camera make sure it has a view finder. 8) Batteries always have a problem, so make sure you bring spares.

-Joe Kujawski

I was lucky to talk my wife into celebrating an anniversary by going to Antarctica. I was not able to convince her to take one of the smaller ice breaker ships, so we only seem to get two Zodiac landings, rather than two per day. Therefore I imagine we will go to places like Deception Island, LeMaire Strait, etc. , and the peninsula.

Thanks for the plastic bag idea for handling condensation.

Terry,

It will be a wonderful trip. Since you'll be along the peninsula, the temps are pretty moderate. They may dip down into the 20's max. Cold weather operation won't be an issue, and condensation won't be a big problem either. If you get into zodiacs, then you'll want to protect your gear from salt water spray.

The sun will be pretty high in the sky and bright in Jan. so, be cognizant of harsh shadows. With B/W, you can use this to your advantage to get some striking contrasts going.

As mentioned by others, know how to meter and compensate for the bright snow.

Yes, bring color film. The icebergs have wonderful blue hues that you will want to capture. To aid in this, bring a polarizing filter and I've also used a mild cooling filter to enhance the blues when using a neutral film.

When going through the Lemaire Channel, remember to just put the camera down and enjoy....

Cheers, -bob

Congrats on your trip to the South. I was there 18 years ago working. The temps vary if your on the cap as much as 10c during the daytime (no dark at that time year)down to as cold as -34 (at the Vincent Masif base camp), the coast isn't so drasic. If you're running in and outside condensation will be a problem as I was camping, I only had to worry about my film being thawed inside my jacket. A manual camera (Canon Ftb) has definate advantages. Take the colour film, and slide as well. If you're into McMurdo try to get over to Cape Evans to see "Scott's Camp" and prepare to step back in time about 90 years. Good shooting on your trip, I wish I could do it again. Ron

Sorry I grabbed the wrong file

I notice that someone above recommended wrapping the camera in plastic bags - please don't do that, as they are a danger to wildlife. I am going myself this summer, and the cruise company has already sent me literature making it quite clear they are not allowed on the Zodiacs. I say "good on them" - if only all the companies were as strict.

Like most people, and like you, I'm just going to the "banana belt", where it isn't any colder than I commonly encounter in Australia's Victorian Alps or Snowy Mountains in winter, where I have been shooting for decades using 35mm mechanical cameras (OM's) in Lowepro weatherproof bags, without any problems. You certainly won't need special low-viscosity grease. In fact, the OM-4's did OK in these conditions too.

Didn't your tour company send you an info pack?

What I am reading suggests that focal lengths from 24mm to 100mm in the 35mm format will be the most useful, which suggests your Hasselblad could do the job. On the other hand, 120 is a pain to load in mittens, and there is the environmental risk of bits of plastic wrapper getting away from you.