Shooting in Antarctica
Nov 9, 2019 22:22:53 #
For our photo expedition we were told tripods not needed. Definitely bring polarizing filters. Dry bags for the zodiacs. I have small camera bags that hold 1 camera and lens each. Both fit in the dry bag duffle I got as well as husbands small bag. On returning to ship cameras stay in the camera bags for an hour or so to slowly adjust to the warm ship.
Nov 10, 2019 14:10:23 #
cascoly wrote:
i haven't done the Alaska itinerary that requires boots
in Antarctica, all the ships take a very pro-active approach to ecosystem preservation - so before you board the zodiacs, AFAIK all furnish wellies, and you step thru a pan of disinfectant, and repeat on your return (to minimize the chances of cross island contamination).
you should get a pair of rainpants, as there can be a lot of spray in the zodiacs. if you forget, the onboard shops usually stock them.
in Antarctica, all the ships take a very pro-active approach to ecosystem preservation - so before you board the zodiacs, AFAIK all furnish wellies, and you step thru a pan of disinfectant, and repeat on your return (to minimize the chances of cross island contamination).
you should get a pair of rainpants, as there can be a lot of spray in the zodiacs. if you forget, the onboard shops usually stock them.
Nov 10, 2019 14:41:41 #
at the temperatures you'll likely see, you'll have little problem - I commonly carry my camera inside my ski jacket when downhilll skiing at temps down to the teens with no problems.
we encountered no snow on landings except for one time where we climbed a small hill with steps kicked by the guides. ground was gravel or small rocks.
I concur there's little need for tripod -- you don't have much time ashore, so better to shoot more & sort onboard. I do use a shortened monopod, planted in my camera bag, steady enough to bracket for HDR
we encountered no snow on landings except for one time where we climbed a small hill with steps kicked by the guides. ground was gravel or small rocks.
I concur there's little need for tripod -- you don't have much time ashore, so better to shoot more & sort onboard. I do use a shortened monopod, planted in my camera bag, steady enough to bracket for HDR
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Nov 10, 2019 16:18:03 #
Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. All of them are greatly appreciated. However, I wondered about some reasons given for carrying two camera bodies. Did any of you ever experience camera failure?
I will definitely take two cameras but not for that reason. I am thinking about convenience in terms of reduced lens changing and flexibility in shooting. How often does camera failure happen? Mine are virtually brand new.
I will definitely take two cameras but not for that reason. I am thinking about convenience in terms of reduced lens changing and flexibility in shooting. How often does camera failure happen? Mine are virtually brand new.
Nov 10, 2019 18:24:40 #
You can't tell: maybe one gets dropped, water gets into it, or the camera demons strike it dead. You are spending a lot of money for the trip, so consider it something like trip insurance. Depending on the weather, the crossing to get to the Antarctic Penisula is one of the worst in the world. We have had everything slide off of our beds to include us on one crossing, and fortunately our camera gear was on the floor instead of a shelf what were also cleared in the foul weather. In fact, we don't travel anywhere without two camera bodies. Kinda like always carrying an umbrella to fend off the rain! Enjoy your trip! (One side note: penguins can poop great distances, sometimes three to four feet, so beware one with its back to you, especially if you are on the ground taking a low-level image! Oh, and take some Vapor Rub because over the years their poop doesn't deteriorate, and the odor is terrible! One of our guides told us that finding penguin colonies is easy: just follow your nose!)
Nov 10, 2019 18:39:40 #
I took the Lindblad/NatGeo trip last December. Renting the boots are the only way to go. If you are flying to Ushuaia there is a restrictive weight limit, and boy do the knee highs weigh a lot.
Nov 10, 2019 18:42:08 #
Right. Two cameras are insurance. I hear of cameras that get wet because people don’t use dry bags. And I’d rather have two and not have to change lenses.
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Nov 10, 2019 18:48:42 #
I used Muck Boots, and wore them on the airplane to Ushuai, and noticed that I wasn't alone! They still have the fragrance of penguin poop when they get wet! Knee pads are also nice to have since you will be kneeling frequently. They are cheap and you can throw them away when the trip is over.
Nov 10, 2019 20:24:17 #
Nov 10, 2019 20:43:25 #
FotoHog wrote:
Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. All of them are greatly appreciated. However, I wondered about some reasons given for carrying two camera bodies. Did any of you ever experience camera failure?....
Yes, a double failure! In 1999, (still the days of 35mm film) we went on an Alaska trip (Rail+Cruise) to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. First, my Minolta x570 film advance mechanism failed, causing major angst when i picked up several rolls of blanks from the on-board photo center. Then my Samsung EX-1 backup became erratic, then quit complexly because the flex circuit connecting the zoom lens fractured.
That was well before smartphones with cameras, so we resorted to getting copies from other travelers, postcards, and using disposable cameras until I could buy my first Nikon from a camera shop in Juneau.
BTW, will you be joining us on the Nat Geo Explorer in December?
Nov 10, 2019 21:40:05 #
Carl S wrote:
I used Muck Boots, and wore them on the airplane to Ushuai, and noticed that I wasn't alone! They still have the fragrance of penguin poop when they get wet! Knee pads are also nice to have since you will be kneeling frequently. They are cheap and you can throw them away when the trip is over.
Thanks for suggesting vaporub and knee pads, i will definitely pack them. Neither is check-listed in the expedition guide i attached to an earlier post. Harbor Freight has a good selection of inexpensive pads. And it is good to know the poop range of penguins. A Polar Explorer also warned that penguins bite!
Our MIT Alumni tour Lindblad/Nat Geo Explorer expedition coming up in a few weeks provides a custom parka that will be in our cabin along with rental boots and waterproof pants, which i concur we don't want to schlep by air. I have two PeakDesign 10L camera bags, one for each of us. They are claimed to be waterproof and hold a body and several lenses, but i will probably also bring a bigger WP duffel for Zodiac trips, as suggested by many posts here. No tripod, but a monopod for which i made a handle with Manfrotto plate that also serves as a cane or walking stick (see photo). I later saw a similar product advertised somewhere on line.
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Nov 10, 2019 22:16:57 #
senior techie wrote:
I took the Lindblad/NatGeo trip last December. Renting the boots are the only way to go. If you are flying to Ushuaia there is a restrictive weight limit, and boy do the knee highs weigh a lot.
Nov 10, 2019 22:46:53 #
tonyjag wrote:
. . . . BTW, will you be joining us on the Nat Geo Explorer in December?
Hi tonyjag. I wish I could be part of a hardcore photography group and join you on what would certainly be a much more specialized vessel for an Antarctica trip. As it is, my wife and I have made a "domestic compromise" by doing a 21 day cruise around South America that includes four days in Antarctica.
I will do all I can to wring the most satisfying results out of my "surrender" and make further decisions based on that. We have been traveling all over the world which has now become an addiction. So who knows whether or not a repeat may ensue?
Nov 11, 2019 07:34:24 #
Take a dry bag. Often the waterproof or water repellant camera bag leaks around the zipper area.
Nov 11, 2019 17:21:39 #
Carl S wrote:
... Depending on the weather, the crossing to get to the Antarctic Penisula is one of the worst in the world.
...
Oh, and take some Vapor Rub because over the years their poop doesn't deteriorate, and the odor is terrible! One of our guides told us that finding penguin colonies is easy: just follow your nose!)
...
Oh, and take some Vapor Rub because over the years their poop doesn't deteriorate, and the odor is terrible! One of our guides told us that finding penguin colonies is easy: just follow your nose!)
actually after a few minutes you don't really notice the smell
on our trip we had 10' swells on the way over the Drake passage and lots of folks never came out of their cabins, on the return it was so smooth they called it 'Drake Lake'
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