Antarctic Adventure

[Kathy O]

I'm back after my recent adventure. I spent a few days in Buenos Aires and Ushuaia before sailing across the Drake Passage to the 7th Continent.

I'm busy writing a retrospective blog. I'll post it as I get it done. I'll try and keep a photographic slant to it. Apologies in advance if I get off track a bit at times. These are my own personal views and recollections.

Love this photo, so crisp and clear!! It also has a great mood about it!! Can you share what equipment you use and maybe your settings. This really helps a beginner like myself.

Kathy

[TylieD]

Wonderfully evocative pictures and narrative Mark, thank you for sharing a fantastic journey

[Markvetnz]

Love this photo, so crisp and clear!! It also has a great mood about it!! Can you share what equipment you use and maybe your settings. This really helps a beginner like myself.

Kathy

Canon 1dx, 16 to 35 mm zoom at 35mm, f22 to ensure full DOF, 1/2 second exposure, tripod.
PP - sharpen, crop, minor colour adjustments, some local contrast adjustments on boat, clone out litter in the foreground, add a warming filter to the clouds
Long walk home in the dark in freezing conditions

[Markvetnz]

Hi Mark,

I have just discovered this thread today, after a few weeks' absence from CiC, and have read it all in one sitting. It was a fascinating and enjoyable read; your writing style made it all the more entertaining.

I would love to do a trip like this. I'm pretty bad when it comes to sea-sickness, so I'll have to develop some sea legs first, or it could end up being a very expensive two weeks in bed.

You must be looking forward to a break after writing your travel diary, but I have a bunch of questions for you. Sorry.

I found it interesting looking at the EXIF information in the photos to see what decisions you made about the exposure. It would be interesting to know what guided your choice; for example, shutter speeds were quite fast, typically < 1/400s, even when not photographing moving subjects. I suppose you were the moving subject in many of them. You used manual exposure almost exclusively, with Matrix metering mode set. I don't often shoot like that and wonder if you were using the metering mode to guide you, and simply over-exposed to account for the amount of white ice and snow. You mentioned the challenges of dealing with dark water and white surfaces; what did you do? (I shoot mostly landscape and architecture, so I haven't encountered problems this severe.)

And there's the post-processing. 5000 photos is a lot to PP. You just couldn't do what I do - slowly and painfully decide how to PP each photo. Perhaps you did for a select few. What did you do?

Your lenses had focal length ranges of 16-35mm and 70-200mm, a fixed 400mm and a 1.4x teleconverter. Did you miss having the 36-70mm and 280-400mm ranges? (It doesn't look like it.) Are you happy with using the teleconverter instead of using a tele zoom lens between 200-280mm? I ask because I've started thinking about upgrading my lenses over the next year or so (I take ages to decide, mainly because of the cost and wondering if I'm worthy...) and the idea of a teleconverter is interesting.

Just when you thought you'd finished eh! Well, this is a learning forum.

Tony

Tony

Sea sickness not too bad at all. Use scopalamine patches and just lie down if you feel ill and it only happens on the way there and back, otherwise the conditions are very calm.

I took a 24 to 70mm lens to use on board for people shots etc. My main areas of interest are landscape and wildlife so I didn't really miss the focal lengths you mention. I'm not sure what gear you use, but a Canon 70 -200 f2.8L II and a 1.4 III converter is a killer combo. On a crop factor camera it gets you to 400mm without the weight. I often used the 400mm with a 1,4 converter on a 1.3 factor camera. Effectively a 700mm lens. Anything under 500mm for birds is almost inadequate.

I almost always used the camera in Manual mode. I did overexpose so the snow wasn't a grey sludge. This was easy to get right in overcast conditions but when the sun came out and things got contrasty, it became quite difficult. I know many of the people in our little photography group struggled. Matrix metering worked in most cases because the pallette was often limited and quite muted. In most cases I just made sure I got the snow right without blowing the highlights and then sorted out the darker areas in PP. Bracketing often wasn't an option because I was shooting off aboat or I didn't have a tripod.

PP. I quickly rate all photos in a preliminary round. I then pick what I think are the best and work each one over as thoroughly as possible and always to my own personal taste. I go back later and look throug my discards where I always find a few gems.

I tend not to bactch process because I always aim to produce a unique image capable of being printed up large.

[Tony M]

Thanks Mark for this info. I don't have L series lenses and I have a 1.6 crop factor camera. You've made me think seriously about the Canon 70-200 f2.8L II lens, as its constant 2.8 aperture is very interesting.

I just showed your photos to my wife and daughter, and they loved them, especially the Happy Feet one.

Tony

[Markvetnz]

Thanks Mark for this info. I don't have L series lenses and I have a 1.6 crop factor camera. You've made me think seriously about the Canon 70-200 f2.8L II lens, as its constant 2.8 aperture is very interesting.

I just showed your photos to my wife and daughter, and they loved them, especially the Happy Feet one.

Tony

The 70 - 200 is without doubt my favourite lens. I don't think anyone ever regretted buying one. When I first got it I thought it would be too big to use as a walk around lens, but you get used to it quickly and particularly on a full frame camera it's a gem.

[graynomad]

Before I got my 400 the 70-200 (mk1) was my only "long" lens, I regularly used it with a 2x on a 1.6 crop body to get IIRC 640mm equivalent which was good for wildlife. It's pin sharp by itself or with the 1.4x and still very sharp with the 2x if you stop down 1-2 stops.

You just can't go wrong with that lens (or for that matter the f4 version now that it has IS, but the 2x would be a bit slow I think).

[pasusan]

Thank you very much for taking us on your adventure! I have spent hours reading, viewing your photos, and checking out where you were on the map. Very enjoyable - and the photos are truly exceptional!

I do have one question: How did you handle your equipment, put up tripods, change lenses, and actually take pictures with your hands bundled up in 2 sets of gloves?

[Markvetnz]

Elephant Point – Livingston Island, South Shetlands
62deg 41min South 60deg 51min West

Our final landing today. The ship anchors off Livingston Island with a reasonably stiff breeze blowing and a 4 to 5 feet choppy sea. A boat heads out to scout the landing area and returns shortly with good news. It’s safe to go. This is the first really stern test of getting into a Zodiac. We are warned to take plenty of waterproof gear especially for the return trip. The air and sea temperature are zero degrees and the cold wind in my face together with a little spray confirm this. There’s a following sea and we surf down the face of the trailing waves. Don dedicates one surf to his late Dad who told him, as a youngster, he’d never get a surfing job that paid money.


A herd of Elephant Seals lies on the beach totally unconcerned with the human invaders

The landing spot is around a small headland and we make it ashore safely in calm conditions. The herd of Southern Elephant Seals greets us with disdain. Of all the tour boats to the region, ours is the only one that makes landings here. The beach is littered with many mummified leathery carcasses of juveniles that have perished. We’re not sure why.



A little further inland we come across a troubling sight. A few juvenile seals had obviously been resting on the deep snow banks (unusually deep this year after excessive snow). The parents leave them for up to 3 weeks while they hunt and replenish reserves at sea. During this time the body heat of the youngsters has melted the underlying snow creating an ever deepening hole into which they slowly sink to an inexorable untimely death as a result of starvation. Some of them have only their heads out of the water in these temporary graves in the snow.

It was decided to dig them out and hope that when the parents returned, the pups still had enough in reserve to make it. Although I played no direct part in the rescue, part of me is happy we’re saving these pups and part of me is troubled a bit by it. I always believe in not intervening in nature. It’s easy to sit on a living room sofa and say “it’s nature’s way”, but it’s another thing entirely when you are the only people who can save helpless defenceless creatures. One look into that hole and we knew we were doing the right thing. The beach was already littered with dozens of other pups that had died that season.



To cut a long story short, we saved 21 pups from certain death. I only hope that at least some of them make it to adulthood. At the end of the 19th century we hunted this species to near extinction so I guess saving a few today squared the ledger a bit.






Thanks to my wifr Caron for the rescue photos



We get onto the Zodiacs in cold blustery conditions and are told to expect an interesting ride home. I secure all my gear and hunker down at the front of the left pontoon. As we round the headland I get my first cold shower. When I say cold, I mean freezing. We head almost directly into the 6 feet swell and each wave sprays us with a freezing blast. Within 10 minutes my gloves are soaked and I’ve left my outers on the ship. I have never ever felt cold like this. First a sharp stinging pain takes hold of my fingers and they slowly kind of “ice up”. I try to flex and extend my fingers to get some circulation going, but it’s a waste of time and effort. For the next 30 minutes I tough it out, but I can’t help wondering how Shackleton and 5 others managed to sail from Elephant Island (just up the road from us) to South Georgia in a similar sized boat in far worse conditions than these. They didn’t only have to do it for 30 minutes. It took them 16 days in the James Caird. Hats off the them.

Getting back up the gangway took two attempts to get us tied alongside, a fall backwards onto my backside and finally I made it back to the cabin. It took about 20 minutes for the pain to subside and for some feeling to return to my fingers. I’m really glad that never happened every day.

What a morning. We set sail at lunchtime and head back into the Drake Passage. Oh No!! We don’t see Seasick Bob for 48 hours. I’m sure a ripple in a bath tub would set his sea sickness off.

For 2 days we sail in a 15 to 20 foot following sea. Other than birds we don’t see any other life until we approach Cape Horn where I catch glimpses of fur seals jumping in and out of the water. We are very fortunate when the Chilean authorities allow us to within 2 nautical miles of Cape Horn.


Cape Horm - relatively calm but still cold and foreboding


A gentle breeze at Cape Horn

The sea is relatively flat, but I’m still amazed at the waves crashing into the rocky cliffs. I finally cross another item off my bucket list as we round Cape Horn in grey rainy weather. Now it’s back up the Atlantic coast and into the Beagle Channel where we lay up for the night.

Early morning sees us steaming up the Beagle back to Ushuaia.



What a trip. What a voyage. What an adventure! I’ll be back.

One last thought. Never, ever, ever, ever fly LAN Chile.

[Dave Humphries]

My words cannot convey how gripping and educational I have found this thread Mark

Thank you,

[Mike Buckley]

What a terrific thread on so many levels! Thanks, Mark!

[Donald]

That has, I think, been the most fascinating, informative, educational and enjoyable series of images and accompanying text that I've had the pleasure of viewing in any medium. Thanks, Mark.

I hope you will conclude by giving us a commentary on the photographic experience in terms of challenges, solutions to challenges, etc.

[Bobobird]

Have been following this thread with interest and enjoying it very much. Thanks for the updates.

Question is --- Where are the penguins? I WANT PENGUINS....

[JPS]

Some great pictures and interesting commentary.
Thanks for taking the time to post and keep us entertained.

Kind regards
John

[tbob]

Fantastic images and well written commentary Mark. Really enthralling; I am sorry to have it end. I am glad you escaped the freezing return to the boat with all your digits intact and in working order (after a bit of warming). I too would have had a real problem leaving the seal pups to perish; award yourself some karmic points for that effort.

[rawill]

The landing spot is around a small headland and we make it ashore safely in calm conditions. The herd/flock/group of Southern Elephant Seals greets us with disdain. Of all the tour boats to the region, ours is the only one that makes landings here. The beach is littered with many mummified leathery carcasses of juveniles that have perished. We’re not sure why.

A little further inland we come across a troubling sight. A few juvenile seals had obviously been resting on the deep snow banks (unusually deep this year after excessive snow). The parents leave them for up to 3 weeks while they hunt and replenish reserves at sea. During this time the body heat of the youngsters has melted the underlying snow creating an ever deepening hole into which they slowly sink to an inexorable untimely death as a result of starvation. Some of them have only their heads out of the water in these temporary graves in the snow.

It was decided to dig them out and hope that when the parents returned, the pups still had enough in reserve to make it. Although I played no direct part in the rescue, part of me is happy we’re saving these pups and part of me is troubled a bit by it. I always believe in not intervening in nature. It’s easy to sit on a living room sofa and say “it’s nature’s way”, but it’s another thing entirely when you are the only people who can save helpless defenceless creatures. One look into that hole and we knew we were doing the right thing. The beach was already littered with dozens of other pups that had died that season.

To cut a long story short, we saved 21 pups from certain death. I only hope that at least some of them make it to adulthood. At the end of the 19th century we hunted this species to near extinction so I guess saving a few today squared the ledger a bit.

Very interesting comment.

Tells us that nature does not always get it right.

Hard to figure out why the adults leave the young to die in this way.

Great thread, many thanks.

[Markvetnz]

The adults don't leave the young to die. The young have plenty of reserves to survive 3 weeks under normal conditions when they would simply be on the beach. This year due to unseasonaly heavy snow, these youngsters were left on snow banks which melted underneath them, trapping them. Easy to pontificate about these things until you are actually confronted with the dilemma. I'm sure saving a few seal pups which would normally have made it, and assuming that some of them still perished, probably didn't make a great deal of difference in the great scheme of things. If you look at Google Earth you will see almost no snow in the sat photo, but when we were there in summer it was snow wall to wall. All creatures were having a hard time of it.

[rawill]

Thank you for the clarification.

[Markvetnz]

Gear I used

Donald has asked me for a rundown on my gear and how the conditions affected it.

Canon 1DX and 1D iv bodies
Canon lenses 400mm f2.8L IS, 70 - 200mm F2.8L II, 24 - 70mm f2.8L , 16 - 35mm f2.8L II, 8 - 15mm L fisheye, 1.4 and 2 X extenders
580 ex II flash
laptop, external hard drive (most important), spare memory cards, battery charger, spare batteries
2 x Lowepro backpacks, Manfrotto 190X 4 section carbon fibre tripod, cheap ball head, monopod and a few other little odds and sods
1 x 115l Seal Line dry bag in case of absolute disaster like falling in the water or dropping me gear into the water
Plenty of water proofing for myself and the gear
Special thermal boots and outer boot overshoes
Phottix 2 body harness - an absolute lifesaver

WIFE TO HELP CARRY THE 18KG OF GEAR I TOOK

Biggest problems
1. gear getting knocked about - I am pretty fastidious about looking after my gear and both my bodies now have little nicks on them - next trip I'm going to put masking tape on all vulnerable surfaces
2. condensation - the metal parts got really cold. My routine when going from cold to warm - remove mem cards, place camera and lens in black garbage bag - tie off with rubber band and place in front of the heater for 30 mins.
The only time I didn't do this there was condensation on both sensors. Arrrgh! - very frustrating
3. A few novice mistakes like not getting my shutter speed or DOF right - simply a symptom of photographic overload
4. Still trying to figure out the best AI Servo settings for the 1DX
I've just read a commentary by an Olympic photographer and he says this camera has the best autofocus he's ever seen. I've made a few adjustments based on his recommendations. I'm going back to motor racing this weekend so we'll see how it goes.

The gear stood up remarkably well, as it should being top of the range pro gear. I must say that friends I met on the ship had no complaints about any of their gear either.

I had no problems is customs, except in Sydney where they had a go at me about the weight of my hand luggage. I have a Manfrotto jacket with enlargeable side pockets into which I put a body and 3 lenses to get the weight out the bags because there was no way I was sending my gear as checked luggage. A female companion with an innocuous handbag is also very useful. I'm sure Caron's bag weighed over 5kg at times. I must say she never moaned about it once. As soon as we were through check in I just put everything bag into the backpacks.

We had quite a laugh at times. I was in sweltering heat, wearing a large jacket and almost staggering under its weight. I got the impression in South America they didn't really worry too much about international passengers. The whole trip was a great adventure, right from the planning and preparing to the time we got home.

In August I'm off to Utah - Moab, Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon. I'm pretty sure I won't need the cold weather gear.

Finally I'd like to thank you all for taking an interest. I honestly hope my little story inspires a few of you to make this trip one day. Thank you so much for the kind comments.

All the best
Mark

[Bobobird]

It was an adventure that your excellent writeups and photograph made us fell that we were taking part in it too.

Thanks for sharing this with us.

---
Btw - after you have tested the 1DX AF settings please share them here. The 1Dx (and 5D3) users could use some of that wisdom.