Of course, the focus of this trip was the Ross Sea. And this was indeed the ultimate humbling experience. What made it so? Part of it was the knowledge that we were the only ship down there. This certainly added to the sense of adventure (although I know that nothing was left to chance when it came to our safety). Then there is the absolute splendour which defies explanation. The mountains and glaciers are simultaneously distant and close. And seeing…
So, let’s go straight to the cute photos. I suspect that this is what you really want to see? And I definitely have lots of photos of penguins! When I did my photography course, together with the research I did before I went away, the advice I was given was that in my photos of penguins I should try and catch them doing something, or interacting in some way, to make the photo more interesting and to give it relevance….
So, now that I am home, after this amazing trip, I will continue this blog to share my experiences in the form of photo stories. (Thank heavens for the photography course!) And to make it a bit more interesting, I have decided to steer away from the traditional format of a chronological account of the voyage. I am going to tell you (show you) some stories. (Of course you would, I hear you say) Having said that, I think that…
This post is coming to you after having actually visited the places which I want to talk about. I have just visited Shackleton’s Hut. And two days ago I was inside Scott’s Hut at Cape Evans. In the analogy I drew in Part 1 of the Cool Collaboration posts, I made mention of the sharing of “props”. I was thinking of the huts in particular, and the two which always came to mind were naturally the two huts which I…
Two days of huge seas. Waves not just washing on the deck, but drenching the windows of the bridge two levels above! My first sight of the Ross Ice Shelf; 6 am on 20 February. The sheer expanse of the Ross Sea. Sea ice – its various forms – and the sound the ship makes passing through it. First steps onto Antarctica at Cape Byrd to see the Adelie penguin rookery. Emperor Penguins just in front of the ship, on some hard sea…
Number of days of sea sickness = 0! Number of penguins seen = millions Number of times I’ve had to get into and out of a zodiac in a surging sea = 16 Number of delicious three course dinners = 7 Number of interesting people I’ve met > 50 Skill level attained in negotiating through a ship in a rolling sea = Advanced.
I have arrived in Invercargill. The weather is glorious. Even before arriving at the rendezvous hotel, I had already met others going on the expedition; inevitable, I guess, that there would be fellow travellers who would be on my flight from Christchurch. As it turned out, there were three of us sitting in the same row – what a coincidence! So, last night we all met for dinner. And today we board the ship. This will be a poignant moment…
Who could have imagined that I would need a list, just for my camera equipment for this trip? It has proved to be a particular challenge for me – the camera novice that I am! Having said this, I am thankful for the course I did before Christmas. I would have totally ‘at sea’ without it. Even after the course, there was further research required. For example, I knew that I needed to get a filter for the camera,…
It hasn’t helped that I am reading these books about Antarctic exploration out of chronological sequence! Consequently, when I come across a reference to someone or something which is familiar, I have to think for a moment which ‘appearance’ came first. Most often, this is made easy for me, as the context is already set in the book. And then, it sometimes sparks my curiosity, so that I put my book down, resort to Google, and do some exploration of…
I’ve always known that I would have some great camera equipment to take away with me. Glen had a couple of fabulous cameras. However, I had some serious doubts about my photography skills, to do them justice! So, on the spur of the moment, a couple of months ago, I enrolled in a course. Six weeks later, I felt much better placed to bring back some photos which capture some of the grandeur and magnificence which I know I will…