PHOTOGR APHY TIPS
1. Photography in Antarctica comes with
its own set of challenges – one of which
is condensation. As you move from a cold
exterior into the warmth of the ship, a film of
condensation will quickly fog up your lens.
One solution is to bring a sealable airtight bag
to put your camera and lenses in so they can
slowly adjust to a warmer temperature. Each
Viking Octantis stateroom comes with its own
drying cabinet for wet clothes and I discovered
that when I put my cameras in there in the
time it took to have lunch, they were all nicely
condensation free for the afternoon.
2. Antarctica is cold, even in summer, which
means batteries drain fast. Keeping them
near to your body will warm them up. Take
several with you.
3. What lenses are best? I bought a big
200mm-500mm zoom lens for my trip, but
the lenses I used most were a 17mm-35mm
wide-angle (for landscapes) and a 70mm-
200mm telephoto (for wildlife). Penguins and
seals are unafraid of humans and you can get
pretty close.
4. Unless you are shooting video, I wouldn't
bother with a tripod. There's lots of light in
Antarctica, so shutter speeds won't be an
issue. I found a monopod more practical as
long lenses can be heav y to hold!
5. When photographing wildlife, if you can,
tr y and get down low to the ground so that
you're on a level with your subject. Your
photos will be much better for it. And keep a
camera with you as you move around the ship
as the Antarctic regularly throws up surprises!
Whether you're using your iPhone or
high-end DSLR, you'll have the possibility to
create some fantastic memories of the last
great remaining wilderness on the planet!
Call us on 138 747 (AU), 0800 447 913 (NZ), contact your local Viking travel agent or visit viking.com | 19
ALBATROSS, ANTARCTICA
CAPTURING THE UNIQUE LIGHTING
BIOGR APHY
Award-winning British photographer
Alastair Miller's first true passion was the
sea. "I always search for the unexpected,
the small detail in the larger landscape."
His work is widely published in lifestyle
magazines and newspapers, principally
The Times and The Sunday Times
Viking Chairman
discusses trip
to Antarctica
