Antarctica – A Reality that was a Dream
Going far back into history and historic accounts, it seems that we as a race, have long been wanderers. From desert landscapes to icy mountain slopes, from vast grasslands to thick forests, people have carved a life for themselves in every habitat on Earth.The need to discover new destinations, explore the unknown and experience the diversity of our Earth’s natural heritage seems to be ingrained within us. With this in mind, there is little wonder that our progression is to continue this exploration to destinations that have always captured our own imagination, this time with camera in hand.
This need to explore and capture the many moments that wild destinations worldwide present from a personal perspective is one of the reasons why wildlife and nature photography has always pulsed through my veins at an intensity that cannot be ignored. Antarctica is one such destination that settles on the mind and soul of many photographers and travellers. The want to go and traverse the white snow and surround oneself with the true splendour that cannot be compared is a constant allure.
A fact that contributes to the spellbinding destination and what truly makes travelling there so special is its remoteness and the expedition of getting to the Islands that we will be exploring in October during our Antarctica photography tour; The Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, South Georgia, South Shetlands and the Antarctica Peninsula.
The rewards of travelling this far are bountiful to say the least; a wild landscape of tall and dark mountains and peaks thickly dusted with snow break up the flat expanse of ice and snow that hide the earth beneath, a visual explosion as you look upon seemingly endless colonies of breeding penguins whose groups are only broken up by the large size and heft of elephant seals and their pups as well as other species of seals who share the beaches with their feathered friends. Exquisite, porcelain-looking Black- browed Albatross pairs nest in rock crevices and frequently interact with one another, making for some beautiful portraits of these birds.
If you think that this is all that can be seen on our Antarctica photography tour, then let me delight your passion even further…
Beautifully marked and coloured King Penguins stand tall and tower over their fluffy chicks whilst the sounds of their calls swirl around you, curious Elephant seal pups make their cumbersome way towards you for photographic opportunities and perspectives that will make your creativity flow freely from you and relay into your images. A contrast from the cute and cuddly is the sleek speckled bruteness of the Leopard seal, a true beauty to photograph as well as a thrilling experience as these predators keep an interested eye on you. Humpback, Fin, Sei & Minke Whale, Orca, Commerson’s & Peale’s Dolphin are the finned-oceanic mammals that live beneath the icy land in the blue swirls of the oceans waters. These treasures are harder to see, but we may just have the opportunity of seeing and photographing from aboard our ship or from the Zodiacs.
There are so many more birds and mammals that call these island’s home and bring us to their ice-coated shores. Having done so for centuries, we are still constantly pulled back to explore these islands and Antarctica but now with our camera gear in hand while our hearts open up to the experience.
Join me in Antarctica to photograph the endless beauty of these remote wilderness destinations. It is an experience I cannot wait to capture with you.
– Penny Robartes
