Antarctica Photography Expedition with Daniel Kordan - 2020

You’ll arrive at the windswept town of Ushuaia, perched steeply on a hill in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Situated on the southernmost tip of South America, this town has also been nicknamed the “End of the World”.

On arrival, you’ll be met by your photography guides and transferred to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day will be spent at your leisure; no doubt you’ll need some rest before the adventure truly begins!

This morning, your luggage will be collected from your hotel and transferred directly to the port for clearance and loading aboard the ship. In the meanwhile, you’ll have some free time to explore the hustle and bustle of Ushuaia, as well as the nearby mountains of the Tierra del Fuego National Park on the edge of the Beagle Channel. If shopping is your vice, then you’ll be happy to know that Ushuaia is a duty-free port, so it’s a great place to buy souvenirs and presents before the trip begins! Argentinian chocolates and leather goods are only some of the amazing fare on offer.

By late afternoon, when you have explored the town to your heart’s content, you’ll make your way to the port to meet your photography guides and fellow travellers before embarking upon the Greg Mortimer at approximately 4pm. Get your camera ready, because as we pull away from port, you’ll be treated to sweepingly spectacular views over Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego. There will then be an opportunity to settle into your cabin aboard the ship before meeting your expedition team again in the evening to celebrate the start of your incredible journey towards Antarctica over a delicious welcome dinner.

Crossing the Drake Passage is an experience unlike any other. It is one of the most dramatic and unforgettable things that you will ever experience. Connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, it is one of the most tumultuous bodies of water on the planet. This deep waterway stretches 1000 km wide from the bottom tip of South America to the north of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Even if you don't usually experience motion sickness, the conditions of the Drake Passage can still take some getting used to! So as we commence the crossing on day three, we’ll take our time getting comfortable with the motions of the sea over a series of informative lectures.

During these lectures, our expedition team will start preparing you for your first landing by providing a bit of background on Antarctica’s history, wildlife and environment. You’ll also be taken through a number of guidelines and bio security procedures in relation to encountering wildlife – just in time for photographing the many seabirds that you’ll spot trailing behind the ship, soaring skillfully through the sky! Get ready to capture the giant albatrosses and splendid petrels as they rise and fall with the air currents created by the ship as we sail towards the South Shetland Islands.

As we near the South Shetland Islands stretching towards the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on day four, you’ll have the chance to glimpse your first colossal iceberg from one of the ship’s observation decks. Floating majestically upon the open ocean, these iridescent sculptures of ice have an almost surreal presence that will take your breath away. The icebergs melt as they are exposed to the warmth of the sun’s heat, taking on a variety of astonishing and fascinating shapes. If the weather permits, we may attempt our first landing in Antarctica by the late afternoon.

The next six days will be spent exploring the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. There will be no fixed itinerary, as your experienced guides will use their immense amount of expertise and knowledge to tailor the voyage from day to day. Where you go and what you shoot will depend largely upon the movements of the wildlife, ice conditions and prevailing weather, though your guides will make use of the conditions to provide you with the best photographic opportunities.

Our southerly latitude will result in being granted with approximately 18-20 hours of daylight at our disposal amidst evenings marked by glorious, magical Antarctic light. This means that our days will be long and filled with exciting things to shoot! As such, we’ll make landings on the continent or excursions aboard the Zodiac around two or three times a day, offering you ample time to capture the surrounding landscape and wildlife.

Compositions will abound as we cruise by spectacular cliffs of ice through narrow straits past majestic icebergs, following pods of whales as they break the surface of the water. There will even be landings on the Antarctic islands during which you’ll be able to photograph Adelie and Gentoo penguin colonies going about their daily business, seals hauling out heavily on the ice, as well as the spectacular still-standing historic huts from the heroic age of Antarctic exploration.

Depending on the weather and timing during this voyage, there may even be an opportunity for you to camp ashore. This will surely satisfy the age-old Antarctic explorer deep within you. Rest assured though that your equipment will be slightly better than that experienced by Scott and Shackleton a century ago and that our warm and comfortable ship will remain nearby for the duration, should you need to return!

On day eleven, our journey will culminate at one of the most remote places on Earth – the Frei Base on King George Island, located at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the South Shetland Islands. This is where we will bid our goodbyes to Antarctica, as we board our flight towards Punta Arenas, the capital city of Chile’s southernmost region. On arrival at the Punta Arenas airport, you will be transferred to our downtown hotel, where we will rest before convening for one last dinner as a team.

Please note that due to the location of King George Island, flight conditions may vary, adding to the drama of your journey! We apologies in advance if you experience any delays reaching Punta Arenas.

By day twelve, we’ll have reached the end of our adventure to one of the last great wildernesses on the planet. After breakfast, you’ll bid a fond farewell to your fellow travellers upon this extraordinary journey, as we all continue onwards with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature within the frozen kingdom of Antarctica.

Please note that the departure airport transfer is not included in your voyage cost with Iceland Photo Tours, so you must advise your travel agent if you require an airport transfer in order for it to be booked in advance.

For those interested in extending the workshop, please check out our Patagonia Summer Photography Tour, which will continue on from Punta Arenas into the heart of Torres del Paine National Park.