Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Antarctica: Sea and Sun (and Ice)

Reading the paper, it seems as if everywhere is colder than Antarctica nowadays: Half of the US is paralyzed with snow storms; Europe - Don't even mention!; and I even heard an Australian describing the mid-summer snow storm he experienced! What is going on here?

Seems like we all need some sunshine. What better place to see the wonders of throwing sun, ice, and snow into the ocean than Antarctica? Today, I'll write less and let the pictures warm you up (or at least warm your hearts, I hope!) Remember: no tripods, hours of waiting for the perfect sunshine, or careful frame-planing here. 

For me, taking a photo usually involves quickly opening the watertight box on my kayak, snapping one, and returning the camera to its safe haven. (or using a tiny waterproof point-and-shoot camera I carry all the time)  Instinctively shooting from the ship I was on was considered a treat - I could actually point the camera for more than two seconds! 

Sun, ice, and glaring ocean are not easy on any camera, but when it sometimes works, here are some of the results:

(click on any photo to enlarge)


  



























Of course, with the right light, the perfect kayaking-on-a-mirror is achieved:




























It is of course pleasant to see nice photos. Now imagine actually being part of it - kayaking simply within these scenes, or being the only little ship in miles and miles of ocean to be part of this view. There is something in this experience that makes you want to just be quiet and watch it forever, whether it an Antarctic summer sunset (in the next picture) or a mid-day picture-perfect moment (the following one).























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3 comments:

Eyal Bar-Zvi said...

There is one place which only suffers from winter sicknesses and no actual winter, it's calles the holy land :-) .
Great pics. I shared them with my three years old, who loved your kayak and showed great interest in the "frozen land".

Jessica Wasserman said...

So beautiful! Those glaciers are always amazing. I find the skies and the light there mesmerizing. It is so other-wordly. Well, in NY, as I'm sure you've heard, we just had a major blizzard, which usually doesn't impact us too much in the city, except that this time, the clean up effort by the city was abysmal, so things came to a standstill for days. I couldn't even walk to Whole Foods one day, can you believe it? That is my way of saying things were really bad, since, for me, not getting to Whole Foods is a calamity, as I'm sure you understand given your own fondness for the place. Anyway, thanks again for posting these great photos!

Anonymous said...

Eyal, thank you for sharing these experiences and photos and making other "non-extreme travel bums" dream of one day going on similar trips. You make us realise that it's possible! dominik

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