RickDB

<p>Penguins on iceberg at dusk.<br /> EOS 5D2 + Tamron 150-600 at 150mm (3 shot pano). 1/320s at f/7.1 ISO 800.</p><div></div>

<p>#2 Iceberg ahead!<br> EOS 5D2 + EF 15mm fisheye in Aquatech housing; 1/400s at f/16 ISO 800.</p><div></div>

<p>Some shots from my recent trip to Antarctica.<br> #1 EOS 7D2 + Tamron SP 150-600mm at 600mm; 1/1600s at f/8 ISO 800</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Gup, let me fill you in with some more details. 10 years ago I made my first trip to Antarctica and took with me a Canon P&S camera in an underwater housing with the idea of taking some underwater pictures of the ice - I was completely unsuccessful! On a trip to the Arctic I met a very talented photographer who published a couple of half in-half out shots of icebergs on one of his blogs ( <a href="http://blog.clemensvanderwerf.com/2014/01/15/antarctica-land-of-snow-and-ice/">http://blog.clemensvanderwerf.com/2014/01/15/antarctica-land-of-snow-and-ice/</a> ). As luck would have it I had the chance to return to Antarctica in December and determined to have another go with the benefit of the new information on how to be successful. I used a Canon 5D2 camera with a 15mm fisheye lens mounted in an Aquatech underwater housing. You really need the large domed housing - a Gopro, for example, doesn't give you the same effect.<br> So, I set the camera to AP at f/16 and manual focus to give a depth of field from about 18" to infinity; ISO 800 to give a reasonably high shutter speed. I also set the camera to bracket the exposures (+1.67, 0, -1.67) and continuous drive. Then you hang over the side of a zodiac and immerse the housing to half-way down into the water and shoot away. The success rate is low, it is difficult to judge the level of the camera especialy with the zodiac bobbing about, so take lots and lots of shots - out of 400, I probably have ten or so keepers. This shot was the only one I took with a penguin swimming. To see some more examples I have posted a slide show on Vimeo: <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/150074487">http://www.vimeo.com/150074487</a></p>

<p>A shot from the bottom of our planet - Paradise Bay, Antarctica. A leopard seal basks in the sun on it's own private island of ice, mouth open to help keep cool, as an unseen penguin swims below.</p><div></div>

<p>Desdemona #3</p><div></div>

<p>Desdemona #2</p><div></div>

<p>Set off for the shipwrecked Desdemona on Dec 1st at 4pm arriving Dec. 3rd at 4am in time for sunrise; our efforts were rewarded with a wonderful sky which was just as well as I doubt I'll ever be there again.<br> Best wishes to all for the New Year!</p><div></div>

<p>I used my old 20D to take one picture a day for a year using an intervalometer without any problems. To preserve battery life you should turn off the screen. I think I changed the battery (which was quite old) every couple of months.</p>

<p>The sea ice surrounding Antarctica continues to grow every winter and paradoxically this may be related to global warming (although the science hasn't yet pieced together all the factors that might explain this phenomenon). There is also evidence that El Nino results in higher sea ice concentrations west of the Antarctic peninsula where this photo of three crab-eater seals resting a small piece of ice was taken.</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Gordon. Taken under miserable conditions of cold and wind and rain - operating a camera in a "Rainsleeve" is not so much fun!</p>

<p>It's summer in the southern hemisphere but it is cold and snowy in Antarctica. Gentoo penguin resting on a whale vertebrae. 5D2 / EF 300mm f/2.8; 1/800s at f/5.6 ISO 400.</p><div></div>

<p>The day the local public swimming pool is closed for maintenance, it is open to pet dogs - they seem to have as much fun socializing as they do jumping into the water. After a long hot summer this long haired dog couldn't get enough of the cool water. 5D2 + EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye in AquaTech housing; 1/3200s at f/11 ISO 1600.</p><div></div>

<p>Not sure if it's a sign of fall, but suddenly I've noticed lots of American Redstarts in my garden. These pretty birds are quite difficult to photograph as they don't seem to stop for more than a fraction of a second as they flit about catching insects. They are quite different from the redstarts found in Europe.</p><div></div>