Aurora Expeditions Launch Ultimate Guide to Polar Photography

24 January 2017
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Photo © Michael Baynes / Aurora Expeditions

Expedition cruising specialists Aurora Expeditions are delighted to introduce their very own Polar Photography Handbook, a guide written by expert photographers on how to achieve the best possible shots whilst exploring the Polar Regions. Despite the incredible landscapes and abundance of spectacular wildlife, shooting in the Poles can present many challenges, with photographers having to adapt constantly to changing weather, be prepared for unexpected wildlife behaviour and battle with extreme temperatures and their hampering effect on photography equipment.

Aurora’s handy new guide covers everything from the very basics such as aperture, burst rate and DSLR and understanding how these facilities help achieve the perfect picture, to advice on composition and framing and generally how to capture that ‘once in a lifetime’ perfect shot in such extreme conditions. All useful pre-departure reading for any photo enthusiast – from the smartphone snapper to the more knowledgeable and budding amateur photographer.

Click here to download Aurora Expeditions’ Polar Photography Handbook.

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Photo © Michael Baynes / Aurora Expeditions

In 2017/18, passengers travelling on Aurora Expeditions’ photography voyages to Antarctica or the Arctic will have the chance to develop their photography skills under the guidance of polar photography experts Chris Bray, Scott Portelli, Michael Baynes and Martyn Lucas, through a tailored program of lectures and workshops on essential camera skills and photography in the Polar Regions, examples of top tips including:

Brighten for snowy, icy scenes: ‘Dial up your camera’s ‘Exposure Compensation’ otherwise photos with a lot of white snow or ice end up dull and grey. Don’t go too far though or you’ll overexpose the shot’ – Chris Bray. Chris is an award-winning Australian Geographic photographer, Lowepro ambassador and Canon’s Australian ambassador.

Keep your hands warm: ‘This might seem hard to avoid in Polar Regions, but wearing thin gloves under your wetsuit will help to prevent your hands from getting too stiff to work the camera settings’ – Scott Portelli on underwater photography. Scott is the Australian National Winner at the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards and Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 by Natural History Museum.

Photograph wildlife from a low vantage point: ‘Images taken at the same eye height as your subject will create a more neutral looking image. Lowering your profile will also allow the wildlife to relax and carry on around you’ – Michael Baynes. Michael is a freelance photographer and photography guide who has travelled to over 50 countries.

Combat condensation when returning to the ship: ‘Leave your camera in its bag to allow it to slowly warm up and use a damp cloth to wipe salt water from your equipment’ – Martyn Lucas. Martyn is an internationally-recognised landscape photographer.

Aurora Expeditions’ upcoming photography voyages really are exceptional opportunities to enhance photography skills, here are just a couple of quotes from grateful guests who have travelled with Aurora Expeditions:

“We were blessed with superb weather and with expert guidance my pictures of Antarctica look as if they are out of a magazine” - South Georgia & Antarctic Odyssey

"The photography was magical... the light, the wildlife, the landscapes… and with all the great top tips from the workshops I was able to really focus on improving my framing technique and style. If I do say so myself, my pictures are amazing!” - Antarctica

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