IAATO Compliant | Leave Nothing but Footprints | Capture with Purpose
📸 ESSENTIAL CAMERA GEAR
Capture the Ice — Respect the Environment — Travel Light
✅ Equipment
- Camera bodies: 2 if possible – one for wide-angle, one for telephoto (this will avoid lens changes outside).
- Lenses:
- 24–70 mm or 24–105 mm → landscapes & ship life
- 70–200 mm → wildlife & icebergs
- 100–400 mm → distant penguins & seals
- Wide (14–35 mm) → dramatic ice & zodiac perspectives
- GoPro or action camera: use with a handheld stick to capture both above and underwater footage for dynamic expedition storytelling.
- Memory cards: multiple high-speed 64–128 GB; rotate daily.
- Batteries: 4 + spares – cold drains them fast; store inside your jacket.
- Dry bag or waterproof backpack: essential for zodiac transfers.
- Lens cloths & wipes: keep a few in every pocket.
- Hand warmers: slip into gloves or wrap around spare batteries.
- Rain sleeves / plastic covers: sea spray, and zodiac splashes.
- UV filter: primarily serves as a physical protector for the lens from snow, moisture, and scratches when photographing in snowy conditions. While it can also reduce UV light to cut through atmospheric haze and prevent a bluish cast.
- Camera cross-body harness: far better than a neck strap — distributes weight evenly, keeps your camera secure, and leaves hands free for walking poles or balancing in zodiacs (Black Rapid dual harness is what I use to carry two cameras).
🧤 WHAT TO BRING – GLOVES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
✨ Flip-top mittens with glove liners underneath — keep your fingers warm while still allowing easy camera control.
✨ OTEX Photographer Gloves — specifically designed for photographers, offering warmth, grip, and fingertip access for handling small buttons and dials.
✨ Spare hand warmers — tuck a pair into your mittens or pockets to keep your hands ready for action.
⚙️ RECOMMENDED CAMERA SETTINGS
| Scene | Aperture | Shutter | ISO | Notes |
| Snow landscapes | f/8–f/11 | 1/250 s + | 100 – 200 | Add +0.7–+1 EV to keep snow white |
| Wildlife | f/5.6–f/8 | 1/1000–1/2000 s | 400 – 800 | Continuous AF + burst mode |
| Birds in flight | f/8 | 1/2000–1/3200 s | 800 – 1600 | Track in AF-C / AI Servo |
| Zodiac ride | f/5.6 | 1/1000 s | Auto ISO | Use image stabiliser |
| Sunset / ice glow | f/11–f/16 | 1/60–1/250 s | 100 – 200 | WB ≈ 6500 K |
| Night sky / aurora | f/2.8 | 10–20 s | 1600 – 3200 | Manual focus on infinity |
| Ice abstracts | f/11 | Variable | 100 | Focus on texture |
💡 Tip: RAW is best if you plan on post-processing your images. Don’t waste valuable storage space by having dual shooting modes (JPEG & RAW).
🧥 WORKING IN THE COLD
✅ Do:
- Keep batteries warm (inner pocket).
- Dry gear thoroughly before charging or storing.
- Use a lens hood — shields from glare, snow, and spray.
- Use gloves with fingertip access or touchscreen capability.
- Secure your camera on a cross-body harness for safe zodiac boarding and walking-pole use (Black Rapid dual harness recommended for carrying two cameras).
- Back up your images to an external hard drive daily.
- Keep your photos both on the SD card and on your hard drive — never format cards until you’re safely home.
🚫 WHAT NOT TO TAKE
IAATO rules mean minimal impact, maximum respect.
❌ Tripods or monopods (no equipment or person may touch the ground).
❌ Drones (strictly prohibited).
❌ Props or reflectors.
⚠️ WHAT NOT TO DO
Outdoors / On Landings:
- Don’t change lenses outside the ship.
- Don’t place gear or yourself on the ground.
- Don’t approach wildlife closer than 5 m.
- Don’t trample moss or vegetation.
- Don’t use flash on wildlife.
- Don’t eat or drink on shore.
- Don’t turn your back to the surf near landings.
- Don’t try new or unfamiliar photography techniques — capture confidently with what you know.
- Use a lanyard around your neck for your phone, no need for a plastic case.
Onboard:
- Don’t open your camera, change lenses, or remove SD cards and battierie immediately after returning from shore. Allow at least one hour for your camera to reach cabin temperature.
- Don’t blow on lenses (your breath freezes).
- Don’t rely solely on your phone.
🐧 COMPOSITION & CREATIVE TIPS
- Go eye-level aboard the zodiac for penguin portraits.
- Include scale — a small zodiac or person against vast ice.
- Use fog, sea spray, and light beams for atmosphere.
- Try monochrome for white, blue, and grey tones.
- Bracket exposures in bright snow.
- Wait for interaction — chicks feeding, seals yawning, or crew working.
- Use your GoPro creatively — a handheld stick lets you film both above and below the waterline.
🧳 QUICK PRE-TRIP CHECKLIST
✅ 2 Camera Bodies
✅ 3–4 Lenses (24–70, 70–200, 100–400, Wide)
✅ GoPro / Action Camera + Handheld Stick
✅ 4-8 Batteries
✅ 10 Memory Cards
✅ Laptop + 2 SSD Backups
✅ Lens Cloths + Hand Warmers
✅ Dry Bags / Rain Covers
✅ UV Filter
✅ Cross-Body Harness (Black Rapid dual harness for 2 cameras)
✅ Daily Backup Routine
💡 STORYTELLING THEMES
- Life on the Ice – crew & expedition shots
- Neighbourhood Watch – penguin colonies in context
- Sculpted by Wind & Sea – abstract blue ice
- The Ride of a Lifetime – zodiac & ship moments
About Lesley Whyte
Lesley Whyte is a multi-award-winning photographer, adventurer, and IAATO Antarctic Ambassador — and New Zealand’s only female street photography mentor. Having travelled extensively across Antarctica, Lesley combines her expertise in expedition logistics with her artistic vision behind the lens to help others capture the continent’s raw beauty with confidence. Through her Women in Photography retreats, she empowers photographers of all levels to embrace the challenges of shooting in extreme and remote landscape and polar environments—transforming once-in-a-lifetime moments into powerful, print-worthy images. Her philosophy is simple yet profound: respect the environment, connect with the moment, and capture with purpose.
