En route from South America to the Falklands
“Cheers” and “welcome aboard” were the most commonly used phrases tonight as we celebrated leaving work and worry behind and began focusing our energies on fun and photography. After making our way out of the Straits of Magellan early today, we set out across the open sea with a course set for the western islands of the Falkland archipelago. For many of us on board, the day offered a chance to get to know one another, learn the layout of the ship, and recuperate from the long flights from the northern hemisphere. Of course, even at sea, there are activities to be found and knowledge to be gleaned from our expert natural history and photography staff.
Some took advantage of the relatively calm seas and favorable winds to put our binoculars and cameras to the test while scanning the skies for the numerous species of seabirds that were accompanying our vessel. Albatrosses and petrels left many of us agape in wonder of their near-constant aerial acrobatics and grace. These magnificent birds patrol the world’s windiest ocean for weeks and months at a time gliding almost effortlessly through the skies and skimming the cresting seas. Their presence today offered an appetizer for the wildlife cornucopia still in store for us as we make our way into one of earth’s last true wilderness paradises. If we’re lucky, we’ll even have the opportunity to visit some of these beautiful birds at their nest sites on the windswept cliffs of the Falklands and South Georgia.
When not on deck, the expedition staff treated us to some informative and engaging presentations on the upcoming days’ activities as well as the first of our many forums on photography. We touched on all the basics: lighting, aperture, shutter speed, and of course, composition. Successful photographers incorporate all of these into creating an image that entices the viewer’s eye, drawing the person into the scene. Repetitive lines and shapes, such as these champagne glasses from our welcome cocktail party, are an effective example of how the photograph can successfully portray our three-dimensional world in a two-dimensional medium. After hearing this in one of our afternoon discussions, I set out to see if a novice, such as me, could capture such a scene among our day’s events. After all, this is a photo-expedition, and though we may all be of varying skill levels, we can certainly learn new pointers and perspectives from both each other and our esteemed professional guides.
“Cheers” and “welcome aboard” were the most commonly used phrases tonight as we celebrated leaving work and worry behind and began focusing our energies on fun and photography. After making our way out of the Straits of Magellan early today, we set out across the open sea with a course set for the western islands of the Falkland archipelago. For many of us on board, the day offered a chance to get to know one another, learn the layout of the ship, and recuperate from the long flights from the northern hemisphere. Of course, even at sea, there are activities to be found and knowledge to be gleaned from our expert natural history and photography staff.
Some took advantage of the relatively calm seas and favorable winds to put our binoculars and cameras to the test while scanning the skies for the numerous species of seabirds that were accompanying our vessel. Albatrosses and petrels left many of us agape in wonder of their near-constant aerial acrobatics and grace. These magnificent birds patrol the world’s windiest ocean for weeks and months at a time gliding almost effortlessly through the skies and skimming the cresting seas. Their presence today offered an appetizer for the wildlife cornucopia still in store for us as we make our way into one of earth’s last true wilderness paradises. If we’re lucky, we’ll even have the opportunity to visit some of these beautiful birds at their nest sites on the windswept cliffs of the Falklands and South Georgia.
When not on deck, the expedition staff treated us to some informative and engaging presentations on the upcoming days’ activities as well as the first of our many forums on photography. We touched on all the basics: lighting, aperture, shutter speed, and of course, composition. Successful photographers incorporate all of these into creating an image that entices the viewer’s eye, drawing the person into the scene. Repetitive lines and shapes, such as these champagne glasses from our welcome cocktail party, are an effective example of how the photograph can successfully portray our three-dimensional world in a two-dimensional medium. After hearing this in one of our afternoon discussions, I set out to see if a novice, such as me, could capture such a scene among our day’s events. After all, this is a photo-expedition, and though we may all be of varying skill levels, we can certainly learn new pointers and perspectives from both each other and our esteemed professional guides.
