A guide to photography in the Polar regions

It's not exactly every day you get to visit the Polar regions of Antarctica or the Arctic. You'll want to capture these ethereal landscapes to remember forever – and share with friends, family and perhaps a photography competition or two.

To document those once-in-a-lifetime moments, be prepared with your camera equipment and understand how to get the best photos. Discover our Polar region photography tips and learn about the best mirrorless camera for Antarctica, the best camera for the Arctic and more useful advice.

Read on for a full guide to photography in the Polar regions, from how to compose your photos to what camera kit to take (if you want to take more than just your phone).

1. What photography equipment to take to the Polar regions

2. How to practice with your camera kit

3. How to protect your camera kit from the elements

4. Camera settings and composition tips

5. Ultimate photography packing list for the Polar regions

Wide angle lens for landscapes

Ideally around a 24-70mm. This range is helpful for capturing the scale and grandeur of these unique environments in a single frame. You'll also be able to include both the foreground textures (like ice formations or tundra) and the sky, enhancing the depth of your shots.

Lens with a range in focal length

Such as a 70-200mm or 70-300mm. This range is useful for when you're out on Zodiac trips and won't be able to swap lenses easily, allowing you to capture both landscape and wildlife photos. When you're out on Zodiac landings, like at a penguin colony, the wildlife largely isn't too far away and curious penguins often approach you so you don't need a very long zoom.

Long zoom lens

Around 100-400mm, 150-500mm or 150-600mm. Consider the weight of this as they can be very heavy and bulky. Whilst the longer the zoom the better, it won't be any good if you can't manage the weight handheld. This zoom would be great for whilst you're on the ship and spotting wildlife, or while you're out on landings if you're able to carry it, but it could be too cumbersome while you're out on the Zodiac.

"When our ship was suddenly surrounded by a large pod of orcas – mothers and calves gliding effortlessly through the icy waters – I was completely overwhelmed. Time seemed to stand still as we watched them play. The quiet awe on board was palpable; a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime moment that made the frozen wilderness feel more alive than ever." – Eliza on our Classic Antarctica - M/V Sylvia Earle expedition

Second camera body

You may want to consider a second camera body if budget and weight allows so you can easily swap between wide angle and telephoto, and in case one is affected by the cold or runs of our battery while you're away from the ship.

You can get around this by charging batteries in advance and having spares on hand (we'd recommend at least two spare batteries as the cold causes them to drain faster), and by protecting your equipment (read on for more tips on this).

Camera daybag

You'll obviously need a way to carry all of this equipment so get a good camera daybag for your trip. You'll likely want to access your kit frequently and quickly, so easy-access sling bags or bags that open at the side or back are best. If you can, try and get one with a little extra space for other things like hat, gloves and sunglasses.

Whatever DSLR or camera kit you end up taking, practice packing it altogether in your bag and take note of the weight. If you're doing a fly/cruise and you plan on taking it all in a camera daybag, there may be a tight weight restriction on the flight.

Camera equipment hire

We know all of this kit can cost a lot of money, and you may be getting it for your exceptional Polar expedition and then be unlikely to use it much again. If this is the case, consider hiring lenses, or buying them used from a reputable camera retailer.

We recommend Hire A Camera, a UK-based company where you can rent various Canon, Sony, Fujifilm and Nikon models, from mirrorless cameras to full-frame DSLRs, as well as lenses and other camera accessories. These will include some of the best compact cameras for Antarctica photography – and from a cost point there are more affordable options for beginners, too.

You don't necessarily need to spend thousands on expensive camera equipment; it's also possible to get great photos just from your mobile phone. Make sure your phone is fully charged before you go out on Zodiac trips and that you have enough storage space.

You can have all the most expensive camera equipment, but what matters is how you compose your photography and the way you set up for the shot.

1. Play around with exposure

With such a white environment of snow and ice, you'd expect images to be overly bright, but actually you can often find the opposite – especially when the skies are grey. You'll likely need to play around with your exposure and take lots of different shots at different levels, as it can be hard to tell what works on your small camera screen.

Make sure you know how to change your exposure (EV) on your camera before your trip and practice with dialling it up or down. Remember to change it back again when your composition changes to avoid all your photos being over or under exposed.

2. Get to know ISO and shutter speed

These two factors also affect how much light that goes into your camera sensor and how bright your photos come out, so it would be handy to have at least a basic understanding of these photography principles and settings before you leave.

3. Use a polarizing filter

You may want to consider a polarizing filter, which fits onto your lens and helps reduce reflections and increase colour saturation, great for bright skies and shining icy landscapes.

However, these filters will darken your shots and so can be difficult to use - you'll need to understand how it works and practice lots with the filter, if you don't then it can cause frustration and hinder your photos. Also, a polarizing filter will only be useful on very bright days, they won't be much use if the weather is dull and will only darken your photos further.

4. Go for a quick shutter speed for wildlife

Animals generally move quickly – particularly seabirds (which you'll likely see many of), so go for a fast shutter speed and put it on burst mode to capture a lot of photographs at time to capture the best position as the animal moves.

When you're out on landings, stay still and let the wildlife (namely inquisitive penguins!) come to you. Be patient and let them display their different poses for the best shots. Almost be mindful of the guidelines around how close you can get to the wildlife. You'll be well briefed on this when you begin your voyage.

5. Go wide angle for scale

When on wide angle, look for elements in the picture to help you portray the sheer scale of objects like icebergs. Use people during landings, or things like animals, kayakers or Zodiacs while at sea.

Think about your composition:

Keep your distance from wildlife and use your zoom instead, this is better for the animals but also gives you more flexibility. You can get the best photos by going lower and capturing wildlife at their eye-level, as opposed to taking the photo from above - this is best for capturing their character, focusing on the detail to get a sharp photo and setting up the best background.

If you don't already know it, read up on the rule of thirds before you go. This composition guideline places your subject in the left or right third of an image, leaving the other two thirds more open. This helps draw the viewer's eye into the image and places more emphasis on the subject.

 

6. Go for different angles for the most interesting backgrounds

You can have the most fascinating animal in your shot but the photo can still be lacklustre with a bland white background. Make your photos pop by moving around your subjects to get the most interesting background. Even when blurred out by the aperture, more interesting colours in the background than white can make the foreground pop more.

Get advice from your on-board photographer:

On many Polar voyages there is an expert photographer as part of the expedition crew. This is a brilliant resource for budding photographers, so take advantage and ask them questions and get advice. They may also do lectures on-board.

"We wandered surreal snowy landscapes amongst curious and characterful penguins, cruised between stunning ice sculptures and watched in amazement as a humpback whales fluke appeared right beside our boat. I know each visit is different but have no doubt – visit Antarctica and you’re guaranteed a once-in-a-lifetime experience, no matter what you’re lucky enough to see." – Helen on our Classic Antarctica - Fly and Cruise - M/V Greg Mortimer