Whales, Penguins & Icebergs: Essential Antarctica Cruise Photography Tips

Get ready to capture the frozen magic of the world’s last frontier with these Antarctica Cruise Photography Tips from Tamron Ambassador Dalton Johnson.

By Guest Contributor and Tamron Ambassador Dalton Johnson

Embarking on an Antarctica cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure — a journey through a world of icebergs, curious penguins, and whales framed by the Southern Ocean. For photographers, this frozen frontier offers unparalleled opportunities to capture the beauty of the planet’s last wilderness.

In this guide, Dalton Johnson shares his expert Antarctica cruise photography tips, from how to photograph icebergs and wildlife to mastering whale photography and selecting the best camera and lenses for Antarctica. Whether you’re joining a specialized Antarctica photography tour or simply looking to elevate your photography in Antarctica, Dalton’s insight will help you create breathtaking images and make every moment of your Antarctica photography cruise truly unforgettable.

What You’ll Learn In This Article:

• Photography gear you need to pack for your Antarctica Cruise
• Creating images using scale, especially important for iceberg photography
• Maximizing your photography opportunities by making the most of each excursion
• A guide for creating once-in-a-lifetime images onboard your expedition cruise ship in Antarctica

The elation I felt as our ship’s engines thrusted the waters, pushing us away from the Ushuaia docks, is still indescribable. For this assignment, I was able to bring my Mom, and we had a balcony room that looked out on the cloud covered mountain tops lining the Beagle Channel. We were aboard the Sylvia Earle with Aurora Expeditions and AdventureSmith Explorations. Our course was set to cross the infamous Drake’s Passage and arrive at the Antarctic Peninsula in 2-3 days’ time depending on weather.

On this Antarctica cruise we would explore both the Waddell Sea and the Southern Ocean, with the goal of dipping below the Antarctic Circle, all the while photographing wildlife such as whales, penguins, and seals. Not to forget snapping images of our kayaking outings, the barren landscape, and icebergs floating in the water.

Camera Gear You Need to Pack for an Antarctica Photography Cruise

As I unpacked my camera bag and set up a digi-tech station that would live on the small desk the entire Antarctica cruise, I quickly reflected upon how my last decade as a professional adventure travel photographer, filmmaker, and writer had landed me an assignment to Antarctica aboard an expedition cruise ship. This little step of creating a work station would be critical for the long trip, providing me a consistent space to keep my gear organized, upload/backup images, and clean my gear.

My Antarctica Cruise Photography Gear

Cameras:

• Sony α7R IV: Best camera for Antarctica if you want high resolution images
• Sony α7S III: Best camera for video and low light photography
• GoPro Hero: This was for my Mom; but she ended up not using it

Lenses:

My Tamron lenses are all weather-sealed and have a fluorine coating on the front element, so they are easy to keep clean.

• Tamron 150-500mm: Best lens for Antarctica to capture wildlife and textures
• Tamron 28-200mm: An all around lens I kept with me to capture the daily moments
• Tamron 17-28mm: Best lens for landscapes, kayaking with a POV, and on ship images
• Tamron 28-75mm: Great standard zoom with fast aperture for low light shots

Accessories and Computer Gear:

• Circular Polarizer: A must for iceberg photography and cloudy skies
• Memory Cards: 2TB worth
• Batteries: I brought 6 batteries for the cameras and 3 for the GoPro
• Chargers: I make sure to bring at least two ways to charge batteries on all expeditions
• 2 Drybags: To keep my extra gear dry while kayaking and on the zodiac
• Cleaning Kit: I don’t think anyone should leave on an Antarctica photography tour without a cleaning kit
• MacBook Pro: My work horse for all things digital; just know you will have limited wifi/internet on a cruise ship in Antarctica
• 5TB External Hard Drive: To back up the footage and photos on the trip
• Notebook / Journal: Keeping personal logs and notes allows me to reflect and write things like this for others

While my photography kit fills up an entire suitcase, you can pair down to fit your needs.

My Recommended Lightweight Essential Kit:

• Tamron 25-200mm F2.8-5.6
• Tamron 150-500mm VC
• Tamron 16-30mm F2.8 G2
• Sony α7R IV
• Circular polarizers for each lens
• 2 batteries
• 2 memory cards
• Cleaning kit
• 2 dry bags

Top Antarctica Cruise Photography Tips for Incredible Wildlife and Iceberg Photos

Whether your cruise is a special Antarctica photography cruise, or a general Antarctica cruise, the following tips will help you navigate photography in Antarctica.

TIP 1: Use Scale to Capture the Immense Beauty of Antarctica

Whether you are taking iceberg photos, or images of penguin colonies, scale is your friend when photographing in Antarctica. See the iceberg photograph above as an example. If the two black dots of people in kayaks that are 10 to 15 feet long were not there, could you guess the size of this iceberg? I know I could not. The image would contain nothing to compare to in knowable size. So, I waited for the kayakers to arrive next to the iceberg so I could showcase the grand size of this 100-200 foot tall iceberg. WOW!

Ways To Capture Scale In Antarctica Photographs

• Use humans for scale in comparison to subject
• Use the cruise ship as scale when on zodiac tours
• Use houses or research huts
• Use wildlife to showcase the scale of the population (especially important for penguin colonies)

My Best 3 Tips For How To Photograph Icebergs

1. Use a circular polarizer to cut down on highlights: When photographing icebergs, the snow and ice reflect the light, so make sure to cut down on that reflection with a circular polarizer.
2. Iceberg photography is not one-size fits all: Icebergs come in all different shapes and sizes as well as moving speeds. Try different shutter speeds, focal lengths, and compositions on each iceberg you photograph.
3. Utilize leading lines to draw the viewers eyes to the iceberg: For example, red kayaks pointing to a stunning arch in one of the most impressive icebergs we saw on the whole photography expedition in Antarctica created a leading line. In another example, a visible line in the water created from the ship’s propellers drew the viewer’s eye to the iceberg (see images below).

TIP 2: Don’t Skip Excursions — Bad Weather Can Lead to Epic Whale Shots

Cruise ship expeditions to Antarctica are long, ranging from 10-40+ days, so you will get tired. Do everything you can to be ready for the day’s excursion. There were times I did not want to go, or had friends on the ship who did not go, and they missed out on critical one-time only experiences.

 An example of this was a whale fluke with the ship in the background. I visualized several images before going on any expedition, sometimes drawing them out, and a whale photograph with the ship in the background was one of those images. To me, this image gives a sense of wildlife wonder and grounds the viewer in the reality that getting here required an expedition ship.

Whale Watching Photography Tips For Antarctica

• Always have your camera on and set to the ideal settings: Wildlife appears and disappears quickly, especially aquatic wildlife like whales. So, keep your camera handy, with a high shutter speed, autofocus on, and in burst mode so you can be ready at a moment’s notice for whale photography.
• Learn whale behavior: Whales, like most mammals, are habitual creatures. Learning the patterns allows you to take better images. For whales, this will be their diving patterns. If you see a fluke, they dove deep and won’t show up again for 20-45 minutes. If they take a breath, it’ll only be 10 minutes or so.
• Zodiacs are tight in space, be careful swinging your lens around: You don’t want to knock somebody overboard because you hit them with your lens because you are so excited to see a whale. Be aware of those around you!

TIP 3: Review and Share Your Photos Onboard to Improve Your Antarctica Photography

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is running out of space on your memory cards mid-zodiac photography tour while in Antarctica. To prevent this, there are two options:

• First, bring extra memory cards.
• Second, upload your images each night and format the card the following day.

I personally prefer the second option because it is safer for my camera. Also, when you spend the time reviewing your images the same night you took the images, you can see how you need to improve.

Another benefit of reviewing your images the same day is that you can share them with others on the ship. Together you will build a bond, and you can learn from each other. Seeing how others create is a huge win for developing photographers.

Questions to Ask Yourself When Reviewing Your Antarctica Photographs:

• How is my focus? Try using back button auto-focus.
• How sharp is my image? Do you need to increase the shutter speed?
• Is the image exposed correctly? Try adjusting your ISO.
• How is my composition? Think rule of thirds.
• How can I make this better next time?

TIP 4: Respect the Wildlife — You’re Visiting Their Home, Not a Petting Zoo

I feel this goes without saying, but these animals are wild. While they look cute and cuddly, especially this seal napping on a grower “iceberg” as a pillow, don’t try to pet them and keep your distance.

• If you are in a kayak, getting too close is very easy, especially when the animals are “doing nothing.”
• If you are on land around penguins, let them approach you to avoid scaring them.
• When you are on the cruise ship follow their rules

TIP 5: : Familiarize Yourself With the Ship for the Best Antarctica Cruise Photography Angles

At first glance, this tip may sound like a safety precaution, but it is really about knowing how to create the best images possible from your ship. Most expedition cruise ships to Antarctica are smaller, so getting around is easy, but you need to know where to go.

Best Photography Spots Aboard Your Antarctica Cruise Ship