If there were a single place on the globe that I have wanted to visit now for some time, it was Antarctica. For some unknown reason, the concept of sailing among unbelievable icebergs had an intrinsic appeal to me that frequently popped into my mind. Why this appeal was there, as much as I try to understand it, the reasons escape me. Perhaps in some way, the idea of photographing the monumental carvings of Mother Nature herself had some undefined draw for me, or perhaps it was just an idealistic hope of finding perfect beauty in ice that pulled me to this region of the world. I will never know, but over a year ago, I took the plunge and signed up for a workshop with John Paul Caponigro and Seth Resnick to visit the continent. In the week or so before I left, I found myself in a mix of excitement and anxiety, not fully knowing what to expect. It was also a very long, tedious trip, flying from Miami to Santiago, Chile, then on to Punta Arenas, Chile, and lastly to the Antarctica Peninsula. About 14 hours of flying with several hours of layovers. Now that I am back home, all I can say is that the trip was well worth it and one that I am very sorry is now over.
After my recent other long trip to New Zealand, I returned overwhelmed by the beauty of that country, but dismayed at my inability to successfully capture that beauty. Now, with the recent senseless murders that occurred this past week in Christchurch, I am even more disappointed in my photographic failure there. Few images had the impact that I would have liked to have seen, and it was certainly no fault of New Zealand’s that I did so badly there. Antarctica, however, was another story. It seemed as if there were endless numbers of images dancing before me non-stop. While we photographed about 6-8 hours each day, that never seemed to be enough. There were always more images to be captured, more wondrous things to observe and capture. I loved every minute of it, and could think of no place that I would rather visit again sometime soon. We had incredible weather, one gorgeous day after another, wildlife beyond imagination (penguins, seals, whales, birds), and the greatest parade of icebergs of all time. The icebergs came in any shape and size that one could envision, carved beyond the limits of imagination by the wind, the water, the elements, and time itself. Antarctica was truly magical in the sense that it was impossible to believe that we were still on this Earth. There is simply noting like it. Even our trip to the Arctic two years ago, while amazing, did not come close to having the impact that Antarctica had on me. I will never forget it, and I am simply so glad that I got this chance to experience the seventh continent as I did. As I have gotten older, and my abilities slowly dwindle, I know that this trip was something that I did at just the right time in my life, and I am deeply grateful that I had that opportunity.
Iceberg With Arch, Antarctica 2019