My first GoPro project from Antarctica

I'm not a computer genius nor am I anything close to intermediate level when it comes to anything related to photo and video editing.  It was a challenge just learning how to use the GoPro effectively and even more challenging to download, upload, edit and post clips.  I've been messing around with GoPro Studio for a few weeks and finally decided to try putting a project together.  Creating a project involves going through all of the footage, loading the footage with interesting clips to the studio and then splicing them together.  My first project is simple but captures my favorite moments from our morning excursion at Neko Harbor.  You'll get to see our actual continent landing, our encounters with penguins, and our departure from the continent as we tow the kayaks to a very quiet launch point.  At the end you'll see a clip taken from the nose of the kayak as I paddle through an inlet.

I have not added music yet and have muted the sound but I'll post an update when I find a song that fits!

The story of the Skua & the GoPro

The subject of my first real post from Antarctica is (drum roll…) BIRDS! I'm as shocked as you are given my previous lack of interest in the avian species.  Of all the wildlife in Antarctica birds were not high on my list of interest prior to the trip.  I'll get into more detail, but I was shocked to find some of the antarctic birds to be among the most beautiful creatures.  My favorite bird to look at was the Snow Petrol and the most interesting bird to watch glide about was the albatross.  This, however, is a story of another bird; a more aggressive and daring creature with a wingspan and beak to match its personality.     Admittedly I did not always pay attention in bird class (yes, bird class on the ship), but I will certainly never forget this character.

 It was a beautiful and quite warm (for Antarctica in March) afternoon at Hannah Point.  We arrived to find beautiful mountains, nesting penguins including a few surprise Macaroni Penguins (quite rare for the time/location), and a few types of seals.  As I approached the trail to begin my hike along a bluff overlooking a beautiful black sand beach, I stumbled upon two large brown birds. Meet the "Brown Skua" or stercorarius antarcticus as its known to serious birders.  They were quite close so I stopped and sat on the snowy ground to take a few pictures and some GoPro footage.

The Brown Skua I encountered on our last excursion as it walks briskly towards me without fear. 

The second Brown Skua after successfully knocking over my GoPro placed in the snow to record the birds as I backed away.  I'm not going to lie - I backed away partly to observe the IAATO rules but mostly out of terror.  These birds easily stand over a foot tall and have sharp beaks and no fear.

The second Brown Skua taking hold of my GoPro camera as it prepared to make a run for it.  I am now the proud owner of a GoPro with a beak puncture in the floaty back door.  (The orange part is called a floaty back door and is basically like a life jacket for the camera.)

As the birds pecked at the camera I thought to myself, there's no way I can lose a second camera on this trip (story to follow) but I was limited in how I could approach the situation.  In short, the animals can touch you but you can't touch the animals.  I tried standing up to see if my increased size and flashy red gear would deter the giant birds.  No luck.  I watched, helpless, as the second bird took hold of my GoPro and began to walk away.  I thought, I could follow them or flail my arms in desperation, but wondered if my actions might encourage the bird-beast to take flight.  So…I talked to the birds and pleaded with them and when the bird finally he lost his grip and dropped it.  I swooped in to recover the camera and thankfully did not sustain any beak-stabbing injuries. Since the GoPro was rolling the whole time, I captured the act on film.  Here is the shortened version we used in slideshow at the end of the trip.  I'll post the full version (53 seconds long) later.

Packing for Antarctica: Part 3 (Cameras & Electronics)

Cameras

Meet my new GoPro! 

 

The incredibly tiny GoPro

There were two reasons I decided to purchase the GoPro: 1) I was inspired by some of the amazing clips I've seen from past voyages and 2) I want to make sure I'm spending more time 'in the moment' than worrying about capturing it.  The GoPro will be attached to either my head or my kayak during excursions.  I plan to have video recording with time lapse photo capture on as well so that stills are taken in intervals.  Check out one of my favorite GoPro videos from someone else's trip to Antarctica.




 

 

GoPro Hero3+ edition comes with many accessories including the waterproof housing

I tested the GoPro while kayaking in Puerto Rico and found the battery life to be fairly short even without the LCD screen (purchased separately) and with WiFi turned off.  Battery life ranged between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes depending on settings and number of times powered on and off.  Since excursions are likely to range from 2-3 hours I purchased Wasabi backup batteries.  Here is a list of all accessories I purchased:

• Headstrap mount
• Surfboard/Extra strength adhesive mounts (I'm returning these since I will not be using them to secure GoPro to the kayak as planned)
• Teathered lanyard (in case I need to insure the GoPro is attached to something- not sure if i will need this so I may end up returning)
• Floaty backdoor (acts as a life vest for the camera in case it falls into the water)
• Antifog inserts (I wish I had these in Puerto Rico- fog became a major problem)
• Wall charger (GoPro comes with a USB charger only)
• LCD Touch Bacpac screen (GoPro does not have a viewfinder or screen so I found this very helpful when learning how to use GoPro and for taking stills.)
• Jaws Clamp Mount (in case i want to attach GoPro to the kayak or other surface instead of using the headstrap mount.)
• Micro SD cards (3 Lexar High Performance microSDXC 64gb)

After some debate, I have decided that I will bring my Nikon d3100 but will leave it on the ship.  There will be some great photo opportunities from the deck of the ship as we navigate through the peninsula.  I purchased a polarizing lens filter as suggested to help minimize issues from light reflecting in snow and ice.  I also purchased a small tripod that I hope to use to capture some of the landscape and possibly stars at longer exposures when on board and in Argentina. 

Lastly, I'm taking a small waterproof point and shoot with me so I can take some stills when we have landings in either the kayak or zodiac.  GoPro does not have optical zoom and I'd like to have the option of getting some close ups with penguins!  I chose the Olympus TG-2 based on the reviews from CNET; it seems to be the best option to take high quality photos quickly.   I also purchased a class 10 64gb SDCX memory card.  I chose the card based on my interpretation of the Olympus website; I hope I interpreted correctly!

Olympus TG-2 is waterproof and shockproof. 

Phone(s), Laptop & Other Electronics
Here is a list of a few other things I'm bringing with me:

• External hard drive to transfer photos/videos to after using up space on memory cards.
• My MacBook Air so that I can keep track of my journey, write about it, and to transfer photos and video to.
• iPhone with LifeProof waterproof case
• European outlet converter
• Mini outlet power strip so I can charge more than one device at a time if needed. (I read that outlets are at a premium)
• Sea to Summit waterproof plastic pouches to put backup cards and batteries in during excursions.
• SealLine dry bag to use inside of my backpack during the overnight camping trip.