Hi Everyone
That advice was from
William Stout
not me. I just forwarded his message as it got stuck on the server
somewhere. I prefer WARM climates myself! :-)

Lana





             Bruce Bartrug
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I've never been to Antarctica, but have taken photos in temps as low as -20
degrees F (I live in Maine.)  Advice about cameras and batteries from Lana
Johnson is right on the money.  But I would add trying to find a camera or
two that's entirely mechanical, that is, the battery does not operate the
shutter mechanism, nor set the shutter speed or aperture opening
automatically.  Not easy to find nowadays, but I believe Pentax and Nikon
both still produce 35mm SLR bodies that are all-mechanical.  Oh, and Leica.
This way if the battery fails (and they fail from one minute to the next at
sub-zero temps) the camera will still take photos.  You'd have to bracket
exposures or carry a small separate light meter in a warm place -- up one
sleeve maybe.  (Test the light meter against photo results before leaving.)
I have two Pentax MX bodies (still available used) that have never failed
to function in winter conditions, even though it was cold enough to split
the film.  That's another thing:  at super cold temps use a camera with
manual film advance and wind the advance slowly.  Best of luck in a truly
beautiful place!   Bruce Bartrug, [log in to unmask]

On 1/10/06, Lana Johnson <[log in to unmask] > wrote:
  Hi Deb,
  I was the recipient of the National Science Foundation's 1992/1993
  Antarctic Artists & Writers Program grant. I spent three months drawing
  and painting the landscapes and wildlife in Antarctica. I was there
  during the peak of the Antarctic summer (December through February).
  Temperatures ranged on average between -10 degrees F to 45 degrees F.
  The lowest temperature I experienced was -64 degrees F but I did not
  attempt to make any art at that extreme temperature --- I just took
  photographs.

  The NSF trips were not my first to Antartica. I initially went to
  Antarctica in 1989 on a cruise ship. Prior to that trip I had the same
  questions as you about producing cold weather art. By good fortune and
  coincidence the Pacific Asia Museum here in Pasadena, California was
  hosting a show of Peter Adams' landscapes of the Himalayas. I contacted
  Peter and he gave me some good advice.

  "If you're planning to use watercolor, buy some of those tiny bottles
  of vodka at the airport," he said. "In the field, mix a little vodka in
  with your water to keep it from freezing. Then drink a little yourself
  to keep you from freezing."

  Peter was making a joke (you don't want to drink alcohol in the field
  in Antarctica; it dehydrates you; this could compound your problems of
  being in a place drier than the Sahara), but in actuality the vodka
  trick works. Peter gave me even better advice, though: Bring pastels.
  No freezing problems whatsoever. Peter even gave me my first set of
  pastels to take to Antarctica (he's one of the kindest, most generous
  artists on the planet).

  So here is what I use when I go to Antarctica: I take a box of pastels
  and pads of good pastel paper for my landscapes. I also bring a tiny
  portable watercolor kit made by Winsor Newton and use that for some
  landscapes, too. It is compact yet opens up to reveal cakes of paint, a
  tiny brush (I bring a couple of bigger brushes, too), a mixing
  pallette, a water cup and a waterbottle. The watercolor cakes are
  removable so I customize it and substitute and reorganize the colors
  that come with the kit with a pallette that is more appropriate to
  Antarctica. To paint and draw the wildlife I use watercolors, black and
  brown Sharpies (very permanent markers; I use all different sizes),
  white gouache, Prismacolor pencils and both toned paper pads and white
  watercolor paper pads. The black Sharpies and the white gouache on
  toned paper are perfect for rendering penguins. I made a lot of
  wildlife field studies using watercolor (don't forget the vodka!) on
  heavy watercolor paper; I also made fine line drawings with my Sharpies
  and colored them in with watercolor. I never had trouble with my
  Sharpies freezing.

  Also, bring Patagonia polypropylene gloves to wear when it gets cold. I
  hate wearing gloves when I draw but these are pretty thin gloves and,
  hence, not as much of a nuisance.

  When I scuba dive under the ice I don't draw; I take photos (Fuji ASA
  100 slide film). If you plan to take photos on the surface of
  Antarctica (and you'd be crazy not to), bring five cameras and lots of
  spare batteries. Most of your cameras will break or malfunction in the
  cold (except for the cheap ones, usually) and batteries have a very,
  very short life in extreme cold weather. If you shoot slide film I
  highly recommend Fuji Velvia, a professional super fine grained film.
  If you use Velvia you won't need any filters or polarizers. Always
  bring much more film than you think you'll need. I shot over 6,000
  slides my last trip there --- and, believe it or not, nearly every
  picture was an irreplaceable gem. The lighting conditions are often
  fantastic in Antarctica.

  Here at home in Pasadena I regularly paint in acrylics and oils but I
  deliberately do not take them with me to Antarctica. Besides being
  environmentally hazardous (oils, turpentine and thinner in particular),
  it's just too much gear and stuff to schlepp around. It can also be
  rather dangerous to make a shore leap out of a Zodiac boat with the
  added weight and imbalance of a pochoir box strapped to your back or,
  worse, in your hands. I've also been in a lot of hiking situations in
  Antarctica where the awkwardness of carrying a pochoir box could have
  resulted in serious injury. Make no mistake: As beautiful as it is (and
  I consider Antarctica the most beautiful place on earth), Antarctica is
  constantly a dangerous and often deadly place to be. Never let your
  guard down; it can mean your life.

  Have a great trip! Please e-mail me jpegs of some of your pictures when
  you get back.

  Most Sincerely,

  William Stout