Choosing lenses: Go for lightweight portability and performance.
Otherworldly scene: When confronted by such immense objects as icebergs towering 50 to 60 meters above the sea one loses one's sense of proportion and enters the realm of fantasy. A long-range zoom is a great tool for capturing this feeling since it lets you create frame-filling images from virtually any shooting distance.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(23mm),Program AE (f/14, 1/500sec), ISO320, WB: Auto.
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During the sea voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula, I moved around the ship as much as I could (given the tight quarters and the safety regulations) while carrying my photographic equipment. As a matter of fact, there are many photographic opportunities ranging from fascinating subjects on board to sea birds flying around the ship. A long-range, wide-angle-to-telephoto zoom lens is certainly convenient in such restricted shooting conditions where it would be virtually impossible to walk around freely on a small ship carrying a bulky camera bag.
We welcomed in New Year's Day 2009 after counting down the last seconds of 2008 on the clock while traversing the Drake Strait and we ushered in the New Year by promptly going on a rampage. In the morning we arrived at the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. By that time, we could see numerous icebergs floating all around the boat, and the sea became calm. Those who suffered from seasickness could at last come out on deck to enjoy the fantastic display of ice scenery unfolding before us.
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Cruising between icebergs: While observing these intrepid tourists on a rubber boat I noticed that some were obliged to change lenses in a mad rush because the icebergs were unexpectedly huge.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(50mm),Program AE (f/11, 1/400sec), ISO200, WB: Auto.
* Click on the picture to see an enlarged image.
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Some icebergs soar almost 100 meters (330 feet) above the sea level! Landscapes of ice walls tinged in shining reddish light by the morning sun or at sunset never fail to impress no matter how often you witness such scenes. Whenever our ship creaked as it struck a small iceberg, I had the instant gut feeling that I had moved back in time and we were still in the throes of our Antarctic Sea passage.
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Subsequently, over the next week, I began devoting my full attention to my video-capturing and photographic assignments, visiting colonies of Gentoo and Adelie penguins as well as the research bases of various countries while advancing southward. I had to carry heavy equipment including a bulky tripod for capturing video clips whenever we went ashore, so I was obliged to limit my photographic equipment to one DSLR camera and the Tamron 18-270mm zoom lens. Needless to say, my main subjects were penguins. Penguins marching in well-organized groups were able to sneak past me undisturbed as long as I crouched down and remained motionless. I found the Tamron 18-270mm high-power zoom lens very convenient for capturing the facial gestures and body language of penguins. As they gradually approached, I simply changed focal lengths to get the precise framing and details I wanted.
A colony of Adelie penguins: When capturing scenes like this, you must pay careful attention to the movement of the main subjects (the penguins) and the framing at the same time.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(30mm),Program AE (f/13, 1/400sec), ISO200, WB: Auto.
When taking pictures of any wild animals, you must carefully observe the movement of each animal while paying careful attention to the conditions of their overall habitat.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(59mm),Program AE (f/10, 1/250sec), ISO200, WB: Auto.
* Click on the picture to see an enlarged image.
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Gentoo penguins playing on an iceberg: As this image shows, the VC mechanism of the Tamron 18-270mm is certainly effective in achieving sharp handheld pictures of penguins, even when shooting from a small boat at extreme telephoto settings.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(238mm),Program AE (f/10, 1/640sec), ISO200, WB: Auto.
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Gentoo penguin with babies: Unlike humans these birds have to finish all their parenting over the course of one short summer on the Antarctic Continent.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(270mm), Shutter priority AE (f/11, 1/125sec), ISO100, WB: Auto.
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* Click on the picture to see an enlarged image.
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Vibration Compensation to the rescue: I found the VC mechanism very effective when shooting at long telephoto settings from a bobbing boat.
Leopard seal resting on an iceberg: When capturing the faces of animals it's important to focus on the eyes, just as you would when shooting a human portrait.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(154mm),Program AE (f/9, 1/400sec), ISO200, WB: Auto.
* Click on the picture to see an enlarged image.
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As you can by perusing these photos and captions, my photographic assignment was not confined to the shore. In various places on the Antarctic Peninsula, there are beautiful bays surrounded by glaciers. Floating icebergs are numerous, and whales sometimes swim into the bay for a visit. We rode in individually on a few Zodiacs (large rubber boats equipped with engines) to observe the natural habitat in one of the bays. Among other things we found were seals resting on icebergs, which make ideal photographic subjects.
Seals idling their time away just stared at us quizzically as our boat approached them, becoming, in effect, generous-hearted photographic models! The Tamron 18-270mm high-power zoom lens, which can be changed to an extreme telephoto setting instantaneously, was certainly helpful for capturing the antics and facial expressions of the seals we encountered.
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Whale tail: This picture shows a humpback whale beating the surface of the sea with its tail fin. Humpback whales summer in the Southern Hemisphere, chasing clusters of small schooling fish in the Antarctic Sea.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(270mm),Program AE (f/10, 1/640sec), ISO200, WB: Auto.
* Click on the picture to see an enlarged image.
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A focal length of 270mm is equivalent to 430mm when converted to the 35mm format. The close-up effects delivered by this ultra-telephoto focal length are certainly different from those obtained with a 200mm (320mm-equivalent) focal length lens. What becomes a problem at such extreme focal-length settings is handheld camera shake (especially when your shooting platform is a shaky boat). Fortunately, Tamron's original VC (Vibration Compensation) mechanism built into the 18-270mm high-power zoom lens is quite effective in compensating for blur due to handheld shake as well as vibration caused by the camera mechanism itself. I was frankly amazed that I was able to take some sharp handheld pictures even at 1/60 second when the minimum handheld shutter speed should have been around 1/400 sec according to the "one over the focal length" rule of thumb.
The bottom line: I continued to use only one Canon camera and one Tamron zoom lens during my entire 10-day photographic assignment. I was delighted because I could capture almost all the images I had imagined, which would have been impossible even a few years ago unless I had carried at least two cameras and two zoom lenses.
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What I always consider very deliberately prior to going out on a photographic assignment is what specifications I should prioritize when putting together a camera and lens outfit. Some amateur photographers are apt to bring the most expensive equipment, perhaps because they're influenced by the myth that 'you always get what you pay for' when purchasing products with first-rate specifications.
But you should always remember that high-end models must provide all the specifications of middle-tier and entry-level models as well as additional capabilities demanded by specialized users. They are designed for different applications, prioritized for a different range of uses, and are based on different design parameters. When I considered the various photographic situations that would present themselves during this trip it became crystal clear to me that lightness in weight, portability, and compactness were the most important specifications, particularly since I'm a professional photographer who has to take many trips in the course of my work.
Zoom comparison (A) (Shot at the 50mm setting)When taking pictures of scenes consisting primarily of snow and ice, how, and to what extent one can capture minute shadow details dappled on bright surfaces becomes a crucial consideration. In his shot taken at 50mm I treated the penguins as accents.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(50mm),Program AE (f/13, 1/400sec), ISO200, WB: Auto.
* Click on the picture to see an enlarged image.
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Zoom comparison (B) (Shot at the 270mm setting)Gentoo penguin on an iceberg: When the main subject is very dark against a white background it's likely to be underexposed because the camera's metering system is overly influenced by the bright background. To capture facial details of this penguin shot at the 270mm setting, I increased the exposure by setting the exposure compensation to the plus side.
Taken with the Canon EOS 40D and Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC(270mm),Program AE (f/9, 1/500sec), ISO200, WB: Auto.
* Click on the picture to see an enlarged image.
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Hiroya Minakuchi
Hiroya Minakuchi was born in Osaka in 1953. He studied biological oceanography at the Kyoto University Department of Science. Internationally acclaimed for his photographic work on whales and dolphins, he has also authored a number of highly regarded books ranging from single subject photo portfolios to nonfiction novels. In 1991, Minacuchi was chosen to receive a Publishing Culture Award by Kodansha Ltd. Publishers in honor of his photographic accomplishments.
Web site (Japanese) :http://home.j04.itscom.net/orca/
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![Attractions of High-power Zoom Lenses [Photo Gallery & Essays]](../images/title_text.gif)
