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Photo Tour
Landscape, Wildlife
Ushuaia (USH)
Ushuaia (USH)
December 4, 2023
December 15, 2023
2-12 Participants
Moderate
WHY A PHOTO TOUR TO ANTARCTICA
If you treasure unique photo opportunities and incredible experiences, this is the trip of a lifetime!
The Antarctica Peninsula is one of the most captivating and other-worldly places on Earth; to be able to photograph it’s a dream come true for any photographer.
A photo tour to Antarctica is the adventure that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Just imagine yourself photographing stunning polar landscapes and the diverse wildlife of the white continent.
If you’re looking for an adventure that will take your breath away, look no further and book your spot now! We sail on December 2023.
OUR TOUR
We’ve partnered with Aurora Expeditions for this Antarctica photo tour, and we’ll sail aboard the Greg Mortimer.
The Greg Mortimer is a newly built expedition ship designed for rugged, remote areas. The first passenger ship to feature the revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW®. This allows her to cross oceans more comfortably and efficiently.
In addition, the vessel features expansive observation decks to bring you closer to the environment, inviting communal areas and unsurpassed environmental credentials. The ship also boasts a modern lecture lounge, multiple observation areas, zodiac launching platforms, a restaurant serving excellent meals, a gym and wellness center, jacuzzis, a mudroom, and many other amenities. All cabins have a view of the ocean, and 85% of them have their own balcony.
The Greg Mortimer guarantees a comfortable journey as we sail across the Antarctic seas and offers the perfect base camp for this Antarctica photography tour. Our photo expedition will have 12 spots reserved.
Our award-winning professional photographer and founder, Daniel, will guide this photography trip to Antarctica. He will offer a scope of instruction, critique sessions, and in-field guidance to enable you to expand upon your photography portfolio.
Throughout this expedition to Antarctica, your dedicated photography guides will ensure that you are immersed in a wealth of knowledge that you’ll never forget.
We are thrilled to offer a mind-blowing photography expedition in partnership with Aurora Expeditions that will excite anyone looking for a genuinely mesmerizing lifetime voyage.
Embrace the spirit of polar exploration on this classic expedition and photo tour to the coveted white continent. Sail across the famed Drake Passage, admiring spectacular seabirds and approaching the ice as the explorers of old did: by sea. With a chance to Zodiac-cruise through pack ice, set foot on the continent, choose from a range of adventure options, and perhaps camp and photograph under pastel polar skies, this is the quintessential Antarctic photography adventure.
When: December 4th to 15th, 2023.
Who: Open to all skill levels, non-photographer spouses are welcome.
Group Size: No Minimum, Maximum 12 People.
Where: This photo tour starts and ends in Ushuaia (USH)
Fitness Level: Easy to Moderate. You’ll be able to photograph from the boat, but we’ll also do several landings with Zodiacs. You need to be able to get in and out of the Zodiacs if you want to take advantage of the landings, enjoy the polar walks and photograph wildlife up close.
The tour is open to all levels of photographic skills, from beginner to experienced. However, there will be no formal workshops or critiques. We will share knowledge and skills along the way in the spirit of real adventurers.
Having made your way to Ushuaia, you will be met by a representative of Aurora Expeditions and transferred to our group hotel. This evening, enjoy a light refreshment as you meet your fellow expeditioners at a Welcome Reception. Afterward, dine at your leisure (dinner not included).
Hotel Las Hayas Hotel (or similar)
This morning, please ensure your cabin luggage is fitted with cabin tags clearly labeled with your name and cabin number. Your luggage will be collected from your hotel and transferred directly to the port for clearance, and delivered to your cabin ahead of your arrival on board. Please keep any valuables or personal items with you throughout the day.
Enjoy free time after check-out, meeting back in the hotel lobby at 2:00 pm to commence a short sightseeing tour of Ushuaia.
Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego is located at the shores of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Martial Mountains giving you a unique landscape in Argentina, which is a combination of mountains, sea, glaciers, and forests. On this brief introductory tour, you will visit the “La Mision” neighborhood, the old Government House, and the upper area of the city, which offers beautiful panoramic views of Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel. You’ll see the antique houses that belonged to the first families settled in Ushuaia during the excursion. The excursion ends with a visit to the Old Prison Museum before transferring to the pier for embarkation at 4:00 pm.
After embarkation, you will have time to settle into your cabin before our essential mandatory briefings. As the ship pulls away from the port, we will gather on the deck to commence our adventure with spectacular views over Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego.
As we commence the Drake Passage crossing, we make the most of our time getting comfortable with the motions of the sea. Our expedition team prepares you for our first landing with important wildlife guidelines and biosecurity procedures and start our lecture program to help you learn more about Antarctica’s history, wildlife, and environment.
Our wildlife experiences begin as we enjoy watching and photographing the many seabirds, including majestic albatrosses and giant petrels following our vessel. On sea days, you may can enjoy the facilities onboard, including the gym and wellness center, or relaxing in one of the observation lounges.
Nearing the South Shetland Islands and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula on the afternoon of day four, the excitement is palpable, with everyone converging on one of the observation decks watching for our first iceberg. The ocean takes on a whole new perspective once we are below the Antarctic Convergence and are surrounded by the surreal presence of floating ice sculptures. The memory of your first big iceberg sighting is likely to remain with you for a lifetime. Time and weather permitting, we may attempt our first landing in Antarctica by late afternoon.
It is almost impossible to describe the feeling of arriving in Antarctica. Spotting your first iceberg and taking a deep breath of some of the freshest, crisp air on Earth is an experience that will stay with you forever.
Once we arrive, the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands are ours to explore and photograph. Because we are so far south, we will experience approximately 18-24 hours of daylight, and the days can be as busy as you wish.
Your experienced expedition team, who have made countless journeys to this area, will use their expertise to design your voyage daily, choosing the best options based on the prevailing weather, ice conditions, and wildlife opportunities.
We generally make landings or Zodiac excursions twice a day. Before joining Zodiac cruises along spectacular ice cliffs or among grounded icebergs, you will want to rug up, keeping watch for whales, seals, and porpoising penguins. Zodiacs will also transport you from the ship to land, where you can photograph penguin rookeries, discover historic huts and explore some of our favorite spots along the peninsula.
While ashore, we aim to stretch our legs, wandering along pebbly beaches or perhaps up snow-covered ridgelines to vantage points with mountains towering overhead and ice-speckled oceans below.
In addition to Zodiac cruises and shore excursions, we may ship sail some of the narrow, dramatic straits separating offshore islands from the mainland or linger in scenic bays to watch whales traveling or feeding. This is a great time to enjoy the observation lounge or make your way to the bridge (open at the Captain’s discretion) for uninterrupted views of Antarctica in all its splendor. Listen out for the creak and deep rumble of glaciers as they carve into the sea.
Enjoy a final morning landing in the South Shetland Islands before re-entering the Drake Passage for the return journey to South America.
With lectures and film presentations to complete the Antarctic experience, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the magic of the Southern Ocean and the life that calls it home. There is time for reflection and discussion about what we have seen and experienced, image reviews, and Lightroom lessons if needed.
Finally, as we approach the tip of South America, our Captain may sail close to legendary Cape Horn, weather and time permitting.
We cruise up the Beagle Channel during the early morning before quietly slipping into dock in Ushuaia, where we disembark. Farewell to your attentive crew, expedition team, tour leader, and fellow passengers as we all continue our onward journeys, hopefully with a newfound sense of the immense power of nature. A transfer to Ushuaia airport or your hotel is included.
Photography is more than a passion for Daniel; it’s a golden opportunity to document the world and share unique cultures with people across the globe. Embarking upon his creative path at the age of 17, he has since shot assignments, commercial work, and lifestyle campaigns. However, his primary focus is on travel and landscape photography. During the last few years, Daniel led photo tours in Morocco, India, Peru, Cuba, and Vietnam. Daniel is fluent in both, Spanish and English.
If you want to photograph unparalleled landscapes and embark on a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience, this photo tour is for you. From the otherwordly scenery to the magnificent wildlife, Antarctica is the premier destination for the adventurous photographer ready to make memories and images that will last a lifetime.
To run this photo tour, we joined forces with Aurora Expeditions. Aurora Expeditions operates this tour, and Photo Tours and Expeditions facilitate the booking for the photography group. Therefore, when referring to the terms and conditions, all the Terms and Conditions for Aurora supersede the ones of Photo Tours and Expeditions.
The vessels will take 100 landing passengers plus kayakers and divers with an average of 132-138 per voyage. So, consider that as extra space for you to move around and enjoy the ship! We believe that small groups are the best way to experience and photograph Antarctica. Our photo group is capped at 12 photographers.
We have rated this tour as Moderate.
Moderate: Most photo opportunities are up to 2 miles from where we do our landings.
To make the most of this voyage, you should be in good general health and able to walk reasonable distances, sometimes over steep, slippery, and uneven terrain. However, if you have problems walking on rough ground, you can enjoy the scenery closer to shore. Should you have any physical limitations, please notify us well in advance of your departure, but this should not discourage you from participating.
Yes, it’s a good idea, especially if you have trouble walking over uneven ground. Some of our landings can be on slippery rocks or deep snow, and we may go for extended walks to
see different parts of our landing point. We recommend the telescopic poles with the optional snow-basket tips. You can purchase these poles in most outdoor stores.
Aurora Expeditions requires all embarking crew, Expedition Team, and our guests to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before embarking on any of its cruises.
Complete vaccinations must occur four weeks prior to the embarkation date of the voyage, and proof of immunization will be required to be provided to Aurora Expeditions in advance of the voyage.
Vaccinations acceptable are those that WHO has approved, and these vaccines are limited to Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Covishield, AstraZeneca, Covovax, Novavax, Covilo, Sinovac, and Covaxin.
It is important to note that all travelers need to check and comply with the vaccine requirements of the country they are traveling to. In this case, Argentina.
As of February 5th, 2022, Aurora will require all guests to have also had a booster vaccination prior to boarding if more than five months have passed after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination (and at least two months after completing a J&J COVID-19 vaccination).
All voyages operated by Aurora Expeditions are staffed by
a doctor experienced in remote and expedition medicine. The onboard medical clinic is well equipped to handle most medical illnesses or injuries that may occur.
Medical appointments with the onboard doctor are available free of charge for the initial consult.
Not everyone feels the effects of seasickness. Some people are fortunate and don’t feel a thing. Others can feel ill for a day or so, but a select few are more prone to the effects of not being on dry land. The good news is that seasickness can often be avoided if managed early, and it usually doesn’t last more than a day or so.
A few simple remedies can help:
The best time to travel to Antarctica is during the summer months. During the summer months in Antarctica (when we visit), the temperature can range from -2°C (28°F) to 8°C (46°F). Big storms are rare, but the temperature could drop to -8°C (17°F) if one comes through.
In Iceland, you should always expect the unexpected in terms of weather. However, September marks the transition into the fall and is one of the best seasons of the year to visit.
The average temperature in Iceland in September is 47.3 F (8.5 C) with an average high of 50 F (11 C), and the average low is 42 F (6 C), making snowfall unlikely. The temperature doesn’t go above 59 F (15 C).
Shipboard clothing is informal and casual; jeans, jumpers, long sleeve shirts, and enclosed shoes are ideal in the polar regions. However, be sure to keep your jacket close for unexpected sightings!
You will receive a complimentary Aurora Expeditions polar expedition jacket at the start of your expedition. However, you are welcome to bring and wear your own jacket. In addition, we offer a complimentary loan of Muck boots during the voyage. If you have difficult sizing requirements, please let us know before your journey to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
Waterproof Trousers: A light pair of waterproof nylon trousers is critical for keeping you warm in the wind and dry on the Zodiac.
Polar Fleece Jacket: A 200-300 weight fleece is ideal, or another warm jumper would be suitable.
Warm Trousers: Ski, tracksuit, or polar fleece pants are suitable to wear under your waterproof trousers. Jeans are not suitable to wear as an underlayer.
Thermal Underwear: Medium to thick thermal underwear, leggings, long-sleeve shirt, and socks are essential. Polypropylene fibers are warmer when wet than silk or wool. ‘Sportwool’ – wool sprayed with synthetic is also ideal. We recommend singlets, three tops, and two bottoms minimum.
Woollen Jumper: Ideal to wear as an added layer over your polypropylene thermals.
Socks: Bring a mixture of thick and thin socks to test for the best combination to keep your feet warm.
Gloves & Mittens: A pair of polypropylene or woolen gloves covered with a waterproof glove such as ski gloves or industrial fleece-lined rubber gloves. We recommend you take two pairs.
Headwear: Please bring your preferred choice of headwear to keep your head warm. We recommend a beanie or a cap with earflaps. A neck warmer or scarf is also essential for protecting your neck and face.
Sunglasses/Ski Goggles: These are essential to protect your eyes from the UV rays. We recommend you take two pairs of sunglasses in case of breakage. Ski goggles are useful if you have them but are not essential.
Footwear: Warm, comfortable shoes for onboard the ship. Make sure they have a good grip on the outside decks. Slip-on shoes or moccasins are ideal for indoors. Please wear enclosed shoes in public areas while onboard the ship for health and safety reasons.
Some people like to take a nice outfit or something special for the Captain’s welcome and farewell drinks, but formal clothing is unnecessary.
Your luggage allowance is determined by the international airline on which you’ve traveled to participate in the voyage. However, Aurora Expeditions recommends that each expeditioner travel with no more than one large piece of luggage weighing 25 kilograms or less, plus one piece of hand luggage.
Some airlines, such as Aerolineas Argentinas, have a 15-kilogram luggage allowance on their domestic flights, including between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia. In this case, you may need to pay
for additional luggage allowance if you exceed the amount permitted by the airline.
When arriving back from an outing, you will leave your Muck boots, hang up your jacket, and any wet clothing in the mudroom. There are no passenger laundry facilities for you to do your own washing, but there is a laundry service available onboard. All cabins have a sink.
You need a passport to enter Argentina. Your passport must be valid for at least six months and have at least one blank page available for the entry stamp.
Visa is NOT required for citizens of North American and European Union countries, just a valid passport to enter. As of August 2018, Americans, Canadians, and Australians no longer need a reciprocity fee like in the past. Tourists can stay up to 90 days.
It is mandatory by Aurora that all travelers have comprehensive travel insurance with a minimum of US$250,000 covered, including medical and COVID-19 health insurance cover of at least US$30,000. Proof of insurance will be required ahead of travel, and we will need it to be emailed to Aurora no later than 60 days before departure.
We advise you to have insurance for voyage cancellation to ensure you will be covered financially if you are forced to cancel your voyage due to circumstances beyond your control. Please carefully read the Aurora General Terms & Conditions on your booking form.
The onboard currency is US dollars. All your onboard purchases, including bar, laundry, ship shop, internet, and massages, are charged to your shipboard account and settled by credit card or cash (US dollars only) at the end of the voyage.
One of the most essential parts of any expedition is the food! Whatever adventures the day holds, you will be fuelled up with hearty meals and delicious morning/afternoon teas cooked by the onboard chefs.
Meals are a great time to soak up the expedition camaraderie in the open-seating dining area.
Tea, coffee, and snacks are available 24 hours a day, and the chefs offer different menu options and courses for each meal. Enjoy the range of house wine, beers, and soft drinks included with dinner after a long day in the wild.
We can accommodate most special meal requests if
given advance notice. All meals include vegetarian options, and our chefs can tailor them to expeditioners with specific food intolerances such as gluten intolerance. Please ensure you list any dietary requirements on your online expedition check-in. Although we aim to accommodate most dietary needs, we are unable to cater to all requirements such as kosher or halal, nor can we guarantee that our onboard meals do not contain traces of peanuts or other nuts. Please get in touch with us to enquire about your specific needs.
Onboard Wi-Fi internet packages are available for purchase during the voyage. Telephone access for personal use is not available onboard. However, our expedition team can facilitate communication with your family members if necessary in case of an emergency.
The electrical supply onboard our vessels is 220 volts, 60 hertz. Please bring a converter if your devices use 110 volts. International electrical sockets are available in your cabin and throughout the ship. If you have many devices, it is advised that you bring a multi-power board.
1) Booking procedure:
We will send you an email shortly after confirming your booking. Do not book your flights at this time unless otherwise indicated by us. We will let you know once the minimum number of guests to run the tour has been reached.
2) Balance of Payments:
The final payment for the trip is 120 days before departure. Such payment shall be made via credit card or wire transfer. Failure to meet the payment schedule will result in cancelation and forfeit of deposit.
3) Cancelation, Refunds and other Terms
Since this tour is operated by Aurora, please note that all Terms and Conditions supersede DAK Photography Inc, Terms and Conditions.
Complete Aurora Terms and Conditions are stated in this link.
Travel and medical insurance that includes emergency evacuation coverage are mandatory. We recommend that you purchase this as soon as the trip is confirmed to protect your investment.
Pricing is dependent on cabin type. All prices are double occupancy. Single supplement is 1.7 of the double occupancy price. If you’re traveling in your own we’ll make our best attempt to pair you with a room mate, same gender.
Prices are as Follows:
Stateroom Twin Share: $ 11,895.- pp
Balcony Stateroom Category C: $ 12,915.- pp
Balcony Stateroom Category B: $ 13,595.- pp
Balcony Stateroom Category A: $ 14,615.- pp
Balcony Stateroom Superior: $ 15,975.- pp
Junior Suite: $ 20,055.- pp
Single Supplement: 1.7 times the regular price, contact us if you want to upgrade once you book.
Deposit: $2,500.
Balance: Due 120 days before departure. Full terms and conditions in FAQ.
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