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Author Topic: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure  (Read 9510 times)

duane_bolland

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« on: April 21, 2016, 07:18:21 pm »

I have one quick comment on the Antarctica trips.  Delete or respond as you see fit. 

I'm always interested in the trips, but I can never pull the trigger.  My main gripe is that I would be subsidizing all these "instructors" that are tagging along.  I don't want instruction or celebrity entertainment or formal discussions or any of that jazz.  I just want to be transported down there, fed, and otherwise generally left alone.  Obviously there needs to be some sort of a guide and/or head organizer, maybe even two, but I don't see why six instructors are needed. 

Forgive me if you have done some trips with less baggage.  I don't stop by here very often.
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Christopher Sanderson

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2016, 07:24:48 pm »

Fair enough - each to their own.

However, my experience is that on a trip such as this with a great deal of sea-time, the opportunity to listen to, talk with and work with well-known photographers is very valuable for many.

Tony Jay

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2016, 08:01:22 pm »

Fair enough - each to their own.

However, my experience is that on a trip such as this with a great deal of sea-time, the opportunity to listen to, talk with and work with well-known photographers is very valuable for many.

I would say to Duane that, respectfully, there is probably no learning experience to top being in the captive company of a group of enthusiastic shutterbugs for 10 days or so. Even if one were a Pulitzer prize winner you would learn plenty.

I tend strongly toward landscape, wildlife and bird photography. I have a friend who is an ex-press photographer with a specialisation in sport. Whenever we shoot together we both appear to be equally astounded at the learning opportunities we seem to present the other.

I would give my right leg to go to Antarctica and be a fellow captive photographer!
Nuff said.

Tony Jay
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BAB

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2016, 11:41:34 pm »

If you look around there are plenty of trips (ways to get there) without being part of a group financing the privileged few!
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Schewe

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2016, 12:08:26 am »

If you look around there are plenty of trips (ways to get there) without being part of a group financing the privileged few!

Yeah but when LuLa puts on an Antarctic trip, the entire boat is pretty much dedicated to the photographers on the trip. The Captain goes where Mike & Kev want to go, stop when the group decides, holds meals for maximize shooting and in general cater to photographers in the group. The other aspect is that the instructors (by & large) have been there and done that and can advise how to maximize the locations and the experience.

Yeah, there are a lot of trips out there if you want to go on your own...but you'll just be one of many travelers. A group of photographers led by an experienced leader makes a lot of difference.
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Rob C

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2016, 04:21:01 am »

I don't doubt there are many who see value in organised and tutored trips.

From a personal perspective the mere sight of another photographer tells me I'm in the wrong place.


Keith,

Home safely, then!

But I thought you loved Venice...

(I know exactly what you mean; it's the ultimate turn-off, that ersatz, mono-dimensional chumminess with ships of the night.)

I feel the same about car parks, too. Ann hated the X1/9: whenever she went shopping she felt obliged to find the most distant spot at Safeway. And even then, despite acres of space, there was always some asshole parked right up against it in the next slot when she returned with the trolley.

She never reported if they were there to watch her climbing back in.

Rob

Alan Smallbone

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2016, 11:39:31 am »

I guess to each his own. I personally like being around other photographers on a trip. You do learn something and can also learn to see something you might have missed or not thought about. I never presume to know it all or know a place, someone always has a different perspective. I can see the desire to be alone with one's thought but on something so far away I think the added benefit of prior knowledge about location and logistics is a great help. To me how you frame the image and make an image is a personal thing and whether or not someone is next to me does not really matter, I captured my moment at that time. i would think that on a trip like this you are with other people but not always shoulder to shoulder like at some popular locations. I would love to go on a trip like this but I doubt I could afford to make it there.

Just my $0.2 to the discussion.

Alan
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Rob C

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2016, 11:46:32 am »

Rob,

Yes, back safely from our Moroccan idyll.

The mere thought of an organised trip or tour, particularly in the company of other photographers is an anathema. Just give us a ticket and a bed and we're in our element.

That said, thankfully there are enough folk with a different mind set to fund this little place.


Indeed, 'twould be awful if everyone thought the same; but hang on a sec whilst I think this novel idea over...

Quite liked this car. It was relatively low, and easy to wash the roof; got it in late '84, afaik, which was when it came out here. The current Fiesta is too high, and my sleeves get soaked every time. Progress.



Pirelli's P6 tyres were nice.

Rob

Rob C

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2016, 12:05:10 pm »

I guess to each his own. I personally like being around other photographers on a trip. You do learn something and can also learn to see something you might have missed or not thought about. I never presume to know it all or know a place, someone always has a different perspective. I can see the desire to be alone with one's thought but on something so far away I think the added benefit of prior knowledge about location and logistics is a great help. To me how you frame the image and make an image is a personal thing and whether or not someone is next to me does not really matter, I captured my moment at that time. i would think that on a trip like this you are with other people but not always shoulder to shoulder like at some popular locations. I would love to go on a trip like this but I doubt I could afford to make it there.

Just my $0.2 to the discussion.

Alan


It comes down to personality. I really don't want to know what somebody else did before me in the same place. That was one of the problems of shooting in the common calendar locations - forgetting how others had used them after you had allowed the images to indicate whether you felt the places had possibilities... the better the other guy's picture the more difficult to erase it from your mind.

Fortunately for my sanity I seldom had to shoot whisky bottles. And imagine shooting Marlboro sans cowboys! Actually, I think I remember it was David James shot some great calendar stuff for them (Marl.) with girls (Jane Sumner)... probably before the PC brigade began to worry about girls, booze, smokes and advertising together in the same space. Lamb's Navy Rum also did girl calendars, but my memory of them is that, by comparison, they weren't very elegant. (Maybe designed with sailors in mind and Hong Kong bars.)

For me, icebergs will for ever be Titanic.

Great days.

Rob C

MattBurt

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Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2016, 12:16:40 pm »

I have similar feeling about photo tours. I did one in Kauai a couple of years ago and it was fun and I learned about access to locations but I just wan't into the group dynamic we had. I was the most "serious" attendee (and really I'm not a serious person most of the time) and this may have been the issue because we had some phone and tablet shooters who seemed to be just checking vistas off a list rather than observing and trying to see what makes a particular place different of special.
I imagine a LuLa tour would be attended by more actual photographers, but you just never know how a group will be until you are part of it.

A small group of the right folks could be almost perfect but it's hard for me to commit when I don't really know.
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2016, 01:28:59 pm »

... I'm always interested in the trips, but I can never pull the trigger... I just want to be transported...

I stopped by a Bentley dealership the other day to let them know, loudly, that I am not interested in their cars. I just wanted to be transported to the nearest grocery store. I do not need all those horses under the hood or all that luxury inside, and my Camry would do just fine, thank you very much.

But seriously, what exactly is the point of the OP rant? Does the OP think LuLa is a tourist agency or a personal travel concierge? And what's up with that habit of sticking one's nose in other people's business or complaining about prices? You do not like the price or arrangement? It is a free country, just don't buy it.

Must have something to do with that cranky grandpa running for president, whose main campaign point is that life is not fair and to his liking.

AlterEgo

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2016, 01:42:03 pm »

But seriously, what exactly is the point of the OP rant?

may be he/she is trying to find out if there are any leaner photo trips, just with one guide, that's it... I 'd suggest = http://frameway.club/workshops/ ... yes, it is not american outlet, but reputable nevertheless and prices are good (even there might be 2 guides)  8)
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Rob C

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #12 on: April 22, 2016, 02:02:04 pm »

I stopped by a Bentley dealership the other day to let them know, loudly, that I am not interested in their cars. I just wanted to be transported to the nearest grocery store. I do not need all those horses under the hood or all that luxury inside, and my Camry would do just fine, thank you very much.

But seriously, what exactly is the point of the OP rant? Does the OP think LuLa is a tourist agency or a personal travel concierge? And what's up with that habit of sticking one's nose in other people's business or complaining about prices? You do not like the price or arrangement? It is a free country, just don't buy it.

Must have something to do with that cranky grandpa running for president, whose main campaign point is that life is not fair and to his liking.


There you are: you see how much more interesting the thread has become now you mention Bentley? So what if you don't have one right now - you got rid of the emotion! Catharsis, dear boy, catharsis. That's what photography is often all about: we can use it in all manner of ways: substitute, adventure, money-maker and even fun! But man, I hate the cold. It's the circulation, you know: not what it used to be in the Golden Age. There was one, wasn't there?

;-)

Rob

David Sutton

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #13 on: April 23, 2016, 05:05:06 am »


But seriously, what exactly is the point of the OP rant? Does the OP think LuLa is a tourist agency or a personal travel concierge? And what's up with that habit of sticking one's nose in other people's business or complaining about prices? You do not like the price or arrangement? It is a free country, just don't buy it.

Must have something to do with that cranky grandpa running for president, whose main campaign point is that life is not fair and to his liking.

The OP seemed quite polite to me. On the other hand your reply seems an aggressive rant from over here.
I can't speak for LuLa trips, but my experience is that the instructors are dead weight. Sorry.
At sea most of us are just trying to hang on in those waters, and when close to land are too busy photographing and trying to keep  our gear operational. With 70 passengers you won't get much of a chance for one to one discussion if there is any down time. Kevin, Chris or Schewe (if he can avoid being attacked by the wildlife) would be enough.
The real advantage of a voyage like this is it is dedicated to photography. The ship will head where the light is best, the captain will push the limits of the vessel and when the zodiacs are out everyone gets to go. You simply don't get an opportunity like this on most ordinary tourist ships.
David
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AreBee

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #14 on: April 23, 2016, 05:21:31 am »

David,

Quote
With 70 passengers you won't get much of a chance for one to one discussion if there is any down time. Kevin, Chris or Schewe (if he can avoid being attacked by the wildlife) would be enough.

Why do you suppose wildlife chooses to attack Jeff in particular?
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Manoli

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #15 on: April 23, 2016, 06:13:17 am »

Why do you suppose wildlife chooses to attack Jeff in particular?

'Cos Antarctica has a community of highly disgruntled penguins that are royally pissed awf ever since they were coerced into the CC subscription platform and see Jeff as an Adobe apologist. That's why.
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AreBee

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #16 on: April 23, 2016, 08:06:15 am »

Manoli,

Quote
'Cos Antarctica has a community of highly disgruntled penguins that are royally pissed awf ever since they were coerced into the CC subscription platform and see Jeff as an Adobe apologist. That's why.

Oh. Well, that's not good.

Quote
...royally...

Emperor penguins?
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Manoli

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2016, 08:15:00 am »

Rob,

Emperor penguins?

Very good !

Edit:
To be precise, the King species - the Emperors are the Imperial ones.
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Colorado David

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #18 on: April 23, 2016, 08:51:56 am »

'Cos Antarctica has a community of highly disgruntled penguins that are royally pissed awf ever since they were coerced into the CC subscription platform and see Jeff as an Adobe apologist. That's why.

 ;D ;D ;D

Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Re: Final Call – The Ultimate Antarctica Adventure
« Reply #19 on: April 23, 2016, 10:27:07 am »

... With 70 passengers you won't get much of a chance for one to one discussion if there is any down time. Kevin, Chris or Schewe ... would be enough...

70 people + 6 instructors combination gives you more "one to one" opportunities than 70 people + 2 or 3 instructors, no?
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