Cruising to South America on the Zaandam : A pictorial review

[MillieMarley]

We are taking the Zaandam cruise in December 2016 (Not long now)

Your photos are amazing. Any photographic tips would be greatly appreciated. How did you find taking the glacier photos, did you need to adjust the exposure compensation to get the true white colours? I would love to capture some photos like yours. Was there a particular area on the Zaandam that was a good spot for taking photos?

Thanks for any tips. I have loved looking at you photos, they are truly stunning.

[scubacruiserx2]

We are taking the Zaandam cruise in December 2016 (Not long now)

Your photos are amazing. Any photographic tips would be greatly appreciated. How did you find taking the glacier photos, did you need to adjust the exposure compensation to get the true white colours? I would love to capture some photos like yours. Was there a particular area on the Zaandam that was a good spot for taking photos?

Thanks for any tips. I have loved looking at you photos, they are truly stunning.

 

 

Congratulations on your trip to Antarctica , we haven't been there but we hope to go in the future . We're happy that you like the photos and will soon be taking your own . And thank you for asking for tips . Can you change settings on your camera ?

 

1. I take several shots of the same subject with different camera settings like Sports action ( running man icon ) and Landscape setting ( mountains icon ) .

 

 

2. Zoom in and out .

 

 

Glacier close up

 

 

 

 

Glacier wide angle shows the glacier in the distance and the ship , and people in the foreground .

 

 

 

 

3. Change location and views of the same subject , a variation of zoom in and out .

 

Glacier from the Port side

 

 

 

 

Glacier from the less crowded Starboard side

 

 

 

 

You can also shoot the aft and so this is a good spot .

 

 

 

Oh , don't forget the warm clothes and sunglasses !!! :cool:

 

[MillieMarley]

Oh thank you so much for your reply.

Yes I can change my settings and also feel comfortable using aperture priority.

Did you use any filters at all. I have bought a circular polarizer to help cut the glare and intensify the colours in Antarctica. I have two lenses a 40-150mm (with a 1x4 convertor) and a 12-40 mm lens both f2.8 pro lenses so I hope to get clear sharp shots too.

Thanks again...love your photos

[cruisingherrons]

Oh thank you so much for your reply.

Yes I can change my settings and also feel comfortable using aperture priority.

Did you use any filters at all. I have bought a circular polarizer to help cut the glare and intensify the colours in Antarctica. I have two lenses a 40-150mm (with a 1x4 convertor) and a 12-40 mm lens both f2.8 pro lenses so I hope to get clear sharp shots too.

Thanks again...love your photos

 

Don't forget to post some when you get home!

[easyboy]

Really amazing pictures. Capturing nature's beauty at it's best.

[scubacruiserx2]

Oh thank you so much for your reply.

Yes I can change my settings and also feel comfortable using aperture priority.

Did you use any filters at all. I have bought a circular polarizer to help cut the glare and intensify the colours in Antarctica. I have two lenses a 40-150mm (with a 1x4 convertor) and a 12-40 mm lens both f2.8 pro lenses so I hope to get clear sharp shots too.

Thanks again...love your photos

 

 

You're welcome , again !! :) :D

 

I use UV filters to prevent scratches and protect if dropped ( yes I did drop a lens which survived , but the filter broke ! ) :eek:

 

The circular polarizer sounds like a great choice for the snow and glare . And yes I do compensate by underexposing sometimes . Because of the wind , sea spray and cold I was reluctant to change lenses and I was fortunate that my DW allowed me to purchase a small , second SLR and thus my lenses stayed mated to their bodies with a few exceptions . Both of my cameras have straps . A chest mount for the larger and a wrist strap for the smaller , to prevent drops and allow me to dangle one while shooting with the other .

 

 

 

 

I'm sure that you will get some great photos and have a great time . And as cruisingherrons said , please share some photos with us here or give us a link if you choose to write a review !

[scubacruiserx2]

The weather for the ride out to the glacier was picture perfect

 

 

 

 

 

in fact , good enough for a game of ice basketball

 

 

 

 

but the ball kept sticking to player's hands !!

 

 

 

 

With the back lighting , the glacier seemed to glow

 

 

 

 

 

And , just before we were leaving , my wife detected some movement on the glacier

 

 

 

 

My long zoom was in the backpack so I had to use the medium lens . But you can see the shapes of hikers on the glacier. Notice the amazing size of the glacier !!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2016 by scubacruiserx2

[GeorgesGal]

Scubax2, many, many thanks for your spectacular photo essay of your trip around the Horn! Immensely impressive and gorgeous - every shot! I wanted to post here so frequently to tell you how much I appreciate the effort that went into putting it together and on the beauty of your photos, but decided I had to wait till the end.

 

Here I am after two days of viewing to give you a loud THANK YOU! I'll be directing my sister to this thread which just might convince her to take this cruise in the future. Here's hoping, as it has been on my list for years.

 

Donna

[GeorgesGal]

deleted - duplicate. Don't understand why sometimes it takes a few minutes to post!?

Edited November 22, 2016 by George'sGal

[scubacruiserx2]

Scubax2' date=' many, many thanks for your spectacular photo essay of your trip around the Horn! Immensely impressive and gorgeous - every shot! I wanted to post here so frequently to tell you how much I appreciate the effort that went into putting it together and on the beauty of your photos, but decided I had to wait till the end.

 

Here I am after two days of viewing to give you a loud THANK YOU! I'll be directing my sister to this thread which just might convince her to take this cruise in the future. Here's hoping, as it has been on my list for years.

 

Donna[/quote']

 

And thank you for writing in with those encouraging words . We are glad that you enjoyed the photos and hope that you will be able to do this cruise or the one with Antarctica . :) :D

[scubacruiserx2]

On the rocks ?

 

 

 

 

 

As we were very near the face of the glacier , clouds and the wind came up very suddenly blowing spray off the this ice chunk .

 

 

 

We returned to port very quickly , but it seemed to pass as suddenly as it came up .

 

 

 

 

 

Thus we began solwly heading back toward El Calafate with some photo stops along the way .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MillieMarley]

Amazing photos. Thank you for sharing. Love the close up..on the rocks. The detail in the photos is astounding.

[scubacruiserx2]

Amazing photos. Thank you for sharing. Love the close up..on the rocks. The detail in the photos is astounding.

 

Thanks Millie . ;)

[scubacruiserx2]

A stop at the overlook

 

 

 

 

I thought that this would be a nice backdrop for a photo of my DW

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closer to the ledge

 

 

 

 

And while we were here an Andean condor soared over head . I had hoped that it would fly closer toward the glacier , but this was it .

 

 

 

 

But it did fly a bit closer to us .

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We had brought a box lunch with us from our hotel and we found a nice place to eat it . The snow melt from the mountains in the South American Spring time formed a nice riverlet

 

 

 

which ran into the river below .

 

 

 

 

There was a small waterfall there

 

 

 

Video clip:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL-c3uPQflg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUgn8BrrJIoeyp3pD3LqhoRA

 

 

And while some rather large bees bumbled , we enjoyed some lunch also .

 

 

[cruisingherrons]

The photos are so beautiful. I forget, did you say when you were there? I am thinking of going in Dec/Jan, is that the same time? I just can't imagine the temperature variations since it appears it will be in the 90s in parts and then down to cold weather for the glaciers etc. Maybe I better buy some bigger luggage (lol). Thanks again for the great pics and all the other info you have provided. I am in for an amazing trip and I owe it all to my friend for suggesting it and your photos

for the inspiration.

Donna H.

[Nopiming]

Great pics! Brings back great memories on our cruise with NCL Dream. That was the last trip for The Dream as she was heading up to Boston for refitting. And I believe she was sold shortly after that. We remember going around Cape Horn and because it was her last trip, the lighthouse gave us a big salute with the fog horns with the ship also sounding the horn. Very memorable.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[RuthC]

I forget, did you say when you were there?

Check the dates on the photo site. This is from three years ago.

[Chelly]

Donna,

Date of cruise appears to be December 2013. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

C.

[scubacruiserx2]

The photos are so beautiful. I forget, did you say when you were there? I am thinking of going in Dec/Jan, is that the same time? I just can't imagine the temperature variations since it appears it will be in the 90s in parts and then down to cold weather for the glaciers etc. Maybe I better buy some bigger luggage (lol). Thanks again for the great pics and all the other info you have provided. I am in for an amazing trip and I owe it all to my friend for suggesting it and your photos

for the inspiration.

Donna H.

 

This trip was our second trip to SA and was made on or about 11-29 - 2013 thru 12 -18 2013 . We flew from MIA to EZE and spent the night in BA . The next morning we flew over the Andes to Santiago and boarded the ship .

 

 

 

 

We saw snow flakes on the Orsorno Volcano , sleet on the day before Ushuaia and record heat with a power outage in our hotel in BA on the night before we returned to the US . Did we forget to mention near hurricane wind gusts on our return drive to El Calafate ? ( more later )

 

They don't call southern SA the roaring 40's or furious 50's for nothing !! :eek:

 

 

Thus the weather there can be a lion or a lamb , by probably both . ;)

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaring_Forties

 

 

The last photo and article link are from Wikipedia

 

 

[cruisingherrons]

Check the dates on the photo site. This is from three years ago.

 

Not too computer savy and I didn't see any dates so I thought I would just ask. Thanks for the heads up I will try to figure out how to see it on the photo site.

 

Donna

[cruisingherrons]

Donna,

Date of cruise appears to be December 2013. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

C.

 

Thanks Chelly, that gives me the info I needed so I can over think my packing and not overpack.

Donna

[cruisingherrons]

SCUBACRUISERX2 - Thanks so much for the info. I won't be going until 2018/19, but it wouldn't be me if I didn't over think everything. Check the prices, check the airfare, check the average temps, etc, etc, etc. Your pictures are so inspiring that this has become #1 on my "to do" list. Thanks again for sharing!

Donna

[scubacruiserx2]

Great pics! Brings back great memories on our cruise with NCL Dream. That was the last trip for The Dream as she was heading up to Boston for refitting. And I believe she was sold shortly after that. We remember going around Cape Horn and because it was her last trip, the lighthouse gave us a big salute with the fog horns with the ship also sounding the horn. Very memorable.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

Wow , your first post , we are honored !!

 

We too were NCL Dreamer's ! Our first cruise to Europe ( Baltic ) was on the Dream in 2006 . It was the largest cruise ship to use the Kiel Canal in Germany as a shortcut to the Baltic . They were able to flip their funnel in order to clear low bridges there , while a German brass band played .

 

 

 

The following year we did our first SA cruise leaving from and returning to Valparaiso , Chile in early November , 2007 .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

The weather on our first cruise was not as nice as our HAL cruise . Here's snow , ice and gray skies in the Amalia Glacier where some of the crew went out to capture a small bit of the glacier .

 

 

 

 

A trophy catch !

 

 

 

 

 

Glacier Alley

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't go around the horn , but we did get to spend the night in Ushuaia and had a nice dinner here .

 

 

 

 

And on the next day we went up a ski lift near the Martial Glacier .