When an opportunity presents itself you take it

Opportunity knocks at the most unexpected times. And even if it means you fly out in four days? You answer that knock don’t you? You bet you do!

Before I even start this story, let me say I know I’m very fortunate to be able to have done this. I’m also grateful and fortunate to have the attitude that I can make things happen if I really want to, even if they’re not so practical.

Remind me to tell you my early travel stories about jetting off for weekends and coming home with no electricity. Even when it wasn’t practical, many times opportunities to travel came up and I took them, regardless of my financial situation. Smart? Responsible? Not always but I couldn’t NOT go.

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Creating a Vision Board creates opportunity

So, let’s talk Vision Boards, hmmm? Crazy. Antarctica has been on my personal list for years and years. When I was in kindergarten I made a penguin out of clay. It’s always “been there.” Did I ever really think I would get that opportunity? Not really. I mean they say dream big but it seems like we kind of feel in our heads that some dreams just aren’t possible.

In 2019 I put traveling to Antarctica on my first ever Vision Board. I knew it would likely happen eventually but not for a year or two or more. It’s a big trip that includes a major financial and time commitment. Then there is the dreaded Drake Passage. OMG. I tried not to freak out about that or replay my friend Ron Clifford‘s video footage of it in my head.

Pay attention to the signs

The universe is amazing. For Christmas that year, a friend in the UK sent me this coin purse, Polar Bears, Seals, Penguins — all Polar. Then a few weeks after that out of the blue, another friend mailed me a new luggage tag — isn’t he cute?

Then while I was at the WPPI show I splurged and bought a new Tamron 100-400mm lens — you know, the perfect lens to take to Antarctica. Mind you, I had not purchased anything camera-related in six years or more.

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Then, I get a call on a Monday from a friend who worked for one of the Polar Expedition companies. He informed me that there was space available for the March excursion to Antarctica. WHAT?!?! OMG. How on earth could I possibly pass that up? Well, I didn’t. I left five days later. It was a little insane and I was in disbelief, but … I went!

Documenting the trip

One of the great things about this particular trip was that it included a photography symposium. That meant there were five professional photographers on board to help us out with how and what to photograph. If you can imagine, being in a place like Antarctica can be a bit overwhelming and you want to try to capture it all. There were also presentations and slideshows with images from the pros and passengers alike. It was such a great way to get to see how others viewed the sites through their lenses.

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I learned during a trip to Svalbard three years previously with the same company, that I needed to speak up. There was also a photography symposium on that excursion. But, I felt like these were things I should already have known and didn’t want to look or feel stupid. I’m a photographer after all. So there are images I didn’t completely nail because I did not ask. 

I had a plan this time

During the Svalbard trip, I created a few different themed series. When I got to Antarctica I decided to continue on those themes so I would have them from both the Arctic and Antarctic.

Having this plan in my head helped me to focus a bit instead of being overwhelmed with the scenery. Whenever I felt like I couldn’t pick out a scene or settle on something in my frame, I would look for something that fit one of my themes. It really helped me slow down and also take the time to appreciate where I was and my surroundings, even without the camera in front of my face.

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Lessons learned from this opportunity

• Never say never
• Be prepared to take advantage of an opportunity that presents itself
• Take two (at least) camera bodies, rent one if you have to
• Interact and meet fellow travelers
• Put your camera down from time to time
• Don’t forget to shoot video
• Dream big! Bigger!

Penguins

You didn’t think I’d forget the penguins, did you?

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Again, I realize that I am very fortunate to have been able to make this work. I quit my job the previous year. I had a bit of money set aside from my mom’s estate (of which I said I was going to use to go to Antarctica) and a totally unexpected check that “appeared” from somewhere else. 

Even so, I would likely have just charged it and worried about it later. ‘Cuz that’s how I roll. My mom would have been so thrilled that I did this. Now I need to figure out what to replace it with on my next Vision board and someday finish culling and editing the photos from the trip.