The Seventh Continent

I'm known to many in the photography world as a fearless explorer, having worked in some of the most off-the-beatenpath areas around the globe, including multiple trips to North Korea, Iran, and Iraq, as well as intense treks through the jungles of the Amazon, the forests of Borneo, and Nepal's Himalayas.

- MARK EDWARD HARRIS

There are very few places I wouldn't venture in pursuit of a strong photo narrative or photo op. That said, after traveling to more than 100 countries and six continents, I still didn't have the courage to take on the dreaded Drake Passage, the most often turbulent waters that separate Antarctica from South America. I simply didn't have the stomach for it, that is until I learned about the fly/cruise option from Punta Arenas offered by the Chilean cruise company, Antarctica21.

Then, at last, the elusive seventh continent was within sight.

After a couple of days at The Singular Patagonia to adjust to the local time zone and to explore this magnificent part of Chile armed with a couple of Nikons, it was time for the two-hour flight over the Drake Passage to the South Shetland Islands. From there, we would sail across to and then along the Antarctic Peninsula.

Antarctica21's Magellan Explorer is an extremely stable and comfortable home-away-from-home with an incredible crew, including top experts on the Antarctic.

I tapped into their knowledge, especially to better understand the behaviors of the wildlife we would be encountering. Now it was time to see what I could do camera-in-hand in one of the world's last frontiers.

We did Zodiac excursions every morning and afternoon, landing on some of the most remote places on earth. We were, however, often greeted by a variety of locals, mostly gentoo and chinstrap penguins. Keeping a respectful distance, I found that my Nikkor 300mm f/4 and Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 lenses allowed me to do portraits of individuals in their environments that told a bigger story rather than just wider overview shots.