Antarctica

Station Photographer : Darryn Schneider

It's such a glamorous name, but why would a station need a photographer? Well, Casey like the other stations has a well equiped dark room which needs a little TLC every so often. Unfortunately it didn't really get that much from me!


Station Photographer at work.

It is hard enough at home when one takes photos to wait long before rushing off and getting them developed (it's even harder to wait till getting home before looking at them, once picked up from the shop). Well it's the same here, we couldn't wait to get home to develop our film. There are two dark rooms, one  for developing film, and the other for printing photos. The main developing is of colour slides, the E6 process. There is also some keen B&W photographers, and some hardy cibachrome (colour prints from slides) people. Many people help look after the darkrooms, including Trev with the water and dilution tanks, Michael with the enlarger, and all the users that do general cleaning.


1996 Mid-Winter group photo

The glamorous side of station photographer is the group photos. Of these the mid-winter photo was the most important, and probably the most stressful. I usually look for locations for a photo a week in advance, look it over through the camera, and maybe take a few shots. For the mid-winter shot I soon realised why so many are taken inside. The light outside around mid-winter is terrible!!! I had decided on trying to get Casey in the photo. A great location for this is Budnick Hill, which would have also given the best lighting. So a notice went onto the white-board for all to be around after lunch. Finally a day came when there was little cloud, and I set the camera up before lunch. By the end of lunch it had clouded over! I went out to retrieve the camera and found the batteries had died in the cold. Budnick Hill was out for logistic reasons (it was too cold), and the alternative of not far in front of the Redshed was used the next day.


Summer 95/96 group photo

How many photos to take of a large group, the biggest question I always ask myself. I've never taken enough. the problem with a large group, like the 95-96 summer photo, is they get bored and restless very quick. But then there are more people to close their eyes, turn their head, or get in a shadow (or do even worse things on purpose). What does one think when all the bios turn up carrying packets of Mint Slice biscuits for their photo?? What was Dougie doing in it wearing a lab coat? All the mets wanted to do was hang Richard upside down. What was that agreement Buic and Craig made in three of five shots? Alby, what was so interesting out to sea? The Foot Root Flats people were too well behaved. They must have been up to something.


Summer 96/97 group photo

There were other odd jobs also. Taking photos of the remains of Grahams sledging cap after being torched (at least it wasn't Graham!). Taking photos of people walking around looking like they had a hope of cleaning up the Gash Gully on Clean up Australia day. Making the delivery of the census look adventurous?!?

What advice would I give on photography in Antarctica. I think to not be disappointed, have more than one camera and lots and lots of film. And Velvia is too slow for winter!


Machinery 96/97 group photo

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