National Geographic Logo - Home
    Sponsor Content for OPPO
    an expedition ship carrying Nat Geo Photographer Michaela Skovranova to Antarctica
    • Science
    • News

    Capturing change on the coldest continent

    National Geographic photographer Michaela Skovranova witnesses the fluctuating vistas of Antarctica.

    An expedition ship glides calmly along the shoreline at sunrise.
    Photograph by Michaela Skovranova
    ByMark Eggleton
    Published June 4, 2020
    • 6 min read
    This is Paid Content. The editorial staff of National Geographic was not involved in the preparation or production of this content.

    This year marks the 200th anniversary of what might be the first recorded sighting of Antarctica when a Russian Antarctic expedition encountered what is now called the Fimbul Ice Shelf in 1820; although, Polynesian oral histories suggest the explorer Ui-te-Rangiora may have first sighted the white continent more than 1,300 years ago.

    Two centuries later, it might appear Antarctica has remained unchanged and frozen in time. National Geographic photographer Michaela Skovranova found the opposite to be true.

    While visiting the White Continent as part of the Uncover Antarctica expedition with OPPO, Skovranova found a land in constant flux, constantly transformed by the weather, its violent storms and the fluid colors effected by the seasonal light. She made it her goal to capture the majesty of the continent and document this constant change using the smartphone manufacturer’s Find X2 Pro.

    Nat Geo Photographer Michaela Skovranova with gentoo penguins in Antarctica
    Photographer Michaela Skovranova captures a moment with Gentoo penguins.
    Photograph by Dave May
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    Capturing seasonal change

    Part of that constant change is how Antarctica adapts in the warmer months. This particular trip took place at the end of the summer season and Skovranova was keen to photograph the ice in the water and to capture the sheer scale of the icebergs.

    What struck Skovranova particularly, was that some of the places she had visited before in previous expeditions had been completely transformed. Whole glaciers had changed shape as the warmer summer weather had hastened the ice melt, resulting in the glaciers calving icebergs into the ocean.

    These icebergs weren’t small. Skovranova says she and documentary filmmaker Dave May didn’t appreciate their size until they were abreast of them in an inflatable Zodiac.

    an iceberg in Antarctica
    The lifespan of an iceberg, from snowfall on a glacier to finally melting into the ocean can be up to 3,000 years.
    Photograph by Michaela Skovranova
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    From afar, it looked to them that each iceberg was only a few storeys high but when they drew closer, they realised the icebergs were much larger. Like mountains in the sea, May says “you’d think they’re part of the landmass but they are totally detached from the coastline.”

    Especially striking was the occasional iridescent, aqua-colored iceberg the duo came across, that were encircled by many more white icebergs. Skovranova says these extraordinary behemoths developed from older, deeper glaciers formed under immense pressure for hundreds of years. “Unlike the white icebergs, that immense pressure has forced out all the air in them so when the sun hits them they refract a blue or aqua color,” Skovranova says.

    Recently calved and released into the open sea, these unique icebergs bring new color to the Antarctic seascape.

    an iridscent iceberg standing out among white icebergs.
    A lone iceberg of iridescent aqua floats proudly in an ice-filled Antarctic bay.
    Photograph by Michaela Skovranova
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    Variations in light and color

    For Skovaranova, the ever-changing colors of Antarctica are a part of its allure. She fondly remembers the expedition’s first morning as their ship slid across a calm Weddell Sea, and the crew awoke to a sunrise of spectacular colors.

    “We were presented with these amazing pastel pinks and purples at sunrise. It was the most beautiful sunrise I’d ever seen. There was no air pollution and the air was so crisp, cool and clean,” Skovranova says.

    For May who was making his virgin trip to the Antarctic, that first day was time spent “with my jaw on the floor.”

    “The storms we encountered on our journey across the Drake Passage after setting sail from Tierra del Fuego had cleared and it was calm as we woke up to those colors of sunrise which contrasted sharply against the white of Antarctica itself,” May says.

    Nat Geo Photographer Michaela Skovranova at sunrise on an expedition ship in Antarctica
    Photographer Michaela Skovranova working on deck at sunrise.
    Photograph by Dave May
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    According to Skovranova, it’s those contrasts which make Antarctica a photographer’s dream location.

    “You feel the urge to constantly capture the immensity of the landscapes ranging from the icebergs to long craggy mountain ranges… there are very subtle differences of color across the landscape and sky,” she says, and she was impressed with how the OPPO Find X2 Pro smartphone performed as Antarctica is one of the more challenging environments for photography.

    the colors of Antartica towards end of summer
    The white continent's landscape of colors are always changing.
    Photograph by Michaela Skovranova
    Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

    “It’s a place of stark beauty. Landscapes of white, black and a little blue yet the smartphone captured a really smooth transition between the colors… (every image) places me in a moment, it anchors me to a point in time and how I was feeling in that moment.

    “It was a seamless and unobtrusive way to shoot – it added to the experience and that gave me the opportunity to focus on being more creative,” she concludes.

    Learn more about Michaela Skovranova's journey with the OPPO Uncover Antarctica expedition here.



    Read this next

    • Paid Content

    Antarctica’s wonders on a smartphone

    National Geographic photographer Michaela Skovranova begins an adventurous journey to the White Continent.
    • Paid Content

    Going wild in Antarctica

    National Geographic photographer Michaela Skovranova captures an Antarctic summer teeming with wildlife.
    • Paid Content

    Picture the ever-changing White Continent

    National Geographic photographer Michaela Skovranova has a ringside seat as Antarctica rustles up a calving iceberg.
    These 9 train trips spark rail adventures
    • Travel

    These 9 train trips spark rail adventures

    Rolling through spectacular landscapes, like Australia’s Outback and Zimbabwe’s national parks, the journey matters as much as the destination on these ultimate train rides.

    Legal

    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your California Privacy Rights
    • Children's Online Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    • About Nielsen Measurement
    • Do Not Sell My Info

    Our Sites

    • Nat Geo Home
    • Attend a Live Event
    • Book a Trip
    • Buy Maps
    • Inspire Your Kids
    • Shop Nat Geo
    • Visit the D.C. Museum
    • Watch TV
    • Learn About Our Impact
    • Support our Mission
    • Nat Geo Partners
    • Masthead
    • Press Room
    • Advertise With Us

    Join Us

    • Subscribe
    • Customer Service
    • Renew Subscription
    • Manage Your Subscription
    • Work at Nat Geo
    • Sign up for Our Newsletters
    • Contribute to Protect the Planet
    • Pitch a Story

    Follow us


    National Geographic Logo - Home

    Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2022 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved