Rarely seen violet polar lights (photo: Michael Trautmann)
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Figure 22 The west side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset during the Polar Night, late July (photo: Michael Trautmann)Figure 23 The underside of the Neumayer Station III at sunset during the Polar Night, late July (photo: Michael Trautmann)Figure 24 The southwest side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, Midwinter, late June (photo: Michael Trautmann)Figure 25 The west side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, shortly before Midwinter (photo: Michael Trautmann)Figure 26 The south side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, shortly before Midwinter (photo: Michael Trautmann)Figure 27 The east side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, shortly before Midwinter (photo: Michael Trautmann)Figure 28 The southeast side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, shortly before Midwinter (photo: Michael Trautmann)Figure 29 The northwest side of the Neumayer Station III after sunset in early August (photo: Michael Trautmann)
When it comes to taking photos in the Antarctic, there’s not much you can do wrong. No matter what angle you shoot the Neumayer Station III from, it’s always a breath-taking sight. I often wonder what thoughts will race through my mind when I look at these photos a few years from now.
Figure 1 Me in front of the Neumayer Station in late August (photo: Michael Trautmann)
I’ve spent a few nights outside at temperatures down to 50 below so I could catch some shots of the polar lights and the Milky Way. Usually I set up the camera, sit and wait a bit, then go back inside. Depending on how many pictures I want to take, sometimes I don’t go back for my camera until the next morning.
Figure 2 The only time we saw a pronounced violet streak in the polar lights (photo: Michael Trautmann)
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Figure 3 Rarely seen violet polar lights (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 4 Panorama shot of the Neumayer Station III – Milky Way and polar lights (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 5 Panorama shot of the Neumayer Station III – polar lights (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 6 Panorama shot of the Neumayer Station III – polar lights (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 7 Vivid polar lights over the Neumayer Station III (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 8 Polar lights with a crescent moon and scattered clouds over the Neumayer Station III (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 9 Polar lights with a crescent moon and scattered clouds over the Neumayer Station III (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 10 Polar lights with a full moon and scattered clouds over the Neumayer Station III (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 11 360-degree panorama shot with the Milky Way over the Neumayer Station III (photo: Michael Trautmann)Figure 12 Panorama shot with the Milky Way over the Neumayer Station III (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 13 Part of the Milky Way over the Neumayer Station III (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 14 Part of the Milky Way over the Neumayer Station III (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Technical information on photographing the night sky:
The difference in available light between a full moon and new moon is tremendous. A new moon is the best opportunity to photograph the Milky Way. When it’s a full moon, you can hardly shoot the Milky Way at all, but you can capture some truly surreal shots.
For astrophotography, I use the Sony G 20 mm f1.8.
ISO and exposure settings:
New moon:
ISO: 3200
Exposure time: 10 seconds
Full moon: ISO: 100
Exposure time: 6 – 8 seconds
In the days between new moon and full moon, there’s a great deal of variation. For polar lights, I use an exposure time of 4 – 10 seconds, depending on how active the polar lights are.
And how long does my battery last in these frigid temperatures? When it’s warmer than minus 30 °C, 5 to 6 hours. When it’s between minus 40 and 50 °C, in time-lapse shots the camera gives up the ghost after a few hundred images, so I use an external battery to keep it supplied with energy.
To me, the pictures you can take during a full moon look like pure science fiction. Until I’d taken one myself, I always thought they were lovely pictures, but made on the computer. The Antarctic at full moon taught me better. You sit there and think to yourself: “Okay! Welcome to a sci-fi flick.”
Figure 15 The east side of the Neumayer Station III by the light of a full moon (photo: Michael Trautmann)
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Figure 16 The north side of the Neumayer Station III by the light of a full moon (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 17 The southeast side of the Neumayer Station III by the light of a full moon (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 18 Various antennas on the roof of the Neumayer Station III by the light of a full moon (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Comparison: the balloon launching hall during a storm and on a clear moonlit night.
Figure 19 The balloon launching hall in a snowstorm during the Polar Night (photo: Michael Trautmann)Figure 20 The balloon launching hall by the light of a full moon during the Polar Night (photo: Michael Trautmann)
I still haven’t decided which time of day I enjoy photographing most. The sunsets during the Polar Night were absolutely unbelievable! But the nights when you can see the polar lights and the Milky Way are just as indescribable.
Figure 21 The southwest side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset during the Polar Night, late July (photo: Michael Trautmann)
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Figure 22 The west side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset during the Polar Night, late July (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 23 The underside of the Neumayer Station III at sunset during the Polar Night, late July (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 24 The southwest side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, Midwinter, late June (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 25 The west side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, shortly before Midwinter (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 26 The south side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, shortly before Midwinter (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 27 The east side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, shortly before Midwinter (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 28 The southeast side of the Neumayer Station III at sunset, shortly before Midwinter (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 29 The northwest side of the Neumayer Station III after sunset in early August (photo: Michael Trautmann)
The station with blowing snow and storms.
Figure 30 Werner near the station’s south side during a snowstorm in late July (photo: Michael Trautmann)
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Figure 31 Blowing snow and westerly wind, late August (photo: Michael Trautmann)
Figure 32 Blowing snow and westerly wind, late August (photo: Michael Trautmann)
