Perspective and how we experience things, specifically places, is a highly mutable concept. The same location can be viewed in a dramatically different way depending on the variables that are in place. This could be due to environmental conditions: a clear blue sky, like we had today, revealed the majestic towering peaks around Neko Harbor, while a mist-shrouded morning would merely have offered mysterious hints of the surrounding topography. Morning or afternoon, day or night, timing can be everything in regards to what we perceive and put to memory. The complexity of a moment is further compounded by the array of factors that can be selected or avoided. Even our own state of mind can affect how we will meet and mentally interact with the world around us. Are we warm enough? (Orange parkas take care of that!) Are we hungry? (Safe to say this is never a concern aboard any Lindblad ship.) Is this our favorite type of penguin or would we prefer a different species? (And yes, it’s totally okay to enjoy chinstraps more.)
Perhaps it’s easier to contemplate this from a photographic standpoint, to isolate different subjects, play with composition, and manipulate light as you see fit to record into digital memory. The same scene shot at different settings can result in a very different image. The angle can change everything, such as when we pushed through the pack ice this afternoon towards Lemaire Channel, looking down over the rail at the bergs being sliced and smashed by the bulbous bow, or out across the patchwork quilt of sea and glacier ice. Whether zooming in on details or stepping back for those wide panoramas, the choices are everywhere. One thing is certain however, here in Antarctica it doesn’t matter if it is your first time or your tenth, you can’t experience everything, but it’s certainly fun trying!
