Shifter: Visual Diary Antarctica

My Antarctica trip has really yet to begin but that changes tomorrow morning when we fly to Ushuaia, "El Fine del Mundo," or "The End of the World." At this point, I make short forays into the city of Buenos Aires, plan logistics, and also make book sketches. I've yet to add anything to the software, but again, I haven't really started the trip as of yet. What I'm shooting now, most likely, won't make the book.
It feels like Instagram is still running at full speed here in Argentina. There are selfie barrages and tandem IG shoots happening all over the city. In the US, most brands have figured out that IG died about eighteen months ago, at least in terms of ROI. You might think this is a good thing but remember we now live in a world where TikTok is 60% of all social traffic. If you thought we had already hit rock bottom, well, brace yourself. It's going to get worse.
I would describe my current mental state as semi-anxious. My friend who works for the expedition company, and who is also a really good adventure photographer, has given us more details which only makes me more anxious. I don't mean anxious in a bad way. I mean in a nervous to get started way.
This afternoon is about B-roll for Blurb, checking in, and getting some good notes in.

[@ratgirl13]

Listen, if I’m ever going to do a selfie it will be in the most beautiful bookstore/ library in the world. I’m Puerto Rican Spanish is my first language. Lovely video.❤

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Two languages...a must. Three, even better.

[@MTimWeaver]

I think the traffic (lack of) you're experiencing is because of the holiday. Both times I was there, the traffic was horrendous...the main "freeway" Au 25 De Mayo, was bumper-to-bumper all the time. One of my trips was over the May Day holiday (A Monday, that year) and everything was closed. I wound up finding a theater open and saw Pulp Fiction. The most interesting thing was see how they wrote the subtitles. I was especially curious how they'd treat the "Papa tomato, mama tomato, and baby tomato" joke...in English, the punch line was "Ketchup....catch up." In Spanish, it was "Apúrate!....a-puree-te" Well done, translator person!

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Yep, things are back to normal although it only took 39 mins from the airport yesterday at 5PM. The OTHER direction, however, was horrendous.

[@annieaviles4760]

This was fantastic! You are just the right amount of optimist, pessimist, realist- comedian. Beautifully done. God bless you.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

thank you. I'm just being me, I guess.

[@MikeLangfordGoogle]

Fantastic one Dan, really enjoyed that 🙂

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Gracias...

[@federicotheironlyportrait]

Hey, you need to get rid of that fancy new Nikon... it seems to add 20kg and 10 years to your subjects 😂

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

It only adds 40 pounds.

[@federicotheironlyportrait]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 I think your "wildlife" lens would have been better suited for my case...

[@ZenoWatson]

BTS yesterday, selfies in a bookstore today. I feel a drone shot coming soon, and Dan has completed his transition. On a serious note, though, all the best for the journey to Antartica.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

What else can I do? Oh, knit hat!

[@arneheeringa96]

Yeah the small pleasures in life of an analogue photographer looking at some digital kids that have no clue about the basics of photography, which you were forced to learn in the old days if you had a fully manual camera.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

It was perverse but so telling. Poor kid.

[@maxbashyrov5785]

To be fair, many "grown-up" photographers here on youtube with analogue background and long careers also have no idea about the basics, which doesn't prevent them from spreading fallacies (like exposure triangle etc.). No wonder the army of young clueless photographers, that are able to learn only from videos and not from books, is growing.

[@arneheeringa96]

@@maxbashyrov5785 True, but automatic cameras promote not learning the basics. I regret learning on an automatic Agfa 335 because you learn things you should not (for example avoid backlight, because the lightmeter misjudges it) and don't learn the basics. I was very happy when my father gifted me his Nikkormat FtN a few years later, but I still avoided backlight and didn't come to terms with the lightmeter either. I regret not learning photography on a manual camera without lightmeter, like Cartier-Bresson and my father. Cartier-Bresson said he had Sunny 16 in his head and would only meter when he was unsure. If I have automatics in a camera I tend to use them. I have my father's Canon 300 too since he switched to digital. I had to learn autofocus, I still use only the middle point. In fact I think manual zone focus is quicker than every AF, but on most AF lenses there's no depth of field scale anymore. Which is a pain, so thumbs 👍🏼 to Leica for still having it. With those lenses you can increase depth of field more near to you if the depth of field surpasses the infinity point. All you have to do is put the right end of depth of field on infinity and depth of field will automatically start nearer to you.

[@pablotenkara3057]

Hey Daniel, I was in Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine just a couple of weeks ago, interviewing on of the latest speakers of Kawesqar. Lovely people, awesome landscapes. For input, try to get a copy of Lucas Bridges' At the uttermost part of the earth. And also chilean photographer Paz Errázuriz' Los Nómades del mar. If you havent already. Cheers.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

So many great storytelling folks in these parts.

[@rachelrauschphotography6386]

Awesome diary. What is your camera mounted to for the selfies? and what camera was that you are using?

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Insta 360 Go 3

[@maxbashyrov5785]

100 years ago Argentina was considered one of the wealthiest countries in the world...

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

I can see that being real. BEEF.

[@johnlaw6735]

"speedo and machete" 🤣🤣🤣

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Essentials

[@travis1687]

Hey man I had a gun put in my face and both me and my girlfriend robbed of everything we had in Buenos Aires not even 6 months ago. The city feels deceptively safe be very careful.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Yes. I've heard plenty of stories. We are traveling very light when we go out.

[@travis1687]

@@DANIELMILNOR505 Enjoy the stay man its a beautiful place.

[@terencemorrissey4413]

Also in São Paulo you need a ID to enter a lot of places.

[@user-cu6sf2pn9t]

Hey Bro! love your shirt, what brand is it? following you for quite a while now, might upload a book soon to Blurb

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Columbia. Got it at outlet mall. It won't die.

[@SCHOOLOFLIGHT]

Google’s Kinesis bag! I’ve been trolling bags for a trip. Thanks man.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

I'm not sure I would buy it. I have, however, most likely found my waterproof backpack...

[@WhoIsSerafin]

20 years with my Ecuadorian wife and my Spanish is horrendous

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Bad boy...

[@bradrandel1408]

Killer enjoy I am🦋🕊

[@robertray1284]

Don't make me think Steve Krug

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Not sure who that is....

[@Tinaleann_]

Gosh, i'm so happy i dont have any of that social media nonsense(just youtube). Doom scrolling is such a cancer in society anymore.

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

YEs, doom scrolling....is crazy.

[@falconscott4942]

Totally enjoy your work and videos Dan. Could you tell me what brand/model your clear eye glass frames are please? Thx

[@DANIELMILNOR505]

Oakley....I've been wearing them for decades.

[@falconscott4942]

Thank you so much! Cheers and safe journey to the bottom of our Planet.