Polar Photography by Becky Kagan Schott
 
 

I’d go to the ends of the earth for a unique image, but I never dreamed I’d literally do that!  I’m drawn to the Arctic and Antarctic for challenging and inspiring environment and wildlife found in both poles. 

I started diving because I fell in love with colorful coral reefs and tropical marine life. If you would have told me that the Arctic and Antarctic would someday become some of my favorite destinations, I might have laughed and said I’d never dive in ice water, and those places are too far away. During my first Arctic expedition, I thought it would be a once in a lifetime experience, but I was wrong. I went back seven times and started visiting Antarctica every winter. It’s hard to put into words what it’s like to visit these remote places, so thankfully I’m a photographer and can show you. In Antarctica, imagine going to a place where there are no people. The wildlife isn’t afraid of you, and you’re surrounded by the most stunning scenery that looks like it was created in dreams. The Arctic does have small communities of people that live there, and understanding their culture and ways of living in such a harsh environment is humbling. Polar photography is extremely challenging, but showcasing these other worldly places has become an obsession. 

 
 

Antarctica means without the bear, so you guessed it, you won’t find these marine mammals in the south. In the most southern region of the planet is where you’ll find different kinds of penguins, leopard seals, weddell seals, elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals. Wildlife living at each extreme end of the planet has adapted to living in the harshest conditions on earth. 

As a photographer the draw to these polar regions is to photograph rarely seen species and challenge yourself, I’m always striving to shoot new and interesting subjects like Walrus or Leopard Seals that can only be found in the poles and have sometimes taken several trips to get the shots I envisioned. The conditions are not easy to shoot in and you have to be respectful of the wildlife. Polar bears, for example, are apex predators and it’s not safe to be that close. That means taking long lenses for land photography or having patience waiting for the right moment to photograph the animal on its terms.

 
 

I didn’t even feel the cold air on my hands or face because I was snapping away as soon as I could see the reflection in the Polar Bear’s eyes as it approached. As I filled my frame, I tried to keep my excitement bottled up but I was bursting with joy inside. I lowered my camera and looked up at a beautiful female polar bear casually walking along the rocky Arctic beach. She wasn’t bothered by our presence, and it seemed like she was just posing for us at times. Her big dinner plate sized paws effortlessly climbed up an icy hill and she sniffed the air with her head held high. Seeing a polar bear close is nothing short of spectacular. Seeing the way they move and effortlessly climb and hunt in one of the most remote places on the planet is mind blowing. 

 
 

Hearing ice bang and scrape against the hull of a ship never gets old and I also never get used to the sound. It seems so unnatural, yet this is what’s done to work your way, pushing through the pack ice in the far reaches of the Arctic. On my last August expedition, the captain turned off the engines, and we just drifted with the sea ice. It was so quiet, and you hear the wind blow across the icy desert and the rest of the world disappear. I literally felt like I was on top of the world watching sea birds swooped down and catch fish in the open pools, and we are on the lookout for polar bears. These well adapted marine mammals can smell prey almost a mile away and are very solitary and curious animals. They will approach a ship out of curiosity. We could see a bear far away because they do stand out with a slight yellow tint to their fur. It moved towards us, looking like it was trotting gracefully across the ice. It would smell the air and swim across open leads, then jump across others. With its massive paws it walked right up to the ship and paced below us, checking out the strange object. Occasionally he chattered his teeth and growled, opening his mouth so wide we could see his teeth. Polar bears may look cute, but they are a powerful predator, and this is their Arctic Kingdom. 

 
 

The Arctic is home to a lot of other wildlife, we can see pods of beluga whales, ring and bearded seals, reindeer, arctic fox, several types of seabirds and there’s a possibility for narwal blue whales and even blue whales. In fact, a mother and calf surfaced near our 130 foot long expedition ship and they were about the same size as the vessel!  

Vising a Walrus colony is one of my favorite things to do in the Arctic. The sounds they make, grunting, clicking, splashing and farting, are mesmerizing as they pile up on the beach into a massive pile. They can reach up to 3000 pounds and their ivory tusks can be a meter long. As awkward as they are out of the water, they are very graceful underwater. They are very social animals and usually stay in groups. They like to hang out on the rocky beaches in the summer and sit in the shallow water to take the weight off. During winter months, they move back out onto the sea ice. It took me years to get images of them underwater and it was no easy task. They are the size of our zodiac, which is a bit intimidating, and they can be too curious or turn aggressive if they have a calf they are protecting. Spending time learning their behavior and letting them get used to me was important for getting underwater shots of them. That took a few days and a lot of patience, but the payoff was worth it. Any photographer knows that putting in time can mean better results, and, on my trips, we dedicate the time to spend with the colonies and in the sea ice with bears to ensure we get multiple opportunities for great images and memories. Each expedition is unique, and that’s part of what keeps me going back. Seeing different behaviors and witness hunting or see babies, which is always special. 

 
 

Sometimes you literally must go to the ends of the earth and back several times to get the shots you dream of. It’s not easy. In fact, it’s extremely challenging, but that’s part of what keeps me going back. I’m proud to have captured some images I’ve always dreamed of in both poles, from Polar Bears to Walrus, Leopard seals and penguins. Nature always delivers something that creates a magical moment. Polar environments inspire me, and they are real places that exist and will keep me going back for years to come. 

Join an expedition to the Arctic! 

Becky Schott organizes small group expeditions to the Arctic with only 12 guests focused on wildlife photography and amazing encounters with polar bears, walrus, seals, seabirds, whales, reindeer and Arctic Fox. She also co- leads scuba diving groups to Antarctica. Click Link Below