In spite of the lack of sunshine here in the UK, I couldn't help but be tempted by a pair of very flash polarising sunglasses at the opticians the other day. The (very adept) sales lady was more than encouraging when I told her about my love of polar cruising.
It's important to take good sunglasses with you on a voyage to Antarctica or the Arctic; ideally a minimum of category level 3. Snow reflection and the glare on the water can cause strain and damage to your eyes; a pair of wrap-around polarising sunglasses will save on headaches and mean that you make the most of your polar cruise.
Polarising filters and lenses significantly cut out a lot of the light and glare - 
meaning that you can literally 'see into' the water - whether it be leopard seals darting around and under your zodiac, penguins slicing through the inky depths, or the looming mass of a submerged iceberg - you'll want to take in as much as possible both above and below the waterline! Polarising lenses (whether in sunglasses or fixed to your camera) cut out much of the 'unuseful' light so that the colours 'pop out'. An example of how polarising filters can help with polar photography can be seen in Seth White's images of Antarctica (see the link here) - where he has taken a picture through his polarised sunglasses (scroll down to the pictures of clouds at the bottom of the webpage).
Remember, if you're wearing polarised sunglasses and have a polarising lens on your camera, then the two filters will cancel each other out and darken the viewfinder - perhaps invest in a sports strap for your sunglasses, so you can take them off and safely wear them around your neck when taking that breathtaking shot.
I love your blog, great article!
Posted by: Lauren | August 14, 2008 at 01:52 AM