Grytviken - David Mathre Photography

Wednesday (25-December-2024) — New Jersey

Eleven-Years Ago Today. White Christmas – Santa captured bringing in some firewood on a snowy night by a camera with a motion detector. (25-Dec-2013, New Jersey).

Gone to See Antarctica 2014-2015: Day 10: Christmas Day on South Georgia Island

The Hurtigruten MS Fram arrived at South Georgia early in the morning. We were ferried from the ship to the island on Polarcirkel boats (a more comfortable version of the Zodiac boats). We then hiked across the island to Grytviken — an abandoned whaling village to attend Christmas Service at the Whalers Church. This is reported to be the southernmost church. It was prefabricated in Norway and dedicated 104 years ago on Christmas Day. The Christmas service was performed in Norwegian, German, and English. The church has a foot-pumped organ that the ship’s musician used to play Christmas music (as well as “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum). We then spent the remainder of our time on shore investigating the remaining whaling buildings in Grytviken and visiting a King Penguin rookery just outside of the village.

Hikers from the Hurtigruten MS Fram going to attend Christmas Service at the Whalers Church at Grytviken in South Georgia. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 30 mm, f/16, 1/160 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)

King Penguins. Individual images are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Seals. Individual images are available in my PhotoShelter Gallery.

Four-Years Ago (25-December-2014) — South Georgia

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015. Hurtigruten Christmas Voyage on the MS Fram. Day 10: Grytviken, South Georgia.

Sea Lion taking a nap near a pile of giant rusted chain at the abandoned whaling station at Grytviken in South Georgia on Christmas Day. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/16, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014.

Giant Rusted Chain Links and Sea Lion at the Abandoned Whaling Station of Grytviken in South Georgia. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 56 mm, f/16, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)

Four-Years Ago (25-December-2014) — South Georgia Island

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015. Hurtigruten Christmas Voyage on the MS Fram. Day 10: Grytviken, South Georgia.

Photobombed by a Chinese Tourists on South Georgia Island. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 30 mm, f/4.6, 1/4000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC.

Photobombed by a King Penguin on South Georgia Island. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 30 mm, f/4.6, 1/4000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre) — Photobombed by Chinese Tourists on South Georgia Island. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 30 mm, f/4.6, 1/4000 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC. (David J Mathre)

Two-Years Ago (25-December-2014) — South Georgia

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015. Hurtigruten Christmas Voyage on the MS Fram. Day 10: Grytviken, South Georgia.

Giant Rusted Chain Links at the Abandoned Whaling Station of Grytviken in South Georgia. You get some idea of the size based on the dandelion flowers. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 28 mm, f/16, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014.

Giant Rusted Chain Links at the Abandoned Whaling Station of Grytviken in South Georgia. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 28 mm, f/16, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)

One-Year Ago (25-December-2014) — South Georgia

Gone to See Antarctica 2014/2015. Hurtigruten Christmas Voyage on the MS Fram. Day 10: Grytviken, South Georgia.

As we departed the abandoned whaling village Grytviken on South Georgia passed the HMS Dragon (D35) at anchor just outside the harbor. There were a lot of big lenses from the Chinese tourists taking pictures of the British Destroyer. I was able to get an in-camera panorama view of the departure with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 23 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 23 mm, f/16, 1/125 sec).