Anthony Powell — Antarctic: A Year on Ice

Anthony Powell spent more than a decade living and working at the bottom of the world to create his documentary film Antarctic: A Year on Ice. Shot entirely on a DSLR camera, the project required extraordinary patience, technical ingenuity, and a willingness to endure conditions that push human endurance to its limits.

In this Photo Talk interview, Anthony describes the practical challenges of photography in subzero temperatures — from batteries that drain in minutes to lenses that fog the moment you bring them inside. He talks about the unique quality of Antarctic light, the months of total darkness, and the surreal beauty that emerges when the sun finally returns.

Anthony also reflects on what it means to commit a decade of your life to a single project, and how the isolation of Antarctica shaped both the film and his perspective as a visual storyteller. The resulting documentary went on to win multiple awards and brought the rarely-seen world of Antarctic life to audiences worldwide.