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Photo taken in South Georgia at sunrise when penguins were active entering and exiting the surf in search of food. There were thousands of King Penguins at thi...
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Photo taken in South Georgia at sunrise when penguins were active entering and exiting the surf in search of food. There were thousands of King Penguins at this site so it was a challenge to isolate a few for a good composition.
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cameraNIKON D300

settings Aperture f/8 ISO 400 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 56/1 

upload_dateJun, 2017

Views

1532

Likes

Awards

Contest Finalist in Strong Foregrounds Photo Contest
Peer Choice Award
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Vol 32 Photo Contest
Peer Award
NewZealander2020 MG-Photography lisaspano Donna22 rhmimages raphaelmichaelides WWWest +48
Absolute Masterpiece
Paul_Joslin shelleytemplelarter FlowerGlow davidsloan kategardner rixtportugal Rangerness-PV +8
Magnificent Capture
StanVG Bex81 p_eileenbaltz MichaelEckerdtPhotography Ottolia ByRenee terrysigns13 +3
Superb Composition
miketrainor JeffreyDeCristofaro aimallphoto michellebarnes Reebee betsyfogartyguevara Bookins +3
Top Choice
irantha7 robsmith_2303 andreasulini melkav sandiedixonwatkins larryollivier brianbaitystudio +1
Superior Skill
mariadel paaluglefisklund Makkeea9 rosaposa
Outstanding Creativity
Yuriy_Ya alisawilkerson joycevarley
Virtuoso
dinahumphreys embas
All Star
HoneyHarper christielanephoto

Top Ranks

Strong Foregrounds Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Strong Foregrounds Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 3
Strong Foregrounds Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
Strong Foregrounds Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Once Upon A Time Photo ContestTop 10 rank
View more
Once Upon A Time Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 20 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 20 rank week 2
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 20 rank week 1
Wildlife Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank
Wildlife Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank week 1
Covers Photo Contest Vol 39Top 30 rank
The Marine Wildlife Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Covers Photo Contest Vol 39Top 20 rank week 2
The Marine Wildlife Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Covers Photo Contest Vol 39Top 10 rank week 1
Monthly Pro Vol 32 Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Monthly Pro Vol 32 Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
80 Stays Around the World Photo ContestTop 30 rank

Categories

3 Comments |
joycevarley
 
joycevarley June 17, 2017
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
joycevarley
 
joycevarley June 17, 2017
Wow, this is a great photo! Composition, colour, everything is excellent!
JessicaKG
 
JessicaKG July 22, 2017
beautiful colours on this photo. Also love the details on the front penguins tummy. Great photo!!!

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#penguin #King Penguin #South Georgia #sunrise #antarctica
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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo at St. Andrews Bay in South Georgia, Antarctica. We rafted to shore before dawn so as to be in position when the sun rose. King penguins were coming into and out of the pink waters. To get this angle, I had to sit on the beach with seals coming up from behind me. There were two huge elephant seals back there! I am told seals can be dangerous but this shot was worth the small risk. Isolating a small group of penguins was important, the volume of these birds was overwhelming. I waited until penguins stood in a pleasing alignment with some rim light and took my shot.

Time

This was taken shortly after dawn. The waters were pink with the rising sun, casting a mystical glow on everything.

Lighting

The light was soft and glowing in the presence of the rising sun. 30 minutes later, this shot would not have been possible.

Equipment

Nikon D300, 18/200 lens, no tripod, no flash.

Inspiration

The excitement of being in Antarctica and particularly South Georgia, on the same path taken by Shackleton, was inspiring. I wanted a keepsake photograph to help me remember the unforgettable. I looked for a shot that would embody the place and time, as the internal feedback my eyes were collecting was overwhelming. My drive was to simply this into a single image.

Editing

A bit of cropping, but no significant post processing.

In my camera bag

At the time, I was a rank amateur. These days, I carry more sophisticated gear, including two camera bodies and multiple lenses at all times. I am a Nikon shooter and these days use either a D4s or a D500. I am awaiting my D850 which is on back order. I normally carry multiple lenses, including 80/400, 200/500, 28/300, 14/24 and a nice Sigma 150-600 lens. I can carry many of these lenses in a Backlight Mindshift bag, or in one of several Think Tank bags containing cleaning supplies, a flash card wallet, and lots of spare batteries.

Feedback

Get thee to Antarctica before we lose it! Be sure to aim for the rising light, as sunrise provides the best opportunity for color in a world of white. Get low down to photograph penguins, eye to eye. That is the best way to catch their personality and present an imposing image. Let the penguin dominate your image, unless the context is important to the story you want to tell. Try to isolate and simplify your image, as the whole context may be confusing and overwhelming.

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