King Pen
I took this picture of an regal looking individual penguin on a huge iceberg in Antarctica.
I took this picture of an regal looking individual penguin on a huge iceberg in Antarctica.
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Dec, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken near to half Moon Island at Antarctica. Half Moon Island is around 1.2 miles long and home to breeding Antarctic terns, skuas, kelp gulls, Wilson’s storm-petrels and blue-eyed shags. It's also home to the Argentine Cámara Station located on the south-west side of the island.Time
This was taken after a long day shooting on the ilsnad. It was teh last shot I took before the light faded around 4-5 PM.Lighting
The picture was taken on an overcast day, with relatively flat lighting. I think that the slightly diffused cloud cover gave a soft quality of light which works well with the picture.Equipment
This was taken with one of the first ever FULL FRAME cameras Canon ever made, A canon D30. It was a asemi pro camera, with no video but was waterproof and very well made for its time. The full frame sensor performed reasonably well in low light. I used a 28-105mm lens and due to the fact that I was on a boat did not use a tripod.Inspiration
If you can not get inspired to take pictures in Antarfctica you can not really call yourself a photographer. As I had just finished a days shooting we where heading back to teh ship and one of the zodiac drivers spotted a nice iceberg and went for a look around it. We approached from the back and did not spot the penguin until we had almost done a full 360 degree pass. As soon as I spotted the Chin strap penguin stood alone on the Iceberg I knew I had a special scene in front of me. To this day, it is one of my favourite pictures.Editing
I revisited this picturte a few years ago and just did a small amount of noise reduction and sharpening of the penguin. The picture was taken 14 years ago and technology has moved on since then. But even though I work as a photoshop Retoucher I think the picture holds its own even now, without excessive retouching. I do not think any more post production will improve the image.In my camera bag
Tripods are a must but if you cant use one (such as when you are on a small boat) I like to use a Monopod or a bean bag is also a good item to have handy.Feedback
Experience has tought me that some of the best pictures are often taken at the end of a tour or day trip. I have been on tour before in cloudy conditions and seen spectacular scenery unfold as the sun goes below the clouds. So I would advise ALWAYS keep some spare battery and memory card space. If I am out all day I deactivate image review on my camera, which saves a lot of battery, only checking occasionaly or during tricky light. Make sure to have some space and power for the journey home. It is because of this practice that I managed to get this shot, I have learned the hard way that not keeping spare batteries and having memory card space will often cost you the best pictures you never took!
