King penguin Chick with Adult
A king penguin chick looking for some food by using its beak to tap on the adult beak to let the parent know that he wants some food!...
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A king penguin chick looking for some food by using its beak to tap on the adult beak to let the parent know that he wants some food!
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Mar, 2016Views
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Awards
Zenith Award
Contest Finalist in The Marine Wildlife Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
We were very lucky to be on an expedition ship exploring the Antarctica region and one of the stops was Salisbury Plain in South Georgia in January when the penguins have their chicks. It was fantastic to be able to observe their behaviour and this one is wanting a feed! They use their beaks to help stimulate the parents into feeding the chicks. We were surprised by how big and chubby the chicks are and are almost as big as the adults! I like the way the chick looks into the eyes of the parent and how the parent looks down at their chick. The King Penguins are the second biggest penguin in the world and incredible to observe.Time
We were there early in the morning and were lucky with the weather as this can change by the minute. We had blue skies with some cloud cover and sunshine so was good lighting to be able to capture the detail in the adult's feathers. The chicks are still covered in brown down and some are losing that down and their adults feathers are coming through.Lighting
It was early morning with some sunshine giving good light to capture detail in the penguins feathers and to highlight from the side rather than from the top. The weather changes very quickly so have to make the most of the lighting at the time.Equipment
I used a Cameron 7D Mark 111 with a zoom 200-400mm. The camera was hand held and no flash or anything else was used.Inspiration
I love wildlife and to be able to have the opportunity to visit this part of the world and be a part of their world for a short time is a wonderful privilege. I wanted to be able to capture some of their behaviour when feeding and behaviour in general when they follow their parents, grooming etc. They are such regal birds and can watch them for hours with their antics and waddling along. These penguins don't seem to be as clumsy as their smaller cousins and certainly come into their own when they are in the water.Editing
There was no post processing involved, I may have cropped the photo a little but that was all.In my camera bag
It depends on where I am and what I am going to photograph. When there is wildlife involved I love my 200-400mm lens and seem to be able to hold it steady enough to not require a tripod which can be difficult and cumbersome in some of the icy conditions.Feedback
I think when you are photographing wildlife the best thing to do is to observe for awhile and to have patience and take lots of photos when you do start. I love it when I download my photos and can have a proper look on a big screen and I do surprise myself with what I have been able to capture.
