Close encounter with a leopard seal
On my first time in Antarctica I was lucky enough to get up close and personal with a leopard seal
On my first time in Antarctica I was lucky enough to get up close and personal with a leopard seal
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Mar, 2017Views
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Awards
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Peer Choice Award
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Antarctica, on the last of our days visiting land. On the way back to the ship we had a zodiac cruise where we were so lucky to meet this beautiful leopard seal.Time
This photo was taken at 10.43 am on 20 February 2017. It was cold! We'd been on the zodiac for a couple of hours so I was constantly flexing my fingers to ensure that they would work when it came time to click the shutter.Lighting
I had no control over the lighting for this photo due to the location so it was a case of working with what I had.Equipment
This was taken with a Canon 500D with a 18 to 200mm lens. No other equipment was involved.Inspiration
I love nature which is why I was on my dream trip to Antarctica. There was the first leopard seal that I've ever seen in person and I wanted to capture how beautiful he was.Editing
Yes I did a minimal amount of post-processing - adjusting shadows, highlights, whites and blacks. I also processed his eye separately - if you look closely you can see the humans on the zodiac reflected in his eye.In my camera bag
My equipment is quite simple when I travel as I don't want to be weighted down. I had my Canon 500D, a 18 to 200mm lens, a circular polarising filter and lots of cleaning cloths.Feedback
Antarctica is a stunning place to visit. There is so much to see and so much to photograph! You need to be ready with your camera at all times. This leopard seal appeared out of nowhere and was gone 15 minutes later. Much of his time was spent underwater, swimming from one side of the zodiac to the other. My camera stayed glued to my face the whole time he checked us out as he only showed himself above the water line for a few short minutes and I needed to be ready.
