davidianhiggins

VOLUNTEER POINT KING PENGUINS

Canon EOS 7D

settings

Aperture f/7.1 ISO 200 Shutter 1/800 Focal Length 300/1

upload_date

Jan, 2016

Views

5395

Likes

+1.5k

Awards

Chatter Award

Zenith Award

People's Choice in 500+ Awards Photo Challenge

Winner in Penguins Photo Challenge

Featured

Winner in World Penguin Day - 25th of April Photo Challenge

Contest Finalist in Animal Kingdom Photo Contest Vol 1

Runner Up in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 6

Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 6

Editor's Choice

Peer Award

+355

Superb Composition

+151

Top Choice

+130

Absolute Masterpiece

+107

Love it

+74

Magnificent Capture

+40

Outstanding Creativity

+33

All Star

+20

Superior Skill

Genius

Emotions

Impressed

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Categories

This is SO PERFECT!!!!!

LOVE this shot! What a great moment!!

PRO+

Awesome shot.

Great shot.

For me... This photo is the winner.

So jealous I was in the Falklands and wanted to see these fellows but was told the tours were booked out. Love your picture.

great shot. Superb composition of the birds that swim so well but walk like they have bleeding hemorrhoids :-) Great timing with the heads forward. Patrick

Brilliant! Definitely should be the winner of the image of the month. I agree with Yanid.

a fantastic monment

PRO+

Love this one can just see them waddling down to the water. Well done.

PRO+

Love this one can just see them waddling down to the water. Well done.

Woah, the way you capture animals is incredible!!!

Oh wow what a brilliant picture

You couldn't have directed this any better!
Delightfully Good!!
Congrats of being selected as a finalist an the Animal Kingdom Contest. This is so deserving of the win. Keep entering it,,,it has "Winner" written all over it!

Great composition!

Magnificent capture that gives life to the scene.

Your photography is stunning, excellent work!

Platinum

Absolutely awesome shot!

Love this shot....thanks for submitting to my challenge

PRO+

Congratulations on your Challenge Award!

Platinum

Amazing capture

See all

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Behind The Lens

Location

Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands.

Time

This was just before mid day on a sunny but cold Falklands summer day.

Lighting

The light was harsh resulting in some issues with over exposure, especially with the contrast between the light sands and the dark heads of the king penguins.

Equipment

Canon 7d, Sigma 300mm f2.8 set at 7.1, ISO 200 and shutter speed of 1/800. I was laid down on the sand as they approached me to try and get a good angle of the penguins as they waddled over the crest and down to the beach as they headed out on a hunting trip.

Inspiration

Volunteer Point is a must see for wildlife lovers visiting the Falklands, I wasn't sure what to expect, other than there being penguins there. I was pleasantly surprised by the proximity and number of the seabirds on arrival, and the light sand beach. I watched the king penguins traverse from the rookery to the sea over the crest, through the sea cabbage and across the beach. I wanted a low angled shot so laid down in a hollow and waited till a group headed my way. The wind was cold but the biggest worry was the sand being blown at the camera so I used a dry bag while I waited and then snapped lots of shots over the next few hours.

Editing

Very little, just basic stuff such as contrast, clarity, saturation and exposure but not to any large degree.

In my camera bag

• Canon 5d MK III • Canon 7d • Canon 500mm L series IS f4 • Canon 70 - 200mm f2.8 • Canon 100mm f2.8 macro • Canon 24 - 105mm L series IS f4 • Canon 17 - 40mm L series f4 • Canon Speedlite 600 EX - RT Flashgun • Canon MT - 24 EX Macro Twin Lite • Tripod, spare batteries, 9 memory cards (total: 254gb ), Lee Big Stopper filter

Feedback

Make sure you have a full day there or book accommodation at the nearby B&B. The drive in is over open moorland and takes some time, be prepared for a bumpy trip. There will be lots of opportunities to get shots during the breeding season so head there during the southern summer. Outside of the rookeries you can get very close to the birds but its better to watch the routes they follow and get hunkered down close to a track so as not to disturb them. If you sit just outside the rookeries the chicks of the Gentoo penguins will come right up to you so have a macro lens/wide angle as well as a decent zoom/telephoto lens. Take lots of memory cards as the temptation to take photos is overwhelming, aside from jackass, Gentoo and king penguins we saw peregrine falcons, giant petrels, oystercatchers, dotterels, variated hawks and a sea lion hunt and kill a Gentoo penguin.

See more amazing photos, follow davidianhiggins

davidianhiggins

davidianhiggins

VOLUNTEER POINT KING PENGUINS

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow davidianhiggins

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