One of the great things about being a photographer is that I get to explore some really wonderful places across the globe. Most are photogenic, many are isolated, and some are rarely visited. A very select few combine all those attributes.
Antarctica would certainly be among that last group.
The 7th continent receives about 100,000 visitors a year…less than the Grand Canyon receives in an average week. It is not cheap plus my wife hates the cold (i.e….anything under 75°F/24°C). This is was one of those places I doubted I would ever see.
But, then we were offered a great deal on a cruise that we couldn’t refuse. And the next thing you know, we were in Ushuaia on the very tip of South America stepping aboard a ship headed south.
Maybe I’ll write a future article about Antarctic photographic tips but today I just want to share some of my favorite images. Specifically, Penguin photos.
After all, they are the stars of any trip to the Antarctic. Even for a committed landscape photographer like me, they attracted my camera a nearly excessive amount. lt was simply impossible not to fall in love with them. So I give up. No landscape shots in this blog…just a collection of my favorite penguin shots!
My first shots…
After that inauspicious beginning, we were lucky to come across two penguins engaged in an elaborate and fascinating courtship ritual. I crouched down on my knees to put my lens at their eye-level, which made the images more intimate and relatable.
One thing I really didn’t expect was just how graceful penguins are in the water. Our second morning before the zodiacs started taking us ashore, I noticed some penguins out swimming near the ship. I grabbed my my telephoto lens and had some fun.
Gentoos and Chinstraps
Nearly all the penguins we saw on our trip were Gentoos. The exception was a single colony of Chinstrap Penguins we came across on our second day.
I doubt this guy thought the snow was chilly but he sure had some pink feet.
Kids will be Kids…
Our third day finally had some nice weather. The ship stopped near a huge Gentoo colony and we enjoyed a morning of avian antics.
One or two at a time, penguins would hike from the colony by the sea all the way up to the top a nearby snow covered hill.
…and then after a short rest, they would flop down on their bellies and slide back down. It was like watching a bunch of kids.
And then a few minutes later, it was time to go back up the hill…
It was just delightful. We were all smiling like children at Christmas…a day I won’t forget.
The next morning, I was on deck before sunrise photographing penguins ‘porpoising’ alongside the ship.
Another Day…more Penguins!
The afternoon was cloudless and the sun was as bright as the Caribbean. The penguins seemed to enjoy the weather as much as we did.
Last day on the White Continent
The weather for our day at Wiencke Island was an alternating schedule of wind, snow and sleet.
I’d like to share one last thing from our Antarctic trip. Cruises from South America to Antarctica cross the infamous Drake Passage. Actually it wasn’t bad on the way down …more of a “Drake Lake” but we weren’t so lucky on the return. Check out this short video of our ship struggling to make it across the Drake Passage on our way back.
The Rough Road Home
Our captain actually cut our cruise short by a day to beat the really bad weather…a ship that was a day behind us couldn’t even serve food out of their galley because the seas were so rough. It’s not like we were ever in danger, but it was a roller coaster of a ride!
More to come later about Antarctic photography. There were some stunning landscapes, and I look forward to sharing them.
PS: Check out more of my wildlife photography here.
Cheers!
Jeff
FYI…All photos taken with a Nikon Z7ii with a 100-400mm Nikkor Z lens and a 1.4x teleconverter. Penguins have little fear of humans, but having the telephoto’s longer reach allowed me to capture many scenes I just couldn’t have reached any other way. Plus my Nikon Z system is relatively small and lightweight, so it wasn’t a chore to tote around while I was zipping along in zodiacs or trudging in the snow.
Related Images:
Views: 110