It is incredible to experience the lands of ice and snow at both of the polar regions.
In the north, on and around the island of Spitsbergen, I have been profoundly moved when watching polar bears on the sea ice or in front of glaciers. These are easily my favourite environments to photograph them in, showing them small in the frame with the vastness of the landscape around them.
It is a very different experience in the south, where you can more safely go onto land to view its wildlife and I was overwhelmed by the activity all around me. How do you take it all in? How do you decide what to focus on and photograph? In many cases it’s too tempting to try to capture everything in camera when in fact the camera should sometimes be put away and just watch and take the scene in. My photos from here are predominantly photos of penguins interacting.
At The Edge.
The Ice Kingdom. A dead whale had attracted a number of bears into a bay, all looking for a meal. This female and her cub took advantage and had a good feed before leaving for safety when a large male came onto the horizon.
The Land of Sea and Ice. Taken in the sea ice north of Spitsbergen.
Paws For Thought.
Twilight. Taken late evening after a few special hours with this bear.
Stepping Out.
Reflecting On Life.
Button Nose.
"Mirror Mirror On The Floor..."
Chasing Pavements. This bear was spotted some distance away from our ship, but it was very inquisitive and headed over, smelled the bow and then headed on its way.
Sleepy Head. This bear was waiting patiently for another bear to finish his kill, so she could get the leftovers. Her patience was rewarded.
Reflections.
On Top Of The World.
The Ghost.
Incoming! The king penguin looks for the opportunity to dive into the incoming wave. Taken at a slower (but not slow enough!) shutter speed to create the effect on the water.
Tiptoeing Past. A gentoo penguin trying to steal past an elephant seal (nature's version of Jabba the Hutt!). It was perilous for gentoos to cross the beach past hundreds of the much larger, and in some cases very aggressive, seals to get to their nesting areas.
Slowing Down. It took a number of days in rough seas, to cross the Southern ocean between the Falklands and South Georgia Island. We were kept company for most of the journey by a number of albatross, the first time I had seen these iconic birds. This was taken at 1/60th of a second to create this effect on the sea. It was pretty tricky whilst the ship was moving so much!
Dinner Time. Adult penguins leave their young for 2 to 3 days in order to fish. It can be a long wait for their young and they're a little demanding when they return!
I Believe I Can Fly. King penguin chicks taking flying lessons.
Intrigue. A waddle of penguins wondering what all the fuss is about!
Innocence. This baby seal got closer and closer to the lens and not long after was sat on my camera bag, chewing on my tripod, Amazing to think that if it's a male, it will grow up to be one of the ugliest animals and look like Jabba The Hutt!
The Squadron.
The Creche. King penguins gather their young into creches in order to help keep them warm. The babies struggle to regulate their own body temperature and it also give the parents the opportunity to head out to sea to fish, returning a few days later with food.
Admiring My Reflection. These two were fascinated with the reflection from the lens and got closer and closer until they were practically rubbing their nose on it!
"What Are You Looking At?" A king penguin wonders what on earth is lying in front of him trying to take a photo. Alternatively he's admiring himself in his reflection on the lens!
I'm Sorry. A king penguin chick being disciplined.