Nature’s Best Photography Cover Shot

Nature’s Best Photography Cover Shot, Natural History Photography Blog

Nature’s Best Photography Cover Shot

Filed under: Antarctica, Penguin, Southern Ocean, Tear Sheets on 6/16/2010

The cover image of the current issue of Nature’s Best Photography is my photograph of an Adelie penguin taken earlier this year in Antarctica:

Adelie Penguin, Antarctica, Nature's Best Photography Spring/Summer 2010. Click to see more images from Antarctica

The photo also appears in the interior of the issue, since it was fortunate to be given an honorable mention in this years Ocean Views photography contest.

Adelie Penguins, Antarctica, Nature's Best Photography Ocean Views 2010

This image was taken at Paulet Island on the Antarctic Peninsula, made with a Canon 5D Mark II camera and 24-105mm f/4 lens (at 24mm), from a zodiac as we were idle alongside an iceberg. If you want to see what the situation was like when I took this shot — and you should, since it will make you want to visit Antarctica yourself! — see my blog post about this encounter from earlier this year. Several Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) walked to the edge of an berg to get a good look at us as we cruised around Paulet Island at sunset, and allowed me to rattle off a series of “close/wide” images of them. Honestly, while the encounter was one of the most special moments of the trip for me, Adelie penguins are so numerous and inquisitive that I think situations like this — and photos like the above — are probably rather common in Antarctica. It is one of the reasons I intend to return as soon as I can.

Next: Paulet Island, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica
Previous: Pack Ice at the Edge of the Weddell Sea
Trip Index: Cheesemans Antarctica, Falklands and South Georgia
All “Southern Ocean” entries

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10 Comments »

Major contrats Phil! Wonderful image.

Comment by Andrew Kelley — 6/16/2010 @ 9:05 pm
Andrew, thanks very much!

Comment by Phil — 6/16/2010 @ 10:08 pm
I just got my issue in the mail yesterday. Congratulations! Beautiful image. Those guys must have been a blast to get that close to. I hope that you & your girls are doing well? Please send some summer weather our direction!

Comment by Jon Cornforth — 6/17/2010 @ 8:28 am
Thanks Jon. Yes, you would have bagged many great shots on our trip, it was a lot of fun. Turns out the poor weather (rain, snow, overcast), while difficult to shoot in, made the photos turn out better I think. I still have about a week’s worth of images from the Antarctic peninsula to sort through and edit. I’m planning to return in late 2012. I’ll have a talk with the weatherman about sending some of the blue sky and sun up your way. Hope your Iceland trip was productive, I like the first shot you posted from the lagoon!

Comment by Phil — 6/17/2010 @ 8:37 am
Wow that is great Phil, congratulations!

Comment by Ron Niebrugge — 6/17/2010 @ 9:33 am
Phil! I am so excited for you, this is an amazing shot.

Comment by Sheryl — 6/17/2010 @ 9:55 am
Ron, Sheryl — thanks!

Comment by Phil — 6/17/2010 @ 2:03 pm
Wow, fantastic Phil! Congrats.

Comment by Vicki — 6/20/2010 @ 11:37 am
Congrats Phil! Those are awesome photos and well-deserved.

Comment by Richard Wong — 6/26/2010 @ 5:22 pm
Thank you Richard.

Comment by Phil — 6/26/2010 @ 8:52 pm

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Updated: May 21, 2013