King as Dirt Bird, Dirt Bird as King/70-200mm f/2.8L IS II+1.4XIII TC + 7D II

What’s Up?

Another nice swim and an ice bath today. And lots more healthy eating (for a change). Amazingly, I slept eight 1/2 hours on Wednesday night with just one pit stop. This blog post took about 2 1/2 hours to prepare and was published from my home at ILE, FL early on Friday morning. Today marks 79 straight days with a new educational blog post.

St. Augustine Alligator Farm Short-Notice Spoonbill and Wading Bird Chicks IPT: May 1-4, 2015. TWO FULL and TWO 1/2 DAYS: $1099. Limit 8/Openings 6.

Two folks have signed up for this IPT that was announced only yesterday. See the previous blog post for complete details.

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This image was created at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (hand held at 205mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/4.5. AI Servo Zone/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). For this image, the AF system activated two AF points one of which caught the left side of the bird’s neck and resulted in a sharp eye. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #1: Single King Penguin emerging from surf

King as Dirt Bird, Dirt Bird as King

dirt bird (dûrt bûrd) noun: a bird species so common, so numerous, or so nondescript that it is often overlooked or ignored by serious birders

Nobody in their right mind would describe King Penguin as nondescript, but with about one-quarter million nesting pairs in the South Georgia archipelago, folks who are blessed to be able to visit the incredible wildlife spectacle that is South Georgia often quickly begin to take them for granted. Not me. And not most photographers.

King Penguins are gorgeous birds. They are tame. And they are curious, often approaching humans. And they often gather in huge groups weaving tapestries of black, white, silver, gray, yellow, gold, orange, and pink across hillsides and flat areas. Interwoven among the masses of brightly colored adults are rows and rows of Oakum boys, the brown young of the previous year.

This image was created at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (hand held at 98mm), and the amazing Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/1250 sec. at f/4.5. AI Servo Zone/Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure (as is always best when hand holding). For this image, the AF system activated two AF points below the center AF point and with the relatively short focal length a sharp image was the result. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version. Image #2: King Penguin group emerging from surf

King Penguin Exposure Challenges

As with all birds that offer large areas of white and black, the trick with this species is to push the WHITEs to the edge of blinkies to ensure getting sufficient detail in the BLACKs and the other dark tones of the face.

Static or Action?

King Penguins will often stand in the same spot for an hour allowing you to create a variety of tight abstracts. And on many South Georgia landings, it is easy to find a spot where they are coming out of the surf in large numbers, either singly or in groups. These exiting birds provide almost endless opportunities to photograph them in action.

Where?

Many South Georgia landings are at sites that feature large King Penguin colonies. These include Right Whale Bay (where I was blessed with a fresh snowfall on my last early season visit), Salisbury Plain (60,000 pairs), Fortuna Bay with its relatively small but photogenic colony, St. Andrews Bay (upwards of 150,000 pairs), and the spectacularly scenic Gold Harbor (25,000 pairs).

All of the images on the card were made on South Georgia. This remote wilderness island offers both spectacular scenery and hordes of tame wildlife and birds. From top left clockwise to the center: Southern Elephant Seal, courting King Penguin pair, King Penguin abstract, Grey-headed Albatross, King Penguin rookery on Salisbury Plain, Macaroni Penguin head portrait, King Penguin molting Okum Boy, Macaroni Penguin pair, King Penguin preening, Southern Elephant Seal yawning, the view of Gold Harbour from a Light-mantled Sooty Albatross nest. Click on the image to see an extra large version.

The Southern Ocean

South Georgia Expedition Voyage

I’ve been blessed. I’ve now made four trips to the Southern Ocean, three expeditions that visited the Falklands, South Georgia, and the Antarctic Peninsula, and one to the Falklands and South Georgia. Each was a truly amazing experience. South Georgia has been the star of the show each time: rugged snow covered peaks, tame and abundant wildlife including Southern Elephant Seal and Southern Fur Seal, and penguins: more King Penguins than you could ever have dreamed of. Gentoos. And my favorite, the golden-yellow spaghetti-topped Macaronis. With four trips to South Georgi under my belt, I have a pretty good idea about how to make great images at each of the iconic landings. In addition, we should have some pretty good flight photography sessions from the stern of the ship. I would love the chance to share my knowledge with you.

Going Light

On my recent trip, I found myself going with shorter lenses and lighter gear than on any previous Southern Ocean Expedition. In part that was due to the crop factor of the 7D Mark II, in part because going light makes life (and landings!) much easier. I made many landings with just the 7D II and the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS. I refined the way that I got my gear safely from ship to shore. Lots more on that here soon.

Cheesemans’ Well Deserved Kudos

I know from personal experience that if you are a photographer who is going to invest in Southern Ocean voyage, you will want to put your money on Cheesemans’. No other tour company goes as far out of their way to ensure making every possible safe landing. And no other tour company will have you spending more time on land. Michael Viljeon from South Africa was aboard the Ortelius on a Southern Oceans voyage that preceded the Cheesemans’ trip that we were both on. As we headed back to Ushuaia, he said, “The folks that ran that first trip were pathetic. Too rough. No landing today. Surf too high today. No landing. Wind wrong direction. No landing. Cheesemans’ routinely and safely gets folks on land in conditions where the leaders of other tour companies do not even bother getting out of their bunks.”

Here, from the” Way to Go CES! (Cheeseman’s Ecology Safaris)” blog post here, is one of my favorite Cheesemans’ stories:

The landing at Bailey Head, Antarctica, was especially rewarding to me as I had been sitting in a zodiac 100 yards off shore on my 2007 trip when the zodiac in front of mine swamped and the captain of the ship called off the landing…. Early that day it looked as if my weather Karma might not be working. Ted’s “Good morning shipmates” was followed by the news that we would not be able to land at Bailey Head that morning as the swell was too big. The beach there is sloped tremendously and the sea strives to pull the zodiacs back into the ocean before folks have gotten off with their gear. Tom Murphy had said to me several days before, “We will get you on the beach at Bailey Head.” Ted concluded his morning greetings by saying, “We are sending out a scout team to see if landing is possible.”

After breakfast I was thrilled to hear Ted’s voice again on the PA, “We will be landing at 8am.” Afterwards folks noted that it was the calmest landing ever at this amazingly beautiful spot. My good weather Karma (courtesy of late-wife Elaine) had come through one last time. Along with St. Andrews Bay, it was one of my two favorite super-great once-in-a-lifetime days of the trip. And we even got to enjoy three additional hours at Hannah Point, Antarctica before calling it a wrap and heading for the feared Drake Passage. All thanks to Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris.

Why Sign Up Through BIRDS AS ART?

If you have been thinking and dreaming of finally visiting South Georgia, this is the trip for you. Quit dreaming and act now. Though I will not be an official leader on this trip, those who have traveled with me know that I cannot help but teach. I will make pre-trip gear recommendations. I will hold informal pre-landing briefings. In the same vein, everyone will receive a free copy of our Antarctica Site Guide once they are paid in full (July 2, 2015). I will be available on the ship to review your images,, answer questions, and conduct informal over-the shoulder Photoshop sessions. And best of all, everyone who signs up under the auspices of BAA are invited to tag along with me on the landings where I will be glad to offer invaluable in-the-field advice. And the same goes for the ship-board birds in flight and marine mammal photography opportunities.

Do join us. To learn how to be part of the BAA group please e-mail me with the words Antarctica/Extended Expedition BAA Info Please cut and pasted into the Subject line.

Important Notes

#1: If you fail to e-mail me as noted directly above, and register directly with CES you MUST let them know that you would like to be part of the BIRDS AS ART group.

#2: Joining the BIRDS AS ART group as above will not cost you one penny.

The Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris South Georgia Expedition Voyage

An in-depth Adventure aboard the Ortelius: October 29 to November 17, 2015

From the CES website:

We are very excited to be able to bring this special in-depth expedition to you. This is a product of years of experience leading voyages to South Georgia and a passion for everything found here. Our itinerary is specifically designed to take advantage of the vibrant early season on South Georgia when snow blankets the mountains and early summer brings special wildlife treats seldom experienced. We will explore vast colonies of King Penguins, elephant seals in their peak of breeding activity, and colonies of Wandering, Gray-headed, Light-mantled, and Black-browed albatross. This cruise allows us many days to explore this truly unique island, the crown jewel of the Antarctic. The landscape filled with expanses of glaciers pouring into the sea provides rare beauty and photogenic impressiveness that words cannot convey. We will enjoy about nine days in the midst of the most beautiful and wildlife-rich island on the planet! Exceptional leadership expertise will enrich your experience throughout the voyage. Our priority on this special expedition is to give you the maximum time possible in the field so you can explore at your own pace during a special time on South Georgia. Come explore South Georgia with us!

I can personally attest to the accuracy of everything above. 🙂

More CES Kudos

From multiple IPT veteran Alan Lillich who (along with wife Pat) was in the BAA group on a 2012 CES voyage with me:

Start with some of the world’s best alpine landscapes, add an overwhelming abundance of tolerant wildlife, and finish with tour operators who put you there and give you the freedom to explore. It doesn’t get any better.

The Pull is Too Strong…

The pull is too strong. I need to go back. And I am. Do join me for an unparalleled wildlife and scenic photography experience. Please e-mail for additional information.

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