Penguin Photography
December 23, 2008
We have been stuck inside all day, since the wind is sustaining between 20 and 40 mph (not really serious but enough to make it miserable outside). Which gives me a chance to talk a bit about photographing penguins (as some of y’all have been asking about it…).
I use Canon camera gear. I have just two lenses here: the 300mm Image Stabilized f/4, and the 16-35mm f/2.8. I also brought a 1.4x extender which I haven’t used (it’s just not necessary for penguins). At home in Oregon, I own the 600mm Image Stabilized f/4, but no way was that monster going to fit in my pack, or the tripod it requires! It would be too much magnification anyway. I brought two 20D camera bodies (in case one breaks). I feel just fine shoving them in my pack alongside sledgehammers and iceaxes, plopping them down on penguin guano and mud, wiping the front of the filters with a sweaty shirt, etc. My equipment gets used hard. So far, it’s held up pretty well.
Incidentally, I also use Canon bincoculars: the 12×36 Image Stabilizers. They’re great for reading little numbers on penguin bands.
Photographing penguins is at once ridiculously easy and frustrating. My 300mm lens is, often, too much magnification. I keep backing up, and the penguin I’m concentrating on keeps following me, so we chase each other around the colony. Batteries freeze quickly; I always have two spares and charge them every night. Making a clean image, or isolating your subject nicely, is difficult. Most penguins are stained by guano, mud, blood, food regurgitation, or some combination. There’s always something dirty in the frame, wherever you point the camera. Ice may be clean, but penguins are not!
Portrait Of Two Adelie Penguins
A Particularly Muddy Penguin
4 Responses to 'Penguin Photography'
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The photo of the “clean” adeles looks perfect … they look like Platonic forms of penguins.
Jarrett
23 Dec 08 at 9:05 pm
Wow – I was already appreciating the excellent photos, framing, subject interest, composition, what have you – now I can really appreciate the effort that goes into these ‘casual’ shots. BTW: new definition of panic for me – my computer was down for almost two days and I couldn’t access your blog for my regular penguin fix. In case it happens again (Oregon is in the midst of record-breaking snow storms, as you have probably heard – er, read), let me wish you a Merry Christmas and thank you for these up close and personal visits with your neighbors.
ZHL
24 Dec 08 at 8:16 am
That’s a pretty diverse range of lenses. I would have though that something like the 24-70 or 24-105 would have served very well there. The 16-35 is a great lens but is too wide in most cases for me.
Nice shots and I certainly wouldn’t worry about getting shots of dirty subjects, that is just the way it is. I would love to have the chance.
S Simpson
25 Dec 08 at 6:49 am
This entry cracks me up! I will never again feel bad about tossing my bins on the floorboard of the car or throwing away the lense caps when I get a new pair. LOL! You have so many good shots. Would never guess the difficulty with this particular subject. The mental image of you being chased by a curious penguin is priceless!
Jan, Richmond VA
28 Dec 08 at 5:16 pm