I'm home! What did I miss? Hello everyone!

12/15/2004 08:20:34 PM · #28

"To Keep You Quite"

I bet they were not very quiet! Thanks for the fix.

12/15/2004 08:23:58 PM · #29

Originally posted by Kavey:

Oh ... my ...

12/15/2004 08:24:37 PM · #30

Ben, that was certainly an entertaining little saga. It seems to me that someone has "anger management issues"!

Have been catching up on the site and have enjoyed looking through the results for challenges I missed... didn't bother with forums but that was a good one!

Message edited by author 2004-12-15 20:26:18.

12/15/2004 08:25:45 PM · #31

Originally posted by bod:

Oh ... my ...

Kavey administers the kiss of life! ;o)

12/16/2004 10:01:47 AM · #32

Bod, are you breathing again yet?

Kamlan 28mm F1.4 MF for APS-C

12/16/2004 10:24:47 AM · #33

Originally posted by Kavey:

Bod, are you breathing again yet?

Sorry, I was enjoying that too much ; )

Manic

DJI Mini 3 Pro

12/16/2004 10:44:29 AM · #34

Woah, if that's a bad photo, I can't wait to see the good ones!! Antartica has always been one of those places I've wanted to see, you're damn lucky :o) Guess I've gotta start saving those pennies...

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

12/16/2004 11:06:55 AM · #35

Bod! :-O

Manic, It's not BAAAD bad as in out of focus (like some of the shots are) but it's not one of the ones I consider particularly strong because it lacks a focal point. Most people there would have been able to get a similar shot - it didn't take much skill on my part. Some though I spent more time planning and am much happier with. For example I have an almost identical one but there are two adults stretching up taller than the rest (in the foreground) and facing each other and the low DOF almost separates them from the crowd - I think it's a stronger pic. There are also some closer up ones, some of individuals and small groups at the shore line, a couple of a single penguin investigating an unusual shaped piece of ice that had washed up onto the beach, some with backdrops of water, ship, mountains with predatory skuas in the skies swooping in to steal their eggs...

PS I know it's not cheap but... one thing I would say - this is one of those trips that it's unlikely most people would ever do more than once (unless they are really fortunate). Given that South Georgia was truly as incredible an experience as Antarctica itself I'd splash out the extra bucks and the extra time to include several nights around SG and several exploring the Antarctic Peninsula. I'd also stress the importance of a vessel that allows frequent shore landings rather than a large ship that mostly cruises by and which requires an entire day to get everyone off and back onto the ship when it does do a rare landing...

Message edited by author 2004-12-16 11:09:18.

ganders

Canon EOS-40D

12/17/2004 04:25:28 AM · #36

And at the risk of cynical self-promotion, I got around to putting up a few of the pics I managed to take when I could prise the D70 out of her hands. I'll be adding more as soon as I have the time :-)

They're all here, and so far I think my favourite would be:

Message edited by Manic - fixing the portfolio link.

12/17/2004 06:18:17 PM · #37

Hey! All that clamour for photos from the trip and then when my hub posts his, no comment? :oP

12/17/2004 06:39:48 PM · #38

Originally posted by Kavey:

Hey! All that clamour for photos from the trip and then when my hub posts his, no comment? :oP

It's because there's no penguins! (Little black dots don't count :P )

Seriously though, this one jumps out at me:

Will look again tomorrow when I've sobered up.

12/17/2004 07:06:50 PM · #39

You went out and partied and didn't invite me?
:o(
;o)

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

12/17/2004 07:13:38 PM · #40

Originally posted by Kavey:

You went out and partied and didn't invite me?

Well you went seeing penguins without me :P

faidoi

Pentax K10D

12/17/2004 07:38:27 PM · #41

It would be funny to draw Santa hat's on all the penguins :P

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

12/17/2004 08:19:59 PM · #42

So, just how in the heck did they get up there?

J.B.

ganders

Canon EOS-40D

12/18/2004 03:25:13 AM · #43

Apparently, penguins (who are very good swimmers) can build up a lot of speed in the water and jump up onto fairly high bergs.

Although to be honest, I didn't actually see that so there might be a lower bit around the other side ;-)

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

12/18/2004 09:51:56 AM · #44

Originally posted by faidoi:

It would be funny to draw Santa hat's on all the penguins :P

or maybe just one...

Tranquil

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Canon

12/18/2004 10:22:13 AM · #45

Originally posted by ganders:

Actually, penguins sometimes literally "ride" the waves that crash onto icebergs and onto the shore and when the wave just breaks on the ice, they jump off and try to cling onto the slippery ice. ;-)

Lee

12/18/2004 12:46:20 PM · #46

Pete, when we did a shore excursion (I can't remember the name but the one where there were lots of nesting adelies and nesting cormorants near the end and then past that the hut and the lake where sean fell through the ice) I saw a few pengees practically fly out of the water and onto some of the smaller bergs near the shore but these bergs weren't anything like the size of that monster your picture features.

So I reckon they either did ride the waves, as Lee suggests, found an easier way onto the berg, as you suggest, or really did get up such a speed swimming that they could jump up quite a distance from the water!

Message edited by author 2004-12-18 13:21:20.

12/18/2004 01:17:24 PM · #47

Which ever way, it is still pretty amazing those little guys have that kind of power. I've seen video of them shooting out of the water so I know what your talking about. Thanks for the replies.

12/18/2004 01:23:22 PM · #48

JB, they are amazing critters...
And great to photograph.
If you don't think the Antarctic is on the agenda anytime soon you could go and visit Boulders Beach near Cape Town (much more accessible) and get great access and photos of the colony of Jackass penguins there.
I'm an Africa nut (see the pictures in my Prints portfolio, link below, which I'm selling for charity) and would be more than happy to share information to help anyone plan a trip to Southern Africa - just drop me an email.
Kavey

12/18/2004 05:12:55 PM · #49

Lions and cheetahs and elephants, oh my! Oh wait, should that be lions and tigers and bears?

Thanks for the tip on Africa but I think I'll make it to Antartica first. If not I'll let you know so I can get all the scoop.

J.B.