AWARDS

2010 INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS - HONOURABLE MENTION
2009 TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR - SILVER
2009 PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERS CUP - NOMINEE

BEHIND THE SCENE

Emperor penguin chicks are one of the cutest creatures I’ve photographed over a lifetime of following nature. Everything is cute about them, from their colour combination (black/white/grey) and softness of their down to their adorable faces. One’ feels tempted to pick them up and cuddle them.
Unfortunately — and also fortunately — this isn’t possible. When in the field we respect a strict five-metre distance rule. There is absolutely no touching allowed.
Emperor penguins, despite their seeming cuteness, are actually one of the hardiest species on Earth. They breed during the Antarctic winter (April to August) on pack ice and face temperatures as low as -40C°, all the while bearing the full force of high winds.
By September, the chicks will have grown a thick cover of down. In early spring (October), adult males and females alternate time with their chicks and foraging at sea. Every so often the chicks will be left alone in the colony. During these “alone times,” chicks often gather in creches, so they can keep warm during storms.
By December — the Antarctic summer — they’re ready to go to sea.

Over the years, I have developed my own photographic language and style. I don’t create or “make” images. Rather, I immerse myself in the moment, humbled in the presence of Mother Nature.
I see myself as more of an interpreter, a witness. When shooting I focus on composition, and that's about it.
My final goal is to convey emotion through simplicity. I love high-key photography for that reason. I find that by dramatically overexposing an image, one does away unnecessary, unwanted detail, like the cracks and texture of the pack ice in this example.