Tim Laman

| Wildlife Photojournalist

Wildlife Diaries

The Wildlife Diaries newsletter is the best way to keep up to date with Tim Laman’s latest work and travels, and to learn about photography and natural history as well. Read through his recent posts here or sign up to receive the posts via email using the form on the right.

penguins

Happy New Year!

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As I write this, I’m headed South to finish off 2018 and start 2019 with a voyage to Antarctica as the National Geographic photographer aboard the Lindblad/NatGeo ship “National Geographic Explorer”.  It will be my fifth trip to Antarctica, and as always, I travel to the white continent with a great sense of excitement for the photographic potential, and for the chance to spend time in such a spectacular part of our planet.  Since wintery scenes always seem so appropriate for a holiday greeting, I’ve chosen one of my favorite images from a past Antarctica trip and will share its story with you here.

I made this image on my first voyage to Antarctica back in 2009.  We were cruising into the Weddell Sea when we spotted a massive, strangely shaped iceberg.  On approaching with the ship, these ice towers reminiscent of Monument Valley revealed themselves.  As we circled this natural ice sculpture, probably formed underwater and then surfacing when the iceberg flipped over, I saw the handful of Adelie Penguins, and framed my shot to include them at the bottom edge of the frame.  I love the way they give a sense of scale to the image, as well as instantly telling the story that we are in Antarctic waters.  I believe the success of the shot comes from using a long zoom to isolate this portion of the wider scene.  Photography is as much about what you leave out of the frame as what you put in.
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