The World Photography Cup winners were announced last night at Montpellier in France and I was thrilled and very honoured to receive a Bronze Medal for Australia for my photograph of Penguins on the sea ice near the mouth of the Lemaire Channel in Antarctica. This particular photograph scored a Gold award at the 2014 AIPP Awards and was one of the four images in my winning portfolio in the Science, Nature and Environment Category. Fellow Australian James Simmons also medalled in the Wedding category. Overall, Australia placed third in the World Photography Cup this year. Next year the World Cup is coming down under to Australia. 
Category: Antarctica
South Georgia Antarctica Experience Video 2014
My good friend and fellow photographer Antony Watson has just finished a video of our experiences last year in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and Antarctica and you can now watch the video online (Click to Read the Trip Report). Just click on the image below to watch the video – Enjoy.
If you are interested in travelling to South Georgia Island and the Weddell Sea Antarctica I have an expedition this November to South Georgia Island and to Antarctica in February next year. Places are now extremely limited on both expeditions. There is now only one remaining place on South Georgia Island expedition before it will be sold out.
I am heading out of Reykjavik later today up to the very north (and very wild and remote) western tip of Iceland on an expedition to Photograph Arctic Foxes for an ongoing project. See you back in Reykjavik in a week or so – weather permitting a timely return.
March Photo of the Month Winner: Caroline Hind
Congratulations to the third print winner ‘Caroline Hind’, for the photograph of the month for March 2015: ‘Epic Sense of Scale’
What Caroline said: That is a truly spectacular image! I’ve been to Antarctica only once, but it’s captured my heart and I know I’ll be back.
Congratulations Caroline, you were the first, and your print will be sent to you when I return to Australia in early April.
Keep an eye out on my blog for the next print giveaway with the April photograph of the month. Remember the best way to get instant updates is to subscribe via email.
2015 March Photograph of the Month: Epic Sense of Scale
The photograph of the month for March 2015 was shot during one of the last zodiac cruises on my 2013 Antarctica expedition. We were fortunate to come across an iceberg of truly monumental size near the entrance to Antarctic Sound. Whilst I have been fortunate to see and photograph icebergs even larger than this (and the biggest icebergs are measured in kilometres) this particular iceberg also had an incredible chasm, wonderful form and shape and beautifully chiselled features. Our expedition ship ‘Polar Pioneer’ pictured here is seventy two metres long and a full six decks high at the fly bridge. This was actually one giant iceberg joined underneath the water. Our ship could have easily fit through the chasm however such a venture would have been exceedingly dangerous. I admit though my mind was racing with the thought of a blast through this chasm in our zodiac! 
Don’t forget! You can win a free 13″ x 19″ Win a Fine art Print of this photograph including shipping anywhere in the world. All you need do is to be the first to comment on this post on the home page with your thoughts on why you like this photograph or why you would like to own a print of the image and then share the post with your preferred social media outlet. Just keep in mind that due to my hectic travel schedule it may take me some time to make and post out each print so if you are the lucky winner for a given month I ask that you jut exercise a little patience and as soon as I am back in my studio in Australia and as soon as practical I will make the print and send it to you – free of charge. Each print will be made and personally signed by me with the same care and attention to detail I exercise on my large gallery prints. There will be a total of twelve prints to win throughout the calendar year. The first two prints of the year were won by Fred Jennings and Chris Roberts and their prints have now been delivered, framed by them and are hanging on their walls.
This particular print is one I hold quite close to my heart as it won a coveted Gold Award at both the 2014 VPPY Victorian Professional Photography Awards and also at the National APPA Australian Professional Photography Awards. It was one of my four portfolio photographs that won me the 2014 Australian Canon Science, Nature and Environment Photographer of the Year award.
Good luck and don’t forget in order to win the print you need to be the first to comment here on the home page on the March photograph of the Month for the 2015 calendar year with your thoughts on why you like the photograph or why you would like to own a print and to then share the post with your social media outlet of choice.
Top Ten Polar Photography Tips to Improve Your Photography
Recently I compiled a list of Top Ten things you can do to give yourself the best chance of taking great photographs when you visit the extreme latitudes of the globe. The Top Ten Tips were also recently featured on View-Bug.
Nature and landscape photographs really require three things in my mind to be successful. Great Subject, Great Composition and Great Light. You really need all three to create an exceptional photograph.
Included below are my top ten in no particular order
- Be patient whenever possible: Wait for good light. Wait for the wildlife to be active.
- Give yourself a chance to get in tune with the landscape. Its almost impossible to turn up to a new area you have never visited and make outstanding photographs. It takes time to get in the rhythm of the landscape and really ‘see’ powerful images. Spend some time just looking before you start taking pictures. (See my articles on Landscape Photography with Mystery and Emotion – Part One, Part Two and Part Three).
- Know your camera gear intimately. It needs to be muscle memory to change settings on your camera. If you are fumbling with buttons and unsure of how to makes changes to your cameras setting your’e photography is going to suffer (See my article on Landscape Photography with Mystery and Emotion Part Three).
- Use weather sealed cameras or use weather proof covers for your camera gear.
- Think about what it is you are trying to say with your photography. Try and look past the cliche postcard. The strongest images are often the simplest and are those that leave the viewer wanting more or that evoke an emotional response in the viewer.See my article on Landscape Photography with Mystery and Emotion Part Two).
- Look for the edges of weather. The most dramatic light is often found at the edge of a rainstorm or snow storm. Avoid blue sky sunny days as they usually result in boring photographs.
- Be prepared and dress for bad weather. You need to be able to stay out in the snow storm if the light is incredible and keep making photographs. Having the right equipment for yourself is as important as having the right camera equipment.
- Try different focal lengths and compositions. Don’t always go for the super wide angle because it looks more dramatic on the camera’s LCD.
- Remember that landscape and nature photography are more often about what we exclude from the frame rather than what we include. Consider simplifying the frame when you are composing the image. A photograph that leaves the viewer asking questions is far more interesting than just a pretty picture. (See my articles on Landscape Photography with Mystery and Emotion – Part One, Part Two and Part Three).
- Look for leading lines in the landscape. Photography is the reproduction of a 3-dimensional scene into a 2-dimensional image or print. Strong leading lines will help you convey a sense of depth and help bring the image to life. Also use slow shutter speeds for clouds and water to help create a sense of movement that can also help bring a photograph to life.
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