The Finalists for the Frank Hurley photographic awards were announced late yesterday and I was thrilled to find that both of the photographs I entered into the Polar Category were finalists. There were a total of just six finalist images in the category in total, so taking two of these places is a result I am more than happy with. All of the finalist images can be seen HERE.

Over the last couple of weeks there have been several requests for my photograph of the Pallas Cat in Reeds from Mongolia in winter and I am pleased to say this has now beed added to my online store and can be ordered HERE. Limited to just 25 Prints in total and supplied with Certificate of Authenticity with security hologram.

Printed on the finest 100% cotton Canon Premium Fine Art Smooth Paper, each print is hand signed. Print is supplied unframed.  Please contact me if you would like to know which print is next in the edition.

The photograph of the month for February 2021 comes from my last Emperor Penguin expedition to Gould Bay in Antarctica (I am really looking forward to returning in late 2022). One of the challenges with Emperor Penguin photography is being able to effectively isolate one or two penguins from the main colony (often easier said than done). As I have often quipped, Penguins have little respect for composition.

In this photograph, an isolated adult was in the process of feeding its young after returning from a fishing expedition. This was one of the photographs I was really hoping to capture during my last expedition. This is a moment that only lasts a few seconds and was something I made a very concerted effort to capture. Typically, one of the adults walks miles across the sea ice before spending its time fishing and subsequently returning to feed its chick. The actual feeding process lasts just a second or two before the other parent takes their turn to take the long walk across the sea ice to go fishing.

This morning the final winning results for the Travel Photographer of the Year 2020 competition were announced and I was pleased to receive a special mention for my Pallas Cat photograph from Mongolia in the Nature, Sealife and Wildlife category. Congratulations to all the winners and places. This was the first year that TPOTY has not judged prints in the final round of judging (as a result of COVID) and I have to say I really missed the opportunity to submit prints. Hopefully TPOTY will return later this year to judging prints in the final round.

As a direct result of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the slow roll out of the vaccine and the continual travel bans, mandatory quarantine and closure of countries around the world my 2021 Winter Polar Bear expedition to Svalbard is being delayed until 2022. This expedition was originally planned for 2020, but will now run in April of 2022. New dates will be advised as soon as possible. Participants will be contacted directly via email.

For all of you who have written to me expressing understanding of the need for workshop and expedition delays I am extremely grateful. The COVID pandemic has has presented extremely difficult and ongoing logistical challenges to the business. Your support, patience and understanding has been very much appreciated. I am also grateful to remain healthy when so many around the world have been far less fortunate. Here in Australia, we are almost completely COVID free; with only a small handful of cases that are being managed through our hotel quarantine system. We are expecting vaccine roll out to begin around March with health workers and the elderly at the front of the line. Australia’s management of COVID has been effective by world standards, but has but has had a devastating impact on local business. Our dictatorial and dystopian style lockdown has destroyed thousands of businesses and had enormous mental health implications across our country. Although the media is portraying our approach as effective in the management of COVID (it has been); it is important to note that it has come at an incalculable cost to mental health and business. Many here in Australia have kept their lives as a result of our governments lockdowns, but have lost their livelihoods. We now need to help them rebuild.

With the vaccine in the early stages of roll out around the world I am hopeful we will be able to get back to travel and photography around the middle of the year. Workshop and expedition participants will always be contacted personally via email of any updates pertaining to their booked experience and subsequent updates will be made here on my blog.

Stay safe, well and healthy and I look forward to better times for all as the world rolls out the vaccine.