Flying Penguin?

[Arthur Morris]

Almost home.

This image was created on a zodiac cruise at Danco Harbor, Antaarctica on the afternoon of Monday, January 5, 2015 with the hand held Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon Extender EF 1.4X III (at 280mm), and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +2 stops off the ice: 1/4000 sec. at f/4 in Manual mode.

Central sensor/AI Servo (Single Point-Manually Selected) Rear Focus AF on bird’s back (as originally framed) was active at the moment of exposure. Click here to see the latest version of the Rear Focus Tutorial. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Learn more about the amazing penguin experience that led to the creation of this image here.

As for the image, don't be shy: all comments welcome.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Welcome back... I would guess you are on your way home. That said, the blue of the ice, the exposure of the penguin spot on. For that posture in the penguin it must be jumping off the ice to the water. Unique image, thank you for sharing.

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Wow Artie, this is superb! I have not seen a penguin image 'in air' in a while and this one just rocks. Great composition, lovely diving pose, very nice exposure and details. How are you liking the 7D II & how did it handle the extreme weather in Antarctica? Am on the fence deciding to upgrade my 7D to 7D II. My other body is 5D III.
Cheers,
Sanjeev

[Arthur Morris]

Welcome back... I would guess you are on your way home. That said, the blue of the ice, the exposure of the penguin spot on. For that posture in the penguin it must be jumping off the ice to the water. Unique image, thank you for sharing.

Thanks Joe. I got home today at about noon.

[Arthur Morris]

Wow Artie, this is superb! I have not seen a penguin image 'in air' in a while and this one just rocks. Great composition, lovely diving pose, very nice exposure and details. How are you liking the 7D II & how did it handle the extreme weather in Antarctica? Am on the fence deciding to upgrade my 7D to 7D II. My other body is 5D III.
Cheers,
Sanjeev

Thanks Sanjeev. While I had a few problems with one of my 1D X bodies the 7D II performed flawlessly in the cold, snow, and drizzle (but very little of the latter two). There is no comparing the 7D to the 7D II. The latter is like a lightweight 1D X for less than 1/3 the cost....

[Bill Dix]

Welcome home. First PIF shot I've seen here. Great exposure, pose and background. Well done as usual; looking for more of the trip.

[Moe Ali]

Fantastic shot! At first I was a little confused. The spots of water to the left look like bubbles, and the ice overtop with the blue background makes you think for a second that it's an underwater shot.

I like everything about this image, but I think the BG really pulls it in for me. It's relaxing to stare at this image, and I like how it fools me into thinking the penguin is floating underwater. I'm also wondering how this guy got to where he is…. that's what makes an image more compelling,….. it's when you need to look at it and wonder what happened before and after the shot.

[Aidan Briggs]

Hey Artie. The top layer of horizontal ice and the blue BG really make the image for me. Placement of the penguin, and exposure/sharpness are good of course.

Seeya soon!

[OvidiuCavasdan]

Outstanding action capture, position and sharpness perfect and ideal BG. Love to see more images from this trip!

[Grace Scalzo]

This is one of those images that I can look at for a very long time and enjoy every minute. Action, mood, colors, all sing. Love it, Artie.

[arash_hazeghi]

Great Artie! love everything, especially the dynamic pose and the ice in the BG , wish I was there photographing!

[Arthur Morris]

Fantastic shot! At first I was a little confused. The spots of water to the left look like bubbles, and the ice overtop with the blue background makes you think for a second that it's an underwater shot.

I like everything about this image, but I think the BG really pulls it in for me. It's relaxing to stare at this image, and I like how it fools me into thinking the penguin is floating underwater. I'm also wondering how this guy got to where he is…. that's what makes an image more compelling,….. it's when you need to look at it and wonder what happened before and after the shot.

Thanks Moe. The birds were jumping onto and like this one, off of a thick sheet of ice. More images from that great afternoon on the blog soon.

[Sidharth Kodikal]

Just incredibly beautiful Artie. One of your best imo. Bird placement, dynamic pose, colors; all amazing. My first thought was evicting the muddy smudge top of the frame, but then I thought may be that's where s/he took off from and is a part of the story.
I'd remove the droplet right next to the bill.
To quote Gail, if I made an image like this I'd die and go to heaven :)
Splendid.