We’ve partnered with our friends at global photography site Feature Shoot to spotlight some of the most compelling images in our Offset collection. This week, we get an intimate look at the avian inhabitants of South Georgia Island.
The wild penguins of South Georgia Island are astonishingly gentle, tame creatures, and over the course of his five visits to the remote sub-antarctic territory, UK-based wildlife photographer David Tipling has had the pleasure of capturing the birds intimately and at breathtakingly close range.
The isolated island stretches for 800 miles, and although the landscape is sparsely populated by mankind, the photographer explains that the terrain is “bursting with life.” From the snowy albatross to the Gentoo, King, and Macaroni penguins, sea birds breed alongside the equally mild-mannered seals, carrying their eggs beneath a small apron of skin known as the brood patch. The King penguins transfer these eggs from parent to parent throughout the incubation period, and when the youngsters are hatched, they’re herded into a massive huddle to keep warm against the frigid air.
In January, says Tipling, breeding season is at its apex, with the King penguin population reaching into six digits. In 2014, he visited during this time of year as part of an albatross survey, traveling by boat into some of the most inaccessible areas of the island. During this time, he worked from sunrise to sunset, documenting life alongside the penguins.
In each bird, Tipling discovers quirks of personality and charm, a sense of humor, dignity, and tenderness. For him, the penguins are “real characters,” especially the Macaroni penguins, who scale grass-covered inclines sporting what Tipling affectionately calls “their punk hairstyles.” Concludes the artist, “I am never happier than when lying in the middle of a penguin colony, camera in hand.”
Scroll on for additional highlights from Tipling’s shoots, then click through to view even more in his full Offset collection.
Top Image: Two cuddling King Penguins at St Andrews Bay, South Georgia Island by David Tipling
Offset artists are visual storytellers with a deep passion for their craft. Images in the Offset collection are gathered from world-class and award-winning assignment photographers, illustrators, and agencies, with a focus on unique content with narrative, authentic, and sophisticated qualities.
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