In the previous post for my exhibition, I think most people only saw the poster. They didn’t realise the post included 28 images for the prints on exhibition plus an extra ten. If that’s you or you didn’t see that post:
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A2: Pencil Pines on Cradle Plateau,
Overland Track, Tasmania, August 2017
Fujifilm X-T2, 55-200mm f3.5-4.8
Epson P800, Canson Rag Photographique.
(One of the 38).
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As you can see, I am about to hold an exhibition. For those who cannot attend, I am holding a concurrent virtual exhibition here in this thread. You can if you wish, purchase an A3+ print of any of the images below. A3+ is larger than A3, actually an American size also called Super B, 13″ x 19″ or 329mm x 483mm.
Free postage in Australia and New Zealand. $10 for US, Canada, UK and Northern Europe. For other countries, please enquire. If you are interested in purchasing a print, make a comment below or send an email to zenophon@iinet.net.au. If you are in Canberra, there’s the exhibition at Smith’s Alternative.
All images were taken and processed by me and also custom printed by me to a professional standard.
Note that there will be some difference between the images on screen and the prints because you are looking at a projected image rather than an image on paper, and your screen may not be calibrated.
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Links below the images go to corresponding colour posts in this Blog. even in the case of monochrome images, because the colour posts have more information.
If you click on an image, instead of 640 x 640 px, as you see on the page, it opens much larger to 1900 x 1900 px.
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The following images correspond to prints in the actual exhibition (rows A and B). They are from Victoria, Tasmania, South Georgia, Falkland Islands, Hokkaido (Japan), Iceland, Easter Island, Patagonia, Madagascar and Ladakh (far north India).
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A1: Path to the Sand Dunes
Point Hicks, Victoria, November 2016
Nikon D800, Sigma 180mm f2.8 macro
Epson P800, Crane Museo Portfolio Rag.
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A2: Pencil Pines on Cradle Plateau,
Overland Track, Tasmania, August 2017
Fujifilm X-T2, 55-200mm f3.5-4.8
Epson P800, Canson Rag Photographique.
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A3: Penguins in front of mountain range
Right Whale Bay, South Georgia, November 2015
Nikon D3s, 85mm f1,4
Epson P800, Canson Rag Photographique.
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A4: Red-crowned cranes at dawn (-26ºC)
Otowa Bridge, near Kushiro Wetlands, Hokkaido, February 2012
Nikon D3, 300mm f2.8 + TC20E III (stitched panorama)
Epson P800, Canson Arches Aquarelle Photo Rag.
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A5: Hokkaido Trees (planet view – link goes to original image)
Hokkaido, Japan, February 2012
Nikon D3, 300mm f2.8 + TC20E III
Epson 3880, Ilford Gold Fibre Silk .
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A6: Hofsjökull icecap
Central Highlands, Iceland, September 2013
Nikon D800, 300mm f2.8
Epson P800, Canson Rag Photographique.
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A7: Wake of Ketch
Wineglass Bay Sail Walk, Tasmania, September 2017
Fujifilm X-T2, 100-400mm f4.5-5.6
Epson P800, Canson Rag Photographique.
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A8: Lone Moai at Ranu Raraku
Easter Island, April 2011
Nikon D3, 105mm f2
Epson 3880, Ilford Gold Fibre Silk.
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A9: Verraux’s Sifaka in tree
Berenty Nature Reserve, Madagascar, October 2015
Fujifilm X-E2 (Infrared), 55-200mm f3.5-4.8
Epson P800, Crane Museo Portfolio Rag.
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B1: Stellar’s Sea Eagle over ice and snow
Nemoro Strait, north of Hokkaido, Japan, February 2012
Nikon D3, 300mm f2.8 + TC14E II
Epson 3880, Ilford Gold Fibre Silk.
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B2: Whooper swans
Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido, Japan, February 2012
Nikon D3, 180mm f2.8
Epson 3880, Ilford Gold Fibre Silk.
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B3: Huemul Glacier and Mt Fitzroy behind
North of El Chalten, Argentina/ Patagonia, March 2011
Nikon D3s, 180mm f2.8
Epson P800, Crane Museo Portfolio Rag.
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B4: Panther chameleon capturing insect
Peyrieras Nature reserve, Madagascar, October 2015
Nikon D3s, 85mm f1,4
Epson P800, Canson Museo Portfolio Rag.
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B5: Rockhopper penguin with nesting material
Berkeley Sound, Falkland Islands, November 2015
Nikon D800, 300mm f2.8
Epson P800, Canson PrintMaKing Rag.
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B6: Ponies returning to Rumbak Village
Hemis National Park, Ladakh, far north India, January 2018
Fujifilm X-T2, 100-400mm f4.5-5.6
Epson P800, Canson Rag Photographique.
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B7: Ana Kakenga (lava tube)
Easter Island, April 2011
Nikon D3, 14-24mm @ 14mm, ISO200, 1/250 sec f4
Epson 3880, Ilford Gold Fibre Silk.
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B8: Stars at night near Rumbak Village
Hemis National Park, Ladakh, far north India, February 2018
Fujifilm X-T2, 14mm f2.8
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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B9: Walking in to Rumbak Village
Hemis National Park, Ladakh, far north India, February 2018
Fujifilm X-T2, 56mm f1.2
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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I have also included some additional images below from South West Canyonlands (US), St Kilda (Scotland), Antarctica, South Australia, Greenland and Hawaii. They are also available for purchase.
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XP1: Antelope Canyon
Arizona, October 2014
Fujifilm X-T1, 55-200mm f3.5-4.9
Epson P800, Canson PrintMaKing Rag.
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XP2: Main Street, Hirta Village
St Kilda, Scotland, July 2013
Nikon D800, 85mm f1.4, R72 Infrared filter
Epson 3880, Crane Museo Portfolio Rag.
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XP3: Salt bush country near Oonatra Creek
Boolcoomatta Station, South Australia, March 2015
Fujifilm X-E2 14mm f2.8
Epson 3880, Crane Museo Portfolio Rag.
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XP4: Deception Island from Ship
Deception Island, Antarctica, March 2011
Nikon D3s 300mm f2.8 (stitched panorama)
Epson P800, Canson PrintMaKing Rag.
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XP5: Polar Bear on Ice Floe
Greenland Sea, August 2013
Nikon D3s, 300mm f2.8 + TC20E III, ISO1250, 1/2500 sec f11
Epson P800, Canson Rag Photographique.
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XP6: Red crowned cranes in mating dance
Akan international Crane Centre, Hokkaido, Japan, February 2012
Nikon D3, 300mm f2.8 + TC14E II
Epson P800, Canson Rag Photographique.
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XP7: Na Pali Coast from helicopter
Kauai, Hawaii, March 2015
Nikon D800, Sigma 35mm f1.4
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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These are mainly images from the Blues Festivals I have been Official Photographer for, over the last ten or twelve years. (Once again, $A90 each, should you want to order prints).
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C1: Darren Jack
Thredbo Blues Festival 2012
Nikon D3s, 85mm f1.4
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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C2: Dallas Frasca
Down by the River Festival, Wangaratta, March 2018
Fujifilm X-T2, 80mm f2/8 macro
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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C3: Guitarist, The Tommyhawks
Narooma Blues Festival 2015
Nikon D3s, 180mm f2.8
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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C4: Tomcat Playground
Sydney Blues Festival 2016
Nikon D800, 14-24mm
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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C5: Ian Moss
Sydney Blues Festival 2012
Nikon D800, 180mm f2.8
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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D1: Rick Estrin, Rick Estrin & the Nightcats
Narooma Blues Festival 2014
Nikon D3, 300mm f2.8
Epson P800, Canson PrintMaKing Rag.
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D2: Dutch Tilders
Rose Cottage Canberra, March 2008
Nikon D3, 180mm f2.8
Epson P800, Canson Museo Portfolio Rag.
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D3: Leesa Gentz, Hussy Hicks
Sydney Blues and Roots Festival 2017
Nikon D3s, 105mm f2
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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D4: Rosscoe Clark
Sydney Blues and Roots Festival 2017
Nikon D800, 50mm f1.4
Epson P800, Canson Arches Aquarelle Photo Rag.
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D5: Brian Cadd, Cadd and Morris
Narooma Blues Festival 2009
Nikon D3, 300mm f4
Epson 3880, Ilford Gold Fibre Silk.
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A few more that aren’t in the actual exhibition, including one from Cuba.
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XM1: Kid Anderson, Rick Estrin & the Nightcats
Narooma Blues Festival 2014
Nikon D3, 300mm f2.8
Epson P800, Canson PrintMaKing Rag.
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XM2: Turner Brown Band
Blues on Broadbeach 2017
Fuji X-T2, 10-24mm
Epson P800, Canson Platine Fibre Rag.
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XM4: Street musician
Havana, Cuba, September 2016
Fuji X-Pro2, 56mm f1,2
Epson P800, Canson Rag Photographique.
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5 October to 28 November 2015
(Also see Summary and Maps).
First posts:
All Posts:
Mauritius (6th to 10th October)
Reunion (10th to 14th October)
Madagascar (14th to 29th October)
Falkland Islands (31st October to November 7th)
South Georgia (7th to 22nd November)
Atacama Desert (22nd to 27th November)
Late in the afternoon we headed off for the coast of Patagonia, slowly leaving Steeple Jason behind us as the afternoon turned into sunset. There were many albatrosses and giant petrels in the air and some cara caras turned up to farewell us on the ship.
Steeple Jason Island
(Click on image above for much larger version. In the new window, click the button at the bottom right for full screen then use mouse wheel or buttons to zoom in and out).
Cara caras on the ship's mast
A lone black-browed albatross against the late afternoon sun
A cara cara and the Russian flag
Steeple Jason Island
A city of black-browed atbatrosses and possibly gentoo penguins
A giant petrel (above) and a black-browed albatross (skimming the sea) as the afternoon turns into sunset
A black-browed albatross against Steeple Jason Island as sunset comes on.
A giant petrel in front of Steeple Jason Island at sunset
Two giant petrels in the sky as the Falklands recede and the sunset starts to fade away
In the early afternoon we landed on Steeple Jason island, a somewhat precarious scramble from the zodiac to the rocks in a small cove. There were traces of farming activity from long ago but the island has been uninhabited for some time.
Many went off to try to find the albatrosses in their colonies but few managed to find their way through the very high tussock grass. Perhaps fortunately, I had noticed the great sea highway of gentoo penguins near where we landed and settled in to photograph them. At the end, I just had time to snatch a few landscapes before we were summoned to an early departure.
I settled down in a nice comfortable position and opposite me was a large rock on which penguins were coming in out of the water and being washed on and off by the waves.
Most of these penguins have yellow beaks except the bottom one who has an orange one (there were also a few others). The gentoo penguins at Vernadsky Station had orange beaks so perhaps this is a stray from Antarctica.
I was particularly looking to get gentoos porpoising so I was very pleased to catch the shot above. This is not easy to do because they suddenly bounce up out of the water and then disappear again and it’s difficult to predict where it might happen.
As I was observing the penguins from my elevated vantage point I observed very fast white shapes zooming around in the water. At first I thought, wow, those fish can move really fast. Then I realised it was the penguins. These little fellows are speed demons, underwater racing cars, twisting and turning below the waves.
On the left above, an immature rock cormorant, on the right a gentoo penguin
Not drowning, waving.
Steeple Jason Island with gentoo penguins in foreground
Today was our day to investigate the Jason Islands, a small group of islands at the north-west tip of the Falklands that is seldom visited, partly due to difficulty of landing.
We woke up to a fine day with some cloud but that didn’t mean it was calm. 35 knot winds prevented us from landing at our first intended landing place of Grand Jason Island so we proceeded to Steeple Jason Island, the most westerly island in the group. In the afternoon the weather became more calm and we were able to land there.
Steeple Jason has the largest colony of black-browed albatrosses in the world, with 187,000 pairs and unusually, the numbers are increasing.
Grand Jason Island, a few minutes after dawn, a cormorant in the sky
Steeple Jason Island
Steeple Jason Island
There are many rookeries of albatrosses and penguins on bare rock near the coasts of the island. This is a closer view of one, lower mid island in the previous image, mainly penguins in this case with a few albatrosses. Click on the image for more detail.
The rough coastline
Island peaks in cloud
One corner of Steeple Jason Island
A vertical slice of the island near where we landed in the zodiacs
The horizontal panorama above does not fit any larger on this page. There are very many birds in the air over the point, including a giant petrel trailing its wing in the water, and huge numbers of birds beyond the rocks on shore.
The vertical panorama at the right could fit larger on the page but would take up too much space.
To see either of them “properly”, click on them and a window will open with much more detail that you can zoom in and out of and scroll around in.
In that new window, first click the lower right icon for a full window, then use the mouse wheel or other icons to zoom in and out. It’s also better to back off a little from the full resolution that you can get in these screens.
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Eeerraaark, eeeerraaarkk!
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Penny the Ground-Painted was always telling anyone who would listen about being abducted by aliens and she had the silver bracelets on her ankles to prove it. Erica the Red-Eyed was not impressed.
Erica lives at 3,000 steps up in Noisy Delirium Circle. It’s a long walk up from the harbor frontage.
Eventually, Erica reaches her elite apartment high in the sky. It was actually built by Eustace the soarer and Wendy the wave-kisser when Noisy Delerium Circle was still called Black-Browed Hilltop. According to rumour, Wendy was last seen going for a dive behind a fishing boat and Eustace now hangs out in a different part of the City, often disrupting other couples by trying to hassle for a new partner.
Erica’s young son, Diogenes the Slightly Deranged, is now bigger than her. “What’s for dinner?” “Fish.” Lots of noisy celebration of the return. “What’s for dinner?” “Fish.” Heads down and screeching sounds. “What’s for dinner?” “Fish.” This goes on for a while.
Our legends tell of the giant black were-penguins that devastated our communities hundreds of generations ago. Today we were visited by friendly aliens from the planet Ostr. Earlier we visited their space craft as it lay on the sea and what a lot of space it seemed to contain. We also bounced up and down out of the water beside their landing craft to get a good look at them as they came in. These Ostr aliens are giant multicoloured hump-backed penguins and while they keep a respectable distance, they also allowed us to come right up and look at them.
Pity about Penny the ground-painted. Last time we saw her she was heading off to a pair of sea lions to tell them how she had been abducted by aliens.
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Eeerraaark, eeeerraaarkk!
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… And so it was in the afternoon that we disembarked at West Point Island. Michael, the Island’s caretaker, greeted us and generously provided a Land Rover bus service to the black-browed albatross and rockhopper penguin colony and also a service back, later in the afternoon. This was much appreciated by those of us who were disinclined to venture far. There was a much higher proportion of albatrosses to penguins than in the previous day at New Island and it was very easy to get quite close.
A few people took a long scenic trek and another group elected to climb an impressive hill in the other direction. Though it was very windy at the cliff where the albatrosses were, it was very calm at the top of the large hill where a spectacular panoramic view presented itself. There were also hundreds of albatrosses sitting out on the water.
Layered rocks on the cliff edge
Panorama looking back from the cliff top
Rock striations
The wild coast far below
Hundreds of black-browed albatrosses bobbing on the waves
A view in late afternoon light while walking back
Back at the “farm”, Jeanette put on a lavish afternoon tea and there was also the distraction of a dead ship on the beach as well as anchors and other marine debris. There was also another afternoon tea on the beach attended by six turkey vultures and eighteen cara cara.
Anchors on the beach
Cara caras and turkey vultures (red heads) at the farm's carcase disposal point
Wreck on the beach
Cara cara, guardian of the wreck
Then a calm and easy return to the ship but the day was not finished yet. Dinner was a barbeque on deck with loud dance music, mainly rock & roll and 60s pop. Everyone donned strange headgear and there were exuberant displays of dancing by passengers, Aurora staff and the Russian crew. Michael and Jeanette attended from the Island and may have wondered what strange universe they had arrived in.
… And I forgot to mention – a fin whale was visible from the ship feeding and with attendant seabirds for about 20 minutes though only the earliest of us back got to see this.
This morning we arrived at Carcass Island. On arriving on the Island we were greeted by the residents Rob & Wendy McGill and treated to an amazing morning tea with vast array of delectables including ginger biscuits, neenish tarts and lamingtons.
We also received an enthusiastic welcome from the inquisitive cara caras (a small Falklands raptor also known as Johnny Rook there) who quickly volunteered to be guardians of our equipment.
Cara caras
Cara cara
Cara Cara
Cara caras settling who gets to try on the boots
Most of our expeditions have involved trekking off to commune with mass aggregations of wildlife. This morning was more a case of sitting down quietly somewhere and waiting for the wildlife to come to you. Apart from the cara caras, for me this included cormorants, ducks, a night heron, upland geese and gentoo penguins. The cormorants were in great numbers around the wharf and the ducks could be amazingly well camouflaged amongst the debris on the beach. Returning to the ship provided a bumpy ride and then an exciting moment or two as the zodiac rose or fell three or four feet from the landing platform on each wave.
Falklands steamer duck
Night heron
Kelp Gull
Rock Cormorants (bonding)
Four ducks camouflaged amongst flotsam and jetsam
Wreck on the beach
The weather was a bit rough early but it calmed down for our landing on New Island. The contours of the island were gentle enough on the eastern side where we landed and encountered this wreck on the beach. Then we walked across to the other side of the island where there were steep cliffs, ravines and many wild birds.
This is one of the many rockhopper penguins who effortlessly present an appearance that young punks can only dream of. Eugenia Skycarpet and Desmond the Decidedly Deranged were also here and you can see them on the next post, for West Point Island.
Some of the photographers from our expedition
Striated cara cara
Five of the sixteen photographers on our expedition are above, photographing penguins and albatrosses.
To the right is a striated cara cara, a small Falklands raptor.
We were in a huge colony of rockhopper penguins and black-browed albatrosses that stretched a considerable distance up from the sea. Cara caras and the occasional turkey vulture circled overhead.
One of the albatrosses is below, sitting on a characteristic mud nest. There were many young albatrosses here, stretching their wings and testing the wind in preparation for their first flight.
Black-browed albatross on nest
Rockhopper penguins bouncing along
You may like to watch this short video that shows why they are called rockhopper penguins. They walk and they also jump. They seem to gather at a rock until they think it’s safe to proceed, then all bounce along….
The side of a pond filled with feathers from moulting penguins
At the side of the wreck – copper, wood, nails and sand …
… and by the time we came back to the beach and the wreck, the tide was out.
In the afternoon the weather turned fine and we had a delightful visit to Barren Island. There was a group of elephant seals beside the sea, putting on a great show for us – biffo by the beach. In the breeding season, when the beachmasters compete for territory this can be bloody and serious. In this case, though, it was probably mainly the young ones practicing for the time they may need to do it for real. They also made prolonged burping sounds at very high volume as though they were practicing for potential roles as lead singers in death metal bands.
Teethmarks left behind ...
Maybe not so serious after all ...
The beachmaster's mate
The beachmaster slips into the water to try to ease the moulting torment including scraping against the rocks in the sea
There were also a large number of sea lions up on the grass about 50 metres from the shore. They were in pairs and the males are about twice as large as the females and have large “manes”. They seemed to have lots of scars on their faces, often quite fresh, from their tiffs. They can also move surprisingly fast, faster than we could run. They were giving good displays when I first turned up but I went to the elephant seals first and when I went to photograph the sea lions they were mainly lying down in the grass and quiescent. Ah well, you can’t be everywhere. No point going up to them and poking them with a stick. Still, I still got a couple of interesting images:
Sea lions on their veldt (except we're in the Falklands; ther'd be a different word there)
Sea lions with battle scars
There were still many things to see apart from the elephant seals and sea lions….
Upland geese in flight
Kelp is at hand, though too far south for a Mexican wave
Upland geese
Upland geese
Upland geese
Murray Foote 