Penguin Doze
Antarctic Peninsula, Half Moon Bay
Chinstrap Penguins
Camera: Nikon D700
What makes it special: To isolate the ordinary and to show it as extraordinary is one of my main goals as an artist.
The story: "I'm sitting on a tiny island at the bottom of the world. The memory of the time and energy required to get here now is forgotten. I'm simply present in the moment.
A thousand birds comprise the rookery. Black and white forms waddle and dodge. Intertwined beaks reach toward the sky. They dance, laugh and argue. It's difficult to focus on just one. They all look the same, yet I marvel that they mate for life with a partner they unmistakably identify in the crowd, day or night.
Then there are the sounds, a cacophony of scratching, sputtering gibberish, the pitch rising and falling, creating an edgy drone that makes it virtually impossible to identify the sounds of one squeaking Chinstrap from the next. I'm awestruck.
I spot one peacefully dozing, floating away in its own world, immune from the chaos of its surroundings. I marvel at its calm, peaceful posture. In the distance, a monolithic peak rises, shrouded in diffuse light, visualizing a dream, perhaps a shared dream of climbing mountains.
Maybe it's their orchestrated unpredictability or nonsensical actions which evoke a sense of playfulness...I don't know, but I am reminded of our shared connectedness. It's our nature to instinctively pursue the things we enjoy, to play, to dream."
