Questions regarding taking pictures at Volunteer Point

[LeeWalker]

Going to Volunteer Points to see the King penguins is really the trip of a lifetime. As our cruise date is approaching fast, we have some questions and would appreciate answers from fellow cruisers who have been there.

 

How close can we get to the penguins?

Will a regular "point and shoot" digital camera be good enough for taking good pictures? I also have a Nikon D300 SLR with a 55-200mm lense. Which one is more preferrable? Of course the latter one will be a lot more to carry but don't mind at all if it's worth it.

My husband said we should take a tripod. Is it recommended or even allowed?

 

Thank you for your answers.

[c-to-sea]

You might want to take both cameras. We did not go to Volunteer Point but these were

taken at Sparrow Cove. The colonies were free to roam and the areas were

marked with rope on the ground - penguins one side and people the other.

The first was with a Fuji Finepix S700 10x zoom 7.1mp ,. the second with an

HP Photosmart E317 5.0mp. Both have been resized to 800 x 600.

 

 

[jasonflk]

You can get really close to them, especially if you just stay still for a while on the ground they even might come up close to you.

 

I use a basic semi-compact camera with 10x optical zoom for my photos and get some reasonable photos for me.

 

I do see people with tripods so I assume they are allowed on the cruise ships, however unless you are big into photography ensure it's a lightweight one, so it’s easy to carry around once on site.

[DougH]

I'd also say take both cameras. There is a big group of the penguins a that you can't get real close to but there are many others wandering around that you can get extremly close to. If you stop moving for a lit bit they will walk right by you. I followed a group down to the beach and it was amazing how fast they walked. It was a chore to get ahead of them to take photos, wait until they passed and then scramble to another location ahead of them.

 

This is a fantastic tour. If you want a link to my photos just send me your email address.

[Peregrina651]

Everyone should have at least one camera on this adventure. DH had his little point and shoot with image stabilization and I had my big honkin' DSLR with a SIGMA 18-125 optically stabilized lens. The truth is that VP is so photogenic that every comes home with fabulous shots. [Our photos. IMG# starting with 0 are from the point and shoot]

 

As for the tripod, I would consider plastic booties that you leave in the trash cans right there at VP. Baggies and rubber bands would do the trick. Need I say more about fecal matter and disease? You can't be careful enough.

 

I am sorry that I did not bring a tripod for my DSLR. I did lose some shots because I just could not hold steady enough. The 50-200 should be great and you can swap cameras if there is a wide angle you really want to get.

 

The winning photograph from the ship's photogrpahy contest was taken at Volunteer Point. One very lucky --and very patient--photographer was able to catch the baby chick sheltered under the mother as it peeked out and as mother curved its head down. It was one of those perfect National Geographic pictures with everything perfectly focused and the colors perfectly saturated.

 

DH took this shot (if the link works):

[apsara711]

As others have said, getting close the the penguins is no problem. They tell you to stay 20 ft away, but the penguins themselves breach that limit! :-)

 

If you are taking the SLR just for the zoom, then I don't think you'll need it. I used my 17-50mm lens out there because I think the wide angle is much more of what you'll need rather than the zoom. It is a lovely location and for me that was more important than trying to zoom in on some penguin's eyeball! Also, the drive to VP is worthy of many shots...and you'll do much better with a wide angle for those landscape shots.

 

Also, if you are not bringing the extra camera just because you are worried about carrying too much I wouldn't worry about that either. You won't be doing any long hikes while you are there so you don't have to worry about limiting your stuff too drastically.

 

Enjoy yourself! It is a great excursion.

[LeeWalker]

Thank you very much for all your valuable advice.

C-to-Sea and Peregrina651, your pictures are beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.

DougH, I love to see your pictures. Please email them to me if you don't mind.

elee2028@gmail.com