The low sun casts a gentle light as this chick, just a few weeks old, tilts its face up towards its parent. Stefan had been concentrating on chicks pestering their parents but never knew what he would capture – the parent might feed the youngster, preen its downy feathers, caress it with its beak or simply lower its head and call.
Both parents share duties once the chick has hatched, interacting constantly with their single offspring. Later the parents will leave the chick with other chicks in a crèche while they commute to distant fishing grounds. They will rely on unique vocal calls to find their chick again among the thousands.
Germany
Receiving a photography scholarship from the North American Nature Photography Association in 2005 was a life-altering experience for Stefan. Working as a scientist in Antarctica in 2012, he used every free minute to document the life of a nearby emperor penguin colony. He returned in 2017 to complete a comprehensive body of work about one of nature's most gripping survival stories.
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