Emperor Penguin Photography Series
Love and Survival
at the South Pole
Last year I travelled 9000 miles to Snow Hill colony, one of the remotest places on Earth to see Emperor Penguins. During the almost four hours I had at the colony, I witnessed one of the most emotional and bittersweet wildlife encounters with a family of Emperors that lasted eight and a half minutes.
This is the visual story of that encounter. A story of love and survival in one of the toughest places on Earth.
Centre of Attention
A young chick stands between its devoted parents. As it turned towards my camera, I knew I had an image that captured their special bond.
Penguin Protectors
As of April, Emperor Penguins have been reclassified as "Endangered". The impact of climate change and loss of sea ice is the main driver of their decline. Without urgent action their population could halve within 50 years.
I am committing 15% of all my net sales in 2026 to support conservation charities and help protect Emperor Penguins and others, because I honestly couldn’t imagine a world without them
Love and Devotion
An Emperor Penguin chick looks towards its mother in hope of being fed, totally reliant on its protective parents for sustenance.
Penguin Yearning
Of everything that I witnessed at Snow Hill this moment moves me to tears. Look what the image shows: two adults are arched over a chick. Their beaks are lowered and their attention is total. Outside of that shelter a smaller chick presses itself against the female for warmth but not getting a response. It was likely an orphan trying to attach itself to the unrelated adults. Doing all it can to survive.
“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”
— Sir David Attenborough
Shop the Series
Snow Hill, Antarctica 2025
Of everything that I witnessed at Snow Hill this moment moves me to tears. Look what the image shows: two adults are arched over a chick. Their beaks are lowered and their attention is total. Outside of that shelter a smaller chick presses itself against the female for warmth but not getting a response. It was likely an orphan trying to attach itself to the unrelated adults. Doing all it can to survive.
✓ Museum archival giclée paper
✓ Hand-signed & numbered by Jules
✓ Certificate of authenticity
✓ 15% to conservation
✓ Worldwide shipping
✓ Free UK delivery
The Full Story Behind The Photo
Of everything I witnessed at Snow Hill, this moment moves me to tears.
Look at what the image shows: two adults are arched over a chick, their beaks are lowed and their attention is total. Outside of that protective shelter a smaller chick sits alone pressing itself against the female for warmth but not getting any response.
I didn't understand what I was seeing at first. Both chicks had begged for food with their heads lifted. The adults preened only the larger one. The smaller chick lowered its head, as if rejected, yet heartbreakingly persistent. Just waiting at the edge of a family that isn't theirs.
Our penguin expert Fabrice Genevois confirmed it later after looking at the images. Orphaned Emperor chicks attach themselves to unrelated adults, drawn to any warmth they can find. But a parent with its own chick will not feed another. Survival means finding an adult who has lost theirs which in a large colony can be rare.
The little one kept trying. So, I still hope it found its “penguin protector” and survived.
The power of this image is in the gestures of the devoted parents and the fact that the smaller chick is still there. Still close. In that single detail lives everything: the cruelty of instinct, the stubbornness of life, and the thin, extraordinary line that separates the two.
Print Specification
All prints are printed on Canson® Infinity Rag Photographique which is a 100% cotton museum grade white Fine Art and photo paper.
Canson® Infinity Rag Photographique offers a unique extra smooth surface with a sensual feel. It has been developed to address the need for continued longevity requirements in the Digital Fine Art market.
Shipping & Delivery
Delivery is from the United Kingdom and is included free with the purchase of all prints. Delivery is by FedEx, DHL, UPS, or DPD depending on location. Once your order is shipped you will receive an email with your tracking number. Please allow up to two weeks to fulfil your order plus one week for delivery.
Conservation Impact
As with all images in the collections, 15% of the proceeds from each image will be split between four charities- Kicheche Community Trust, Great Plains Foundation, Big Cat Initiative & Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Learn more about giving back, here.