Colony

Livingston Island, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

Chinstrap Rookery

Camera: Nikon D800

What makes it special: "Returning to a once familiar place, no matter how prosaic or exotic, and discovering how much has changed truly mirrors one's own evolution."

The story:  "It had been five years since I had been here...and nothing looked or felt the same.

I left the boat and my new extended family of adventurers behind and I got lost in the moment. No longer transfixed by penguins, I explored this extraordinarily diverse tactile world of lichen and moss on granite...For two hours nothing else existed.

I almost forgot that this civilization of squawking Chinstraps holding court at the bottom of the world were not human. Utterly consumed by this timeless stage, I zoomed in on the most minute details; I tunneled in and found original perspectives; I worked feverishly to capture as many exquisite slices of the big picture as I could before I was pulled off. I was uncertain how or even if the pieces would fit together, but instinctively I knew the power and relevance of this moment in this place.

After a very long trip home and a month of distractions, I finally dove back in and started playing with how the pieces fit together...

I think I finally understand the full scope of the composition.

At its best, exploration of a creative idea self defines."