7 | WILDLIFE
Pick up a penguin
Whether you’re in the southern hemisphere or the local zoo, here’s how to photograph these flightless birds
The ideal action shot is either the penguins diving off the ice into water, or coming back after a successful hunt.
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A side from the Galapagos penguins on the Equator, all other penguins outside of zoos live in the cool waters of the southern hemisphere. There are only two, the emperor and Adélie, that are completely at home in the Antarctic, though macaroni, gentoo and chinstrap penguins can also be found on the northernmost part of the Antarctic peninsula. Most penguins have a black and white coat, with the colours on the head and neck being what distinguishes different species. You have standard black and white ruffles, yellow patches and even coloured eyebrows. The smallest penguin only measures about 40cm tall and weighs 1.1kg, but this is dwarfed by the emperor penguin, which is over twice the size at 115cm and weighs up to a hefty 40kg.