MEET THE AUTHOR Lindsay McCrae
The Dynasties cameraman reveals more about his time filming in Antarctica.
Are emperor penguins co-operative subjects when it comes to filming?
The emperors, most of the time, were very co-operative. So as not to interfere with the birds, we kept our distance. But for a creature that has rarely, if ever, seen a human, they appeared as interested in us as we were with them.
What were the best and worst aspects of your sub-zero location?
Working on the sea-ice, surrounded by icebergs, was like being on another planet. Because the landscape melts away each summer, our overwintering crew were the only people to experience it as it was in that moment. That felt so special. The worst thing however had to be the storms. Their intensity was unbelievable and I had no idea such atrocious weather existed.
How did you cope with such extremes?
I was amazed at how my body got used to the temperatures but, having said that, there were some outrageously cold days. Sitting on the ice for hours on end took all the feeling away from my backside, but having the job of filming the penguins was a great distraction from the pain. The lack of natural light during winter played havoc with my sleep patterns, which in turn had a knock-on effect physically. The winter definitely proved more demanding than I thought it was going to.
How are the emperors faring?
Just recently, the second largest breeding colony of emperors collapsed and it was barely reported on the news. The penguins will hopefully choose somewhere else to breed but the loss of this colony is a worrying sign of things to come, if the continent continues to warm.
Have your preconceptions about penguins changed?
Definitely. I knew emperors were resilient, but, having spent so much time alongside them, my admiration and respect for them has grown so much. They’re not just tough, they’re incredibly intelligent and what they have to put up with is unbelievable. I had to experience the challenges myself to fully appreciate it. I don’t think any images can do the horrendous conditions justice.
Would you do another polar shoot?
I’ve definitely got the bug for cold locations. I’d always take cold over hot, given the option, but it depends on what I’m tasked with filming. I recently did a jungle trip where humidity was rarely less than 95 per cent and I really struggled. Give me frozen eyelashes any day!