Stefan Christmann. Reunited.

An emperor penguin family, during a snowy day. In this case the pose, the positioning and the overall mood of the snow falling created this scene of love, protection and serenity.

Emperor penguins create a very unique and strong family bond amongst all members which becomes obvious when they interact with one another. Especially during bad weather, parents will stand in front of their chick facing the elements and protecting the youngster from being exposed to direct wind and snowdrift. When both parents are present at the same time, sometimes they will even stand in a half-circle formation around their chick and really shield it from the weather. It’s a wonderful and uplifting thing to watch.

Stefan Christmann, born in 1983 in Koblenz, is a nature photographer and filmmaker from Germany. He was particularly interested in the emperor penguin colony in the neighboring Atka Bay, Antarctica. He’s been captivated by this charismatic bird ever since.

With the poetry of his pictures and his emotional stories about the continent at the end of the world, Christmann wants to reveal the special beauty and vulnerability of the polar regions. His active educational work is intended to benefit not only the emperor penguins, but also their endangered Antarctic habitat.

Follow Stefan on Instagram @christmannphoto.