Uncovering the volcanic playground of Deception Island, Sony Imaging Ambassador Joe Cornish went to capture the eerie beauty of the remote island on the Sony α7 II and Sony α7R cameras with breath-taking results.
Completely abandoned in the late 1960s as a result of volcanic destruction, the photography captures the leftover remains of the structures and devastation. The photography – largely black, white and orange colouring – perfectly captures the enchantingly sombre island.
Deception Island is in the South Shetland Islands archipelago in Antarctica, it sits in the caldera of an active volcano and exhibits some wildly varying microclimates. Some water temperatures reach 70 °C (158 °F) and near volcanic areas, the air can be as hot as 40 °C (104 °F).
As part of the Antarctic expedition Joe Cornish explored the island capturing its moving scenery over the course of just 24hours – from the sweeping rivers and harsh mountains to the rusty remains of structures.
Commenting on the photography, Joe Cornish explains “Deception Island is one of those other-worldly places that is hard to reach and so a rare and amazing opportunity for photography.
It provides tough conditions for cameras, but the Sony, α7R and α7 II performed perfectly. I was especially pleased with their low light performance. A tripod was used for the dark interior images but some of the long lens shots made from a ship, at distance, were hand-held. The α7 II proved excellent for this with its built-in stabilisation. Being so compact and light made walking with these cameras around the volcanic hills perfectly comfortable.”
All images were captured on either the Sony α7R or Sony α7 II – both professional, portable 35mm full frame interchangeable lens cameras. The incredible camera’s sensor is able to pull out all the detail, even in low light conditions.
