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National Geographic\u2018s new three-part documentary, Secrets of the Penguins, premiered last Sunday and enchanted viewers with, as its name suggests, incredible footage of penguins. The series, produced by James Cameron<\/a> and led by Nat Geo Explorer and award-winning filmmaker Bertie Gregory required an incredible 274 days of filming in extreme environments. The three-person overwintering crew included wildlife filmmaker Helen Hobin<\/a>, who spoke with PetaPixel about the experience. <\/p>\n Hobin, a BAFTA-nominated wildlife cinematographer, specializes in long-lens behavioral shots and immersive drone sequences. While no stranger to working in frigid environments \u2014 Hobin worked on the acclaimed Frozen Planet II for BBC from 2019 to 2022 \u2014 her work on Secrets of the Penguins took things to the extreme. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n She lived and worked in Antarctica from February to November last year. During the nine months there, she worked on sea ice in temperatures down to -50 degrees Fahrenheit (-45 degrees Celsius). Through two months of the polar night, remember, the summer months in the northern hemisphere are the dead of winter in Antarctica; Hobin witnessed the incredible ways penguins survive and thrive in one of the harshest winters on Earth. <\/p>\n \u201cOverwintering in Antarctica to film emperor penguins is unlike any shoot I\u2019ve done before,\u201d Hobin tells PetaPixel. \u201cNormally you have perhaps three or four weeks on a wildlife shoot, whereas this was a nine-month long expedition. It was extraordinary to have such a long period in one place, with one species, but despite that we still felt the immense pressure of time challenges.\u201d <\/p>\n The hardships were well worth it, as many vital emperor penguin behaviors the crew wanted to see only last for a few weeks, such as courtship and egg hatching. <\/p>\n The team was stationed at Neumayer III, AWI\u2019s remote German station in Atka Bay. Once they arrived in February, they knew that was it \u2014 there would be no flights in or out during the winter. For most of the nine months there, only a dozen people were at the base. And 20,000 penguins. <\/p>\n Being present in Antarctica is only one aspect of getting the required shots. The team is at the mercy of the weather.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere and how we could film was dictated by conditions like when the sea ice would safely freeze over and how long a storm would last. In September howling winds raged for two weeks straight, shaking the station and preventing us from opening the ramp to the station garage, where our snowmobiles were stored. Even if we had been able to navigate to the colony (impossible in a white-out!) the wind would have ripped the windscreens from the skidoos and filled the camera lenses with snow in a matter of moments. When that storm finally eased, we got a single filming day before the next one set in.\u201d <\/p>\n In addition to the team being unable to leave Antarctica during the winter, they could not receive deliveries. If any gear broke and required parts to fix, they were out of luck. <\/p>\n \u201cWe put a lot of time and effort into kit prep,\u201d Hobin explains. The team worked with gear rental company Films@59, tested the rigs ahead of time in a -50 degree freezer, commissioned custom camera polar covers from Kirsten Custom Bags, and got special laser-cut inserts for Pelican cases. AWI also provided overwinter training to prepare the team for the expedition. <\/p>\n \u201cOur little filming team comprised three people: Pete McCowen as Director of Photography, Alex Ponniah as Field Producer and myself as Cinematographer. We joined a team of 9 Germans who were working in the traditional Overwintering roles, including station leader\/doctor, chef, engineers and scientists. We undertook months of training, which taught us vital skills whilst providing a test-run for working together in stressful situations. We learned how to rescue each other from crevasses, how to make an emergency camp if lost in a storm and, vitally, how to fight fires. It might sound odd when your new home is surrounded by snow, but fire is one of the biggest risks \u2014 if the station burns down, there aren\u2019t many options for shelter!\u201d Additional film crews worked in Antarctica at other times but did not overwinter there.<\/p>\n Hobin, McCowen, and Ponniah were sent out by the production company Talesmith, who Hobin says was highly supportive. Talesmith provided a spare kit, including replacement drones and a back-up Canon CN20. <\/p>\n \u201cWe hoped to never open those boxes, but Antarctica had different ideas!\u201d Hobin says. <\/p>\n Talesmith also sent the team to Svalbard, Norway for sea ice safety training. <\/p>\n \u201cOn location during one filming day the temperature dropped down to -46.8 degrees C absolute, -58.6 degrees C with windchill. Our hands would start to feel like claws, and often our eyes would try to freeze shut, or even freeze open. The monitors and EVFs would \u2018ghost\u2019, showing us three versions of every penguin, and batteries would give up and cut out without warning. Even driving to work could be challenging. A 45-minute snowmobile journey was made longer when navigating over sastrugi \u2014 ice ridges formed by the wind,\u201d the filmmaker says. <\/p>\n However, despite the challenges, Hobin \u201cloved working in the intense cold.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something wild and beautiful in the extremity. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to Overwinter, and I\u2019d go back to Antarctica in a heartbeat.\u201d <\/p>\n The Gear That Survived the Antarctic Winter (and Curious Penguins) <\/p>\n As Hobin says, new nature documentaries typically leverage the latest and greatest camera equipment. However, for overwintering in Antarctica, the priority was reliability, not novelty. <\/p>\n \u201cOften new wildlife series focus on the latest gadgets and fiddly electronic tech, which can be brilliant, but in such extreme conditions we needed to pour our efforts into bolstering our core camera tools \u2014 and keeping them alive!\u201d Hobin explains. <\/p>\n She and the team used RED V-Raptors as their main cameras because of \u201ctheir excellent dynamic range and ruggedness,\u201d alongside Canon CN20 lenses. <\/p>\n When shooting in very low light, the team also used Sony FX6 cameras thanks to their low-light capabilities. They even used the FX6 to film auroras in real time \u2014 not a timelapse. <\/p>\n \u201cWe fixed dovetail plates to the top and bottom of the rigs so that we could swap between having them top-mounted on a tripod and underslung, without needing to adjust any accessories in the freezing cold. Keeping batteries warm was essential, and we worked with Films@59 to create heating systems inside our polar covers.\u201d <\/p>\n Bristol-based engineer Chris Evans built a special snow-ready \u201cquad pod\u201d for Hobin to use, ensuring she could get her camera extremely low to the ground to film the tiny penguin chicks. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was a lightweight aluminum rig on snowboards, so I was able to slide it over the ice to reposition while keeping my long-lens underslung.\u201d <\/p>\n While it is reasonable to suspect that the elements were the greatest filming challenge Hobin and others faced, the more significant hurdle was much cuter: curious penguins! <\/p>\n \u201cJust when we were capturing a pivotal moment like the hatching of an egg, another adult (or twenty!) would plonk themselves in front of the lens. Being able to slide our cameras to the side really helped.\u201d <\/p>\n For drones, Hobin used DJI Inspire 3 and Mavic 3 Cine Pro units. Since they needed to use touchscreens on the controllers, which are very hard to use in subzero temperatures, they used styluses instead of fingers. <\/p>\n \u201cOur hands would go numb instantly if we removed our gloves,\u201d Hobin says. <\/p>\n Helen Hobin took a \u201csomewhat unusual route\u201d into wildlife filmmaking. She has always loved storytelling and studied English Literature at university. But after getting involved with student television while at school, she began traveling to London to work as a \u201crunner,\u201d assisting camera crews on her days off from school. <\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as I decided to work in television, my aim was wildlife documentaries,\u201d Hobin says. \u201cI\u2019ve loved the natural world for as long as I can remember.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cBut despite there already being some brilliant female role models \u2014 Sophie Darlington and Justine Evans for example \u2014 at that point it hadn\u2019t fully occurred to me that camerawomen existed, and that I could be one. I assumed I would need to be a producer.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was asking a cameraman in London how I could better help him, he asked if I was planning to go into camerawork. It was a lightbulb moment for me. I took a job as a kit technician at facilities house HotCam and spent three years learning everything I could about prepping, fixing and using a whole range of camera, lighting and sound equipment. After building up a wildlife showreel from endless hours spent practicing in the UK and investing in skills like scuba diving, rope access and driving a powerboat, I got a position at the BBC Natural History Unit, working on Frozen Planet II.\u201d <\/p>\n As expected, Hobin learned a lot during Frozen Planet II, working alongside world-class cinematographers and producers. <\/p>\n She started by doing assistance and timelapse rigging, setting up camera traps, and doing long-lens behavioral filming from hides. She shot some of the series\u2019s drone sequences as well. <\/p>\n \u201cFrom there I got a position as BBC Camera Bursary on the new NBC series The Americas and was lucky to be out on back-to-back shoots. Whilst I was filming for them in Canada, I got a message from Talesmith, and we started talking about a very surreal concept \u2014 a shoot to film emperor penguins for National Geographic,\u201d Hobin recalls. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been fortunate to film quite a wide variety of animals so far. Every shoot is so different, and the learning involved is addictive. Filming birds for example has given me the opportunities to live on a remote island studying the Antipodean wandering albatross; to work from a swaying tree platform 30 meters up in the rainforest capturing harpy eagle footage; to operate in camouflage from grasslands watching sharp-tailed grouse dance, and now to spend an Antarctic winter witnessing the endurance of emperor penguins,\u201d Hobin says. <\/p>\n She has also filmed finicky felines, including the \u201cgrumpy\u201d looking Pallas\u2019s cats in Mongolia and Amur tigers. <\/p>\n \u201cOne day I would love to film any species of wolf. Going back to my literature roots, I\u2019m keen to help dispel the \u2018big bad wolf\u2019 mythology,\u201d Hobin says. <\/p>\n But What About the Penguins? <\/p>\n Every species has something incredible to offer filmmakers like Hobin and viewers at home. Every animal is interesting, dynamic, and engaging. <\/p>\n During filming for Secrets of the Penguins, Hobin filmed many incredible moments, but a few stand out. <\/p>\n \u201cThe sea ice froze very late for us. I believe it was the latest it had happened for at least 12 years. By the time we got safely down onto the ice with the colony we had limited light left. We entered the polar night \u2014 two months during which the sun doesn\u2019t breach the horizon. After watching these incredible penguins endure the darkness and so many fierce storms it was incredibly rewarding to feel the rays of sunshine return as their eggs began to hatch. Tiny beaks poking out of eggshells. Getting to film such a special moment with the emperors backlit amid gently drifting snow was magical,\u201d Hobin says. <\/p>\n Another \u201cincredibly surreal moment\u201d was when watching the aurora Australis, \u201csouthern lights,\u201d dancing across the sky while the huddling male emperor penguins, bathed in colorful light, protected their eggs. <\/p>\n \u201cThe night sky in Antarctica is unparalleled,\u201d Hobin says. <\/p>\n A significant part of getting the perfect shots is working closely with scientists, who Hobin says are \u201cabsolutely key to wildlife filmmaking.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIt is one of the greatest privileges of the job to collaborate with leading experts, and to learn from them in the field. As cinematographers we\u2019re lucky to often spend 12-14 hours a day getting to observe the animals we\u2019re filming. To just sit and watch, through the lens, as we film,\u201d Hobin explains. <\/p>\n \u201cBiologists have so much important work to do that they don\u2019t always have that gift of time. And because we\u2019re recording, we get to give back by showing them new and unexpected behaviors sifted from hundreds of hours of observation. And hopefully through documentaries to help play some small part in their conservation efforts.\u201d <\/p>\n As only the fourth or fifth film crew to ever overwinter in Antarctica to film emperor penguins, Hobin, McCowen, and Ponniah observed some incredible things. <\/p>\n \u201cOn one day, I filmed an adult couple taking it in turns to pass a block of ice, carefully placing it on their feet with their beaks. It seemed like the same techniques used to swap eggs and chicks over between parents \u2014 perhaps they were practicing!\u201d Hobin says. <\/p>\n The team regularly sent proxy footage back to Talesmith and James Cameron for updates and reviews. However, communication with the outside world was generally limited. <\/p>\n \u201cOur expedition felt reminiscent of going to space, or to the depths of the ocean, and it was fascinating to discuss the isolation and the feel of that experience with him.\u201d <\/p>\n Secrets of the Penguins is available now as a three-part documentary. The episodes are streaming now on Disney+ and Hulu. The show was produced by Talesmith for National Geographic and is executive produced by James Cameron and Maria Wilhelm. Bertie Gregory is the lead storyteller, and the series relies upon the work of more than 70 wildlife filmmakers like Helen Hobin and accomplished biologists and other scientists. <\/p>\n People can stay up to date with Helen Hobin as she embarks on her next adventures on Instagram<\/a> and her website<\/a>. <\/p>\n Image credits:<\/strong> National Geographic <\/p>\n ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Helen-Hobin-Overwintering-in-Antarctica-600x800.jpg\")
Helen Hobin during her overwintering in Antarctica <\/p>\n![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231201_06938-800x494.jpg\")
An Emperor penguin colony in Atka Bay, Antarctica. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory ![\"Hundreds](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_DS9I3784_24-800x534.jpg\")
An Emperor penguin colony huddle for warmth in the golden light. | Credit: National Geographic\/Alex Ponniah <\/p>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231213_08958-800x534.jpg\")
Heather Cruickshank and Sara Matasick film on the sea ice with an adult Emperor penguin in the foreground. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_P1000777-800x534.jpg\")
Bertie Gregory filming in Atka Bay, Antarctica. | Credit: National Geographic\/Ben Joiner <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_UHD_05-800x450.jpg\")
Male and female Emperor penguin prepare for egg transfer. | Credit: National Geographic ![\"Five](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231222_11466-800x534.jpg\")
A group of five Emperor penguin chicks in the process of losing their downy coats stand together. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_UHD_08-800x450.jpg\")
Close up of penguins in a huddle, covered in ice. | Credit: National Geographic ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231226_11873-534x800.jpg\")
An Emperor penguin chick covered in snow and ice walks through a blizzard. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory
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A small group of Emperor penguin chicks stand covered in snow and ice during a blizzard. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231226_12588-800x534.jpg\")
An Emperor penguin chick begs its parent to be fed during a blizzard in the midst of the colony. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_2201_AP_DS9I5421-800x534.jpg\")
Chicks huddling up together. | Credit: National Geographic\/Alex Ponniah
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An Emperor penguin colony in Atka Bay, Antarctica. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_1892_AP_DS9I5110-800x534.jpg\")
Emperor Penguins chicks huddling under an aurora australis, with adults around them. | Credit: National Geographic\/Alex Ponniah <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_240106_13774-800x563.jpg\")
Emperor penguin chicks taking their first swim in Atka Bay, Antarctica. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory
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Two Emperor penguin adult parents stand with their chick in golden light. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory ![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231203_07394-800x534.jpg\")
An adult Emperor penguin feeds its chick. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231203_07623-800x534.jpg\")
A Emperor chick begs and squaks at its parent to be fed. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231203_07725-800x534.jpg\")
An Emperor penguin chick in Atka Bay, Antarctica. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_240105_13370-800x529.jpg\")
Filmmakers Bertie Gregory, Ben Joiner and Sara Matasik with Emperor penguin chicks waiting at the sea ice edge before their first swim in Atka Bay, Antarctica. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231215_10532-800x513.jpg\")
A group of adult Emperor penguins travel along a crack in the sea ice on their bellies. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory ![\"Aerial](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_UHD_06-800x450.jpg\")
An aerial view of the penguin huddle. | Credit: National Geographic ![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_UHD_07-800x450.jpg\")
An aerial view of the penguin huddle. | Credit: National Geographic Hobin\u2019s Path to Antarctica <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10127_240110_15519-800x510.jpg\")
Emperor penguin chicks jumping off the ice shelf edge for their first swim, Atka Bay, Antarctica. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory
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Emperor penguin chicks jumping off the ice shelf edge for their first swim in Atka Bay, Antarctica. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory Hobin Has Filmed So Many Animals <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231226_12226-800x534.jpg\")
An Emperor penguin in a snowstorm. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231203_07909-800x534.jpg\")
A group of four emperor penguin chicks stand in the snow, with one chick with its eyes closed. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory ![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_MM10111_231203_08391-800x534.jpg\")
A landscape headshot of an adult Emperor penguin in golden light. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory
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Emperor penguin colony in Atka Bay, Antarctica. | Credit: National Geographic\/Bertie Gregory ![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/101_SecretsOfThePenguins_2682_AP_DS9I6214-800x534.jpg\")
An Emperor chick. | Credit: National Geographic\/Alex Ponniah More Secrets of the Penguins <\/p>\n