Before joining the Expedition Herbert Ponting was an established photographer. He built his own darkroom in the expedition hut at Cape Evans where he developed his photographs.  

He gained respect from his colleagues for his determination to get his pictures. For example, he rigged up a platform off the bow of the Terra Nova to film the ship smashing through pack ice and at another time was attacked by killer whales whilst standing on ice floes. The crew sometimes took exception to the demands placed on them to pose for photographs. However, the men took to Ponting and affectionally used the phrase to Pont as a description for taking a photograph.

On returning to the UK, Ponting presented his work in a popular lecture series called With Captain Scott in the Antarctic. Another photographer of the time, Frank Hurley - who later was to become famous by photographing Shackletons Endurance expedition attended one of Pontings lectures. Hurley wrote in his diary that Pontings pictures were the acme of photographic perfection the show well deserves its world-wide merit!