Bird Photo Competition 5 2018 : Entry Number 59

In the 40+ I Shot It Bird Photo Competitions to date, numerous Kingfisher images have been awarded Marks of Excellence but, until last time, none had been selected as the overall Competition Winner. This is partly because Kingfisher images are now so common that it's difficult for such an image to stand out. In this case, the photographer has achieved this feat simply by showing the diving kingfisher against a white background. For most bird species, this wouldn't be effective, but the vivid plumage of this species really stands out well with such a graphic treatment. Even so, the bird and it's reflection would have just looked wrong without the inclusion of the plant (try covering it up to confirm this). The reflected plant is needed to provide a spatial 'anchor' and a more balanced, aesthetic composition. Overall, a highly accomplished image.

My name is Mario Cea. I want to thank the jury for choosing my image as the winner of this contest. I wanted to show a different kingfisher image, in which the almost perfect reflection created a symmetrical photograph and the white background created a clean and minimalist image with the center of attention in the bird.