Bird Photo Competition 3 2012 : Results

  • Competition Winner : First Prize
  • $957.00
  • Judges Comment
  • Bird photography doesn't have to involve expensive equipment or exotic locations: if you have an eye for a great photo opportunity, you can create a compelling image from any encounter with birds. Despite the extreme head angle of this barn owl, you can still make a kind of eye contact that's so weird you have to laugh.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank You! I am honored! My name is Lisa L Kee. This shot was taken with a Canon 7D, 70-200mm USM f/4 with a 1.4x tc, ISO 320, 1/250th @ f/5.6. This little Barn Owl is at my local "World Bird Sanctuary" located in Missouri. Her name is Minerva. She was so interested in my camera that she was turning her head back and forth and then just flipped it upside down! I had no idea an owl could do that!
  • facebook.com/LisaLKeePhotography
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • We initially thought this image had been mis-posted, as there was no bird in sight. Only after a few seconds did we spot the eagle-like outline of the smoke plume. Superb creativity!
  • Photographers Comment
  • Just to be funny, I entered this photo into competition to give the judges something unusual and completely unexpected to consider. I surely didn't expect a "Mark of Excellence" from them, but rather perhaps a laugh. Playing with strobe lighting and smoke, it just happened. Very little post production. I see many hard earned photos here more deserving of this award.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • An unusual interaction between two very different birds captured with a strong 'line' connecting the subjects. The comical first impression belies the harsh reality of the situation.
  • Photographers Comment
  • On the ground was a Tern whose wing had apparently been severed by the large land crabs that roam the beach. The tern was in a great deal of pain and rolling around on the ground calling frantically. All the noise and movement attracted the attention of many of the other birds in the area, and eventually this Ibis decided to harass the poor injured tern. Eventually the Ibis had done enough bullying and moved on.
  • www.troylimphotography.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A good illustration of how the 'motion blur' technique can be used to create elegant, artistic images.
  • Photographers Comment
  • I came upon this bird bathing in a large puddle just after a downpour from a recent tropical storm. When he took to flight, I panned with him using a fairly slow shutter. Honestly, I thought I missed the shot, but when I got it home on the computer I was pleased with the somewhat surreal, painting quality of the photo. I used my Nikon D700 with Nikkor 24-70/2.8 lens, at F/16, 1/20 sec, ISO 200. Cropped in Capture NX2. Thank you for your affirmation of my work. Kimberly Herold, Navarre, FL
  • www.zenfolio.com/kdherold
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • An evocative and well-composed scene as the silhouetted bird calls towards the setting sun.
  • Photographers Comment
  • I took this photo In the west of Iceland near thingvellir national park. A local told me the species of bird but I could not pronounce the Icelandic well enough to be able to record it. Taken with a Panasonic Lumix TZ20. I think it proves that compact cameras have the ability to take top quality photographs if used in the correct way.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • An owl that think's it's a bat! The unusual angle can't help but make you smile.
  • Photographers Comment
  • I'm Dennis Davenport and I used a Canon 7D with a Canon 400mm f5.6L lens. This was taken in May 2012 at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Washington State. This newly fledged owlet had lost his/her balance on the limb and hung upside down for a couple of minutes until it finally let go and 'flew' safely to a branch below. Normal processing in Lightroom.
  • dennisdavenportphotography.com/
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Ugly or cute? It's not easy for one image to evoke both responses at the same time, but this one manages it!
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A good example of close-up shooting, bringing out the fine detail and vivid hues of the peacock's tail feathers, whilst avoiding the more cliched portraits of this species.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you :) My name is Michele Burgee and I have always loved shooting the little details of my subjects, the colors on this peacock really caught my eye. I'm always amazed at the wonders of creation. This photo was taken with a Canon ES Rebel 1000D using a 250mm lens at the St. Louis zoo.
  • mburgeephotography.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A classic flight shot, capturing a well-posed bird with great sharpness and colours despite difficult light conditions.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you so much to the judges for recognizing my photo for the Mark of Excellence category....it is much appreciated. I live in Los Angeles and shoot waterfowl and shorebirds at Marina del Rey, California. My equipment is a Nikon D7000 and 90% of the time I shoot with a 55-300 lens. Thank you again for the honor.
  • www.fraida-gutovich.artistwebsites.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A golden rule of bird photography is that the bird's eyes should always be in focus. This shot proves that all rules are made to be broken!
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you for your feedback! This Great Horned Owl had recovered from an injury at Raptor Recovery Nebraska. I shot this right before the bird was banded and released back to the wild. In the years they have been taking care of birds, more than 10,000 birds have entered the center. The birds thank you for letting them have a bit of representation here! (Nikon D5000, 55mm, f5.6, 1/400) Dina Barta