Bird Photo Competition 6 2012 : Results

Judges Comment
Many bird photo competitions will only ever be won by photographers who can afford to buy professional gear and travel the world. We're keen to include images that have been created by people spotting great opportunities in ordinary situations, whether it's backyard birds, zoo portraits or the local waterbirds. This line of Mute Swans serenely floating across the calm blue water in soft, low sunlight makes a superb composition. Gaze at this elegant, aesthetic image for a couple of minutes and feel the day's stresses just melt away.
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much! I hardly can believe, that my swan lake made it into the hall of fame at once, for it's my first attempt here! One of the first photos I took with a Canon G11 I bought for everyday use. Almost out of cam, I only removed some noise, dirt in the water and optimized contrast. It was a wonderful cold and sunny winter day at a small lake in Austria, simply the perfect moment under perfect circumstances. Thank you all for voting this image as a favorite! Christian Bernfeld

Judges Comment
The use of flash to freeze this hawk as it darts through the trees gives us an insight into why small birds are constantly on alert.

Judges Comment
The arc of silhouetted pelicans around the perfect golden wave really transports you to a special place and time.
Photographers Comment
I'm David Orias, an avid photographer. This was shot in Ventura, California where I work on the last day of this competition. I have been looking for this shot for several years. The light hits this wave to create this color reflection for approximately 15 minutes on winter mornings and I was lucky enough to have these pelicans fly buy at just the right moment and space themselves out well enough to photograph them.
www.davidorias.com

Judges Comment
A well summed up wintry scene as the Blue Jay calls unhappily into the horizontally-driving snow.
Photographers Comment
Thank You so much for the mention. I shot this on a blustery lake effect snow day at my house in Oneida , New York, with a Canon 40D and a Sigma 150-500 lens. I love to photograph all the different animal species that we share our property with :-) A.Nicholas Ballini
www.flickr.com/photos/nickballini/

Judges Comment
Great eye contact and framing convey a strong sense of connection between man and birds, enhanced by the conversion to monochrome.
Photographers Comment
Thank you.

Judges Comment
Brilliantly-observed color-contrast composition with a band of yellow cutting through the vivid blues.
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much for the honor! I took this photo of a Macaw at the Oakland Ca. Zoo last weekend. I too was struck by the color of the bird and I was very surprised when I uploaded it. I did nothing to the photo post production wise. I was using my Sony a550 with my Sony 75-300 zoom. Thank you again, I'm honored to be placed among these beautiful photographs. Colleen Renshaw
colleen-renshaw.fineartamerica.com

Judges Comment
Perfect timing and backlighting combine to give an action shot with a difference.
Photographers Comment
Thank you! My name is Lawrence McCrorey and I live in San Jose, Ca. Shot at a fave location in Campbell, Ca. / Los Gatos Creek Park ponds with a Nikon D5100. Raw post-processing was done in Lightroom; mostly curves adjustments to balance the Egret against the background, a touch of noise reduction and then a final crop. This is an early morning shot from mid-December. It's an honor to be among so many beautiful shots and congratulations to the winner!
mccrorey.net

Judges Comment
The lines of the fence lead the eye off into the defocused distance, giving depth to the image and emphasizing the number of Swallows gathering.
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the "Mark of Excellence"! So many beautiful photos. I had set out on this day to photograph something more spectacular. I realized I passed this scene daily and had never stopped to shoot it, so I took a moment to capture it. My name is Dina Barta and I am from Lincoln, Nebraska. I used a Nikon D5000, and only did a bit of cropping.

Judges Comment
A humorous and engaging shot that reminds us that bird photography can be taken too seriously.
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much! I am honored that you picked my photo. My name is Becky Nelson and I Love photography! This cute little guy was at home on Beautiful Rainy Lake in my home town of International Falls Minnesota, on the border of Canada, which you can see in the far horizon. He was so adorable, I am very grateful I could capture this fun moment. My only camera at this time is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5, nothing fancy, but gets the job done, and is used a Lot!