Bird Photo Competition 1 2016 : Results

Judges Comment
Although many modern art forms have evolved to become more 'challenging' than 'pleasing', bird photography is still firmly dominated by the depiction of beauty and the capture of action. It's refreshing, therefore, to see a well-executed image that so many people would reject as 'unpleasant'. Like other scavengers, vultures perform a hugely valuable role in maintaining a healthy environment. Here, a couple of black vultures are dealing with a dead turtle that has been washed up on a beach. The low-key, monochrome treatment of the image makes a feature of the perceived 'darkness' of the subject matter and helps to create an almost prehistoric feel. Sometimes, it pays to look beyond the pretty and the wow to find scenes with interest and impact.
Photographers Comment
Name: Ioseba Mirena Location: Cumuruxatiba, Bahia Camera model: 6D Post: Lr I shoot this picture on my holidays. It took me more than 20 minutes to shoot the picture because I was with a fixed lens. I crawled slowly up to one meter of the vultures. Many thanks for the prize! Cheers.

Judges Comment
Interactions between two birds, especially where there is strong eye contact between them, make for powerful images. This image has a great combination of dynamic interaction and aesthetic grace.
Photographers Comment
Name: Nikos Fokas Location: Schinias Wetland, Athens, Greece Camera model: Canon 7D with a 1,4 extender, a 300mm lens and a beanbag. Camera settings: f/6.3, 1/2000, ISO 320, -2/3 During the spring migration hundreds of wood sandpipers reach the wetland and occupy the available shallow pools of waters. A pretty moment among two of the wood sandipers was captured in one of my excursions.
www.nikosfokas-photography.blogspot.gr/

Judges Comment
A beautiful example of what I call 'birdscapes', where well-positioned, small-in-the-frame birds add interest to landscape photos or, as in this case, a spectacular seascape

Judges Comment
Good lighting, an interesting pose and a clean background make the most of this colorful Bee-eater
Photographers Comment
I'm definitely happy to get this Mark Of Excellence and congratulation to the winner. My name is Christian Brysch. I live in Erlangen, Germany and this picture was taken in Bulgaria in May 2014. I took the picture with a Canon 7D and a 500mm Canon Lens. The post processing was made with Lightroom .
www.nature-enthusiastic.com/

Judges Comment
This image works both to depict this species in its natural habitat and to illustrate its acrobatic feeding behaviour
Photographers Comment
Thank's a lot, I am very happy about your comment and to see my picture being selected as one of the top photos in this competition. My name is Andreas Lentfer and I am living in Germany. The photo was taken in Bulgaria using a floating hide. Apart from having the advantage of a low-level perspektive, it allows you to get surprisingly close to the birds without causing any disturbance for them - in this case I was less than 4m away - a very special moment to see animals in action from such close distance. Lens used: 500mm; Post processing with Capture One Pro.
www.lentfer-naturephotography.com

Judges Comment
Flocks of birds can be good photographic subjects but they need a focal point. This photo uses the wing-flapping Snow Goose to provide one.

Judges Comment
Inverted reflections are a good way to add interest to a subject. This one was well seen and executed.

Judges Comment
A great example of the use of repeating patterns to add impact.
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much for the I Shot It Mark of Excellence! Congratulations to the winner and the other participants in the contest. My name is Fraida Gutovich and I shot this with a Nikon D7100 and Nikkor 70-300mm telephoto in Malibu Lagoon. A cloudy day made for some nice diffused lighting on this trio of snowy egrets. A little cropping and sharpening was all the editing I did on this image.