Bird Photo Competition 6 2016 : Results

Judges Comment
Owing to their popularity as captive birds, many people have the opportunity to photograph Bald Eagles in close-up, so it's a challenge to produce a portrait that's not clichéd. In this case, this has been achieved through a combination of several elements: a dramatic pose and shooting angle, an expert mono conversion and effective use of square framing. Even so, this image would have had limited interest without the atmospheric elements: a rainy setting and a perfect cloud of breath. This image shows the power of combining multiple photographic techniques - both in the field and in post-production - to bring out the best in any subject.
Photographers Comment
Thank you so much for selecting my photo! My name is Ron and I am from New Jersey. This is a female rescued bald eagle named Adak that could not be released and now lives at Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ. I photographed her calling on a cloudy, cool and rainy day at the zoo. This was taken with a Canon 7D using the Canon 100-400 v2 lens. Post processing was done in Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop CC.

Judges Comment
This well-known grebe courtship display has been gloriously captured by shooting into the dawn light and mist.
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the recognition. The location is Lake Hodges in Escondido, California. The photo was taken at sunrise, actually a few minutes before, when the golden light perfectly backlit the rushing grebes. The morning mist & fog added an extra dimension to this photo. Gear used Canon 7D Mark II and 100-400 lens.
www.KSNaturePhotography.com

Judges Comment
A nicely spread flock of cranes outlined perfectly against the moon.
Photographers Comment
So many thanks from me (Bernd Gerlich, Germany) for this unexpected "Mark of Excellence". It's the first photo I ever uploaded to an I-S-I-competition and it is successful at once! I took this photo with my Canon 700D with 500 mm lens and tripod on 29.9.2015 at 7:00 am in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a part of North-Eastern-Germany. Behind me the sun raised and it got more and more light. There came several flocks of cranes - below the moon and above the moon and right in the middle, but then - naturally - in a tangled crowd. But in the end it was right and and that's the only important thing. There was no post processing.

Judges Comment
Sumptuous lighting and thoughtful framing portray this Anhinga beautifully.
Photographers Comment
300mm: f/5.6: 1/2000 sec: ISO 640 Canon 7D MKII / Sigma 150-600 (Sport) RAW Image processed in Lightroom Thanks for the award. I shot this Oriental Darter from a small boat in a secluded rainforest river estuary in the Kinabatangan area of Sabah (Borneo). I was fortunate to catch it between hunting dives as it was perched on a broken tree trunk with its wings held open to dry in the early morning sun. (Mike - Singapore).

Judges Comment
This image captures the impressive acrobatics of the macaw, but is also humorous as the right-hand bird seems to be bemused by the other's antics.
Photographers Comment
Thank you for the recognition. The location was the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. The Scarlet Macaws are quite characters :-). I sure enjoyed watching and photographing their behaviors. Gear used Canon 7D Mark II and 100-400 lens.
www.KSNaturePhotography.com

Judges Comment
Wonderful habitat shot and compelling eye contact.
Photographers Comment
Dave Shaffer, Image shot in N/E Mn. 2015, Nikon D4s with 200-400mm. slight crop , selective sharpening and contrast adjustments
bearwitnessimages.com

Judges Comment
Great action shot of these two egrets set against a rich blue backdrop.
Photographers Comment
Thanks for the Mark of Excellence. I taken this photo via Canon 1D4+Tamron 150-600mm. 1/1600, F6.3 at 600mm. The fighting time is the best time that I'm interested. And I processed in Lightroom. Thanks again.
https://500px.com/interdy