Wildlife Photo Competition 1 2018 : Results

  • Competition Winner : First Prize
  • $630.00
  • Judges Comment
  • Congratulations for this enchanting composition. There is obviously so much work behind this photograph but great knowledge and photographic technique too. It is beautiful, sweet and a pleasure to look at. Big well done, you win this round.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thanks a lot for selecting this photo as the winning image. My name is Henrik Spranz and I'm living in Austria. For this shot I've used a Canon 5d Mk iii and a Canon 400/2.8 L IS. I didn't retouch or manipulate anything in this photo and was very happy to get it this way. The European ground squirrels are an endangered species which are even already extinct in many European countries like Germany. I've shot this photo in Austria.
  • spranz.org
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Well this came close and it is the best tortoise photo i have seen in this competition so far. The monochrome highlights the shapes of his graphic skin and you have brought real elegance to this rather cumbersome creature. Well done.
  • Photographers Comment
  • This photo was taken at a small zoo in Virginia, I just happen to notice the diagonals that were all "lined up" just in time to take the shot before this guy raised his head. Tech data - Fuji X-T2, 200mm, 1/320, F4.8, ISO 200. The image was crying for a B&W conversion which I did in Nik Silver Effects Pro.
  • www.billmuggphoto.com
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • This is great, so different to all those graphic, tightly cropped lizard shots we see so much of. Here is the real life, the real tongue, a real moment in this big green lizard’s day. Wildlife, as we love it, well done.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Susanne Wunn, Sonsbeck/Germany Thank you very much for this Mark of Excellence and the nice comment. Took this photo of the posing green lizzard with Nikon D800E in the naturally designed tropical hall of the Krefelder Zoo struggling with the fogged lens all the time.
  • https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005033028077
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Oh this is so nice, a strong composition playing off the different textures; mosaïcs, lines and dots. The same colour background broken up differently in two halves. An eye-catcher indeed.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • I love this shot for its detail and symmetry but especially for your clever eye, finding an original composition of lines, shapes and tones, taking a common subject to a higher level. Very nice shot with some very serious wrinkles.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Beautiful light and a great natural pose make this stand out from so many bear photos this round. Well done.
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Hornets (which i think this is) and wasps always have such a fierce and pityless impression, they terrify us by their mere presence. Their body shape and hard lines of black and yellow are nature’s way of warning others off, but they can also be, as here, an inspiration for a very graphic picture, the fierce yellow and black taking on warm tones and magically becoming beautiful. It is interesting too to see what he has eaten off the pine kernel. Nice original shot, thanks !
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • Oh this guy means business. The nice low angle gives gorilla even more presence…and wow, those eyes!
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • It is all in the hunter’s eye, which you have captured so well here.
  • Photographers Comment
  • My name is Henrik Spranz and I'm living in Austria. For this shot I've used a Canon 5d Mk iii and a Canon 400/2.8 L IS. I didn't retouch or manipulate anything in this photo during post processing. The photo of this red fox has been shot in Italy.
  • spranz.org