Wildlife Photo Competition 2 2015 : Results

Judges Comment
Stunning shot ! These lynx look so calm, you have managed a wonderful mother- kitten portrait with the youngster looking straight at us. Focus is super sharp, the snowy environment adding to the wild atmosphere. Very well done, you win this round. :-)
Photographers Comment
Thank you for choosing my photo for the first prize. I'm very proud about this honor. The picture was taken on my first trip to the bavarian forest at fall in 2007. My friend and I were very happy that some snow had fallen to that time of the year. I love this picture, because the "little" lynx looks straight into my camera and it shows the lovely relationship between mom and kid. I used my first DSLR, an EOS 20D with EF500 1/4L IS lense at ISO400, 1/400s and f5.6. Done some simple (but necessary) adjustments with Lightroom, changed the aspect ration to 4:5 and cropped it a little bit. Ralph Stiller (Germany)
RaSti-online.de

Judges Comment
This is so sweet… The skunk family all lined up for a photo. Your composition is really good, the road brings depth and a sense of environment. Well done.
Photographers Comment
Thanks you for the recognition and honor! I photographed these skunks during a recent trip on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Surprisingly, this adult began to run toward me in a defensive posture, with the juveniles following. I found myself waking quickly backward while snapping this image. 5D Mark III, Canon 70-200 2.8 IS with 2x extender
www.matthewspaulding.com

Judges Comment
This is fun and clever. Your play with shapes makes this stand out from the ordinary. Great snail action !
Photographers Comment
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 1/4 sec at f 7,1, ISO 100, 100mm; Lens: EF 100 mm f/2,8 Macro IS USM Where: Steinhaus am Semmering, Lower Austria, Austria

Judges Comment
Beautiful colours and a lovely wild mossy habitat for this hungry red squirrel. Lovely sharp shot, well done.
Photographers Comment
Many thanks for the Mark of Excellence. I took this photo in a park in Stuttgart (Germany) with an EOS 1D Mark IV and the EF300 1/2.8L IS lense at ISO1600, 1/400s, f/2.8. Just some simple (but necesasry) adjustments with Lightroom 5. It is very difficult to captute squirrels on a perfect place with a background like this, because the are very speedy and always hurry up. Ralph Stiller
RaSti-online.de

Judges Comment
We have seen lots of lions in this competition but they have never all been up a tree! This is fun and interesting with a nice savannah habitat. Well done.
Photographers Comment
Thanks, taken on safari in Tanzania, using a nikon d810 with nikon 28-300mm lens at 48mm, 1/500 f8 iso 320, post procession using dxo

Judges Comment
This is an original shot, i like your approach to this theme. So many flies make an interesting pattern on this rhino’s hide. Great effort.
Photographers Comment
Camera: Canon EOS 400D, 1/1600 sec at f 2,8, ISO 100, 200mm; Lens: EF 70-200 mm IS II Where: Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park in central Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Judges Comment
This is a clever silhouette shot showing nature’s proximity to man. Nice clever graphic composition for this stag. Well done.
Photographers Comment
I am based in Bedfordshire, UK and have Woburn Abbey and its Deer Park a few miles away. The picture was taken in October at about 8 a.m. I had picked out this stag with his magnificent antlers and followed him from a distance as he wandered away from the herd. As we met rising ground, I could see the grasses and trees at the top created a nice silhouette against the pale morning sky. I took three shots of the stag as he reached the top of the rise getting his full height and spread of his antlers. I chose this particular shot because it also showed his separated spindly legs. I used my Canon 400D with my old Canon 75 - 300mm lens. Settings were 200mm, ISO 800, f/6.3 at 1/4000.