Wildlife Photo Competition 4 2016 : Results
- Competition Winner : First Prize
- $758.00
- Judges Comment
- This is probably more complicated to get right than any other wildlife subject. I have chosen your photograph above the other high contenders this round thanks to the technical difficulties involved that you have managed so well. There are i believe more than 1200 different types of bats (!) so i am not going to try to identify the species here, i’ll let you tell us! But we all know how fast they fly, changing direction all the time, their wings flapping at high speed. What i can say is that you have probably spent more than a lot of time and missed more than a lot of shots before mastering this. Your photo is amazing, it is near impossible to see a bat in the dark and get focus right as it speeds along and catches its prey on the water surface, i suppose you have used a laser trap to set off the shutter and flash at this precise moment?… You have caught it face on and dead sharp, your flash is perfectly dosed, the reflection astonishing, the splashes of water, its eyes, the detail. What an achievement, congratulations you win this round.
- Photographers Comment
- Rob Palmer Photo taken near Green Valley Arizona. A Pallid Bat getting a drink of water. This was a phototrap setup. Every night during the summer bats swoop down and get a drink of water in this very small pond. A infrared trip was setup crossing the water at a certain point, when the bat came in he tripped the shutter. The shutter was set to 20 seconds and only tripped when a bat came in and triggered two flashes on each side of the pond. I used a Canon 1DX camera, a 300mm 2.8 lens and a tripod. Minimal post processing.
- www.falconphotos.com
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- This is amazing too… i guess the fox and eagle are competing over food, or perhaps the eagle sees the fox as food, that can happen. It is a rare moment and a magnificent capture, well done!
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- Running hamster with his pouches stuffed with food! The clever short depth of field give it this special urgency… Well done, an instant favourite.
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- This shot of a ground squirrel is so cute and beautifully taken. You have an amazing series… The branch of berries seems surprising, is this an outdoor studio?
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- African wild dogs, like other pack animals, have a strong hierarchy where the dominant maintain their place by force. I guess there is food nearby… Great illustrative action shot of a species too often overlooked.
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- The night time shot and flashlight give a striking contrast to this lovely family photograph of these river rats. The reflection adds to the composition. It is fun and beautiful, well done.
- Mark Of Excellence
- Judges Comment
- The light is beautiful and the wooded background sets a nice natural scene for this lovely picture. The doe is alert to danger while the fawn is innocently looking for mother’s attention. Your composition is balanced and artistic with a strong diagonal taking this to another level.
- Photographers Comment
- What an honor to be placed among some of these wonderful photographers. Thank you so much for choosing me as a Mark of Excellence. My name is Kelsey and this photo was shot in the woods behind my home in Missouri. I used a Nikon D750 and 70-200mm 2.8 lens for this shot. :)
- www.instagram.com/_wonderemporium