Bird Photo Competition 3 2021 : Results

  • Competition Winner : First Prize
  • $544.40
  • Judges Comment
  • Despite the abundance of hummingbird-type images out there, this one has lasting appeal for me for two reasons. First, despite breaking one of the strongest rules of thumb in bird photography, namely never to photograph birds facing away from you, this shot illustrates how all rules can be broken in a good way. The great shape of the bird as it flies upward into the frame gives the image a strong focal point. The most compelling feature of the image though is the way such vivid colours - red, green, yellow and purple - are repeated across and down the frame. My favourite is the repetition of the red and yellow of the flower in the plumage of the bird's back. I could easily imagine a print of this image brightening up a room.
  • Photographers Comment
  • Thank you to the jury for choosing my photo to be the 1st winner. My name is Budi Gunawan, I live in Bandung, West Java - Indonesia. I used a Nikon D850 camera to capture this moment, this is the 2nd time I won in the competition at I Shot It in the bird category. Below is my instagram link which contains my work https://www.instagram.com/budigunawanbap/?hl=en
  • https://www.instagram.com/budigunawanbap/?hl=en
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • An impressive graphic action shot of a drinking Barn Swallow
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A good example of the backlit heron genre that's now quite popular
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A strong predator-and-prey study, albeit with one too many image elements for my taste
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • A well lit and timed capture of this starling species' original nesting habitat, before they discovered buildings
  • Mark Of Excellence
  • Judges Comment
  • The extreme proportions and angle of this pelican's head and bill transform a basic BIF shot into something dramatic