An amazing show of photographs from around the world. What was interesting is that a, you could not really tell which were in the under 15s section and which were adult, and b,which were amateur and which were professional.
It seems there are two sorts of wildlife photographers: those in the right place at the right time and quick enough to react when they see something hapopening, and those with amazing patience who just wait and wait for the right moment when a creature appears or jumps or looks at the camera. Obviously, in the latter the photographer has already assessed light direction but that doesn’t negate the rapid ability they need to react by pushing the shutter. The exhibiton had shots of wildlife most people will never see, in places they will never go, making many images memorable.
Winner
Bence Máté (Hungary)
A marvel of ants
When Bence first tried to photograph leaf-cutter ants in action, he thought it was going to be easy. It wasn't - he spent hours watching and following them in the Costa Rican rainforest. 'They proved to be wonderful subjects,' says Bence interview in the exhbition catalogue. He discovered that the ants were most active at night. He would follow a column as it fanned out into the forest. Each line terminated at a tree, shrub or bush. 'The variation in the size of the pieces they cut was fascinating - sometimes small ants seemed to carry huge bits, bigger ones just small pieces.' Of his winning shot, he says, 'I love the contrast between the simplicity of the shot itself and the complexity of the behaviour.' Lying on the ground to take the shot, he also discovered the behaviour of chiggers (skin-digesting mite larvae), which covered him in bites.
Nikon D700 + 105mm f2.8 lens; 1/200 sec at f10; ISO 640; SB-800 flash.
Winners: Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Fergus Gill (United Kingdom)
The frozen moment
On Boxing Day 2009, it was so cold in Scotland (-17°C /1°F) that the birds were desperate for food. A rowan tree at the bottom of Fergus's garden in Perthshire became a magnet for thrushes - five of the six British species - song thrushes, mistle thrushes, blackbirds, redwings and a flock of about 15 fieldfares, all frantically picking the berries. Fergus wanted to capture the freezing feel of the day while showing the character of fieldfares in action, some of which were hovering to pluck berries. His biggest challenge (other than the cold itself) was to isolate a fieldfare against a clear background, and the only way to get the angle was to stand on his frozen pond. Risking a high ISO setting as well as the ice, he caught both the moment and the delicacy of colour he was after.
Nikon D300 + 500mm f4 lens; 1/500 sec at f4; ISO 800; Manfrotto 680B monopod + 293 tripod head.
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