2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003

CATEGORIES: Overall Winner | Digital Images | Transparencies

Overall Winner
Category: UNALTERED DIGITAL PRINT
Winner: Markus Varesvuo, Helsinki, Finland (Waxwing in Flight - see below)
Equipment: Canon EOS 1D camera and 300 mm 2.8 lens, shutter speed 1/5300 at f3.5, ISO 200, auto-focus

Markus says: “Last winter was hard, even in southern Finland, with a lot of snow, but rowan trees were especially heavy with berries and that meant a good winter for the Waxwings and Fieldfares. In early March there were thousands of birds in suburban Helsinki eating the remaining berries, giving me great opportunities to use my new digital camera. “When I took the winning picture it was optimal weather for photographing flying birds as the snow reflected the brilliant sunshine beautifully onto the birds. On that specific day I took about 700 pictures of Waxwings and Fieldfares in flight, but my favourite was this one with a Waxwing sitting in a rowan tree behind the flying bird.”

The judges said: “It is very unusual to see a flight shot of a Waxwing, but this is exceptional. The subject is sharp and the good depth of field means the background contributes to the overall image.”

Markus used a Canon EOS 1D camera and 300 mm 2.8 lens (shutter speed 1/5300 at f3.5, ISO 200, auto-focus). Markus (43) has been photographing birds since 1988 and has had more than 1,000 pictures published in Finnish and international bird books and magazines. His work has been commended in the Finnish Wildlife Photographer and the BBC Wildlife Photographer competitions.

To see more of his work, visit www.birdphoto.fi, a joint website venture with three other Finnish nature photographers.

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Category : CREATIVE DIGITAL PRINT
Winner: Terry Wall, Shirley, West Midlands (Snow Geese, New Mexico’s Bosque del Apache reserve - see below)
Equipment: Canon EOS 3 camera and Canon 500L f4.5 lens with Fuji Sensia 100 film

The digital revolution is affecting the world of bird photography along with all other aspects of the hobby and we felt it was important to reflect this in the categories within IWP2003. The Creative Digital class was created to encourage the broadest range of artistic expression. After all, the ability to import an image onto a computer and manipulate it, now gives photographers the same level of creative freedom traditionally enjoyed by painters.

Many of the entries fell by the wayside because they were poorly printed or insufficient care had been taken when pasting new elements into a collaged photograph. Of course, the winning entry avoided all the obvious traps as Terry actually runs courses in the use of Photoshop software.

In the original photograph, shot at New Mexico’s Bosque del Apache reserve in winter, Terry used a slow shutter speed to blur the wing movement and then enhanced it by manipulating the colour levels in Photoshop to create a strong abstract image. Terry used a Canon EOS 3 camera and Canon 500L f4.5 lens with Fuji Sensia 100 film. Terry has visited various parts of the United States and Africa in search of wildlife images. He has published a slim volume called One-To-One Tuition in Photoshop especially for bird photographers and runs courses in the use of this software. More details on www.terry-wall.com

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Category: DIGISCOPE PRINT
Winner: Gary Ireland, Workington, Cumbria (Redshank on the beach - see below)
Equipment: Nikon Coolpix 995 digital camera with an Opticron ES80 telescope (20x magnificaton) and EagleEye adaptor

Gary says: “A broken-down train forced me to cancel a holiday trip. Instead I headed for a local beach, two miles south of Workington, to see if I could get some decent pictures. I started digiscoping a couple of years ago, after reading an article In Bird Watching, as I thought it would be a good way to accumulate some images I could use for my painting and drawing. I’ve now become so hooked on digiscoping that I haven’t picked up a paint brush in 12 months.

“Normally Redshanks are very flighty, but this one was almost begging to have its picture taken. I was able to get as close as 20ft, but this image with the wave crashing behind the bird was the pick of the bunch. To win a prize with it is an incredible bonus."

The judges said:” This is a bright, clear image with the subject standing out well from the background. The energy of the breaking wave undoubtedly adds to the impact of the picture.”

Gary used a Nikon Coolpix 995 digital camera with an Opticron ES80 telescope (20x magnificaton) and EagleEye adaptor.

Gary is a printer and has never previously entered any photographic contest.

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Category: TRANSPARENCIES

Best Single Image
Winner : David Tipling, Kemsing, Kent (Sandhill Crane - see below)
Equipment : Nikon F5 camera and 500mm f4 Nikkor lens and Velvia 50 film. He metered for the subject by over-exposing by one stop from the brightest part of the scene

David says: “The picture was taken at dawn last November, after a very cold night when temperatures dropped to minus ten degrees C. The Sandhill Cranes habitually roost in the same ponds at Bosque, and this particular one was close to the road.

“I could see steam rising from the water, but with sunrise still 20 minutes away I needed to set up and creep within photographic range in a hurry. As sunrise approached, the sky went red, but the misty effect around the cranes lasted no longer than one or two minutes. As soon as the sun peeped over the mountains the effect was lost, so it was a fleeting opportunity, allowing only a few frames to be taken."

The judges said: “An atmospheric shot that is almost impossible to criticise. Images from Bosque del Apache are now commonplace and it takes an exceptional picture like this to stand out."

David used a Nikon F5 camera and 500mm f4 Nikkor lens and Velvia 50 film. He metered for the subject by over-exposing by one stop from the brightest part of the scene. David Tipling is an internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer with a passion for birds. Previous awards have included the documentary section of the European Nature Photographer of the Year. He is author of several books, including the forthcoming Bird Photographers Handbook. Sir David Bellamy recently described David's pictures as ‘windows of wonder’.

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Best Portfolio
Winner: Mark Hamblin, Carrbridge, Scotland (Puffins - see below)
Equipment: All pictures taken on a Canon EOS1V. Flight shot - Canon 300mm f4L lens, Sensia 100, f4 @ 1/1,250th. With nest material - Canon 500mm f4L IS lens, Kodak VS100, f5.6 @ 1/125th. Backlit - Canon 500mm f4 IS L lens, Sensia 100, f4 @ 1/30th

Mark says: “All three pictures were taken on the Treshnish Isles, off the west coast of Mull. A relatively small colony of breeding Puffins are very approachable and on two successive years I was given special permission by the owners of the island to camp overnight, allowing me to spend three days with the Puffins. “This allowed me to photograph the birds in the warm light of dawn and dusk. The main problem in obtaining the flight shot was the lack of any wind which meant the birds were travelling at break-neck speed. After a rather fruitless couple of hours I gave it up as a bad job and was surprised that I had obtained anything decent from the shoot at all.

Puffins are constantly engaged in some form of activity, providing loads of opportunities for pictures. This individual was collecting nest material from the cliff top - an activity that I thought strange at the time as it was mid-June and well past the nest building stage. I followed him with the camera for some time trying to photograph him against the dark background of the far cliff to add impact to the shot."

“On my second visit I wanted to capture some different images, using the attractive evening light in a more pictorial way. My initial aim was to shoot silhouettes of the birds against the reddening sky but I also noticed that the Puffins looked terrific when backlit, especially when they flapped their wings. This image was taken at about 10pm with the sun very low in the sky, producing a wonderful orange glow to the shot. The light levels were quite low by this stage so I had to shoot at a slow shutter speed of around 1/30th second, not sufficient to stop wing movement but nevertheless adding greatly to the overall pictorial effect.”

The judges said: “This category is designed to allow a photographer’s versatility to shine through. In our view this trio of images, each of them excellent, demonstrates not only technical skills but imagination too.”

All pictures taken on a Canon EOS1V.
Flight shot - Canon 300mm f4L lens, Sensia 100, f4 @ 1/1,250th.
With nest material - Canon 500mm f4L IS lens, Kodak VS100, f5.6 @ 1/125th.
Backlit - Canon 500mm f4 IS L lens, Sensia 100, f4 @ 1/30th.

Mark (37) lived in Sheffield for 18 years before moving to the Scottish Highlands with his partner, Gale in September 2002. He has worked as a professional wildlife and landscape photographer since 1995 and his photographs are regularly featured in national publications, books, calendars and other media. He has just published his first book, Wild Peak which features the wildlife of the Peak District and is currently working with Peter Cairns documenting the wildlife of the Cairngorms National Park. Mark is also a partner in Wildshots Photographic Adventures (www.wildshots.co.uk) leading holidays in the Highlands as well as overseas. To see more of Mark’s images visit www.markhamblin.com.

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