Wildlife photographer of the year 2009 winner announced

Ukwildlifeo · #1 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 07:48 AM

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Leaping wolf snatches photo prize

The winners are up. The overall winner is a rather nice photo, although controversially it sounds like another motion sensor job.

Another thing to note - check out who took the amazing yellowhammer photo. Its WABs very own Fergus (Wolfhill)

Tobyh · #2 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 08:45 AM

Excellent pictures.

Huge congrats to Fergus - stunning photo and well deserved.

TobyH

pammosley · #3 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 08:52 AM

Wonderful photos, Well done Fergus

lovely shot!

Jason Green · #4 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 08:59 AM

Well done, Fergus! So, this infra-red motion sensor thing. Am I right in thinking that the photo was taken automatically - and that the shutter button was never touched by the photographer?

ChrisR · #5 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 09:42 AM

I am guessing it would all be automatic ... once the photographer had spent years monitoring the movements of the wolves; years putting together, practicing with, and refining the equipment; weeks deciding on the best location to set up; and spent months waiting and getting nothing or lots of photos of local dogs and cats

It's rather like last year's winner - the photos of the Snow Leopard - they are so rare and so hard to come across that the IR route is about the only way to go. I have to say though I thought last year they had way too many Snow Leopard photos winning in different categories ... I went to see the exhibition locally and I think the same guy won 3 sections with slightly different photos of Snow Leopards. It's a very difficult thing to get but I thought there were better photos in some of those sections and it looked like the judges had just given him the prize on the rarity of the subject.

Greenish · #6 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 10:14 AM

They are all great pictures. I especially like the wolf one! Congratulations to Fergus with his yellowhammer picture.

PMG · #7 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 10:30 AM

Its time they had a category for motion sensor photos not an overall winner - either that or folks taking photos manually should stop sending pics in - the competition is unfair and I say that regardless of the amount of work the photographer planning to use a sensor puts in beforehand - the playing field is not level gentlemen ....

Congrats to Fergus - now that is the spirit - planning and actually sitting out there to take the photo - well done a cracker!

Dutchess · #8 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 10:35 AM

Congratulations to our Fergus (Wolfhill) with the Yellowhammer pic

I can appreciate the winning wolf picture, but have serious doubts as to whether it will endear the mind of some folk to the idea that wolves are to be admired and not feared! Whilst appreciating the photographer's aim, I think it will immediately register in some people's minds as a case of intrusion and threat by the wolf - an intrusion into the sanctity of someone's property which probably contains livestock!

Still, the aim of the competition is probably quite different from the slant I have taken on it here, and so hats off to the guy for capturing such a rare shot

D.

ChrisR · #9 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PMG

Its time they had a category for motion sensor photos not an overall winner - either that or folks taking photos manually should stop sending pics in - the competition is unfair and I say that regardless of the amount of work the photographer planning to use a sensor puts in beforehand - the playing field is not level gentlemen ....

I see your point but in all of the WPY shots I have seen they are of nocturnal animals (Wolf, Snow Leopard, bats etc.), which would be impossible for 'normal' photographic methods ... the photographer could sit and wait and use a flash but he wouldn't be able to see the animal and the camera probably wouldn't be able to focus on it either.

I think you could argue though that the judges are unfairly rating these photos higher than they should. It is a lot of work to set up that kind of shot but most of the photographers were tucked up in bed in a nice warm hotel or sleeping bag when the shots were taken ... not wading through swamps, being bitten by leeches

Well done Fergus - a really dramatic shot, beautifully composed and of common British wildlife (ie. not relying on a flashy, rare species) - certainly one of my favourites in the competition

cutecoot · #10 (**permalink**) 22-10-2009, 12:18 PM

Well done Fergus, that's a beautiful shot. So much better when there is some action involved, so that you see the structure of the wings, etc, rather than what my camera club used to call shots of still birds 'birds on sticks' (although I happen to think they can be just as beautiful!). I love the colours in that pic, too, quite unusual to have a mix of white, yellow/gold and greys.