WPOTY Winner?

Does anyone actually still believe in good image composition any-bloomin-more????????????

If that image had been posted here how many 'comp nits' would it have got??

To my mind some of the other category runners-up are more worthy of consideration.

I see Arty M has been cribbing off Tom and Danny

Or is 'old age' and cantankerous-nes making me miss something in the grand scheme of things

totally agree mate! and dont get me started on that hare shot again!!!

I don't understand the choice of winner this year.

It seems the award this year is based more on the rarity of the animal than the creative or artistic merits of the photograph. Amazingly there are 4 of Steve Winter's snow leopard shots in the final shortlist, the only one I think is ok is the Mountain Prowl.

In previous years the judges have usually gone for a hightly creative and artistic shot for the overall winner, not this year then.

I wonder if these photographs would have made it to the final if the subject had been a humble badger or fox? I doubt it.

Just had a quick look at the other photographs in the comp, some stunning images and good to see a larger number of UK based photographers making it this year.

The Snow Swans is stunning, really like that one.

Looking forward to visiting the exhibition though, the photos always look so much better there than on the web, I might even like the winner then....

Sean

i think a lot of consideration was given into the technical difficulties overcome and the perseverance required to get the shots. Its more in awe than anything else. I know i'm impressed. The snowy leopard has been one of my life dreams..

I think Dan Meads "Sand Sprinters", Ellen Anons "Whooper Lift-off" and Mr.Zhus "Snow Swans" would all have been worthy winners.

I still think Christophe Courteaus "Hyena at bay" from 2006 was one of the best Animal Behaviour shots ever.

If this years crop of images is supposedly setting the Gold standard then a lot of people are in with a good "shout" next year - but I seemingly won't be one of them

Sean - if it was a OoF "bum shot" then you could well be very mistaken

Szekiat - a dream for me too, but if that shot was the best I could muster from the job I'd shoot myself.

Technical difficulty should only be a judging parameter to separate shots of equal image prowess.

To award the top shot to what is, let's face it, a shot of dubious composition made worse by being a 'remote' shot (if I've read it right) over some of the other images is just insane judgement - imho.

Hmmm, "technical difficulties".....

Basically he set up an upmarket speed camera in a spot where snow leopards sometimes go, waited six months, then downloaded the CF card.

This sounds a bit unfair as I am very impressed with Steve Winter's shots of this incredibly rare and elusive animal, it shows excellent technical competence in a harsh environment. But this is a photography competition.....

I am all for remote capture but it is the quality of the final image that should be the main criteria in this type of competition.

To quote the organisers "Have you got what it takes to become a Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009 award-winner? The competition judges will be looking for images that are original, creative, fresh and surprising."

What is original, creative, fresh or surprising about this years winner? For me, not a lot.

Sean

I cannot work this out either.. I have seen far better shots on here..
mind you i really like the monkey one.. thats a great expression.

yes the hairpicture IMHO is rubbish.. okay it show movement but the subject is totally blurred too, with good panning technique this could be made alot sharper.

my penith worth.
Cheer
Mark

Perhaps the guy who took the image,misunderstood the title of the competition,and thought the "Wildlife" had to take the picture?????
Stewart.......... :davey: :davey:

I must be the only person that actually likes the shot. I see photography as not just the image at the end but the journey it takes to get the shot. I don't think I have ever seen images like this of snow leopards and hence in my opinion a worthy winner!

Out of interest how many people on here entered this years comp ?

the winner is not my cup of tea photographically speaking but holds a lot of interest for the subject matter and the effort to get the image, and if it wasnt known that it was taken remotely would that fact have changed peoples opinion's ?

The Swans in snow would have been my choice for the record

The GDT competition seems to award the best pictures much more consistently than WPotY. For me, the Sulawesi macaque and blue cod with sea pens are outstanding images (although the latter was published in, I think, National Geographic, so that reduces the freshness and originality somewhat).

Sean, I had the wrong idea completely - I was under the impression he'd been a distance away but still in control of the camera via wifi

So technical difficulty WASN'T a consideration then - or does buying a 'plane ticket count as technical difficulty - jeeze louise

If I'd have been a judge I'd have DQ'd this shot at the first stage as he didn't "take" the image.

Any idiot could have ended up with this shot - christ, even the judges could

Have to agree with everything Andy and the others say about the Snow Leopard shot. I find it unbelievable that the judges should choose a dodgy composition where the photographer didn't even press the shutter! The BBC's wildlife cameramen made a much better job of photographing the snow leopard in its environment. My favourite was the Snow Swans image,but then I'm a big fan of Whooper Swans.

Tom

I found the whole series totally underwhelming. There is absolutely nothing to make me sit up and say "wow".

Hey up I must be one of two that likes the snow leopard shots I think they are brilliant because the only person that has managed to photograph one before was George Schaller and he has spent his life researching them. When the BBC got that great footage they were miles away over looking the valley where she hunted so to get stills it has been almost impossible until now, I always liked steve Daltons stuff and he used remote triggers and high speed flash and he his images will always stand the test of time,as will these remarkable shots of Snow Leopards I think in reality this project was down to good old fashioned field craft

Danny

Don't get me wrong, they're great shots, (As I said in the other thread)

But it all comes down to perception. In my opinion only real hardcore wildlife fanatics would be impressed by the image, simply because of the wild subject itself, and not because of any amazing creative or photographic appeal, which DOES show through in many of the other images in the comp.

Last year I witnessed the similar arguments over Ben Osbourne's winning image of the Elephant splashing through the water, which many people hated .I could however see the creative and artistic side which won it.. However hard I look I can't really see that in any of these Snow Leopard images...

Maybe i'm crap? maybe I'm reading it all wrong, maybe i'm stuck in the world of sterile boring repetitive same old shots... Maybe i'm not, and it really is just a *good* image of an extremley sought after and rare species...... But is that what WPOTY is about?

Hi Tim

No one has a perfect formular for an image and that is why a competetion like the WPOTY always works its not being sterile or boring it is just what rocks your own boat and to me the snow leopards do but maybe I am a hardcore wildlife fanatic or maybe there is something that just draws me into the snow leopards domain which is one of the most mysterious and elusive animals in the world and that is why these images do it for me

Danny

PS Hey Tim my wife says you are spot on calling me a hardcore wildlife fanatic

I totally agree with Danny Green about these SL shots.
Anyone here ever try taking remote shots with high speed flash and get anything worthwhile?
If you have then I'm sure you'll appreciate how difficult and frustrating it can be. If you haven't, try shooting a simple animal like a badger and see how long it takes you to get anything as good as Mr Winter got here, then come back on here and show us all how it should be done.

I don't see where it says "wildlife photograph of the year" in the title, so I must assume that when it says "wildlife PHOTOGRAPHER of the year" they have taken into account Mr Winters fieldcraft, patience and skill in setting up the camera in the right place to arrive at the decision they have.

Anyone who enters a photo competition should be aware that it is the judges decision that is final.
Invariably the WPOTY throws up some eyebrow raising winners that people will either love or hate, but most will be imitated profusely in the following years, and that in its self shows the power of the shots.

Personally I like the composition of the winner. It is a balanced shot that keeps the viewers eye for some time and stays in the viewers mind for a good time afterwards. It is not the oversaturated perfect shot that many now accept as normal, instead it shows a rare glimpse of a rare animal in a rare situation. What more do we want? 15 points from Bradgate or somewhere similar?

Personally I don't blame the moggy for hurrying out of the shot, it was probably embarrassed. Plenty of better shots to choose from among the finalists. I didn't like last years much either but like Tim, only because it wasn't of a style that really catches my imagination. This one is a record shot - something to keep on the hard drive until a better one comes along, although I accept it might be a long wait to get a better shot of a snow leopard!
Eric

Tim, I think your last seven words sum up my thoughts!!

I personally think we are spoiled by the number of excellent wildlife shots we see every day {many of which are posted on this site}.

I guess it depends on how we each percieve what 'wildlife photography' actually is.

I personally feel that i do 'wildlife photography' AND 'photography of wildlife', and am fully aware of the huge differences when i am doing either {and which give me the most personal satisfaction}.

Maybe {speaking as Mr Grumpy}, the meaning of the letter 'P' in WPOTY should be changed to meaning 'photograph'

Anyway, there are a few shots that appeal to me, and congrats to those photographers

Alan

Two of my favourite images that I have seen over the years has been Laurie Campbells shot of a badger in a hollow log and Stephen Daltons Barn Owl flying out of a church tower both have been done on remote triggers but both shots hold a certain appeal to them and both draw you into the world of the animal, I think these snow leopard shot do the same. It is like they were taken without the animal having any prior knowledge or any human contact.

Danny

I'm undecided about the snow leopards. I like the shots (although think the one marking territory is the better) and can accept the difficulty level in just finding these creatures. The fieldcraft to locate trails in the huge home ranges for such an elusive animal definitely deserves credit and of course as a massive big cat fan I love the subject - the only place I'm likely to see these is in a zoo. However another part of me thinks about the "infinite monkeys on infinite typewriters" scenario and wonders if any one of us had set up a remote triggered camera on any wildlife trail in any country whether over 10 months we'd have got something special too.

Really enjoyed the wolf scene, the fox pouncing and the sand sprinters shot.

hahahahahahaha mr astbury, if i had never met you i never would be able to imagine your "angry" mode little voice as you jumped up and down in rage.

i have to put my self down as number 3 that thinks it's an excellent photo. come on, who honestly could say they could take a picture of the scene even without the snow leopard and not blow out any snow, (not even the specks) whilst still maintaining detail in the blacks??
there is diagonal composition as well as a rule of thirds going on, and the dark space that could be in danger of losing the balance of the shot is filled with nicely exposed, non blurry nor burnt out specs, which gives the whole thing absolute bags of atmosphere. the only downside is that it's walking out of frame rather than into it, but it does have a cracking posture, despite a not too great look in it's eye.

on the other hand.....the judges should all be shot for letting that hare photo anywhere near the postbox let alone in the awards. it's an absolute discrace. or maybe next year there will be a category of images captures on mobile phones, with extra points for blur and redeye.


the "daddy long legs" crabs and urchins are absolute genius, i think the photo is an absolute graphical marvel, and i do appreciate that getting these elements underwater to do that in this way is not something that would be seen very often at all. and that whale and diver shot...whhooooooaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

c'mon mr A don't be grumpy now

I know its a Snow Leopard but we have seen much better pictures on here this year....

Also shouldn't the 'Trailmaster 1550-PS remote trigger' get the prize?

Well ive just spent 30K in Nikon gear and i see a robin shot in there taken with a compact so if anybody want new nikon gear and have a kodak instamatic for a straight swap im your man-some great shots and some 'what the hell' type shots-The winner every year is contraversial and this year is no different-one of my favorite cats and a shot you can only dream about having on file-a winner well yes and no
Dave

Hi,

I am not going to take offence at comments about the judges

Obviously I cannot voice an opinion here.... I knew it would stir up some very mixed opinions.

I have spent the best part of the day looking at this image in the exhibition... go see the exhibition... spend some time looking at this image...


One question... are people going to be up in arms over the Junior winner?

Phil

I've just seen the picture of the 'out of focus' hare, I have hundreds like this!!

Personally I don't blame the moggy for hurrying out of the shot, it was probably embarrassed. Plenty of better shots to choose from among the finalists. I didn't like last years much either but like Tim, only because it wasn't of a style that really catches my imagination. This one is a record shot - something to keep on the hard drive until a better one comes along, although I accept it might be a long wait to get a better shot of a snow leopard!
Eric

Eric,

Seriously I gobsmacked by your comments! "Record shot!", "Embarrassed!"

Even if you don't think it's good enough to be the winner, it's still harsh. If it was that easy as setting up a remote trigger and get such a record shot, we'd all be doing it with the Snow Leopards.

Though I prefer the "Mountain Prowl" shot, what I like it that the winner has 3 other photos that made the list. It shows it's not just one photo that has made him Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Just think of the time and effort that has gone into the those photos, surely that contributes to the "Photographer" part of the competition.

I thought the snow leapard shot might be one of the less controversial winners of the last few years, but it seems not, don't see the problem with the composition, a good composition is one that is pleasing to the eye, not one that follows all the rules blindly, to my eye the composition is pleasing

alos to say that no technical expertise or fieldcraft went into the shot is ridiculous, knowing where to put the trap might be a good start, try jetting in to pakistan wandering around in the himalayas placing camera traps at random and see how many pictures of any animal at all you get, the use of flash as well is brilliant, the mastery of so many lighting souces to create such a beautiful effect is mind boggling for someone such as myself who can't even work out how to take a fox pic without eyeshine,

all in all i thought the quality of the images was inspiring (except that hare shot)

Phil

as for the junior winner, i thought it was brilliant, the action lighting, atmosphere and that ring of oryx, one of the better ones over the years

I don't understand either...
I gues it's purely up to the rarity of the animal and the snowfall..

Would have preferred a shot wich was fired by a person behind a camera too instead of someone placing an infra red trap..

Hope next years jury will have better judgement...

Greetings,

Jeroen Stel

I do like the Snow Leopard shots, and I actually appreciate that the species rarity/difficulty is taken into account. Also I find it wonderful that people who do original photography work, like I believe the winner did to obtain these images can still win. On the other hand I don't understand why people who go to the hotspots, working from other peoples hides etc. can stil win - fx. the osprey-shots - they are fine, but hey what's new? One sometimes wonder if judges know photographer-name when choosing!

Anyway several wonderful images, especially the underwater stuff! Congrats to all winners.

Cheers,

Helge

I think people need to realise that the WPOTY is judged by people who look at zillions of photos from photographers all over over the world, all of the time. I think they know what a good photo is! It as become pretty obvious to me that UK photographers are fixated by narrow self imposed "rules". Maybe a hangover from the Empire, or maybe we are too PC (excuse the pun), or we just don't like to stand out from the crowd? I know I'm jumping around here but what IS composition etc anyway? Are they just egocentrically based rules made by one set of people who like to judge others against themselves? Forums like this, IMO, help with this narrowing down of "concept" or "imaginative" photography and when folk on forums want to be praised by their peers it is inevitable that the end results become sterile and unimaginative. I really don't agree that there are many images on here that would stand up against this years WOPTY winners

I for one take note of this competition and want to emulate the standard of the winners. For what it's worth anyway, I think the snow leopard shots are somewaht eery in the way Mr Winter (of national geographic fame) has lit the scene. I just don't understand the shadows (check them out!), how he got the light in the sky, the snow so well exposed, the colours in the flowers, and so on. It is thought provoking for me and therefore memorable. Combine this with the effort it took, the vision and it's uniqueness, andit is a worthy winner for me - even if the leopard looks stuffed!

Dave
Forest of Dean, UK

Hehe Danny, You're the wildlife fanatic??? I'm the nutter who walked a mile out onto sandbar at Dnook a few weeks ago, with no gear - just to have a quick look at how they're doing

In all honesty, I don't feel that strongly about whether the Snow Leopard is or Isn't a good shot, opinions show that its pretty divided.. I think its amazing to pull that shot off, and it is very good. I just think that it really is a very good record shot.. Remote trigger or manually fired, doesn't really make much difference to me.

One thing I do know, is that BBC/Shell have always advocated photographic skill and creativity, over a rare subject.
If the picture in question contained a Fox, Deer or some other common mammal, i'm almost 99% confident that the judges would have whizzed straight past it.

However, last years winning image by Ben Osbourne could have been a Zebra, Lion, Giraffe splashing around in that mud and light, because the photograph came across as a work of art, and not a "capture"
Whilst its obviously difficult to compare the 2 photographs, in my opinion Ben Osbourne's shot was far more reminiscent of what a fantastic creative nature shot should be...

I take a lot of personal inspiration from many of the shots which appear in the book each year, and from David Attenborough's "Light of earth" book, which spans several decades of WPOTY images. If the latest winning image is anything to go by, we'll have scores of people simply trying to take "a picture" of a rare species, instead of trying to push the boundaries of creativity.

Or maybe a snow Leopard walking through a camera trap IS being fantastic and creative, and myself and others are failing to see the point!

Maybe i'm rambling on a bit now so i'll go away :D

I must admit to being a little disappointed with the judges selections this year and could only appreciate the rarity value of the overall winner. For me the winning image should have a W W factor that both photographers and Joe Public would appreciate and the winning image doesn't have this.

I would also agree with Helge with regard to the number of winning images where the photographer has just to turn up and pay a fee and is then told where to sit and where to point his lens. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against this sort of photography which is often very enjoyable and fruitful but should you receive such high acclaim when the hard work and research has been done by someone else!

That said my congrats to all winners.

My choice was the 'Snow Swans'

David

I won the plant section of the WFOTY in 1985 with a picture of Sparganium erectum giving off pollen. ( You maybe saw the Alder one similar that I posted on here )
When they did the BBC Wildlife mag puplicity stuff they asked me if the plant made a noise when giving off the pollen.
I haven't entered since.
I personally think that competitions have ruined the whole idea behind the joy of nature photography.
Just my aged opinion.
JR

Its kind of a subjective choice - I personally think its the best winner out of the last three years, especially with all the field craft involved and research for the shot. Finding the leopards in the first place would be hard - its not a wow shot in terms of light or differing pose or reflection etc, its a wow shot in that you don't see too many shots of a snow leopards but then also Im also into my wildlife so it may appeal more to me anyway. I do prefer the mountain prowl image though to the overall winning shot.

I love it, its great to see an "outside of the box" composition; I also like the fact that it is a result of using and understanding the technology involved and applying it well in conjunction with good fieldcraft to get such an image; the camera on its own would not have got the shot without the photographers understanding of the subject and skill at placing the gear.
It seem's odd to me that so many are criticising with regard to it being automatically taken; especially when they are all happy to use auto flash, auto focus, auto metering etc!

I'm always a bit reluctant to form an opinion from the web images as these don't give much of a feel. As Phil says, go see the exhibition or see it in print then make your call. My first impression was that it was a really strong winner. I like the composition, and it looks like the image has a really nice feel to it. I for one don't care how it was taken, just the end result.

There is an old joke that is brought to mind: how many wildlife photographers does it take to capture an award-winning picture..?

100.

1 to get the picture, 99 to say 'I could've done that'...

Last time I looked plane tickets were available to all, and motion sensors too. Why don't we all have better snow leopard pictures? Just my tuppence...



A

Personally I think Andrew's last comment above sums this topic up perfectly and I for one am really looking forward to seeing the winning shot as well as all the others, as they should be seen and appreciated, in print.

David Kjaer wrote

I would also agree with Helge with regard to the number of winning images where the photographer has just to turn up and pay a fee and is then told where to sit and where to point his lens. Don't get me wrong I have nothing against this sort of photography which is often very enjoyable and fruitful but should you receive such high acclaim when the hard work and research has been done by someone else!

David, i have to disagree.........a little bit.....

I agree that in some ways working from a set up could possibly be LESS satisfying. From a creativity point of view not. You still have to take the image.

I am someone who does use prepped set ups regularly. This is due to a few factors and i am sure it will also apply to some other photographers;

1. I have a highly pressurized job in the City very little time to play ...especially in these days....
2. I am abroad for business on a weekly base, so i dont have the time to prepare and invest time in reserach for certain projects.
3. I have 2 children that like to see their dad...in the weekend..did i mention my wife??

So yes when i have approximately 2 weeks a year inwhich i can endulge myself in bird photography, i have no choice but to go somewhere, where things have been prepped and where i am guaranteed to come home with images.

It was easier in Holland, smaller country, relatively easy access and time to do my research!

You still have to press the shutter button yourself and even from a set-up you can still be creative and come home with some nice images.

It is a grey area and it is a difficult subject. I respect any kind of nature photography as long as it is not taken in any kind of Zoo, or situations where animals have been put more or less in front of the camera to obtain the image.

Just my 2 cents.......



With regards to the contest: congratulations to all the winners!

Rene de Heer

Well said Andrew!!

I have a friend who's just heading out to Russia to try and photograph Amur Leopard using the same technique,the time and effort involved is huge!!!


Craig
www.craigchurchill.co.uk

Hi Rene

Yes I take your point and I have to agree with you a little, but my feelings were that as they call it Wildlife PHOTOGRAPHER of the Year and not Wildlife PHOTOGRAPH of the Year that the judges in making their decision should factor in the work behind the image (I accept this is very difficult unless they are very familiar with all the commercial 'set-ups') Clearly the amount of work that went into the winning image was high and had to be rated but for me their were other factors outside of this and it's rarity value that let it down as an overall winner.

I also accept that in this environment a lot is still down to the photographer as Miguel Lasa's Polar Sunrise is testament. So no I would never exclude them I just feel that they should be judged a little differently and my own favourite, Snow Swans could well have been taken (I have no idea) on a fee paying guided trip.

David

An interesting thread here. Firstly let me congratulate all the winners.

This thread does leave me wondering if people on this forum think that it is the rarity of the subject, the effort to get the image, or the image presented that is being judged. If it is the rarity then anyone entering images from this country is up against it. If it is the effort then the more money and time available (as well as skill on the part of the photographer) will stand a better chance of doing well. Which leaves the quality of the image?

As mentioned I have no axe to grind either way the winners have taken the trouble to enter and the judges have made their choice, so again my congratulations. I just wonder how other people here would have apportioned their choice and why, and where this leaves a suberb image of a common local subject versus an image of a rare creature of less quality.

John Lee

Yes there can be some very srtrnge decisons in this competition like the year that a guy risked life and limb in a canoe amongst breaching whales (or killer whales?) and got a fantastic image, and that year the zoo gorilla image won (I think it was the same year.)

I don't dispute the fieldcraft behind the snow leopards, that has been well documented on the TV video series, personally I just feel that here are far better images demonstrating a photographers understanding of composition and exposure than the remote camera set-up result.

Funnily enough I really like the hare's bumshot, it is refreshingly different and similar to the OOF macaws against the rainforest canopy a few years back.

Mike

hi all,

i've just come back from wildphotos, and was fortunate enough to hear steve winters account of the work involved in getting those images, which as i posted above i already liked.

the time scale was about a year, so dedication to the work, you could say, and an effort well worth celebrating in this way. what an immense effort, and an immense result. whatever your job, whatever your proffession, a year away doing anything is not easy. hiking up and down some of the highest mountains in the world in freeezing cold conditions for a whole year for only a handful of images...well....

i think we forget watching all this from an armchair how difficult it all is.

regards,

mark.

I like the Snow Leopard a lot. Having it walking out of shot emphasises the elusive nature of the animal.



Paul

Actually in retrospect I think that the title wildlife photographer of the year is well-deserved because of his portfolio of shots and the achievement of getting them, but if he has been judged the winner on this shot, I am confused. I don't doubt for a minute Steve Winter's dedication, skill and success in capturing these shots, and I don't think for one minute that they are not a valuable entry to this comp, it's just that for me it is not even his best entry. There are all sorts of accepted conventions about composition, rules if you like, and I believe that breaking rules can be an excellent way to stand out from the crowd, but just breaking them doesn't mean that it is a great shot. I can't help thinking that this animal was meant to be coming down the hill when he set it up, that an earlier shot with it further to the left was not good enough to use or that it didn't turn its head as much as he would have liked. I really can't see much in this shot except a cat that has wandered past a remote camera set up on its trail. Now the junior winner has a great story-line and more to see within it every time you look at it. There are a lot of superb photos in this award line-up, I just can't see this as anywhere near the best. I freely admit that I wouldn't want the judges' job of having to choose between them, but for the record my favourite is David Maitland's Deadlock, . It has drama, colour, it's dead sharp and superb composition and that hand trying to pull the snake off - stunning.

Thank God we all like different stuff or it would be a dull world. Eric

As Eric says thank goodness we don't all like the same things, dress the same or look the same... it would be a very boring and dull world....

What I will say and hopefully this is OK... the category winners this year were particularly strong... only a couple caused a few problems.... Mr Winters images were consistently strong... Mark and Eric I think have hit the nail on the head as to the final decision.

I will say this again, go see the exhibition, if not at the museum catch it when it goes on tour, have a good look at the winning image... more importantly have a good look at the junior categories, the images this year I think are superb and these young people are the future...

All the best

Phil

This morning I received the new issue of BBC Wildlife magazine which contains a supplement containing many of the winning and commended images. All of the images look significantly better than the small web images so I can only imagine how good some of them look in the exhibition.

I don't have an issue with any of the winning images. Some I like more than others but they all have something special and I can see why they were chosen. The only one I still don't like is the OOF hare shot

Matt

Fair point Matt,

Even the enlarged screen image [on my computer], is still too small to appreciate it, although i do think small images are useful for determining composition/balance, and unlike the hoopoe 'remote trigger' shot {which has been placed/calculated to give a nicely balanced final result}, the leopard shot doesn't sit easy on my eye.

Sometimes certain images can grow on me {and they are often the ones that stand the test of time, for me}, and its quite likely the winning image will do this for me.

Again, congrats to all

Alan

Hi All
Went down to London yesterday to Wildphotos and heard Steve Winter speak about his work and the winning shot. Hats off to him is what I say. Amazing planning, dedication and tenacity to achieve these images. Makes Bradate look like a walk in the park!
The real high-light of the day was the talk by Jim Brandenburg - simply awe-inspiring.

I went to the WPOY exhibition at the NH museum and my personal winner was Miguel Lasa's polar bear image, 'Polar sunrise' - a stunning shot for me.
I also spotted a challenge for everyone who thinks they can do better than this years winners - there was only one image selected by the judges in the 'Urban & Garden' category. There seems to be a real opportunity for us all to get a shot included in next year's competition - we probably won't need to use a camera trap either!!

Just out of interest, does anyone else find some of the comments made in this thread ill-conceived and misinformed? Just wondered.

Andy A, can't wait to see your next image post here, it must be a real belter!

Cheers,
Chris

Chris ...

"does anyone else find some of the comments made in this thread ill-conceived and misinformed?"

- a few, but probably uninformed more than anything else.

I suppose it depends upon your interest/background in photography, then wildlife photography, as to what you think of the competition and its entries, and in what order you would place them.

I have to say that IMHO it has lived up to its name of "Wildlife Photographer of the Year".

Congrats to all winners, but especialy Brian, Paul and Miguel... all resident/registered on UKNP.

For once I actually think the judges made the right choice. The fieldwork and persistance of the photographer are great.

Given the level of 'snaps' (well if the BBC can describe the winner as a 'snap'...) from Africa and other photo-tourist areas I would like to suggest an additional category for future years - 'Photo safari/tour/holiday shots'. That way, there's only one gets the chance to be a winner .

I also think the arty categories are going to need some delicate footwork to stay within bounds of being acceptable manipulation tho'. Will be interesting to see how they develop over time.

Competitions are all subjective - and we're never going to all agree on the winners. All good fun

Having just received my copy of BBC Wildlife and the competition supplement I agree with Matt that the images are significantly better than those on the web and it has certainly changed my views on some of the images - looking forward to receiving the book!

Very much agree with Erics comments about us all being different as it is part of what makes the images on this forum a joy to view. I also think it is good to hear the many different views no matter how much you may disagree with them!

David

Hello everyone.
Just read the whole tread and I totally agreed with Dave. EBVERYONE IS UNTITLED TO VOICE HIS OPINION ABOUT THIS!! I thought this was a forum where people could express themselves. Tom, I find you remark a bit over the top....you have to come back down to earth!
Best wishes everyone
Frederic Desmette

Fredrick - I am curious as to what remark that would be?

Please show me where I have said that people may not have an opinion?

T

Hi Tomi!
Now that you have changed your thread, it is certainly more clear. It is totaly different. Before, your message had a different meaning Next time to make sure everyone understand write your message in French!
Frederic

Hello Frederick

I think you have misread the piece what tom mentioned he was just highlighting what Chris O'Reilly had posted so maybe he has been beamed back down to earth

Danny

Mon ami

Je n'ai pas changé les mots, juste ajouté de nouvelles web autour de l'accent anglais guillemets.

T

Not bad Tom.Mais ton premier message n`etait pas "tres clair"
Bonne journee
Frederic

Well after reading this I too received Wildlife's mags supplement and I was amazd at the Leopard image captured. Ok, it bends compositional rules but I love it. It really oozes atmosphere for me.

For me I wished there had been a photographer pushing the trigger instead of a remote setup and that would have put it over the top, but I can appreciate the time and effort into getting this shot, so for that he should be congratulated wholeheartedly.

Perhaps a different category for "leave your camera on for months with infra red beams" should be introduced

Some great images on show and the supplement did them far more justice than the websize images. But that blurred hare shot leaves me speachless!!!

Who would like to push the trigger on the camera when the lens used was an 10-22mm wide angle? I can think of places I'd rather be than a foot or so away from a surprised, dazzled and probably irritated Snow Leopard who'd been enjoying a quiet evening stroll looking for supper...

If he had been behind the camera he would have got my vote, but he wasn't and he had 14 remotes setup? which for me kind of takes the edge off it all...

maybe I'm just bitter as I can only afford 2 cameras!

When you've been on the wrong end of an irritated Goldfinch, leopards are nothing Nick

The photographer who took the blurred hare shot presented at WildPhotos and seemed as bemused as many people contributing to this thread! He also entered several fine shots of the hare peering out from under the snow, but these didn't get a look in.

Interesting to read Art Morris's comments, he features regularly in the awards.

http://www.birdsasart.com/bn276.htm