24 23 November 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The garden of eels
David Doubilet, USA
Winner, Under Water
Captured by renowned wildlife photographer David
Doubilet, this image shows a colony of garden eels –
the largest Doubilet has ever seen. At least two thirds the size
of a football field, it stretches down a steep sandy slope off
Dauin, in the Philippines. Doubilet had been waiting for a long
time to capture a shot like this – even sketching out an ideal
portrait of the colony back in his studio and designing an
underwater remote system to help him realise his ambition.
It was also a return to a much-loved subject, his first story of
very many stories in National Geographic was also on garden
eels. To get the picture, Doubilet placed his camera housing
just within the colony and hid behind the remnants of a
shipwreck. From there he could trigger the system remotely
via a 12-metre extension cord. It took several hours before
the eels dared to rise again to feed on the plankton that
drifted by in the current.
Nikon D3, 17-35mm f/2.8 lens at 19mm, 1/40 sec at f/14, ISO 400, Seacam housing,
aluminium plate, ballhead, remote trigger, Sea & Sea YS250 strobes (at half power)
Face of deception
Ripan Biswas, India
Winner: Animal Portraits
This incredible close-up of a tiny ant-mimicking crab
spider, just 5mm in width, amazingly was captured
with a basic kit lens. Biswas came across the spider when
photographing a red weaver ant colony in the subtropical
forest of India’s Buxa Tiger Reserve, in West Bengal. Many
spider species imitate ants in appearance and behaviour in
order to infiltrate their colonies. By reverse mounting his lens,
Biswas was able to discover its amazing macro capabilities. The
kit may be simple, but the technique is not. With the electrical
connections lost, all settings had to be adjusted manually, with
normal focusing out of the question. The lens was so close to
the diminutive arachnid that it seems to have been able to
see its own reflection and is raising its legs as a warning.
Nikon D500, 18-55mm lens (reverse mounted), 1/160 sec at ISO 200, Godox V860II flashBond of Life
Stefan Christmann, Germany
Winner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Portfolio Award
This image is taken from Stefan Christmann’s
wonderful body of work dedicated to emperor
penguins. Christmann spent a year in Antarctica as an
expedition photographer and camera assistant for the
BBC series Dynasties. This image depicts the close bond
between parent and offspring – which is vital for the
survival of the emperor penguin chick who is just six
to eight weeks old in this shot.
Nikon D700, 185mm f/3.5 lens, 1/160sec at f/5.6, ISO 400
© STEFAN CHRISTMANN© RIPAN BISWAS © CHARLIE HAMILTON JAMES