Birds in flight

Such amazing action captured in this image. The viewer gets to see a White-Tailed Eagle with a fish just after the moment of impact. The water splash and contrasting expressions on the eagle and fish speak volumes in terms of what's happening here.

I've seen many Northern Gannet photos over the years and it takes a unique image to stand out amongst the crowd. This shot is different as you're looking down on a bird in flight and it tells a story at the same time. The viewer has an aerial view of a single Gannet either departing or returning to a chaotic, nesting colony that's in clear view just below. Traditional practice encourages emphasis on your subject with minimal distractions. This image breaks that rule for the better.

Wildlife images stand out when they include meaningful interaction between subjects, as is on display here. The viewer can feel the moment of impact as these White Tailed Eagles clash in mid-air. The exposure is spot on as the surrounding snow allowed for a high key look giving further emphasis to the action captured.

What an amazing moment! Every so often I come across a photo that has impact and stops me in my tracks and that is certainly the case here. The engagement level is quite high as you can almost feel the bird's momentum coming towards you. There's also a sense of wonder in terms of what might happen next or perhaps there's an urge for the viewer to duck down quickly. Regarding the composition, I appreciate the tern's diagonal placement in the frame making it more dynamic. Truly a winning image!

This images stands out as Atlantic Puffins are extremely fast in flight and difficult to capture, especially head on. I also like how this photo contains a shallow depth of field, rendering focus and emphasis on the Puffin's face, while the rest of the body is slightly out of focus. The cool background tones compliment the bird's color nicely as well.

It's easy to appreciate aerial images of birds as it's not a common perspective. This shot has so much going for it including its textures, colors, and lines. I really enjoy the placement of the flamingos in the composition as they're leaving the frame with a long and watery contrail behind them.

This is quite a successful image as it includes a sense of place or environment surrounding the Eagle Owl. Additionally, the shutter speed used was spot on as it allowed for a sharp rendering of the owl's face in flight, but perfectly blurred the wings to give the viewer a sense of motion. The color harmony works well here too.

Snowy Owls are mysterious and enthralling subjects to capture in the field. The angle of golden light in this scene works well as it hits the owl directly while leaving the foreground partly in shadow. The eyes truly stand out here and the colors compliment each other well.

This image of two squabbling Starlings is rather appealing and tells a fun story. Since these birds are juveniles you get the impression it's a rather harmless interaction. Both birds are sharp and their placement in the composition provides balance and works well.

Capturing urban wildlife is an underrated activity and it can be extremely dramatic if done right. I just love how the photographer used two skyscrapers to frame the bird flock as it flew by. The lack of color works well here as focus is given to shape and texture. You don't have to travel far afield to be creative. This image proves it.

Such a stunning image of a Barn Owl. I love how flash was used in this photo as it illuminates the bird perfectly along with its intended perch. The low key look simply emphasizes the bird and an object that's typical associated with its desired habitat. Without any background included, this capture still conveys a sense of place.

Now this image is all about the action. Herons are typical subjects for flight photography, but moments like this are rare. Eels of this size are not common prey for a bird like this and to see one penetrated while the Heron launches out of the water takes it to a whole new level. Wildlife photographers spend countless hours in the field just have a chance at an encounter like this one.

Capturing an owl in flight at night can be a technical challenge and requires a good amount of planning and perhaps some luck as well. This is a fantastic image as the Tawny Owl's wing position is just perfect. Further there's a foreground element incorporated in the frame along with some night sky adding to the atmosphere. Very well executed and pleasing to the eye.