Penguins

Firstly, thank you to everybody who entered my competition! This is an absolutely brilliant photo! The way you have filled the frame is so effective because it makes me feel like there's an infinite number of penguins in this crowd. I love the contrast between the super-fluffy chicks and the adult whose feathers are much shorter and more watertight. The perfect focus on the one grownup, coupled with the smaller aperture, really singles out this poor, outnumbered adult! I'll tell you one thing...this would make an amazing albeit difficult jigsaw puzzle! Congratulations on the win!

Firstly, thank you to everyone who entered my competition! This is a brilliant photo. The title is so appropriate for the image, and very funny! The detail in this photo is impeccable. You have captured the fluffiness of those brown penguin feathers so well; the small aperture you used really draws my eye to the two central figures and makes me notice those lovely textures and colours. I love this photo because, for me, it’s quite reflective of humans’ teenage years. Firstly, the penguins in the image seem to be shedding their downy brown chick feathers, to reveal their smooth, waterproof adult feathers, which does seem to represent a period in the birds’ life similar to adolescence. Secondly, the aggressive behaviour of the birds, which you have captured very well, does seem to be similar to a stereotypical teen mood swing. Congratulations on your spot in my top 10!

Firstly, thank you to everyone who entered my competition. I absolutely love this photo! The lighting is excellent, as is the romantic atmosphere—you have created this by capturing the penguins at exactly the right moment, where their beaks are gently touching. Well done, your timing is impeccable! I don't know if this was your intention, but I find this photo wonderfully reminiscent of a certain swimming-pool scene in the 1990's film version of Romeo and Juliet!

Firstly, thank you to everyone who entered my competition! This photo is wonderful. I love the bright, slightly saturated colours—they really made this photo stand out to me! I like the concept of differences/opposites in your photo, shown both by the strikingly different textures on the ground (neatly divided by the strip on which the birds stand) and by the different species of the birds. Although you could cut this photo into two separate photos—one of a penguin, the other of a seagull—and both would be perfectly good images, the connection between the two birds—suggested by the way they face each other—is really what makes the photo lovely. I would also like to commend the title of this image—it gives us a little bit more of an insight into the relationship between the birds in a sweet and humorous way! Congratulations on your spot in my top 10!

Firstly, thank you to everyone who entered my competition! I think that this is an amazing photo. I’d never had any particular affection for Chinstrap penguins before opening this contest, but some of the entries (especially this one) have really made me love this particular species! The cool colour scheme of this photo is really effective, as well as the combination of the different textures of the rocks and the penguin’s feathers. Most of all, I really like the inclusion of the smartphone on the right hand side of the image—it’s a nice subtle inclusion of some man-made tech in this scene. I like to imagine that the penguin, who is standing in a rather authoritative stance, is trying to gather its friends for a photo! Congratulations on your spot in my top 10!