1,029 Images entered
801 Photographers
More spring behaviour - this time toads mating, presumably in a pond. The technical challenges of capturing a shot like this must have been considerable, not least when you consider just how well the composition hangs together. The lighting and exposure are spot-on, too, and the double bubble that echoes the shape of the mating pair is a nice - albeit accidental - touch. We also love that the pondweed around the clinching couple is festooned with the fruits of their labour.
Butterflies were a popular subject in this round of the competition, and the standard - as always - was very high, so we were spoilt for choice, but this stunning image of a male and a female brimstone butterfly stood out as the best. With it's glorious backlighting, perfectly balanced composition and wonderful spring colours - not to mention its beautiful background bokeh - it positively sings of spring, while the carefully considered plane of focus ensures that both butterflies are exquisitely sharp.
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It's that time of year when the northern hemisphere begins to celebrate the changing fortunes in weather. So, in this **Nikon only** contest, *N-Photo* are asking for your images that capture Spring! **Don't forget, all entries must be taken with a Nikon camera**, and you must also include a title and shooting information (i.e. camera, lens and exposure info), either in the info section or in the image's own exif data. Images without shooting information will not be considered.
This spectacular panoramic image is another entry that seems to capture the very essence of spring - in this case, the evening sunlight of spring over Derwent Water in the English Lake District. A composite of four vertical images stitched together, it immerses you in the landscape, and makes you feel you were right there with the photographer when it was taken. The layered composition is nicely balanced, too, with foreground detail leading the eye to mid-ground fell-side and water, and finally distant, mist-shrouded mountains.
This is another shot that positively oozes spring. As with butterflies, forest floors carpeted with bluebells were a popular subject in this round of our competition, but this was our favourite, thanks to it's even (but not too even) spread of bluebells and tree trunks, and its dramatic backlighting. Although it looks like a wide-angle shot, it was actually taken at a focal length of 70mm (105mm equivalent), which has helped to compress the perspective, and draw the flowers and layers of receding trees together.
