Wildlife

This incredible image was captured during a dream photography excursion to Alaska’s Brooks Falls. The Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR was used to get up close and personal with this hungry brown bear and a super-speedy shutter speed of 1/2500 sec was used to freeze the action. However, it was Donna’s perfect timing that made this image so special. Capturing the salmon just before it enters the bear’s mouth creates an incredible sense of anticipation.

This image blurs the boundaries between fine art and wildlife photography. Backlighting has silhouetted this tiny lizard as it sits on a translucent leaf. The mono conversion pairs nicely with the minimalist aesthetic, as does the liberal use of negative space.

This trio of jungle babblers was captured in India’s Ranthambore National Park and is an excellent observation. The moment captured is bursting with character as the middle bird is sandwiched by its peers, each wearing comical expressions. Any distractions have been omitted via a tight crop and shallow depth of field. A fantastic image!

We’re willing to bet there isn’t a wildlife photographer in the UK that hasn’t attempted to capture the fleeting kingfisher and it’s hard to imagine a better example than this, photographed on the River Dee, Scotland. By freezing the bird on its ascent, Ita has captured its catch, disturbed water and an incredibly graceful – even angel-like – posture. An incredible image indeed.

This jaw-dropping moment was captured during a sperm whale safari. But while the aforementioned porpoises remained elusive a pod of orcas began breaching all around the boat. Photographing a killer whale at the very peak of its breach is impressive enough, but this deserved addition to the NPOTY shortlist earns more plaudits for being taken from a moving vessel.

Without any EXIF data we’re unsure whether this image was captured using a Nikon camera. However, we couldn’t help but review this incredible underwater scene, which depicts marlins hunting a shoal of sardines as gorgeous rays of light streak through the surface and down towards the deep blue depths below.

Capturing a bee in flight is a difficult task, but this image does one better and depicts a bee in flight, silhouetted via beautiful golden rim lighting. The flower head helps the viewer determine the scale of this tiny insect and the shallow depth of field has blurred out any distractions.

Three weeks were spent observing the bats before this image was taken, and the preparation certainly paid off. An external flash was used to backlight and freeze the airborne mammal and as if the tack-sharp subject wasn’t enough, it was captured right in the centre of a leafy window.

This image is all about the soft golden glow provided by the morning’s light and how the resulting rim lighting gently pulls the fallow deer from the background. The grass in the foreground creates depth and the buck’s candid expression was courtesy of a DIY hide.

Wildlife photography doesn’t always have to be about getting close to a single subject. By filling the frame with tens of subjects, the enormity of the colossal wildebeest river crossing in the Serengeti is conveyed to the viewer. The mono conversion helps to ground the busy scene while clearly separating the stampeding subjects from the frothing water.

The common blue is one of the most photographed butterflies in the UK and this specimen perched atop a stem of grass is an image anyone would be proud of. We particularly like the subtlety of the post-processing, which complements the subject’s delicate nature.

Capturing any bird in flight is a difficult task. Capturing a rather elusive osprey in flight and with a fish in its talons is something even seasoned wildlife pros would be proud of. The water’s surface in the bottom half of the frame and various splashes of water convey a fresh catch and while the tips of the wings are blurred, the raptor’s head is tack-sharp.

This is a truly incredible image of a kingfisher. A super-fast 1/8000 sec shutter speed has been used to freeze the action and capturing the moment the bird rises from the water with its catch is nothing short of astonishing.

Capturing macro images in the wilds is no mean feat, but Ben managed to capture this superb little sweat bee as it gathered pollen from a crocus. The Nikon Z 7’s big 45.7Mp sensor was put to good use by cropping into the image to highlight the tack-sharp subject and the minute orbs of pollen.

While this might look like the water-drenched set of a pop star’s music video, it was actually taken from a hide in Hungary. It would appear off-camera flash was positioned directly in front of the hide to backlight both subject and snowfall, producing dazzling rim lighting against the backdrop of night.