Winter wildlife

How could anyone fail to ignore Martin’s touching and intimate portrait of two Polar Bear cubs playing in the snow covered tundra of the Alaskan wilderness? The image may have benefitted from a slightly wider crop, but having chosen a shallow depth of field isolating his two playful subjects; a touching moment of tender embrace is skillfully captured here. I cannot help but be drawn into this image and find myself left with that warm, gooey, “all’s good with the world” feeling inside. That's a great place to be!

A shallow depth of field and a strong leading line entice the viewer into frame in Steve’s accomplished composition of a Robin set against the white winter landscape of the British countryside. A popular theme in this competition, the Robin without doubt is an icon of British wildlife and the surrounding countryside. Steve has skilfully captured the hardy character of this plucky bird here paying particular attention to feather detail, colour balance and positioning of his subject within frame. Carefully crafted with contrasting elements, it is a very impactive image which really stands out making it one of my top ten hits!

The most memorable wildlife images tell a story and Jackie’s capture here just screams out high octane, in your face drama as this little Goldfinch battles the harsh winter weather and driving snow. Whilst tightly cropped, her choice of shutter speed creates a sense of intense dynamism and movement, underscoring the unforgiving narrative here. The poise of her subject; head down, together with the muted, contrasting colours only adds to the overall feel of her image as the drama rapidly unfolds. I’m not sure where Jackie took her photo. It may have been in her garden or local park; but what it does clearly illustrate is that with patience and insight you don’t have to venture to exotic climes to capture what she has achieved here. A highly impactive, memorable image making it a well deserved and worthy winner.

There were a variety of Polar Bear images entered in this competition and all were of a very high standard; but Roberta’s sensitive study entitled “Absolute White” really stood out. A sense of isolation and vulnerability is captured through her skilful use of timing, space and palette as her subject negotiates the hostile environment of the snow covered tundra. One cannot help but wonder towards the fate of this solitary Polar bear. An intimate, thought provoking image which deservedly made my top ten and worthy of recognition.

There are some images that immediately grab your attention and you’re simply left thinking; “How on earth did you achieve that shot?” Fieldcraft, patience, timing and indeed luck may form part of that complex equation; but there can be little doubt that Jacquie’s stunning composition grabs the viewer with shock and awe, shouting loudly… LOOK AT ME! If I’m critical, (and I guess I’m allowed to be as the expert judge); there are elements of her composition which appear over processed which is why it didn't make my top ten; but this shouldn’t detract from an image which otherwise just oozes unbridled energy, passion and high drama.

Soft warm tones characterise Alec’s image of this Chickadee, framed within a palette of contrasting greys as white flakes of snow gently fall all around. An incredibly sensitive and evocative study; Alec’s composition and positioning of his subject underly the fragility of this little bird as it fights for survival in mid winter, when the ground is hard and food is scarce. Whilst there is some slight “fringing” on the snow as it rests on the twig, right of frame; (possibly due to post processing when pulling out the shadow detail); this shouldn’t detract from Alec’s otherwise striking composition, making it a worthy top ten contender.

Andy’s image of this female Kestrel in flight hits the “sweet spot” as it sweeps across frost encrusted grass in early morning light. Anticipating the behaviour of your subject is never easy, together with the timing and technical expertise required to capture a bird in flight in low light, such as this quick paced Kestrel. But Andy wore the high ISO here to maintain a fast shutter speed and freeze “the moment” in what is a highly accomplished image that rockets in to my top ten.

Defined leading lines characterise and frame Ian’s study of Mallard Ducks positioned against the back drop of winter snow. Ian has produced a very strong composition here, which is keenly observed, capturing a moment in time of lasting permanence. Again a wonderful illustration of careful observation, taking full advantage of the wildlife and habitat which is local and all around us. A top ten hit out of the park!

Breathless simplicity underlies Rob’s stunning image of a Stag as it dominates the hillside in the Scottish Highlands. The framing and exposure of his subject silhouetted on the ridge line, together with the use of negative space is a masterful tour de force in composition. Rob’s conversion to monochrome in post particularly lends itself well here to the overall sense of foreboding as the darkening clouds sweep into frame. A storm awaits but the awe, permanence and majesty of the Stag remains resolute, skilfully captured in Rob's timeless image.