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Here are the results of our 2012 Landscape Photo Competition. Thank you to everyone who entered and well done to the talented photographers whose images appear in the final selection below.
A big thank you to Committed Photography for providing the following prizes:
- Winner: 16×24 framed print of your winning shot (estimated value of $250)
- Runners up x 2: 16×24 prints unframed (value of $50 each)
Winner
Our landscape photo contest winner is Lijah Hanley. His incredible image of flowers in front of a stormy sky at sunset almost seemed too good to be real! On investigation we confirmed that the image really is representative of the scene that was in front of the photographer. In order to get all of the elements sharp and correctly exposed, the final image is made up of an exposure blend of two bracketed shots taken from exactly the same spot in quick succession. It is an excellent example of using modern digital techniques to capture a challenging scene. Congratulations Lijah!
Zeus by Lijah Hanley
Zeus by Lijah Hanley
“Balsamroot and lupine flowers watch as violent skies unleash their wrath over the Columbia Hills in Washington state.”
Equipment: Canon 5d Mark 2, Canon 17-40mm
Lijah Hanley – Hi, I’m Lijah Hanley and I am 16 years old. My work was recognized by National Geographic in 2009 and they gave me the amazing opportunity to travel to Peru and the Amazon Jungle with National Geographic photographers Bruce Dale and Amy Toensing. My eyes were opened to a whole new world of opportunities in the world of photography and it’s been my obsession ever since. I hope you enjoy my photos from what I hope to be the beginning of a life-long adventure.
Website: lijahhanley.com
Runners-up
Congratulations to our runners-up, Alamsyah Rauf and Florian Breuer!
Old Bridge by Alamsyah Rauf
Old Bridge by Alamsyah Rauf
“Taken in Indonesia, an old pier that was destroyed”
Equipment: Canon 5d mark 2
Alamsyah Rauf – I am freelance photographer
Quiver Trees by Night by Florian Breuer
Quiver Trees by Night by Florian Breuer
“The warm glow of the distant lights of Keetmanshoop contrasts with the cool of the night sky as the Milky Way arches gracefully over a grove of quiver trees. These trees are actually giant aloes, and grow amongst dolerite boulders in hot and dry conditions. Panoramic stitch of 6 exposures, each at 30s, f/2.8, ISO 3200″
Equipment: Canon 40D, Tokina 11-16mm, Nodal Ninja 3 panoramic head
Florian Breuer – Born in 1977, I am a Mathematician, teaching at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
I have been taking pictures (mostly snapshots of my many travels) since I was a teenager, but have only started photographing more seriously since 2
The third competition in our 2012 photo contest series is now open for entries! The theme is “Wildlife”. We are looking for striking, original and beautiful wildlife photographs that reveal the character or behaviour of the subject. Photographs of animals in captivity are eligible for entry but the circumstances must be disclosed in the caption. Photos of pets and domesticated animals may not be entered. For some inspiration, check out the results previous years’ contests: 2009, 2010 & 2011. The deadline for this contest is 30th September 2012.
We have some fantastic prizes on offer including the chance to win a Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR camera (more info).
Prizes
The Canon EOS 60D is designed for photographers who want to take their skills to the next level, offering high performance, a series of creative features, a Vari-angle LCD screen and enhanced ergonomics, this camera empowers photography enthusiasts to capture outstanding stills and Full High Definition (HD) video for unique, creative results. The EOS 60D has an incredible feature set including an 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, a Vari-angle 7.7cm 3:2 ratio LCD, Full HD movies, ISO 100-6400 (H:12800), 5.3fps shooting for up to 58 JPEGs, 9-point cross type AF System and more!
We also have the following additional prizes kindly donated by Committed Photography:
- Winner: 16×24 framed print of your winning shot (estimated value of $250)
- Runners up x 2: 16×24 prints unframed (value of $50 each)
Rules
- The contest theme is Wildlife. Photographs of animals in captivity are eligible for entry but the circumstances must be disclosed in the caption. Photos of pets and domesticated animals may not be entered.
- This competition is open to participants worldwide.
- There is no entry fee.
- You must be the photographer and owner of the copyright for any image entered.
- Entrants can submit a maximum of three images to this contest.
- Please keep digital manipulation such as cloning and compositing to a minimum; your photograph should faithfully represent the scene as you saw it. HDR images and stitched panoramas are allowed.
- Submitted images should be 1024 pixels along the long edge and less than 800kb in size.
- Please do not include a border.
- A subtle watermark may be included but it must not detract from the image.
- You will retain copyright of your entries at all times and will always be credited alongside your picture.
- By entering this competition, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display your photograph in connection with this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- We may allow other websites to display a selection of the winning/highly commended images in order to publicise the results of this contest. Photographers will always be credited
Here are the results of our 2012 Pet Photo Competition. Thank you to everyone who entered and well done to the talented photographers whose images appear in the final selection below.
A big thank you to Committed Photography for providing the following prizes:
- Winner: 16×24 framed print of your winning shot (estimated value of $250)
- Runners up x 2: 16×24 prints unframed (value of $50 each)
Winner
Our pet photo contest winner is Donfer Lu, congratulations!
Fly me out of the City by Donfer Lu
“In Taiwan Taipei city, the pressures of life are too heavy. This photo show a French Bulldog hope she fly like her Pigeon friends “
Equipment: Nikon
Donfer Lu – I am a pet photographer from Taiwan. and I have 4 dog girls, I love them. They are the sweetest babies in the world.
Website: dtouchphotography.blogspot.com
Runners-up
Congratulations to our runners-up, Hanne Grønnestad and Heather Buckley!
Let’s Dance To Joy Division by Hanne Grønnestad
Let’s Dance To Joy Division by Hanne Grønnestad
“Photo is taken by Mr. Selftimer, and the models are myself and my rabbit, Pelle. “
Equipment: Canon 450D
Hanne Grønnestad – I am a 19 year old girl from Kopervik, a small town in Western Norway. Presently, I am a senior high school student where I study natural sciences. After graduation I plan to study photography in Norway for a year.
In my spare time I like to photograph, mostly portraits, landscapes and animals. When I am not busy photographing, I like to be in activity and do sports such as running, swimming, climbing and playing tennis.
Furthermore, whenever I have time and money I like to travel to see new exciting places, often where there is an opportunity for good photography locations.
My photography interest started when I was fifteen years old, and received my reflex camera. I started from basics, taking pictures of flowers for example. I developed my knowledge through self -study and with help from friends who volunteered as models. I like when the pictures tell a story, and explain more than meets the eye.
Website: Flickr
Filby at the Park by Heather Buckley
Filby at the Park by Heather Buckley
“Shadow Play”
Equipment: panasonic GH2
Heather Buckley – Been taking pictures for quite a few years now, do not take pictures commercially but just for the love of it.
Website: www.heatherbuckley.co.uk
Highly Commended Images
Our highly commended images are fantastic shots that illustrate the amaz
The second competition in our 2012 photo contest series is now open for entries! The theme is “Landscapes”. We are looking for striking, original and beautiful landscape photographs taken anywhere in the world. For some inspiration, checkout the results of last year’s Landscape Photo Contest. The deadline for this contest is 30th June 2012.
We have some fantastic prizes on offer including the chance to win a Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR camera (more info).
Prizes
The Canon EOS 60D is designed for photographers who want to take their skills to the next level, offering high performance, a series of creative features, a Vari-angle LCD screen and enhanced ergonomics, this camera empowers photography enthusiasts to capture outstanding stills and Full High Definition (HD) video for unique, creative results. The EOS 60D has an incredible feature set including an 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, a Vari-angle 7.7cm 3:2 ratio LCD, Full HD movies, ISO 100-6400 (H:12800), 5.3fps shooting for up to 58 JPEGs, 9-point cross type AF System and more!
We also have the following additional prizes kindly donated by Committed Photography:
- Winner: 16×24 framed print of your winning shot (estimated value of $250)
- Runners up x 2: 16×24 prints unframed (value of $50 each)
Rules
- The contest theme is Landscapes.
- This competition is open to participants worldwide.
- There is no entry fee.
- You must be the photographer and owner of the copyright for any image entered.
- Entrants can submit a maximum of three images to this contest.
- Please keep digital manipulation such as cloning and compositing to a minimum; your photograph should faithfully represent the scene as you saw it. HDR images and stitched panoramas are allowed.
- Submitted images should be 1024 pixels along the long edge and less than 800kb in size.
- Please do not include a border.
- A subtle watermark may be included but it must not detract from the image.
- You will retain copyright of your entries at all times and will always be credited alongside your picture.
- By entering this competition, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display your photograph in connection with this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- We may allow other websites to display a selection of the winning/highly commended images in order to publicise the results of this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- Under no-circumstance will we use submitted images for commercial gain unless it has been agreed on a case by case basis with the photographer.
- Please note that entries are kept private (i.e. you cannot browse the other submissions).
- The deadline for entry is 30th June 2012.
- Winners will be announced by 31st July 2012.
» Click here to Enter this Contest «
In 2009 we embarked on a project to take close-up, wide-angle photographs of African animals. To accomplish this we created BeetleCam, a small remote control buggy with a DSLR camera mounted on top. Filled with trepidation, we boarded a plane bound for Tanzania. We had little idea what to expect… would BeetleCam survive?
It was a trip of mixed fortunes; BeetleCam took some fantastic photographs of elephants and buffalo but early on it was mauled and our camera destroyed by a lion. BeetleCam limped on with a replacement camera but we steered well clear of lions thereafter.
On returning home our BeetleCam images were a big hit; they were splashed all over the Internet, appeared in print around the world and BeetleCam even made some TV appearances. However, we didn’t feel entirely satisfied… just imagine what we could get with a lion-proof BeetleCam!
Well, last summer we returned to Africa. Our targets? The legendary lions of Kenya’s Masai Mara!
We had with us two BeetleCams. The first was an armoured version of the original BeetleCam, equipped with a Canon 550D. The second was a more advanced model, boasting a live video feed, HD movie recording and a Canon 1Ds MK III. We imaginatively named the more advanced buggy “BeetleCam Mark II”.
On the morning of our first day in Kenya, we were understandably nervous as we tentatively deployed BeetleCam and trundled it towards one of the largest males lions I have ever seen. The buggy looked tiny and insignificant as it approached the ferocious-looking beast. We had visions of the lion’s huge paw shattering the diminutive vehicle with a single swipe.
We edged the buggy forward and the lion considered it sedately. We inched closer and closer until it was within touching distance. Our nervousness turned to elation as we snapped away. Perhaps these cats weren’t so bad after all! Maybe we had just been unlucky in Tanzania? We retrieved the camera and gawked in awe at the incredible lion portraits that we had captured.
Day two continued much the same way as day one, with BeetleCam tentatively edging around huge docile lions, taking photographs that we never dreamed would be possible. It was going so well we that forgot the le
If the video does not appear below, watch it on Vimeo: BeetleCam is Back Teaser
BeetleCam is a remote control buggy with a DSLR camera mounted on top. I created the first BeetleCam in 2009 in order to take close-up, wide-angle photographs of dangerous African animals. You can find out more about the initial project in The Adventures of BeetleCam.
We will soon be releasing the next project instalment in which BeetleCam takes on the lions of the Masai Mara! As you can see from the teaser video, it was an eventful trip! We managed to get some incredible photographs and video footage which we will soon be publishing on Burrard-Lucas.com. If you would like to be notified when this happens, please subscribe to our free email newsletter. You can also subscribe via RSS or follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
Here are the results of our 2011 Travel Photo Competition. This was another strong year so the task of judging the entries was not easy! Thank you to everyone who entered and well done to the talented photographers whose images appear in the final selection below.
Winner
Our travel photo contest winner is Pansiri Pikunkaew, congratulations Pansiri!
Loi Kra Tong Festival in Thailand by Pansiri Pikunkaew
“Buddhist novice light the lanterns in Wat Pan Tao Chiang mai province thailand.”
Equipment: Canon EOS 7D
Runners-up
Congratulations to our runners-up, Chan Kwok Hung and Becky Kagan Schott!
Buffalo Race by Chan Kwok Hung
“This photo was taken in West Sumatra of Indonesia, farmers will held the buffalo race at the muddy rice fields and usually before the farming season, they believe will be lucky if their buffalo win the race. The event is the time for celebration for the rice farming folks in this farming community but no any prize, the jockey ride a pair of buffalo while holding their tail,they will bite the cow’s tail if they want the cow run faster!”
Equipment: Canon 1D MarkIII ,Canon 100-400
Chan Kwok Hung – I want to convey the good side and dark side of our living world. People’s expressions and emotions appeal to me – they are an important part of the picture.
Dolphin Dance by Becky Kagan Schott
“There is nothing more amazing than having an interaction with a wild animal! This pod of wild dolphins became interested in our group and twirled, played and danced with freedivers!”
Equipment: Nikon D700, 14-24mm lens, Aquatica housing
Becky Kagan Schott – Becky is a professional underwater videographer, photographer, 3D cameraman and technical diver. Her work has been Emmy Nominated and she’s worked on documentaries for National Geographic, Discovery Science, and currently works with leading edge underwater video technology at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. With them she’s documented famous wrecks including the USS Monitor, the U-869, and the 2010 Titanic Expedition. As a cameraman her projects have taken her all over the globe documenting historic wrecks in Truk Lagoon, Japan, and the Great Lakes. She’s also shot stunning video of marine life including Humpback whales, Wild Dolphins and Great White Sharks-cageless. She has 17 years of dive experience logging thousands of hours underwater. Becky is a NAUI Instructor, and holds certifications in Cave diving, Trimix, and several Rebreathers. She has always been attracted to water, but her curiosity about what lay beneath the waves became an obsession from a young age, she always knew documenting the underwater world is what she wanted to do. Becky and her husband David live in Philadelphia and own Liquid Productions, LLC, a video production company specializing in High Definition video, 3D video, and digital still photography both above and below the surfa
The first competition in our 2012 photo contest series is now open for entries! The theme is “Pets”. We are looking for striking and original photographs of your beloved dogs, cats and other pets. For some inspiration, checkout the results of last year’s Pet Photo Contest. The deadline for this contest is 31st March 2012.
We have some fantastic prizes on offer including the chance to win a Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR camera (more info).
Prizes
The Canon EOS 60D is designed for photographers who want to take their skills to the next level, offering high performance, a series of creative features, a Vari-angle LCD screen and enhanced ergonomics, this camera empowers photography enthusiasts to capture outstanding stills and Full High Definition (HD) video for unique, creative results. The EOS 60D has an incredible feature set including an 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, a Vari-angle 7.7cm 3:2 ratio LCD, Full HD movies, ISO 100-6400 (H:12800), 5.3fps shooting for up to 58 JPEGs, 9-point cross type AF System and more!
We also have the following additional prizes from Amazon.com:
- Winner: $100 Amazon Gift Voucher
- Runners up x 2: $25 Amazon Gift Voucher
Rules
- The contest theme is Pets.
- This competition is open to participants worldwide.
- There is no entry fee.
- You must be the photographer and owner of the copyright for any image entered.
- Entrants can submit a maximum of three images to this contest.
- Please keep digital manipulation such as cloning and compositing to a minimum; your photograph should faithfully represent the scene as you saw it. HDR images and stitched panoramas are allowed.
- Submitted images should be 1024 pixels along the long edge and less than 800kb in size.
- Please do not include a border.
- A subtle watermark may be included but it must not detract from the image.
- You will retain copyright of your entries at all times and will always be credited alongside your picture.
- By entering this competition, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display your photograph in connection with this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- We may allow other websites to display a selection of the winning/highly commended images in order to publicise the results of this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- Under no-circumstance will we use submitted images for commercial gain unless it has been agreed on a case by case basis with the photographer.
- Please note that entries are kept private (i.e. you cannot browse the other submissions).
- The deadline for entry is 31st March 2012.
» Click here to Enter this Contest «
To receive notification when the winners are announced, and to find out about future contests, please subscribe to our free newsletter. You can either subscribe by email or via RSS.
Happy holidays everyone! It is hard to believe another year is almost over!
2011 flew by and was an eventful year for Burrard-Lucas Photography. For me there were some truly memorable and humbling experiences such as coming face to face with a wild giant panda in China and being confronted by the legendary Komodo dragon in Indonesia. In this post I have provided a summary of some year’s most significant developments and a brief teaser for things to come in 2012.
Community
2011 saw the emergence of a new social network, Google+. I tested out the platform early on and quickly discovered it was great for sharing photos! The network has become very popular and it is now an essential venue for me. If you would like to receive the latest Burrard-Lucas news and images then please “Circle” me on Google+.
The year also saw our community on Facebook go from strength to strength. If you would like to view our latest work on Facebook, please “Like” our page.
Twitter continues to be my favorite venue for networking and sharing ideas… follow @willbl to connect with me and join the conversation!
Finally, our photo contest series continues to thrive, with the standard of photography better than ever. Our Pet, Landscape and Wildlife contest attracted some stunning entries. Our Travel photo contest is still open, so enter now for a chance to win our grand prize for 2011, a Canon EOS 60D! We will be running another contest series next year so subscribe to our newsletter if you would like to find out when each contest opens for entries.
Competitions
We were honored to be recognized in three major competitions in 2011. Perhaps the achievement we were most proud of was receiving our first award for video; our short film “Migration” won the Moving Image Award in the Sony World Photography Awards. The awards ceremony was a red carpet event at the Odeon, Leicester Square in London. It was a fantastic experience and we are looking forward to further experimenting with video in the future.
We also had three highly commended images in the Nature’s Best Winland Smith Rice International Awards; Orangutan Fountain,
Here are the results of our 2011 Wildlife Photo Competition. This was another strong year so the task of judging the entries was not easy! Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to the talented photographers whose images appear in the final selection below.
Winner
Our wildlife photo contest winner is Arun Kumar from India, congratulations! Arun’s photograph of a red-whiskered bulbul feeding berries to its chicks has it all; it is sharp, vibrant and well composed, it shows interesting behaviour and it’s cute! Well done Arun!
Red-whiskered Bulbul Family by Arun Kumar N.K.
“Red-whiskered bulbul feeding young ones with white fruit.”
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Equipment: Canon 40D with Canon 300mm f/2.8 lens
Arun Kumar N.K. – Hobby photographer who loves nature, animals, insects. I started photography in the year 2001. I use a Canon 40D with 300mm 2.8 lens.
Website: arunswildlife.com
Runners-up
Congratulations to our runners-up, Fabien Michenet and Alamsyah Rauf. Fabien’s image of a young humpback whale is spectacular; it really illustrates the power and playfulness of these ocean giants. Alamsyah’s image of ants working together to reach a flower is a fascinating example of team work in the insect world.
Humpback Whale Diving by Fabien Michenet
“I observed this young whale, probably just a few weeks old, for quite some time. My presence in the water seemed to be an interesting distraction.
It was as though the calf wanted to play and show-off its agility (all the while being careful not to harm me despite being just a baby and rather imposing).
He did a few acrobatic movements, including this dive under the surface of the ocean that I photographed here.”
Location: Tahiti – French Polynesia
Equipment: Canon EOS 5d mk2 – 15mm Fisheye – Ikelite Housing
Cooperation by Alamsyah Rauf
“Ants photographed in my garden”
Location: Indonesia
Equipment: Canon 5D mark 2
Alamsyah Rauf – I am a freelance photographer.
Highly Commended Images
Our highly commended images are fantastic shots that illustrate the amazing variety of entries we received. Congratulations to everyone who made it onto this list!
Red Deer at Dawn by Andrew Whitmarsh
“I went to Richmond Park early one weekend to take photos of the red deer rut. Unusually warm weather led to amazing conditions, with the light of the rising sun scattered by
I am excited to announce that I will be leading two incredible photo tours in 2012… in July I will be taking a group to the Pantanal in Brazil and in October-November I will be taking a group around Madagascar (see below for an overview of each trip). To run the tours, I have partnered with Steppes Discovery, a fantastic UK travel company that prides itself on organising ethical wildlife holidays.
Both trips have been specifically designed with photographers in mind and all levels of photographic ability are welcome. If you are looking to improve your photographic skills, I will be on hand to provide expert tuition and give you helpful hints and tips. If you are already a proficient photographer, this is your chance to travel with a group of like-minded people, and of course to take some fantastic photographs. During the trips I will try to impart as much of my knowledge as possible… I will be happy to critique images and discuss anything from gear to photographic techniques and online marketing to Photoshop.
The Pantanal: Monday 2nd July – Tuesday 10th July 2012
£2,995 per person in twin share accommodation.
The Pantanal is a vast wetland area, most of which lies in Brazil. It is the world’s largest wetland and a renowned wildlife hotspot. The landscape is open and this makes it possible to see creatures that are usually very hard to find in the dense rainforest that covers much of South America – this includes animals such as jaguars, giant anteaters and tapirs. Everywhere you look you will also find caimans which provide a wealth of photographic opportunities. Finally, the Pantanal is famed for its incredible diversity of bird species.
I have been to the Pantanal three times and I have seen and photographed many of the unique species that can be found there. I now invite you to join my Pantanal photo tour so that you can experience and explore this unique ecosystem for yourself.
Earlier this year I spent eight days tracking Giant Pandas in the Qinling Mountains of Central China. This is one of the few remaining places where Giant Pandas exist in the wild. Due to habitat loss and human encroachment, pandas have been pushed into extremely remote and inaccessible parts of China.
I was well aware that finding a wild panda in these thickly forested areas was not going to be easy… in the past, people have spent weeks searching for them without success. I therefore adopted the attitude that I would enjoy the spectacular trekking and it would be a bonus if I glimpsed a panda!
I soon discovered that wild panda tracking is exceedingly hard work; scrambling up ridge after ridge, fighting through bamboo thickets and boulder-hopping across rivers. I was soon covered in scratches and aching all over! I was led by an expert local tracker who would promptly declare “no panda here” every time we reached a new valley. He explained that he was looking for signs such as fresh droppings or recently chewed bamboo stems. He was also listening out for the unmistakable crunching sounds made by a panda eating bamboo.
One day started with a grueling climb up a brutal incline to the top of a ridge. The gradient was so steep, and the earth underfoot so slippery, that the only way to climb was to grab hold of branches and haul myself (and my 15kgs of camera gear) upwards! As I approached the top of the ridge, my heart skipped a beat as I heard a snap come from the thick bamboo forest below… there could be no doubt that a panda was down there somewhere.
The tracker and I approached the noisy panda but it heard us and careered down the slope at an incredible speed. I returned to the ridge dejected – despite being less than 10 metres away, all I had seen was thrashing bamboo stems rippling down the mountain. Then to my shock and amazement we saw a white head and two black ears just 20 metres down the other side of the ridge; there was a second panda sitting there, chomping on bamboo! I felt a tremendous rush of emotion… relief that the effort I had gone to reach this remote part of China had not been in vain; privileged that this iconic and endangered animal was sitting in front of me; and awe at the beauty of it.
The fourth and final competition in our 2011 photo contest series is now open for entries. The theme is “travel”. We are looking for interesting and striking travel photographs. You are not limited to any subject matter in particular; travel photography can portray many things including an area’s people, cultures, customs, history or landscape. For some inspiration, checkout our travel galleries. The deadline for this contest is 31st December 2011.
We have some fantastic prizes on offer including the chance to win the new Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR camera (more info).
Prizes
The new Canon EOS 60D is designed for photographers who want to take their skills to the next level, offering high performance, a series of creative features, a Vari-angle LCD screen and enhanced ergonomics, this camera empowers photography enthusiasts to capture outstanding stills and Full High Definition (HD) video for unique, creative results. The EOS 60D has an incredible feature set including an 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, a Vari-angle 7.7cm 3:2 ratio LCD, Full HD movies, ISO 100-6400 (H:12800), 5.3fps shooting for up to 58 JPEGs, 9-point cross type AF System and more!
We also have the following additional prizes from Amazon.com:
- Winner: $100 Amazon Gift Voucher
- Runners up x 2: $25 Amazon Gift Voucher
Rules
- The contest theme is Travel.
- This competition is open to participants worldwide.
- There is no entry fee.
- You must be the photographer and owner of the copyright for any image entered.
- Entrants can submit a maximum of three images to this contest.
- Please keep digital manipulation such as cloning and compositing to a minimum; your photograph should faithfully represent the scene as you saw it. HDR images and stitched panoramas are allowed.
- Submitted images should be 1024 pixels along the long edge and less than 800kb in size.
- Please do not include a border.
- A subtle watermark may be included but it must not detract from the image.
- You will retain copyright of your entries at all times and will always be credited alongside your picture.
- By entering this competition, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display your photograph in connection with this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- We may allow other websites to display a selection of the winning/highly commended images in order to publicise the results of this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- Under no-circumstance will we use submitted images for commercial gain unless it has been agreed on a case by case basis with the photographer.
- Please note that entries are kept private (i.e. you cannot browse the other submissions).
- The deadline for entry is 31st December 2011.
» Click here to Enter this Contest «
To receive notification when the winners are announced, and to find out about future contests, please subscribe to our free newsletter. You can either subscribe by email or via RSS.
Few places feel as remote and wild as the Australian island of Tasmania; mile upon mile of sandy beaches and jagged rocks stretch for as far as the eye can see, whilst ancient forests full of giant ferns cover much of the interior. The island is frequently battered by stormy seas and howling winds from the Southern Ocean and as a result Tasmanian weather is unpredictable at best! As you look out over the vast ocean, without another human being in sight, it really does feel like you’re standing on a distant corner of the Earth.
At the end of last year, Will and I visited the north-west coast of Tasmania. The landscape was full of scrubby bushes and grassland, which on first inspection, didn’t seem like a very hospitable environment for wildlife. However, as night drew closer the area was teeming with animals including wallabies, wombats and of course Tasmanian devils – it was the devils that we had come to photograph.
At one time, Tasmanian devils used to live all over mainland Australia until they became extinct there around 3,000 years ago. Since this time, Tasmania has remained the only stronghold for these ferocious little marsupials. Tassie devils are about the size of a small dog, with a stocky build and an incredibly strong bite. In fact, it has the strongest bite for its weight of any living mammal! The unusual name stems from the horrendous screeching sounds that they make at night.
For Tasmanian devils, one of the main causes of population decline is vehicle collisions. Driving at night in Tasmania is a stressful and slow experience – animals constantly hop out in front of your car without warning, startled by the headlights. Unfortunately devils are drawn towards the roads, where they feed on the dead animals that litter the tarmac. As a result, the devils often end up getting hit themselves.
One man who lives in north-west Tasmania is trying to give the devils in his area a helping hand. Geoff
Here are the results of our 2011 Landscape Photo Competition. With around 6,500 entries, judging this contest was another difficult task! The standard of images entered was better than ever and we enjoyed exploring the world through your pictures. Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to all of the fantastic photographers who have made it into the final selection below.
Winner
Our Landscape Photo Contest Winner is Terry Dolle, well done! His photograph shows the spectacular winter ice formations at Niagara Falls and transports the viewer to a surreal and other-worldly place. The people at the bottom of the shot provide a sense scale and the spray from the waterfall adds an ethereal quality. Congratulations to Terry for capturing a very interesting, original and striking landscape photograph.
Beached Ice Whale by Terry Dolle
“When the winter ice melts at the base of Niagara Falls some absolutely stunning formations are created. Here the ice resembles a beached whale. At the bottom-center of the photo are people wearing red raincoats.”
Equipment: Canon 40D
Terry Dolle – Photo Locations: Canada, USA, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Portugal, UK, Greece, Germany, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and China.
Guest Speaker for one class, Niagara School of Imaging, Brock University, St. Catharines ON Canada, “How to Make a Living as a Nature Photographer” Aug 2010.
Website: www.agoginc.com
Runners-up
Congratulations to our runners-up, Krzysztof Browko and Chan Kwok Hun. Krzysztof Browko’s striking image of six green trees in a golden field is beautifully composed with lovely colours and wonderful light. Chan Kwok Hun’s photograph transports us to an exotic, faraway place. The placement of the fishermen and the splash of the net as it hits the water complete the image perfectly.
Six… by Krzysztof Browko
“Agricultural areas, fields, South Moravia”
Equipment: canon 5d+canon 100-400
Krzysztof Browko – I’m 38 and I live in Opole although I come from completely different part of Poland. I make my living as an IT specialist. Photography is my passion which helps me not only to break from daily routine but also to stop and notice things that we sometimes miss in everyday life.
Website: browko-photography.pl
YingXi by Chan Kwok Hun
“Taken in YingXi of China, a fisherman fish in afternoon.”
Equipment: Canon 1D Mark3
Chan Kwok Hung – I want to convey the good side and dark side of our living world. People’s expressions and emotions appeal to me and they are an important part of the picture.
Highly Commended Images
Our highly commended images are fantastic shots that illustrate the amazing variety of entries we received. Congratulations to everyone who made it onto this list!
The third competition in our 2011 photo contest series is now open for entries. The theme is “wildlife”. We are looking for original and striking photographs of wild animals; it helps if you can capture the creature’s character or an interesting aspect of their behaviour in your shots. Photographs of animals in captivity are eligible for entry but the circumstances must be disclosed in the caption. Photos of pets and domesticated animals may not be entered. The deadline for this contest is 15th October 2011.
We have some fantastic prizes on offer including the chance to win the new Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR camera (more info).
Prizes
The new Canon EOS 60D is designed for photographers who want to take their skills to the next level, offering high performance, a series of creative features, a Vari-angle LCD screen and enhanced ergonomics, this camera empowers photography enthusiasts to capture outstanding stills and Full High Definition (HD) video for unique, creative results. The EOS 60D has an incredible feature set including an 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, a Vari-angle 7.7cm 3:2 ratio LCD, Full HD movies, ISO 100-6400 (H:12800), 5.3fps shooting for up to 58 JPEGs, 9-point cross type AF System and more!
We also have the following additional prizes from Amazon.com:
- Winner: $100 Amazon Gift Voucher
- Runners up x 2: $25 Amazon Gift Voucher
Rules
- The contest theme is Wildlife.
- This competition is open to participants worldwide.
- There is no entry fee.
- You must be the photographer and owner of the copyright for any image entered.
- Entrants can submit a maximum of three images to this contest.
- Please keep digital manipulation such as cloning and compositing to a minimum; your photograph should faithfully represent the scene as you saw it.
- Submitted images should be 1024 pixels along the long edge and less than 800kb in size.
- Please do not include a border.
- A subtle watermark may be included but it must not detract from the image.
- You will retain copyright of your entries at all times and will always be credited alongside your picture.
- By entering this competition, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display your photograph in connection with this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- We may allow other websites to display a selection of the winning/highly commended images in order to publicise the results of this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- Under no-circumstance will we use submitted images for commercial gain unless it has been agreed on a case by case basis with the photographer.
- Please note that entries are kept private (i.e. you cannot browse the other submissions).
- The deadline for entry is 15th October 2011.
» Click here to Enter this Contest «
To receive notification when the winners are announced, and to find out about future contests, please subscribe to our free newsletter. You can either subscribe by email or via RSS.
After visiting the fearsome dragons of Komodo Island, I headed to the island of Bohol in the Philippines, in search of a creature with a considerably cuter complexion – the Philippine Tarsier. The contrast couldn’t have been more extreme; within moments of laying eyes on my first tarsier, I had concluded that this was probably the world’s cutest animal!
The Philippine tarsier is one of the smallest primates, with a body length of around 10cm. Their enormous eyes are their most distinguishing feature; they actually have the largest eye-to-body size ratio of any mammal! A tarsier’s eyes are so large that they cannot swivel in its skull… instead the animal has to turn its head to face whatever it is looking at. Since tarsiers are nocturnal, their massive eyes give them excellent night vision.
Their innocent demeanor belies that fact that these animals are consummate predators. In fact, tarsiers are the only entirely carnivorous primates on earth. I was actually taken aback by just how veracious these little predators are…
As I was photographing one of the lethargic bundles of fur, a large, juicy katydid (an insect resembling a grasshopper) appeared. The tarsier’s huge ears instantly swiveled towards it, like two satellite dishes locking in on a signal. It then slowly and deliberately turned its head to face its unsuspecting quarry. After a pause of a second or two, the tarsier exploded, leaping two meters through the air to land squarely on top of the insect. In an instant, the tarsier had dispatched its victim by biting its head off. It then proceeded to chomp through the katydid’s fat body, eating everything but the wings. I thought this hardly seemed to be appropriate behavior for the world’s cutest creature!
I recently spent three days traveling around the Indonesian islands of Komodo and Rinca, photographing the legendary Komodo dragons.
Preparation for the trip commenced several weeks earlier, as I attempted to devise an effective and safe way of getting wide-angle, close-up shots of these notoriously dangerous creatures. I would not have time to set-up camera traps, and I didn’t have enough room to take BeetleCam, so I came up with something a little more basic!
I mounted my camera on top of two wheels (generously donated by my computer chair) and then attached this to a monopod so that I could push the rig up to the dragons. I figured this would give me a 2 meter head-start if one of them decided I looked like lunch! I named my new contraption “KomodoCam”!
Reaching Komodo Island was an epic undertaking… I had to fly to Singapore, then Bali, then the island of Flores, before taking a boat to Komodo Island and Rinca Island. Komodo dragons only live on few isolated islands in this part of Indonesia.
It is hard to describe the excitement and trepidation I felt as the foreboding volcanic peaks of Komodo Island loomed up in front of me. The island was shrouded in ominous dark clouds and even the sea seemed to have turned black. It really felt like a land lost in time.
My first sighting of a Komodo dragon came shortly after venturing off the boat. I was taken aback by the size of the beast! Komodo dragons can grow up to 3 metres in length and can weigh well over 70kg! This individual was lying in the shade. Being cold-blooded, the dragons are caught in a constant thermal juggling act; in the mornings they must find sunlight in order to warm up, but later in the day they must retreat to the shade before their bodies heat up too much.
Despite their size, the dragons are surprisingly well camouflaged… in fact, they often rely on their camouflage to ambush prey such as wild pigs (below left), deer (below right) and water buffalo. When suitable prey approaches, the dragon will suddenly charge, sometimes at speeds in excess of 20km per hour, and lunge at the throat or underside of the animal. For larger prey such as buffalo, the dragon will deliver a bite that is not aimed to kill immediately. Instead, the saliva of the dragon is like a petri dish of virulent bacteria which rapidly infects the animal, resulting in a protracted and painful death.
We would like to introduce you to a cool new photo sharing service called 500px and let you know how you can win one of 10 upgraded accounts worth $50 each! Read on for details…
What is 500px?
500px is a photo sharing service that has really exploded in popularity recently. Part of the reason for this is the freakishly high standard of photographs that can be found in the galleries! This is a side-effect of 500px being a breath of fresh air that has lured many of the web’s best photographers away from more established alternatives.
The site is free to join and allows you to upload up to 20 photos per week. It encourages you to share only your best shots. The overall site design is attractive and shows off the pictures beautifully (you can see ours here: Will & Matt Burrard-Lucas). There is a good community of people already on 500px and I have been impressed with the number of views and comments my photos have been receiving.
The site has a decent ranking system that gives each photograph a score between 0 and 100. It is rather addictive because you can watch your score climb with every “like”! If a picture’s score is high enough, it will get promoted to the Popular page, resulting in a ton of exposure and comments.
However, for me the best thing about 500px is the responsive team of people who are working tirelessly to improve the site (I have noticed a few incremental improvements even in the short time that I have been using it). If you contact them for any reason you will usually get a rapid response.
Awesome Accounts
Upgrading to an Awesome account will cost you $50 and gives you a couple of handy benefits:
- You can upload an unlimited number of photos without the weekly limit.
- You receive a premium portfolio… this is basically a standalone website that displays the photos you have uploaded to 500px. There are several very attractive portfolio designs to choose from. What’s cool is you can set a custom domain name, making this a great way to build your own website if you don’t already have one. You can see our portfolio here: http://wildlife.500px.com/
Giveaway: Win One of 10 Awesome Accounts!
The kind people over at 500px have generously donated $500 worth of Awesome accounts for us to give away to you, our blog subscribers and facebook fans!
All you have to do to become eligible for this draw is complete two simple steps:
- Sign up for a free 500px account here: http://500px.com/signup
- Login and start following our account: Will & Matt Burrard-Lucas
The deadline is 11:59pm (GMT) on Saturday (25th June). After the deadline we will go through our list of followers and select 10 accounts at random to receive a free 1-year Awesome account worth $50!
Once you’ve got your new 500px account and uploaded a few photos, feel free to share a link to it in the comments below. We look forward to seeing your shots!
Join me on the trip of a lifetime to Madagascar!
As many of you know, Madagascar is one of my favourite places on Earth; it is an enchanted island inhabited by strange and exotic creatures. I have partnered with Steppes Travel (an excellent UK-based travel agency) to bring you a fantastic two-week photo tour that takes in some of Madagascar’s highlights.
On this tour we will first visit the towering rainforests of Andasibe-Mantadia in search of the largest of the lemurs, the Indri. We will then travel to the desiccated spiny forests in the south of the country, in order to photograph the iconic ring-tailed lemurs and Verreaux’s sifakas. Finally, we will head to the spectacular Avenue of the Baobabs and Kirindy Reserve in search of creatures such as Madagascar’s largest carnivore, the bizarre Fossa, and the smallest primate on Earth, Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur. Throughout the trip we will have the opportunity to photograph a variety of other lemur species and a spectacular array of birds. We will also be looking to hone our macro skills on a multitude of colourful chameleons and exotic geckos!
This tour has been specifically designed with photographers in mind and all levels of photographic ability are welcome! If you are looking to improve your photograph
Here are the results of our 2011 Pet Photo Contest. With almost 7,000 entries, this was our biggest competition to date! Needless to say, narrowing the field down to the finalists shown below was exceedingly difficult! A big thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to the winners!
Before proceeding, we would like to thank our terrific sponsors, Lensbaby, who generously donated some of the prizes. The winner and two runners-up will receive prizes as described on this page.
Winner
Our Pet Photo Contest Winner is mrgetz, well done! This image really stood out to us, even amidst strong competition. The excellent composition, original perspective and eye-catching colours all combine to create an incredible photograph. Above all, mrgetz has managed to convey the playful character of the dog, which is what we all value so highly in our pets. Congratulations!
Gimme The Ball, Gimme The Ball! by mrgetz
“Montana (the Dog) wants her ball back now!”
Equipment: Nikon D1X
mrgetz – Spent my life imaging.
Website: mrgetz.com
Runners-up
How often do you wonder what your pets get up to when you go out? Svetlana’s shot of two cats alone at home spying out the window is full of humour and plays to the curious nature of cats. Once again, the personality of the subject gives this photo its strong appeal.
Our second runner up is Emily Lodigensky. What makes Emily’s image so special is its portrayal of the connection between human and pet, to the extent that there seems to be a mutual fascination between them. The high contrast and shallow depth of field create a wonderful homely atmosphere.
Alone at Home by Svetlana Batura
“What do cats do when they stay alone at home?”
Equipment: Canon
Unusual Friends by Emily Lodigensky
“I was shooting a portrait session for my friends family of four, and miss Selah was quite taken with Rhett the fish, my studio-mates fish. There is no photo-manipulation involved beyond color filters and paint brushes, truly that fish and Selah were friends for the briefest of moments.”
Equipment: Canon MarkII 1ds
Emily Lodigensky – Co-owner of M/E Photography, located in the arts district of downtown Kansas City.
A BFA in Photography from Kansas City Art Institute.
Studied abroad in Fine Art Analysis at University of Brighton in Brighton, England.
Website: Fadingmovement.com
Highly Commended Images
Our highly commended images are fantastic shots that illustrate the amazing variety of entries we received. Congratulations to everyone who made it onto this list!
The second competition in our 2011 photo contest series is now open for entries. The theme is “Landscapes”. We will be looking for striking, original and beautiful landscape photographs taken anywhere in the world. The deadline for this contest is 31st July 2011.
We have some fantastic prizes on offer including the chance to win the new Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR camera (more info).
Prizes
The new Canon EOS 60D is designed for photographers who want to take their skills to the next level, offering high performance, a series of creative features, a Vari-angle LCD screen and enhanced ergonomics, this camera empowers photography enthusiasts to capture outstanding stills and Full High Definition (HD) video for unique, creative results. The EOS 60D has an incredible feature set including an 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, a Vari-angle 7.7cm 3:2 ratio LCD, Full HD movies, ISO 100-6400 (H:12800), 5.3fps shooting for up to 58 JPEGs, 9-point cross type AF System and more!
We also have the following additional prizes from Amazon.com:
- Winner: $100 Amazon Gift Voucher
- Runners up x 2: $25 Amazon Gift Voucher
Rules
- The contest theme is Landscapes.
- This competition is open to participants worldwide.
- There is no entry fee.
- You must be the photographer and owner of the copyright for any image entered.
- Entrants can submit a maximum of three images to this contest.
- Please keep digital manipulation such as cloning and compositing to a minimum; your photograph should faithfully represent the scene as you saw it.
- Submitted images should be 1024 pixels along the long edge and less than 800kb in size.
- Please do not include a border.
- A subtle watermark may be included but it must not detract from the image.
- You will retain copyright of your entries at all times and will always be credited alongside your picture.
- By entering this competition, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display your photograph in connection with this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- We may allow other websites to display a selection of the winning/highly commended images in order to publicise the results of this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- Under no-circumstance will we use submitted images for commercial gain unless it has been agreed on a case by case basis with the photographer.
- Please note that entries are kept private (i.e. you cannot browse the other submissions).
- The deadline for entry is 31st July 2011.
» Click here to Enter this Contest «
To receive notification when the winners are announced, and to find out about future contests, please subscribe to our free newsletter. You can either subscribe by email or via RSS.
I am excited to announce that I am embarking on a new conservation project to raise awareness and support for the world’s most endangered canine, the Ethiopian wolf. It is estimated that less than 500 wolves remain in the wild today, and this number is falling rapidly. Introduced diseases from domestic dogs, isolation of gene pools and habitat loss to grazing are some of the issues facing the species. Without serious efforts to address these issues, Africa could soon lose its only species of wolf.
On this project I will be collaborating with fellow wildlife photographer, Rebecca Jackrel. During a scouting expedition to Ethiopia, Rebecca took the beautiful photographs that I am using in this post.
The aim of the Ethiopian Wolf Project is to educate and inspire people to take action on behalf of this highly endangered animal. To achieve this, we will spend several weeks in Ethiopia photographing the wolves and documenting the threats to their survival. On our return, we will use our images and experiences to produce lectures, articles, gallery exhibits and more in order to raise awareness and support for the conservation of these wonderful animals.
We need your help to make our vision a reality!
We are relying on community donations to raise the funds necessary to undertake our expedition. For example, we will need help covering the costs of permits and enlisting the services of local guides, trackers and horses. On our return, remaining funds will be used to produce the lecture, gallery and print materials.
In return for your support, we are offering some fantastic rewards! For example, pledge $100 or more any you will receive a signed, limited edition print, a hand-written postcard mailed from Ethiopia and more!
For details of all the rewards on offer and how you can make a donation, please visit our Kickstarter page.
Follow the Project
There are a number of ways that you can follow our progress of this project:
For much more information about the Ethiopian wolf and our project, please visit our new Ethiopian Wolf Project website.
The annual wildebeest migration is well known as one of Africa’s most impressive spectacles. Over 1.5 million wildebeest migrate between the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masai Mara in Kenya, making this the largest mass-movement of land mammals anywhere on Earth. In order to find fresh grazing pastures, the wildebeest are forced to cross the Mara River.
Our trip took place in September, when the wildebeest were beginning to travel south into the Serengeti again. We have put together a simple migration map showing the route and approximate timings of the wildebeest’s 3,000km round trip.
Whenever we cover something that has already been well documented by other photographers, we try to come up with an original way to portray it. The result is the short film below which we hope conveys to you the magnitude and drama of this incredible migration.
This film is a combination of telephoto video clips and wide-angle time-lapse sequences that speed up the motion by around 25 times. Before this, we have never seen a time-lapse of a wildebeest river crossing – perhaps this is the first time it has been done. Among other things, the clips show the wildebeest being pulled downstream by the current and swarming up the far banks of the river.
Of course we also took plenty of photographs of the wildebeest river crossings (there are more than 70 in our wildebeest galleries). Below we have included a few of our favourites.
When the wildebeest reach the banks of the Mara River, they gather in vast herds as they summon up the courage to make the crossing. Eventually, it takes one brave individual to venture into the water and then all the other animals rush to follow. We often spent many frustrating hours waiting for a dithering herd to start crossing!
A couple of the crossings we witness
The first competition in our 2011 photo contest series is now open for entries. The theme is “Pets”. We will be looking for striking and original photographs of your beloved dogs, cats and other pets. The deadline for this contest is 11th May 2011.
Prizes
We have some fantastic prizes on offer including the chance to win the new Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR camera (more info).
The new Canon EOS 60D is designed for photographers who want to take their skills to the next level, offering high performance, a series of creative features, a Vari-angle LCD screen and enhanced ergonomics, this camera empowers photography enthusiasts to capture outstanding stills and Full High Definition (HD) video for unique, creative results. The EOS 60D has an incredible feature set including an 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, a Vari-angle 7.7cm 3:2 ratio LCD, Full HD movies, ISO 100-6400 (H:12800), 5.3fps shooting for up to 58 JPEGs, 9-point cross type AF System and more!
Lensbaby has generously donated the following additional prizes:
The award winning Lensbaby Composer is based on a ball and socket configuration that delivers smooth selective focus photography with unparalleled ease. Photographers simply tilt the lens to a desired angle and then focus with a manual focusing ring. The Composer Portrait Kit includes the Composer with Double Glass Optic, the Soft Focus Optic, the Wide Angle/Telephoto Kit, the Creative Aperture Kit 2 and the System Bag. The Lensbaby Muse captures the spirit of Lensbaby photography, opening up a new realm of fun in focusing. Squeeze the Muse to focus, and bend your Sweet Spot around the photo.
Rules
- The contest theme is Pets.
- This competition is open to participants worldwide, aged 18 or over on the closing date.
- There is no entry fee.
- You must be the photographer and owner of the copyright for any image entered.
- Entrants can submit a maximum of three images to this contest.
- Please keep digital manipulation such as cloning and compositing to a minimum; your photograph should faithfully represent the scene as you saw it.
- Submitted images should be 1024 pixels along the long edge.
- Please do not include a watermark or border.
- You will retain copyright of your entries at all times and will always be credited alongside your picture.
- By entering this competition, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display your photograph in connection with this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- We may allow other websites to display a selection of the winning/highly commended images in order to publicise the results of this contest. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image.
- Under no-circumstance will we use submitted images for commercial gain unless it has been agreed on a case by case basis with the photographer.
- The deadline for entry is 5th January 2011.
» Click here to Enter this Contest «
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