Georgina Steytler
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What do you think makes a winning nature or bird photograph?
Being asked to pick a winning photo is like being asked to choose between Belgian chocolates! My example is a photo by fellow judge Andy Rouse titled Crests of Fire, which is one of my all-time favourite images and one which I frequently show to my workshop participants as an example of taking your image to the next level:
Great Crested Grebes by Andy Rouse
These days birding forums are peppered with lots of great images of Great Crested Grebes, especially courting grebes. But what is the difference between a good image and a fantastic image? Good images tend to be those which are technically perfect and reveal the bird in a literal way. Fantastic images don't show us a bird, they tell us a story and do it in a way that evokes emotion in the viewer. How do they do it? Often the difference between a good and a fantastic image comes down to two things: original composition and use of light to create a sense of drama.
Crests of Fire is a fantastic image because it does those things. When you first see it you go: WOW!
What advice do you have for bird photographers?
How do you get a WOW photo? When out in the field, constantly ask yourself this: how can I use original composition and/or light to take this bird image to a new level? Let your imagination take over from there.
Emu by Georgina Steytler