Past Judges Tips: Sabine Meyer

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What makes a winning nature or bird photograph for you?

Bonnie Block took this amazing photo (below) of a Bald Eagle and Great Blue Herons. It won the Grand Prize in the 2016 Audubon Photography Awards. To me, it perfectly illustrates a decisive moment and turns a high-octane clash into a visual ballet. Power and grace come together in an intimate face-off: we lock eyes with the Bald Eagle and are drawn into the altercation. Her photograph is as vivid as it is arresting. For a split second, chaos becomes still. It also illustrates two major tenets of ethical bird photography: patience to wait to get the shot just right and knowledge of both species’ behaviour.

What key advice can you offer to entrants?

Learn about the behaviour of the bird species you set out to photograph. Patience is key, and respect for birds and their habitats must come before that perfect shot.