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ANIMALS
WINNER STEVE NICHOLLS
Steve Nicholls describes bird photography as a way to capture and share fleeting moments in the natural world with his two children.
He says his current focus is producing compelling photographs where any interesting animal behaviour recorded is secondary to capturing an aesthetically pleasing image. “Focusing firstly on lighting, composition and the natural environment is a medita- tive process which forces me to stop being reactionary and to photograph with intent,” he says.
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PELICAN ON THE DEFENSIVE. As the afternoon came to a close at Woodman Point in Western Australia, this pelican stood alone on a large rock overlooking a small rocky pool. I positioned myself low to make sure the pelican rose completely above the ho- rizon line, and stopped down my lens to bring focus to the industrial buildings on the other side of the bay. With all the elements in place, I had to wait for something interesting to bring the image to life. A small group of seagulls arrived on the scene, and one began harassing the pelican. As the gull flew in the pelican raised its beak to fend it off, and I clicked the shutter.
| 50 | SEPTEMBER 2022 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
I have never seen an image like this before! The decisive moment of
the capture where the two birds appear to be communicating with each other is priceless and humorous. The image quality is superb, allowing a wonderful tonal separation of both birds from the busy sky. Added to this is a perfect focus depth and an appropriate shutter speed that allows just the slightest movement in the gull’s tail feathers. There is nothing I would suggest to improve this image. Mike Langford