Page 55 - Australian Photography Dec 2020

THE YEAR
Photographer Sergey Gorshkov has been named as this year’s Wildlife Photogra- pher of the Year for his image, The Em- brace, featuring an Amur tigress hug- ging an ancient Manchurian fir in the Russian Far East. Amur, or Siberian, tigers are only found in this region and it took more than 11 months for the Russian photographer to capture this moment with hidden cameras.
Over the next few pages you can see a selec- tion of winning images from this prestigious annual competition, which showcases the world’s finest wildlife photography.
BY THE AP TEAM
Selected from more
than 49,000 entries from around the world, the winners of the 2020 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition have been announced.
GREAT CRESTED SUNRISE
BY JOSE LUIS RUIZ JIMÉNEZ
WINNER: BEHAVIOUR – BIRDS
Up to his chest in water, Jose Luis shot this intimate moment with
a family of great crested grebes. When one parent emerged with damp feathers and a fish, Jose Luis was lucky that not a breath of wind rippled the water. A stripy headed chick stretched out of its sanctuary, open- beaked, to claim the tasty meal.
Grebes are at their most elegant in the breeding season when ornate plumage is used in courting. They build a nest of aquatic plant material, often among reeds at the edge of shallow water. Chicks venture out within just a few hours of hatching, hitching a snug ride on a parent’s back.
Nikon D4S, 600mm f4 lens. 1/800s @ f6.3, ISO 500. Floating hide.
| 55 | DECEMBER 2020 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM