BBC Wildlife Photographer Options

[sniktawk]

Results are available at the following link

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/tem...roup.do?group=4

I wonder who should get the credit for the remote camera work, the leopard or the camera?

[sniktawk]

Results are available at the following link

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/tem...roup.do?group=4

I wonder who should get the credit for the remote camera work, the leopard or the camera?

[Kavey]

Results are available at the following link

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/tem...roup.do?group=4

I wonder who should get the credit for the remote camera work, the leopard or the camera?

I like the winners very much, both the ovreall and the young.
Remote photography in such conditions is hardly a straightforward thing, I'm sure there is a huge skill involved simply in placing the cameras in suitable locations, keeping them clean and working, the patience and determination to check and service them regularly. I think the photographer absolutely deserves the credit.

[Game Warden]

It's an interesting choice for overall winner - does technique come into play? What are your thoughts? In the past I have been to the exhibition (and may well go this December when in England), and have not agreed with the overall winner, but then I'm not a photographer and not qualified to comment.

BTW well done to Safariguy (Andy Biggs) for winning the Wild Places Category, Andy talks a little more about it on his blog here.

[Kavey]

I have definitely disagreed with overall winner in the past but have usually found the winner in my top 5 or 10.
It's interesting that there are two remote camera snow leopard images in the finalists this year.
I very much like the backlit polar bear shot. Many others too, of course.

[nappa]

Does not a photographer use camera & lens?
Does he not take a thousand shots to discard 999?
Does he not crop & edit?
So I see no difference in using self triggering cameras!

Surly a good photographer makes the most of his equipment within the limitations of his quarry & terrain.

There are a million & one studio shots where the photographer has total control to achieve his perfection luck does not come into it.
But wildlife?
Luck is in every shot! However taken & with whatever equipment!
All have their merit!
IMHO

[deanlewis]

In my humble opinion, there were far better pictures to win the overall competition. The striking thing for me that lets the winner down is composition, the subject is leaving the frame which for me definately marks it down when comparing it to the others.

Dean

www.camerabeanbags.co.uk

[Guest_John Milbank_*]

the subject is leaving the frame which for me definately marks it down when comparing it to the others.

That's a view with some validity, but it's also a common one among photographers that puts technicalities ahead of such realities as an animal's rarity, elusiveness and endangered status. The photo is a fine combination of elements, with the leopard leaving the frame underlining those realities. In another shot, with another animal in different circumstances and setting, yes, such framing would mark it down.

I've never found myself disagreeing with these awards. Photography is such a subjective art, and the judges are no different from the rest of us. The awards are their awards.

One of my favourites in this gallery is the horrifying image of a colobus monkey on a bushmeat fire to remove its fur in Gabon. That's also about reality.

[deanlewis]

One of my favourites in this gallery is the horrifying image of a colobus monkey on a bushmeat fire to remove its fur in Gabon. That's also about reality.

I totally agree, and think this shot would be a worthy winner

[Atravelynn]

I am wondering if the rarity and elusiveness of the subject carried a good deal of weight in the judging. A snow leopard would gain lots of points for elusiveness. There must be no deduction for remote triggers.

[madaboutcheetah]

I think with Photo contests - there is always an element of doubt. For instance, we never know what the judge is looking for in the pic. It appears to be universal that there will always be doubt and debate about the winning pics, as there would be several worthy candidates for the various categories.

I agree with Ken RE camera traps. I'm sure it is extremely difficult and does take a hell of a lot of time and patience .... but, this is a contest on photography, not time spent making the apparatus that captures your image.

However, I'd love to go to Ladakh at some point ........ not that I'm hoping to see any animals there, but, the pics I've seen from my cousin's visit there to the salt pans looked fantastic!!!

[Guest_John Milbank_*]

It's good when photo competition results are a bit controversial, as the BBC awards seem to be at times. It shows that the judges are not hidebound and take a refreshing approach.

[nappa]

In the end it is all down to taste, andI prefer to make up my own mind rather than be told what is good by otheres.

Total agreement here.

[Guest_John Milbank_*]

I think if you wish to see Wildlife Photography at its best you should go to the following site......


Any of these are better than the majority of the winners in the BBC competition.

In the end it is all down to taste, and I prefer to make up my own mind rather than be told what is good by others.

Don't we all

[Kavey]

Ken, all hell was not let loose by the implications that the selections were odd, more your reaction to those who happened to disagree with YOU! The reaction was to your aggressive postings and not actually to the fact that you feel the winner invalid/ unworthy.

I am actually very interested in reading these opinions of those who don't think it's a valid entry/ winner as it's fascinating to see exactly what others feel is and isn't photography, where the skill or art lies and so on.

Hari says: "this is a contest on photography, not time spent making the apparatus that captures your image."

Hari I agree with this sentence completely but for me, it means the opposite! To me it's about the resulting photograph that someone has been able to achieve and not about the equipment and that is precisely why it doesn't bother me whether they pressed the shutter with their own hand or whether they set it to trigger in a different way.

I (genuinely) find it interesting that there are such different opinions on this given that some of what we seem to think is the same, and yet our conclusions are quite different.

Interestingly, there have been past winners I've not been as impressed with but others have admired.

It's bound to happen, as our opinions on this kind of thing are subjective.

[madaboutcheetah]

Kavey,

He did manage to come up with snow leopard photos ....... I think Lynn summed it up in one of her posts saying that atleast he was being honest by talking about the camera traps etc etc., He could have easily come up with a long movie or possibly a book about how he got that photo.

[Kavey]

Ken, the post of yours I found rather pushy was the one where, when I said I had no wish to debate with you (since I merely wanted to express my opinion), you retorted with:

"Those with nothing to say should not enter the debate in the first place!"

I found that rude. I had not expressed my opinion in order to debate with those who held different ones. Just simply to give my view, that was it.

[Kavey]

Kavey,

He did manage to come up with snow leopard photos ....... I think Lynn summed it up on one of her posts saying that atleast he was being honest by talking about the camera traps etc etc., He could have easily come up with a long movie or possibly a book about how he got that photo.

Yes, I think that's a good point, he could certainly have done that.

[madaboutcheetah]

I haven't seen it. Did this guy have anything to do with the filming for Planet Earth? I do remember there was a nice episode somewhere with Snow leopards. It must have been the "Mountains" episode.

[safariguy]

Hari,

Unfortunately I have no idea who did the Planet Earth filming, but I believe it was a BBC team, and not this guy.

Two totally separate and different crews.

[safariguy]

According to the other place there was a "program", about all of the "hard work" of course it was on National Geographic.

I think spending more than 10 months in harsh terrain, setting up camera traps, experimenting with camera settings, angles, etc can be considered hard work. I can only assume that he had assistance with meal preparation and people helping him carry things around from place to place, but I don't we can dismiss Steve's hard work here. It's not like you just cut a check and all hard work goes away.

I admire Steve for his dedication to capture images of an elusive subject, no matter what technology it took to make it happen.