February 28, 2012

Readers’ travel photograph competition: February – nature

You've inundated us with brilliant images for the first readers' photo competition of the year – the fantastic overall prize of a £20,000 trip for two to Antarctica with Quark Expeditions for the best photo of 2012 might have something to do with that! Here are the best images of the month, on the theme of nature. Click through the gallery to see which one our judge Natalie Mayer picked to win a £200 Point101 voucher

Feb 12 Been there comp: Zebras, Tanzania — **Pete Aighton:** We were lucky enough to honeymoon in Tanzania, around the time of the great migration. The sun was setting behind us and a group of zebras ran behind our vehicle and jumped across the road we'd just travelled along. I love the contrast of the black and white against the orange, and the synchronisation of the two zebras. Photograph: Pete Aighton

Feb 12 Been there comp: A bird of prey eats its lunch — **Nathan Davies:** A bird of prey eats its lunch – in seconds. I just had to take a photograph of this stunning, beautiful and powerful bird in Pembrokeshire. I wanted to capture the concentration that the bird exhibited as it quickly ate its last mouthful of a chick. Photograph: Nathan Davies

Feb 12 Been there comp: turtle in the Maldives — **Super Jolly:** While scuba diving in the Maldives I spotted this magnificent hawksbill turtle feeding on some rocks. I took this picture to show my family and friends the beauty that lies beneath the waves. Photograph: Super Jolly

Feb 12 Been there comp: Sleeping pigs — **Alexandra Roberts:** It was the symmetry of these two sleeping pigs at London Zoo that caught my eye initially. And the fact that they looked so peaceful! Photograph: Alexandra Roberts

Feb 12 Been there comp: Shadows over Monument Valley, USA — **Kim King:** Nothing prepared us for the breathtaking scenery of Monument Valley. As the sun was dipping we headed out to the terrace outside the View Hotel, which was John Wayne’s favourite place. As the shadows moved across the buttes I grabbed my camera and got this shot. We were only there for one night but I only have to look at this picture and am instantly transported back to the awe-inspiring landscape. Photograph: Kim King

Feb 12 Been there comp: Grazing sheep — **Corina Mavrodin:** I took this while hiking in the pristine and gorgeous northern Romanian mountains, in a region called Bucovina. Bewildered by unexpected human presence, a bunch of happily grazing sheep strike a comic pose just after sunrise. Photograph: Corina Mavrodin

Feb 12 Been there comp: — **Adrian Crymbal:** Sitting on the dock of the bay. Photograph: Adrian Crymbal

Feb 12 Been there comp: Camps Bay in Capetown — **Roslin Zuha:** This is Camps Bay in Cape Town. I found this big foot-like structure and wanted to capture the interplay between the landscape and the elements. The textures and colour of the unusual shaped rocks lining the white sandy beach – with the Atlantic Ocean at sunset as a backdrop – were stunning. Photograph: Roslin Zuha

Feb 12 Been there comp: Tanzania's Serengeti national park, greater flamingos — **Peter Stanley:** In the early morning light at Lake Ndutu, at the southern tip of Tanzania's Serengeti national park, greater flamingos use their shallow-keeled bills to feed on small fish and insects. Photograph: Peter Stanley

Feb 12 Been there comp: The great migration across the Maasai Mara, Kenya — **Elaine Fox-Packer:** The great migration across the Maasai Mara, Kenya. Photograph: Elaine Fox-Packer

Feb 12 Been there comp: Ecuadorean crab — **Peter Skyte:** Here’s looking at you kid! This photo was taken in the Galapagos Islands when on holiday with my sons. We had just landed from a small boat on an island when the crab appeared over the crest of a rock, seemingly to greet us. The vibrant colours epitomised a vibrant holiday. Photograph: Peter Skyte

Feb 12 Been there comp: Mount Rinjani in Lombok, Indonesia — **David Brown:** This was taken on night two of climbing Mount Rinjani in Lombok, Indonesia. We were above cloud level and absolutely freezing! Photograph: David Brown

Feb 12 Been there comp: Two Elephants in Tsavo East national park, Kenya — **Jeremy Farrance, runner-up:** Two elephants in Tsavo East national park, Kenya.

**Natalie Mayer, judge:** I love the tones in this image, absolutely beautiful. And the action-interaction captured is gorgeous. The only thing that doesn't really work for me is the square crop. The harsh vignetting draws your eye to the top of the image, which then follows down to the bright centre of the image (which is empty and not requiring attention). A much more satisfying crop would be to a landscape format, from just behind the right-hand elephant's ear, and about 1cm above their heads. This keeps your attention firmly on the flow of the tusks and trunks, and the fact that the elephants would be now more off-centre prevents our eye from seeking a symmetry which isn't quite there. This is an image to be proud of – spend a little on some good printing and framing and be proud! Photograph: Jeremy Farrance

Feb 12 Been there comp: Sand dune, Namibia — **Andrew Styan, runner-up:** Anyone who has been to Namibia knows of the huge Dune 45 sand dune in the Sossusvlei area. This is not that dune – which is covered in tourists – this is the one next to it and is perfectly natural, untrampled, and massive in size. In this image I managed to combine a perfect dawn light, sand billowing across the dune's shadowed face, some trees for scale and an antelope staring right at me.

**Natalie Mayer, judge:** This is a stunning scene and the photographer has given it a fantastic perspective with clever framing. Lovely image. Photograph: Andrew Styan

Feb 12 Been there comp: hoatzin bird, Venezuela — **Matthew Fleet, winner:** A hoatzin bird peering through the trees in the Los Llanos region of Venezuela. It's also known as the "stinkbird" due to its rather strong odour – but luckily we were far enough away for this not to bother us.

**Natalie Mayer, judge:** This month's theme of nature has generated some wonderful entries. This one stood out as a winner for its clever use of and understanding of light. The bird just has its head peeping in a shaft of light, and has been cleverly and precisely captured through the leaves and branches. Any movement up or down (of which I'm sure there was much) could have hidden his head either in shadow or behind foliage, and that kind of precision deserves recognition. The shallow depth of field serves to emphasise perfectly the subject, and the exposure is spot on – not easy with so much light and shade to fool the camera's light meter. Fine work. Photograph: Matthew Fleet

tripulous

Travel

Readers’ travel photograph competition: February – nature

Leave a Comment Cancel comment