Slideshow: 2021 Bird Photographer of the Year finalists

They're still trying to find menu options.

Apr 13, 2021permalink

ARB1

^ I'm a Sony shooter and even I think that's funny.

Apr 14, 2021permalink

thenoilif

I see this as more of a DSLR vs MILC since none of these are even Nikon or Canon MILC cameras.

Apr 14, 2021permalink

thenoilif

Correction one Z6.

Apr 14, 2021permalink

thenoilif

Correction one Z6.

Apr 14, 2021permalink

Tizzio

Stunning pictures. Amazing captures!

Apr 13, 2021permalink

ChelseaPhotographer

The retouching on No. 15 is a little heavy-handed, but otherwise it's a pretty cool photo. Proves you can make interesting content no matter what type of photography you do!

Apr 13, 2021permalink

RyanTangPhotography

One thing we have probably noticed is that out of the 16 finalists, none of them uses Sony cameras. For all the A9 autofocus’s prowess, it seems wildlife photographers value body design more, two uses Olympus and all others either use Canon or Nikon.

Apr 13, 2021permalink

I shoot Lumix cameras, nothing to boast about there regarding AF, but my previous canon cameras were superb AF machines and superb cameras period.
Why shouldn't there be a large proportion of Canon shooters, do Canon not have the largest market share?

Apr 13, 2021permalink

Thoughts R Us

Many photographers capture great photos with Sony equipment.

But what this shows is that a Sony is certainly not required to get photos like these, and that there is a general overhype about Sony based on reading a spec sheet.

This also shows that most photographers of this type still rely on Canon/Nikon equipment, and that DSLRs are still very viable in this day and age.

Apr 13, 2021permalink

TinfoilCamera

... it's almost like great photos depend more on the photographer than the gear they use. Go figure.

Apr 16, 2021permalink

Horiz Opposed

DSLR demise greatly exaggerated. Very few ML cameras in this list.

Apr 13, 2021permalink

Photodog2

A lot of expensive gear, and a lot of money for the travel. But there's also knowledge about animal behavior involved and persistence despite the elements.

Apr 12, 2021*permalink

Makingtrax

Couldn’t give a flying duck what equipment they used, they’re all stunning shots and deserved to be finalists. Congratulations to all the photographers.

Apr 12, 2021permalink

Orion09

They all are amazing, but the duckling stole my heart!

Apr 11, 2021permalink

lds2k

I wouldn't want to pick from any of these. They are all outstanding and a joy to look at.

Apr 11, 2021permalink

bofo777

Interesting the most difficult shot to achieve was probably #5 done with a M4/3 camera and M4/3rd 4.0 lens..... although #13 and #3 were also high on the difficulty ratio....

Apr 10, 2021permalink

Idaho_X

M4/3 is perfect for wildlife when you don't shoot in the dark.
Slide 15 was done with a Olympus E-PL5 :)

Apr 13, 2021permalink

Michael Piziak

All of the images are to notch!

Apr 10, 2021permalink

tribpc

when I test Topaz Gigapixel AI for all photos with x6 scale, I'm very amazed with very high resolution with fur details.

Apr 10, 2021permalink

https://www.tombolphoto.com/flash-extenders/

How do these images help the birds?

I think us photographers need to be mindful of that.

We know how we react to a flash. Now think of how a fast-moving bird is affected. The inability to see can lead to a bird's death.

There are some images here that I suspect used flash, even though that's not indicated. . I've never been able to get a clear shot of a moving bird at 1/200 shutter time. Have you?

Apr 9, 2021permalink

(unknown member)

Im no bird photographer but how do you suppose someone has been using a flash from 100 yards away?

Apr 9, 2021permalink

CommaThief

Maybe two shots in this gallery would need one.

Apr 10, 2021permalink

Don Lacy

Even if flash was used it would be off axis and not effect the bird.

Apr 10, 2021permalink

Cian3307

Birds don't react to flash. My late father was a professional ornithologist and photographer. Never had any adverse reaction by birds to flash.

Apr 12, 2021permalink

(unknown member)

@Cian

Maybe you should ask a flasher what was the birds reaction to his flash:) there was definitely a reaction.

Apr 12, 2021*permalink

Cian3307

My late father was a professional ornithologist working in wildlife conservation. He was also a keen photographer. He never experienced any adverse reaction by birds to flash. I've never had an issue either. Some of my resident garden birds have been lit up 1000's of times (I know their the same birds because they're ringed).

Apr 12, 2021permalink

Djehuty

I find animals more reactive to movement, particularly sudden movement and smell than flashes of light.

Apr 12, 2021*permalink

TinfoilCamera

This has been studied - and your angst is wildly misplaced. It is the product of "well *I* react to flash, they must react too!" -- which is not true at all. Birds and animals don't give a damn about flash photography. Their world is already overloaded with bright flashy things in their environment. Even in pitch blackness trail cameras placed by researchers that utilize flash directly in the faces of animals walking by (notably Leopards) - LITERALLY don't even flinch when it goes off. They just keep right on walking like it's nothing.

You want to disturb an animal or bird? Your shutter sound is not a natural part of their experience - and that *will* startle them or alarm them. If your goal is to disturb wildlife as little as possible don't worry about the flash - worry about your shutter noise.

Apr 16, 2021*permalink

TinfoilCamera

Oh - and @HRC2016 to answer your question - I have clear shots of birds in flight as low as 1/40th (no flash) and handheld shots of still birds at 1/5th of a second, so yes, it can definitely be done.

Apr 16, 2021permalink

Sammy1977

Great to see Olympus sneak in there with a couple of winners. Especially the EPL5! I think the 'Emperor Penguins' has been shot about 1 million times, always looks good, but no longer original. 'Mallard Duck' and 'Southern Giant Petrel' are the most interesting and memorable for me.

Apr 9, 2021permalink

Olympus is sponsor.

Apr 9, 2021permalink

photophile

Have to admit - I did a double take on #15. I thought it was a T-Rex tearing into a Triceratops carcass. Then I did a triple take when I saw it was taken with an Olympus EPL-5! I own a "miserly" EPL-6. So its not about the gear after all! :-)

Apr 9, 2021*permalink

SR Hadden

That eagle looks humongous. When it's not feeding, it's giving rides to Gandalf on its back.

Apr 9, 2021permalink

Larawanista

Wow, inspiring photos! Canon, Nikon, Olympus are the three cameras that were in the hands of these patiently creative photographers. I just acquired the 100-400mm lens, so time to head out once this COVID menace subsides.

Apr 9, 2021permalink

Dalima

deleted

Apr 12, 2021*permalink

scokill

No A9 bird eye AF?

Apr 8, 2021permalink

(unknown member)

Unfortunately these peasants had to make do with skill, poor souls.

Apr 9, 2021permalink

What is it with people now, is it just 'young uns' that want their cameras to do all the bloody work for them? pfff

Apr 13, 2021permalink

(unknown member)

If you look on Rumour sites or here, most of the people whining about their camera not having the latest animal eye AF tracking IBIS f1.0 super lens 8K video 240fps pocketable camera for £700, they tend to be old men so who knows.

I think a lot of it boils down to laziness and the lack of willing to learn new skills, it’s easier to blame their gear on lacklustre shots, then when you point out articles like this they say ‘oh well they are sponsored by the company’ or ‘well they are a pro’

Personally my shots have gotten a lot better because I’ve used and used my camera and learnt how to use it.

Apr 13, 2021permalink

Yes Woz, I agree.
It's time consuming and skillful to learn how to use your camera properly.
But I think in general, and this is stereotyping, younger generations don't have time for 'learning' if it takes more than a few moments. Everything now seems to be about removing the skill element and speeding up the result element.

Learn the piano FAST, in just 3 weeks!
Learn a new language in 30 days!
Let your camera think for you!
Anyone for driverless cars?

Must be just the way of the world. It's too crowded and full of muppets.

Apr 13, 2021permalink

(unknown member)

Yeah that’s defo true, I DJ part time and that’s the same, no patience to learn how to do it properly they want instant gratification

Apr 13, 2021permalink

runbei99

Quite wonderful. Not always inspired by contest results - often they're mostly about being in the right place at the right time. But most of these are truly inspiring moments.

Apr 8, 2021permalink

Rodrigo Pasiani

Excellent images!
Interesting for me is the use of a 7D (classic) and also an Olympus 12-100mm f/4 lens at 20 mm.

Apr 8, 2021permalink

Albert Valentino

15 is a bit terrifying at first glance. Seemed like a monster from a Ray Harryhausen special effect. Also, excellent use of a fisheye lens. Love it!

Apr 8, 2021*permalink

Joe Bagadonuts

What, nothing from a backyard feeder?

Apr 8, 2021permalink

madeinlisboa

That's why I love nature. Specially when the shots look natural

Apr 8, 2021permalink

Damovich

The Emperor Penguins definitely is the no. 1 shot in my opinion but honestly these photographs are all mesmerizing to a greater or lesser extent.

Apr 8, 2021permalink

PetoneOldBoy

The swallow flying through broken window is crazy.
I've been trying to photograph these for a while, and needing a shutter speed of a Minimum of 1/2000 sec to freeze them- often 1/3000 (on my Fuji APSC) when birds are flying straight ahead. f11 seems very slow too, especially combined with ISO 200.
Almost physics defying! Crazy.

Check out Feathered Photography (Ron Dudley)

Apr 8, 2021*permalink

I strongly suspect a flash was used, even thought it's not listed.
The shutter time posted is 1/200.

The National Audubon Society says artificial light should be used sparingly. I don't use any artificial light on wildlife, ever. I think it's inhumane.

Specs: Olympus EM1 Mark III with Olympus 12-100mm f/4 lens. 20mm focal length; 1/200th second; f/ 11; ISO 200.

Apr 9, 2021permalink

quiquae

How would you situate the flash so that it lights up the swallow evenly, without showing any reflection on the broken glass?

Apr 12, 2021permalink

Kamox

I managed to take some goodshots of these birds witout flash with a modest D5600 and a 55-200 basic lens.
But those birds are FAST; it took me 4 hours and I ended up with only 4-5 good shots.

Apr 12, 2021permalink

PankajDubey

Shag,Petrel,Warbler look the most interesting.

Apr 8, 2021permalink

No idea about the rules/entry cost of this competition, but I don't care as the standard of the winners is amazing, so kudos to the judges as well as the entrants... plus thanks for posting this!
Also one was taken just up the road from me... hmmm...
What do I like best? Well... in a loose order...
Swallow
Emperor Penguins
Mallard Duck
Black-and-white Warbler
European Shag
Eurasian Jackdaw

Apr 7, 2021*permalink

Ergellegre

The penguin carcass shot :O

Great idea and use of a remote app.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Although I'm not so sure about the camera clean-up afterwards... eeek...

Apr 7, 2021permalink

bluevellet

the lens will be fine (Oly 8mm f1.8 FE Pro, weather sealed), but the camera will be tricky to clean (cheapo pen camera, not weathers-sealed.)

Apr 8, 2021permalink

Rodrigo Pasiani

A small plastic bag easily solves that issue.

Apr 8, 2021permalink

The nastier the location the more likely the bag will tear...
(Fundamental rule of nature...)

Apr 8, 2021permalink

Geordie Amanda

The p
Petrel picture is terrifying. If you ignore the wings it looks every inch the T-Rex. You can see the resemblance between birds and dinosaurs in that image!

Apr 7, 2021permalink

BackToNature1

The photographer with their skills, dedication, and most of all patience. Of course a bit of luck never hurts. Sometimes, unless you know where to look/travel, you might not see but a certain species but every few years if one happens to just fly by. For instance.

"A rare yellow cardinal has been spotted in Illinois and ...https://www.cbsnews.com › news › yellow-cardinal-illinoi.

A rare yellow cardinal has been spotted in Illinois and there's a less than one-in-a-million chance to see one ...
Mar 10, 2021 · Uploaded by Birding Better"

Apr 7, 2021permalink

RubberDials

The giant petrel photo is terrifying and the duck watching the fly - terrifyingly cute. Both great pictures.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

ChrSei

The warbler is my favorite! Very subtle- with an aha! effect. I also like that its breath wasn't over-emphasized in post processing.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

aris14

You 'll never see gearheads in a photography exhibition taking place in a hall...

Apr 7, 2021*permalink

User1666997680

You’ll never see a photography exhibition taking place in a hall these days...

Apr 9, 2021permalink

Marximus

I think my favorite is the cranes' breath in the snow, although the eagle/fox one is very good, too.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Andy_Elliott

A few cheep shots here.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

RubberDials

I see what you did there.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c62a334755be217708444ff/1617381565934-MVFC1IKE0LHCY0HMTQQU/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kPHuXXQ5aXkivCq6BeeGHLR7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UaRiPhSzHnqInJjzxHCnpvhE6X8TF1jsOuwJE3GOLjZBS9mayiR-vA71CXrLbFBG1g/bpoty-2021-finalists-web-23.jpg?format=1500w

@Rubber...
What are you doing here - no Sony’s.....😁

(now that was a cheep shot - apologies....😊)

Apr 7, 2021permalink

mar_hea1

I agree; nothing to get into a flap about.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

RubberDials

@Kandid

Apart from this one?

It wasn't really a cheap shot - more a 'mental' one. I think some of you guys have got PTSD. You can't post without talking about Sony, even when it's a wildlife gallery. It's like an illness.

Apr 7, 2021*permalink

@Rubber..
Well - I can post without mentioning Son...................damn...

Apr 8, 2021permalink

madeinlisboa

Thank god they are cheep shots, and not over-saturated fakes composed in Photoshop

Apr 8, 2021permalink

Great photos: my takeaways:
- I’ve already got cameras good enough to take shots like this (dang - one excuse gone.....might be another reason why my shots aren’t as good....😳)
- action/narrative in the shot is necessary to get selected - these generally are not ‘portraits’...
- just wondering around with a camera hoping to get lucky may not be enough.....😊

Apr 7, 2021permalink

A surprising number of Canon 100-400 IIs, rather than the many times more expensive big white primes, also some much cheaper combos than even that...

Apr 7, 2021permalink

@Jon555
No doubt it’s a great lens - and dare I say value for money 👍

Apr 7, 2021permalink

If you get a deal yes, the trick with things this price is often to be patient and combine a show offer (you're old enough to remember them, surely, pre-pandemic stuff, eons ago in subjective time) with cashback... or Black Friday...
When I got mine they were selling for £1949 (2018, £2279 now, eeek), but I got a £350 "Manager Discount" to reflect the show price (to save going to the show for a second day) and then £265 cashback :-)
It's just so good wide-open BTW... plus unlike the RF version the extenders work for the whole focal range.
Then again you don't want to know what I got done for on my other big white... allegedly the exchange rate made big price increases imminent... ho hum...

Apr 7, 2021*permalink

Swinden

Really beautiful pictures. Thanks!

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Jegruller

Here you can see that the equipment does not always have much to say. The photographer's skill, in the right place at the right time, and a dose of luck.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Lion-O

The body isn't all that important, but in many cases, the lens makes all the difference. And the photographer, of course.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

cna

Great pictures.

Of course all the cameras used to take those picture are very capable ones, but I see another proof that it is not a spec sheet that will make a great picture; it is the photographer with his skills and dedication.
And it is after all what is great about photography.
Photography without a need to develop those skills and dedication would simply become boring

Off course, this is not the kind of message that some companies want you to perceive, but despite all what we see on the Internet (youtube influencers,…), none of those picture was taken with a “camera capable of finding a bird’s eye in a bush”

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Mr Bolton

#15, the one taken from inside the corpse of a penguin, is the shockingly best one of these, I think. It's so prehistoric!

Apr 7, 2021permalink

quokka

I agree. That photo provides a unique point of view.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Lion-O

Definitely a cool shot and perspective. A bit gross, but unique. Now how to clean the guts off the camera? ;)

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Myles Baker

Great shots. A lot of time and patience goes into getting these as well as skill.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Bill Ferris

Love the white-tailed sea eagle photo with the fox. There are a number of excellent photos in the gallery but that one is my fave.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

kivis

Seems dominated by Nikon and Canon DLSR's. I thought they were obsolete.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Thoughts R Us

The next time you read the feeble commentary of some in these forums about how DSLRs are “dinosaurs” (and this has happened many a time) just respond with a link back to this article.

Apr 7, 2021permalink

Mr Bolton

I could say the same about how M43 is supposedly dead.. two Olympus shot examples also.

Apr 7, 2021permalink