2011: Nature in Black & White - Specially Commended
David Lloyd (New Zealand)
In the flick of a tail
Photographers generally agree that giraffes, though easy enough to find, are tricky to photograph. 'They're so big that you either have to be far back, in which case you run the risk of background clutter, or you have to close in on detail,' says David. He saw the potential of the latter option when, in Kenya's Masai Mara, he encountered a giraffe at close quarters, and saw a second one on the horizon. He got himself into position and lifted his heavy lens to compose the image. What he waited for, though, was something that would inject life into the scene: a tail flick. 'I didn't expect that I would have to wait as long as I did. I was begging the giraffe in the distance not to move out of view and begging the one near me to flick its tail. My arms were aching from hand-holding the lens and were at the point of giving up when it finally did so.'
Nikon D700 + 200-400mm lens; 1/3000 sec at f4; ISO 400.
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