2012: The Eric Hosking Portfolio Award - Winner
Vladimir Medvedev (Russia)
Porcupine watching
Vladimir knew something was watching him. Dawn was still hours away, but he could make out the outline of what looked like a small spiky bush. ‘Then, as I approached, I realised that the bush was in fact a beast.’ Vladimir, who was looking for nocturnal animals in Banff National Park, Canada, lay down on the ground and waited for the porcupine to feel at ease again. ‘I had to use a slow shutter speed and maximum aperture opening, along with a narrow flash beam,’ he says. ‘I was lucky that light from the boathouse added warmth to the scene on that cold morning and illustrated just how dark it was.’ After a few minutes, the porcupine stood up on its back legs, took one last look at Vladimir and ambled off towards the wood, melting into the darkness.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II + 16-35mm f2.8 lens; 1/40 sec at f2.8; ISO 800.
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