2012: Animal Portraits - Commended
Frits Hoogendijk (South Africa)
In the light of dawn
The pride hadn’t eaten for several days. They were hungry, and a hunt was very likely. A blanket of fog lay thickly over the Okavango Delta’s Duba Plains, Botswana, and the dawn light was very low. It was hard to make out anything, but fortunately the lions were still lying where Frits had left them the evening before. A short while later, the females set off to hunt. ‘I wanted to photograph one out in the open, in the wet and misty weather. So we positioned the vehicle where they might walk towards us. When this lioness stopped by a tuft of grass and peered into the distance, it was perfect. I love the intense green, the drops of dew on the grass and the soft light and detail on her body. Her focused gaze captures the energy and intensity of a hunt that hasn’t yet happened.’
Nikon D3S + 200-400mm f4 lens at 200mm; 1/400 sec at f4; ISO 1000.
View other winners in this category
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Winner Warning night light Larry Lynch
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Runner-up Fluff-up John E Marriott
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Commended Relaxation Jasper Doest
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Commended The glance Jami Tarris
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