2012: 15-17 Years - Commended
Joe Sulik (USA)
Crouch, pause, action
Joe arrived in the bobcat’s territory before sunrise to start looking for her. Finally he spotted her outline. ‘She was crouched in the long grass, all hunched up, watching for prey,’ says Joe. But she had no intention of rushing. The sun peeked above the horizon, then rose steadily up above Badlands National Park in South Dakota, USA. The bobcat continued to scan. Joe continued to watch, hidden in the long grass. A full hour later, the action began. ‘I saw her shift her weight to her hind legs,’ Joe remembers. ‘I knew I had just a fraction of a second to get ready for the shot.’ Sure enough, the bobcat suddenly pounced. Unlike the build-up, breakfast itself took just a few moments. After devouring the vole, she disappeared into the long grass, her patience – and Joe’s – rewarded.
Nikon D3 + 600mm f4 lens + 1.4x teleconverter; 1/400 sec at f5.6; ISO 800.
View other winners in this category
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Winner City gull Eve Tucker
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Runner-up Pasque perfection Daniel Eggert
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Specially Commended The unexpected hunter Brieuc Graillot Denaix
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Commended Bittern in winter Oscar Dewhurst
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Commended Elemental fulmar Sam Cairns
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