Swan lake - Jan Vermeer - Wildlife Photographer of the Year2007

2007: Creative Visions - Runner-up

Jan Vermeer Enlarge image Swan lake

Jan Vermeer (The Netherlands)

Swan lake

'I was by Hokkaido's Lake Kushiro, Japan's largest marshland. I wanted different poses of whooper swans in the same frame, set against the white ice. One swan is flying out of frame, another is taking off, three are having a discussion and two are courting - nearly perfect. I always look for such pictures - simple in colour, strong in composition.' Flocks of whooper swans spend the winter in the marshlands of Japan's largest island, Hokkaido. They nest in Siberia in the summer, then fly 6,000 kilometres south for the winter, where it is warmer, feeding on aquatic plants and grass. Whooper swans breeding in Iceland also occur in the UK, spending October to March there.

Nikon D2X + 70-200mm lens and 1.4 extender; 1/640 sec at f7.1; Gitzo tripod.