2010: 11-14 Years - Winner
Martin Gregus Jr. (Canada/Slovakia)
Crane perfection
This sandhill crane was totally absorbed preening and cleaning its feathers - so busy that Martin was able to spend more than an hour lying on the ground nearby photographing it. Martin was at the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary near Vancouver, Canada, where there are a few pairs of resident sandhill cranes. When they groom, the cranes sometimes emerge from the marsh onto the paths. Knowing this, Martin had spent the afternoon waiting for such a chance. 'I like the way that the very low angle makes the bird appear grandiose, and his colour and structure contrast with the blue sky,' says Martin.
Nikon D70 + 18-35mm f3.5-4.5 lens at 35mm; 1/1600 sec at f4.5; ISO 220.
View other winners in this category
-
Young awards Swan loch Sam Cairns
View
-
Young awards Roe in snow Arthur-Coriolan Wilmotte
View
Search the online gallery
Enter a keyword to search for images from the 2010 competition
Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year is co-owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide.
All intellectual property rights in the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition images are retained by the photographer. Any reproduction of the images without prior written consent will constitute an actionable infringement. For information regarding permission to use competition images please email us.