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2011: The Eric Hosking Portfolio Award - Winner

Bence Máté Enlarge image Brilliant show

Bence Máté (Hungary)

Brilliant show

Once these male green-crowned brilliant hummingbirds arrived at the feeder, it was a race against the sun for Bence. The feeder was in the grounds of a Costa Rican lodge, which was in a valley, providing a mountain backdrop for the illuminated scene. 'The dawn light was perfect,' says Bence, 'but it was intensifying all the time.' To filter the increasingly strong light, he put up a curtain between the sun and the birds queuing up to feed and used a flash to highlight the hummingbirds' glittering colours.

Nikon D700 + 28-300mm lens; 1/30 sec at f13; ISO 100; two SB-800 flashes; tripod.

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