2011: In Praise of Plants and Fungi - Winner
Sandra Bartocha (Germany)
Harbinger of spring
'My favourite time of the year is when the first snowdrops appear - the harbingers of spring,' says Sandra. 'When I see them, the air suddenly smells fresher and the sun feels a little warmer.' Sandra found this delicate group in a marshy area on the shore of Lake Tollensesee in Mecklenburg, Western Pomerania, Germany, overhung with a criss-cross mass of leafless tree branches. 'The setting sun created a beautiful orange reflection on the water behind, and I could hear great crested grebes calling. I took an in-camera double exposure image, with one sharp exposure and then one much softer one, so the scene would appear as dreamy as it felt.'
Nikon D700 + Meier Görlitz Trioplan 100mm f2.8 lens; 1/50 sec at f2.8; ISO 200.
View other winners in this category
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Adult awards Patagonian woodscape Daniel Jara
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Adult awards Fading beauty David Maitland
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Adult awards The grove Bob Keller
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Adult awards Tongue orchid and hare's-tail Sandra Bartocha
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