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Bence Máté's Image
Usually only fish get to see the inside of a Dalmatian pelican's beak at such an angle.
But on Lake Kerkini in Greece, local fishermen feed the pelicans, which means part of the population is particularly bold and anticipates the meals of fish offal that are thrown to them. Bence planned his trip for February, when most of the pelicans are in their breeding plumage, which includes vibrant orange throat pouches. He constructed a special floating system that would enable him to take unusual perspectives using an underwater camera with a fish-eye lens, operated from a boat some 10 metres away. 'As the pelicans lined up for fish scraps from the fishermen,' says Bence, 'I couldn't believe my luck when they lunged forwards in unison, mouths wide open.'
Behind the lens
Bence Máté
Hungary
Bence is a wildlife photographer from Hungary. Since 2008 he has been designing wildlife photography hides around the world, including in Hungary, Costa Rica, Brazil, Norway, South Africa and Transylvania (Romania). He was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2010.
Image details
- Nikon D300S
- Tokina 10-17mm f3.5-4.5 lens
- 1/320 sec at f16 • ISO 500 • Subal housing • three linked SB-800 flashes
- Lake Kerkini, Serres, Greece
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.
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