Visit the exhibition
Pause, reflect and reconnect with the natural world through images that celebrate nature’s awe-inspiring beauty and urge us to protect it.
Tickets on sale now.
Bence Máté's Image
From his kitchen table, Bence planned the way he would photograph Dalmatian pelicans.
He wanted a water-level perspective of them. So he designed and constructed a catamaran-style floating system, incorporating an underwater camera housing and specially positioned lights and flashes, and set off for Lake Kerkini in northern Greece. 'It was a huge buzz,' says Bence, 'to find that the contraption actually worked.' Using cables, Bence took photos from a distance away on a boat, monitoring the scene on a screen and altering the settings with the ever-changing light. The fish-eye lens gave the unusual perspective of the pelican's pouch as it caught a fish thrown back into the lake by a fisherman.
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
- 1/160 sec at f16 • ISO 500 • Subal housing • three linked SB-800 flashes
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.
More images from Bence Máté
View all
Support our important work
Help us harness the power of photography to advance scientific knowledge, spread awareness of important issues and nurture a global love for nature.