The beauty of the familiar | Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Mateusz Piesiak's Image

Mateusz Piesiak (Poland) carefully considered camera angles to produce a series of intimate photographs exploring the behaviour of birds.

Mateusz captures the moment a juvenile black-headed gull plunges into shallow seawater to seize small crustaceans from just below the surface. These gulls are opportunists, with diets that include aquatic and terrestrial small creatures and even human food waste.

It took many attempts for Mateusz to as he puts it 'nail the focus' on the bird's high-speed dive and freeze the exact moment of impact, catching the droplets in the splash as a sparkling ring around the gull's neck.

Behind the lens

Mateusz Piesiak

Poland

Mateusz is a Polish wildlife photographer, who’s fascinated by nature. He’s been capturing unique moments for more than 10 years and loves experimenting with light and composition, making photography a true art. Travelling throughout the year, he strives to capture inspiring images that present the beauty of nature. His work’s been published in National Geographic Traveller Magazine, BBC Wildlife Magazine and The Guardian, and has been awarded in numerous international competitions.

Image details

Canon EOS R5
400mm f2.8 lens
1/6400 sec at f2.8 (-0.3 e/v) • ISO 320
Jastarnia, Poland

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