Alberto Román Gómez's Image

Alberto Román Gómez (Spain) contrasts a delicate stonechat bird with a hefty chain.

Alberto watched this young bird from the window of his father’s car at the edge of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park.

He found it tricky to photograph as it was quickly flying back and forth, gathering insects.

The summer light emphasised the echoes of colour between the rusty metal, the bird’s plumage and the dry grassland beyond.

To Alberto, the stonechat displayed a sense of ownership, as if it were a young guardian overseeing its territory. He highlighted this through the composition of the image.

Wildlife Photographer, Biologist and Competition Judge Chien Lee comments “many experienced wildlife photographers often shun the idea of including human-made objects in their shot, but here they form a beautiful framework for the bird and add context to its suburban habitat”.

Stonechats tend to prefer open habitats and typically perch on bushes, gates or fences from which they look out for insects. Fences separating private lands provide the perfect opportunity at this edge of the park, where there are very few trees.