Natural History Museum

In 2011, at the age of just 14, Mateusz won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition with a beautiful image of American oystercatchers.

In this captivating portfolio of images, Mateusz returns once again to the subject of birds. With the COVID -19 lockdown in place, Mateusz began exploring his local area in Poland, discovering 'even a small pond or park in the city centre turned out to be a very good place for photographing wildlife'. He spent many hours researching and preparing, before he finally managed to realise the images, which in some cases had been in his mind 'for days, months or even years'. Jen Guyton, photojournalist and judge said, 'This portfolio is lovely because it has a variety of excellent images while still having a unifying style. It shows the photographer's breadth of skill and there are a couple of images in here that really stand out from the crowd.'

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.

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.

Portfolio

A theatre of birds

Behind the lens

Mateusz Piesiak

More images from Mateusz Piesiak