"15 to 17 Years Old" Winner: "Chimpanzee Meditation"
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, 2005
Natural History Museum, London, and BBC Wildlife Magazine
On the final day of a three-week family vacation in Tanzania, Africa, 16-year-old Matthew Burrard-Lucas of the U.K. followed a group of about 40 chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains. Spotting the alpha male, Burrard-Lucas edged closer on his stomach while “trying to ignore the angry safari ants that were crawling all over me.”
“The alpha male was sitting on a tree trunk, staring at the forest canopy,” Burrard-Lucas said. “In the photo it appears as if he's looking into space, contemplating and relaxing.”
“For now wildlife photography is a hobby, but it would be great if I could make a career out of it,” he added.
Photograph by Martin Eisenhawer 3 of 5
"Animals in Their Environment" Winner: "Whooper Swans at Dawn"
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, 2005
Natural History Museum, London, and BBC Wildlife Magazine
Capturing this classic Japanese winterscape on film wasn't a comfortable experience for German photographer Martin Eisenhawer.
Bent over a lake on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido in subfreezing temperatures, Eisenhawer waited for two hours for the swans and biting winds to settle, creating the mirror-smooth surface and composition he wanted.
“I don't like taking pictures while wearing gloves, but if I hadn't, my fingers would have frozen to the camera,” he said.
Eisenhawer says whooping swans are attracted to the ice-patched lake's warm thermal waters. “The swans don't like to stay on the ice too long, otherwise they get cold feet,” he added.
Photos and information from National Geographic News. View more photos at:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/photogalleries/best_animal_ph...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/photogalleries/best_animal_ph...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/photogalleries/best_animal_ph...