Bird Photographer of the Year Gives a Lesson in Planning and Patience

https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2025/09/2025-bird-photographer-of-the-year-contest/

51•surprisetalk•6d ago

Comments

jhawk28•3h ago

"Keeper of the Ashes" is my favorite of the pictures. Found the photographer is selling prints here: https://www.maximelegarevezina.com/en/tirage-gardien-des-cen...

It's amazing that you can just see something that you like and then order it.

freetime2•2h ago

That winning photograph with the bird in front of the solar eclipse is really incredible. I wasn't sure if it was real or not (some photography competitions will allow composites stitched together in photoshop).

But the photographer uploaded a video on YouTube of him taking the photo, and just looking at the environment (he's in a small boat off the coast of Mexico) you can see it really did require a remarkable amount of planning. And I think it is indeed a real photograph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voTNPeHR7Jc

regera•2h ago

Thanks for sharing, can't imagine how bird photographers devote weeks to plan for a single shot - may seem extreme. Being in the right location at the right time is the key. Wow!

This skill is often underrated. World is moving faster than ever. Another underrated skill is quick-decision making.

gyomu•19m ago

For anyone curious, the competition rules are here:

https://www.birdpoty.com/rules

"With the exception of HDR, stitched panoramas, focus stacking, and in-camera multiple exposures, composited images or AI-generated images are not permitted in any category. Sky swapping or removal of objects through cloning, for example, is not permitted."

Zak•2h ago

This link seems worse than the original at https://www.birdpoty.com/2025-winners

geeunits•1h ago

I find photographers have a particular knack of seeing 'just slightly into the future'. Almost like the eyes are constantly analysing environmental studies and able to form a sixth sense for patterns and predictability. Most notable would be Henri Cartier-Bresson who coined much of the concepts of 'the decisive moment'

EvanAnderson•1h ago

I'm sure there's a talent to it, but practice helps a ton. I'm certainly not comparing myself to Cartier-Bresson, but in the very specific type of photography I regularly shoot (youth sports) you learn the rhythm and patterns and what to look out for. I'd imagine street or wildlife photography is much the same. Patience, practice, and accepting that 99% of the picture you make will be crap.

technothrasher•27m ago

I’m not anything but an enthusiastic hack, but the 99% rings true. I’ve made a goal for myself to get just one photo I’m happy with of as many cat species in the wild as I can. It’s taken me about ten thousand shots to cross off lion, cheetah, and leopard. Going to shoot bobcats in California for four days in a couple months, and I suspect I’ll get lots of interesting photos, but I’ll be very lucky to get “the shot”.

herval•1h ago

Bresson is from a time where you had 38 shots maximum, before you need to reload your camera. It takes an immense amount of attention, but also you’re statistically unlikely to take the kind of photo that you can get today (eg most of these bird images).

My current camera takes 20 photos per second sustained AND comes with a pre-buffer that captures 2s of images before you press the trigger. It’s wild!

(I don’t take photos anywhere near Bresson’s but still, it helps)

rukuu001•19m ago

Wildlife photogs feel a bit like magicians, in that no one would believe the level of effort required to get the result.