PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2021
The search for the world’s best Nikon photographer of 2021 continues! Each issue the monthly N-photo POTY 2021 photo contest’s top 10 images are selected by the N-photo team. This issue’s competition has the theme of wildlife…
1. Humpback Breach BY DWAYNE TOWLES
This photograph of a breaching humpback in the Bahía de Banderas is the image everybody wants to come home with when they go whale watching. The timing is impeccable as the humpback was captured at the very peak of its breach and the image is tack-sharp too. A second breaching humpback is visible on the left-hand side, which provides both additional interest and depth.
Camera: Nikon D7500
Lens: 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Exposure: 1/1600 sec, f/9, ISO400
2. Into the Light BY STEVE JAMES
What were the chances of photographing this stag precisely within a small patch of golden light? Steve sat and waited for the fallow deer to move into the light, and used quick reflexes to capture the image just before two children inadvertently spooked it. The temptation is to always fill the frame with your subject, but we like how the deer has been photographed within its surroundings.
Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: 200-500mm f/5.6
Exposure: 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO450
3. Limpkin Angel BY KARYN HONOR
It would take a long time (and a lot of memory cards) to capture another image like this. Not only is this landing limpkin beautifully framed and pinsharp, but it’s been frozen just as it makes contact with the water, wings fully extended like an angel. We also like how the background has been blown out slightly, adding an ethereal quality that complements the angel-like subject.
Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: 200-500mm f/5.6
Exposure: 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO250
4. Zebra BY DIRK VONTEN
The zebra’s black-and-white markings means this image works particularly well in monochrome. We like how the zebra’s high-contrast striped body pops against the surrounding low-contrast landscape. The minimalist composition stands out too, as the eye is immediately drawn to the lone subject before drifting into the negative space.
Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6
Exposure: 1/320 sec, f/7.1, ISO200
5. Sand Eel Meal BY PADDY BECK
This puffin portrait was captured during an overnight visit to Skomer Island. The image depicts classic puffin behaviour – a beakful of sand eels – and the subject is looking directly into the camera. The plain, blurred background frees the frame from any distractions and creates a studio-like aesthetic.
Camera: Nikon D500
Lens: 300mm f/4
Exposure: 1/1250 sec, f/4, ISO1600
6. Silhouette BY TAY SWEE YUAN
A dragonfly is the perfect subject for this image as it cuts a distinctive silhouette that shows off its delicate wings. We like how the golden bokeh draws the viewer in, without detracting from the subject.
Camera: Nikon D500
Lens: 105mm f/2.8
Exposure: 1/8000 sec, f/18, ISO800
7. Bear’s Family BY SERGIO SAAVEDRA
Beautiful golden light frames this endearing family of bears, and the composition guides the viewer’s eye towards the mother bear via her two cubs playing on the sloping rock.
Camera: Nikon D7100
Lens: 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Exposure: 1/200 sec, f/6.3, ISO640
8. Double Catch BY FARY AFSHAR
A super-fast shutter speed was used to freeze this kingfisher and the surrounding droplets. We really like the bird’s pose, with its wings spread wide.
Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8
Exposure: 1/4000 sec, f/5.6, ISO6400
9. A Squadron of Pelicans BY PHILIPPA HUBER
These Dalmatian pelicans were photographed on the shore of Lake Kerkini. Philippa wanted to capture the birds’ bright pouches, displayed during the breeding season. In doing so she captured an unusual composition that really stands out. The middle pelican’s eye is framed by the birds in the foreground and is the focal point of the image, which has been captured perfectly crisp.
Camera: Nikon D750
Lens: 35-70mm f/2.8
Exposure: 1/1600 sec, f/5, ISO1000
10. Facepalm BY ROBERTA PAGANO
Primates always make for delightful subjects that are bursting with character, and this portrait of a Japanese macaque certainly doesn’t disappoint. It’s the hand-on-the-face expression that makes this photograph so powerful, which is undeniably human to the point of feeling slightly uncanny.
Camera: Nikon D2XS
Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8
Exposure: 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO400