Inspirations
Stunning imagery from the world of Canon photography
It’s anarchy on animal planet, as we check out the best wildlife shots in this month’s Photocrowd competition
01 RHINO BLACK AND WHITE BY PAUL NASH
This stunning black and white study of a rhino makes the most of its monochrome tones to highlight the textured skin and the majesty of this wonderful animal. Taken at a focal length of 160mm on the Canon EF 75-300mm, the aperture enables the lens to render the details with tack-sharpness, captured with the great resolution of the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Lens Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM Exposure 1/200 sec, f/5, ISO400
02 RED-EYED TREE FROG BY SANDRA COCKAYNE
This sensational shot won the Animal Planet contest, and deservedly so! It has it all: character, composition, colour, timing and technique. The way the leaf bisects the image shows very accomplished framing, and the way its curvature mimics the shape of the frog takes the composition to another level.
Lens Sigma 105mm f/2.8 ex dg macro
Exposure 1/40 sec, f/7.1, iso400
03 MOVE OVER DARLING BY PAUL KATO
This wonderfully serene sunrise photograph was taken at Whitlingham Great Broad in Norwich, Norfolk. “It was a sub zero December morning with thick freezing fog, but not a single breath of wind,” says Kato, who captured it on his Canon EOS 7D. “As the sun rose, the fog thinned to a beautiful mist that gently hugged the water.”
Lens Canon ef 70-200mm f/4l usm
Exposure 1/2000 sec, f/8, iso400
04 BUFF TAILED CORONET BY HYMAKAR VALLURI
Valluri uses the power of the Canon EOS-1D X to its fullest, with this stunning hummingbird shot taken in Ecuador. “We had quickly set up our multi-flash units and started clicking the hummingbirds. This was the dream shot I was looking for and got it after clicking for few hours and a few hundred attempts.”
Lens Canon ef 500mm f/4l is ii usm
Exposure 1/250 sec, f/13, iso100
05 POP-EYE BY ACHINTYA ADHIKARI
This charming shot of a red ghost crab is packed with character. Captured on the 12Mp entry level Canon EOS 1100D (aka the Rebel T3), it proves that getting great images is about more than just having the most megapixels.
Lens Canon ef-s 55-250mm f/4-5.6 is ii
Exposure 1/200 sec, f/6.3, iso200
06 RAINY MORNING BY TAMARA KULIKOVA
We didn’t anticipate that there would be so many macro entries in the contest, but we’re very glad to see such great results! The colour and composition is simply wonderful, though the aperture could have been stopped down a bit to keep the snail’s shell in focus. A small criticism of an otherwise stunning shot!
Lens Canon ef 100mm f/2.8 macro usm
Exposure 1/100 sec, f/2.8, iso125
07 CAPE BUFFALO BY CHARLIE RUTKOWSKI
“At the private reserve, Ziminga, we were in a photo blind that was set up for night photography,” says Rutkowski of this remarkable image, shot in South Africa using only external lights. “The photo doesn’t really show just how close the buffalo were to us.”
Lens Canon ef 24-105mm f/4l is usm
Exposure 1/30 sec, f/4.5, iso3200
08 GREEN FROG BY SIMON HADLEIGH-SPARKS
A wonderful, almost impressionistic image, the creative use of toning and colour culminates in an ethereal, fairytale shot of this tree frog being kissed by a whisper of golden light. The wide open f/1.8 aperture renders the background a beautiful blur with creamy bokeh.
Lens Canon ef 85mm f/1.8 usm
Exposure 1/640 sec, f/1.8, iso640
09 I SPY A DAMSELFLY BY HEIDI COHEN
“While these insects are known for their long wings and similar appearance to dragonflies, this photo shows the damselfly in a new light,” suggests Cohen. “Is it curious, sneaky, annoyed, who knows!” We’d say it’s camera shy, but there’s no escape from Heidi’s Canon EOS 750D (Rebel T6i)!
Lens Canon ef 50mm f/2.5 Compact macro
Exposure
1/400 sec, f/3.2, iso400