B&H recently teamed up with South African Airways and ecotourism company Wilderness Safaris for the B&H Wilderness Photo Contest. The goal was to encourage photographers to celebrate the concept of conservation. By capturing beautiful images of nature, you, in turn, help to spread awareness about conservation. Two entrants in this contest received an African safari trip for two, in addition to a $500 B&H Gift Card. Eight semi-finalists each received a $500 Gift Card. Congratulations!
Grand Prize Winner: Jamie MacArthur (United Kingdom)
People's Choice Winner: Charles Chessler (United States)
Land Mammals Category Winner: Giorgia Karampatou (Abu Dhabi)
Aquatic Category: Cary Maures (United States)
Culture/Wilderness/People Category: Adam Jurgilewicz (Poland)
Conservation/Man and the Environment Category: Jeffrey Kirkpatrick (Australia)
Amphibians and Reptiles Category: Christopher Schlaf (United States)
Macro Category: Peter Alinson (United States)
Animals in Zoos and Captivity Category: Octavio Aburto (Mexico)
Landscape/Scenery Category: Peter Sabol (Croatia)
34 Comments
It's funny to me that so many complain about post process. What do you think the dark room was? you do realize the camera can not see what the human eye sees, so knowing these limitations, we must learn how to manipulate to achieve that end. Also, there is no way to make a bad image great in Photoshop without a complete overhaul on it. The goal of every great photographer is to get it correct in camera so that the post processing is minimal. Instead of bashing something you may not understand, ask questions and try to learn. It's what is so great about photography, there is always something to learn and aspire to. Fantastic images by the way!
I concur. Photoshop is simply the digital darkroom.
I feel if you have to use a computer to inhance your photography, you are not a true photographer. By getting the most out of your camera is getting the most out of your picture with no added help. I learned from a gentleman who used 35mm camera's for decades. And is a wonderful photographer. Happy shooting!!
I so agree with you. why do you have to enhance your photos its like cheating your abilities in a way. lol i have never enhanced any of my work cause its perfect the way it is however i can see the fun in giving a photograph different effects and how you can manipulate it into a totally different picture.
Who ever Took these picture know well how to use Photoshop really well, It would be very interesting to see the original without ANY post processing and compare to just HOW MUCH post processing was done to accomplish the magnificent results!!
i agree very true to your statement. i never use Photoshop but looking at these picture make me want to think about it just for fun. i hate entering into a contest cause i know my picture really wont stand a chance because alot of photographers use Photoshop. i just don't think its right to do that but it sure is beautiful to look at
Congratulation to all winners
Regard
Riza Marlon
To all those who complain about post-processing and computer enhancement: Get over it! ALL the great photographers, yes, even Ansel Adams, had/have tricks for post-processing. Computers and editing software just make it less time consuming than in ages past.
I look at a photo and try to see the story the photograher was working to capture. It is great to see the winners of this contest.
yes congratulations to all the winners. i think all the pictures are beautiful. i wouldn't use the Photoshop myself but those who did like i said earlier it sure is beautiful to look at.
It is an amazing world - and it takes a good photographer and serendipity to "capture" it = and sometimes money to get to those special places! I'm not too sure about the comment on computer skills! who cares as long as the photos capture the moment - computers can't do that yet.
What a delight to see the distribution of artistry across the globe! Very inspiring photographs that challlenge me to create my own images following the same theme.
It would be very interesting to see the original without ANY post processing and compare to just HOW MUCH post processing was done to accomplish the magnificent results!!
Wonderful images!! The judges made some great selections, but I am sure that it was a difficult task with many others almost as good as these.
All excellent images along with post processing.
Congratulations to all of you these are wonderful images that show the beauty and diversity of this wonderful planet.
I have to say all the images are amazing, even if there is some enhancements to the images as long as it is suttle.
I love the Kingfisher, well done Jamie awsome image. I would love to get a shot of a kingfisher.
The Cheetah is my second favourite, and peoples choice would be my third place, these are my personal choices but at the end of
the day it is your image and everyone else is picking there favourites.
Well done to all the photographers.
Could you please correct the word Adu Dhabi? ...is Abu Dhabi
Hi Giorgia, I love your image very well captured, it would be my dream to go on a wild life safari and try and capture images like this.
Well done and keep shooting.
These photos are spectacular. I would love to know what gear and camera settings were used to get such a sharp focus. Thanks
It would be great to have detailed description from the photographer of equipment and conditions. The back story would allow me (viewers) to get a better idea of what it took to make those remarkable photos possible. (Thanks B&H for having the contest)
Great work! Photography is a powerful tool in building consciousness and support for saving humanity from the catastrophes of environment damage and destruction.
FAB PHOTOS!! CONGRATS to all the winners!!
I'm wondering how the photo of the pink skunk clownfish with what appears to be a tongue-eating louse won in the category for "Macro: Flora/Insects." There's an anemone, a fish, and a crustacean in the photo. And I seriously hope symbiotic algae wouldn't count as the "flora." It's a beautiful photo, but I recall seeing plenty of photos in that category that actually had flora (i.e., plants) and/or insects in them. :/
NOTE: the actual contest page refers to the category as "MACRO: FLORA/INSECTS" (although I don't seem to recall it being explictly restricted to just plants and/or insects myself).
That's quality nitpicking, Mike. Excellent job. Gorgeous photos, by the by.
Nice photos. It's spelled "Australia".
Someone needs spelling lessons. "Austrailia"???
Congrats to the winners - well deserved!
The kingfisher is my fav. Best 'the moment' shot.
Nice to see how photography is now greatly based on a photographers computer skills rather than actual photographic skills.
It's a new world. I would say the aquatic and macro photos had a bit of color enhancement, but doesn't take away from the amazing shot. As we all know, the colors just don't always ring true on a photo. Bringing back the color, or cropping out a telephone line (for example) sometimes get a shot one can't physically get. Besides, touching up photos has been done for years. Just took more manual labor. Computers just speed it up. The grand prize winner had a spectacular shot no matter what he did to it. A shot of a bird with wings spread with lunch in his mouth is spectacular.
Nonsense. It's the skill and imagination of the photographer's vision that's fundamental. The rest is just the techiques used in realising it. No doubt the innovation of oil paint was also decried when artists began using it.
I agree Michael but these are the times we live in.
I like to keep everything as natural as possible, but I do light photoshop sometimes.
That's a bit like saying that, digitatl equipment (cameras) operators are somehow less qualified/creative relative to traditional film, because after all, you can just continue to shoot until you get it "right" due to instant preview capabilites.
If anything, "computer skills" is an additional skill and part of photogrphy.