Nature's Best Photography 2008 Award Winners

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  Grand Prize Winner: Lion, Okavango Delta, Botswana
  By Brian Hampton, Rockford, Ill., and Naples, Fla. (www.brianhamptonphotography.com)
  The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a sprawling inland area that floods seasonally, forming a permanent source of water in the midst of arid habitats. This unique mosaic of islands and waterways supports one of the richest faunas in southern Africa. Lions have adapted to the wetlands and, as they travel through the constantly changing environment to stalk their prey, they are sometimes forced to swim or wade across rivers. "In order to join other lions tracking a herd of buffalo, this lion needed to cross a treacherous crocodile-infested river. Hearing the call of the others in her pride, she began to head for the waterway. I had to reposition myself several times to try to anticipate where the lion might come through the river. I had the good fortune of having my 600mm lens trained on the lion's eye as she exploded into a run, splashing through the shallow river. My companions and I huddled motionless as the lion came right toward us-then passed by. We all breathed a sigh of relief as she hurried to rejoin the pride."
  Equipment: Canon 1Ds Mark II; 600mm lens; 1/640 sec at /5.0; ISO 100; Manfrotto tripod with Wimberley head.
  
  
  
  

  Brian Hampton / Nature's Best Photography

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  Birds Winner: Common Buzzard, Kiskunság National Park, Hungary
  By Zsolt Kudich, Budapest, Hungary (www.kudich.com)
  In the United States the name "buzzard" refers to vultures, but in Europe the name refers to hawks in the Buteo genus. Ranging throughout Europe and extending into Asia and Africa, the Common Buzzard typically breeds in woodland habitats near open countryside, where its loud, clear call can be heard. These robust, medium-sized birds of prey measure about 1.8 feet in length with 4-foot wingspans. Buzzards have a habit of jumping up and down in open fields, making a noise that sounds like rain to lure worms to the surface to be eaten. It is not unusual for groups of buzzards to perform this "dance" at the same location-up to 40 birds have been seen in a single field.
  "The new year brought significant snowfall to the Hungarian plain. Common Buzzards lurk over snow-clad fields where food is rather scarce and hardly visible. They cannot afford to lose even a little nibble, especially not to another buzzard. This photograph depicts the birds' instincts for survival and also for power."
  Equipment: Nikon D300; 300mm lens; 1/2000 sec at /5.6; ISO 800; Berlebach wood tripod with Wimberley head.
  
  
  
  

  Zsolt Kudich / Nature's Best Photography

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  Youth Photographer of the Year: Leopard Cub, Okavango Delta, Botswana
  By Matthew Burrard-Lucas, Age 18, Sevenoaks, Kent, England (www.mattbl.com)
  "The beautiful Okavango Delta in Botswana, with its profusion of wildlife, is incredible. Going out to explore in a 4x4 yields wonderful natural sights. On this particular morning, our guide heard over his radio that a female leopard and her cubs had been spotted close to our camp. It didn't take us long to get there. At first she was hidden away in dense bush, and her cubs were nowhere to be seen. Then, after about ten minutes, she appeared from the undergrowth and jumped onto a fallen tree, her cubs close behind. The mother seemed totally undisturbed by our presence as I focused on her wide-eyed, inquisitive cubs. When this mischievous leopard cub clambered onto the upturned branches, I framed the shot. The soft early morning light didn't cause harsh shadows, but the low light forced me to use an ISO of 800 to maintain a fast enough shutter speed. This was especially important, since I was only resting the lens on a bean bag. It was one of those moments when you hope the animal doesn't move before you can compose the shot and click the shutter. Thankfully, the cub remained still as I captured this portrait."
  Equipment: Canon EOS 1D Mark III; 600mm lens; 1/800 sec at /4; ISO 800; bean bag.
  
  
  
  

  Matthew Burrard-Lucas / Nature's Best Photography

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  Wildlife Winner: Twin Polar Bear Cubs, Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada
  By Jenny E. Ross, Truckee, Calif., (www.jennyross.com)
  Polar bear young are usually born in a snow den on land or, less often, on floating pack ice. They are tiny and helpless at birth, weighing about 1.5 pounds. After three months, when the mother bear breaks open the natal den, the cubs have grown to approximately 20 to 30 pounds. The family typically remains at the den site for about a week, exercising and adjusting to the cold until the cubs are ready to travel.
  Due to warmer temperatures in recent years, the breakup of sea ice on Hudson Bay is occurring earlier each summer, and these bears now have significantly less time to accumulate necessary fat reserves before being marooned on land. Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) scientists predict that if present climate change trends continue to affect their hunting range, within the next 15 to 20 years most female polar bears in the region may be unable to reach the minimum body weight necessary to sustain pregnancy.
  "I had the extraordinary opportunity to photograph these young twin polar bear cubs while accompanying CWS biologists during field research in Wapusk National Park, one of the world's largest known polar bear denning areas. We located a mother bear near her den and saw that her cubs were still inside. The mother bear was immobilized with a tranquilizing dart so the health of this family could be assessed. When she was safely unconscious, the biologists began weighing and measuring her, while I slowly crawled inside the den. The cubs became so comfortable with my presence that they paid me the highest compliment by falling asleep as I photographed them."
  Equipment: Canon EOS 1V; 28-135mm lens; Speedlite 580EX flash; 1/125 sec at /8; Fujichrome Provia 100F Professional film; hand-held.
  
  
  
  

  Jenny E. Ross / Nature's Best Photography

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  Animal Antics Winner: Macaroni Penguins, South Georgia Island
  By Andrew Rouse, Bristol, England (www.andyrouse.co.uk)
  Macaronis are the most abundant of all the world's penguins and are the largest of the six species of crested penguins. Standing about 28 inches tall and weighing between 10 to 15 pounds, they have red eyes, red beaks, and elaborate crests of orange-yellow feathers. Macaronis inhabit the maritime Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions; their massive rookeries can be found on the rocky cliffs and hillsides of South Georgia, where an estimated 5.4 million pairs live. This rugged island in the Southern Ocean offers unique opportunities to observe wildlife amid unspoiled scenery, including the vast populations of seabirds and marine mammals that breed along its shores.
  "While I was hiking uphill to get into position for a high wide-angle shot of the bay, I spotted a line of penguins coming across a glacier. It made me laugh so hard-I knew I had to get a photograph to record the scene. After 30 minutes of slithering downhill on my backside (who says photography isn't fun?), I got my gear set up and spent the rest of the afternoon smiling as wave after wave of macaronis skied across the glacier in front of me."
  Equipment: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II; 300mm lens; 1/500 sec at /5.6; ISO 200; hand-held.
  
  
  
  

  Andrew Rouse / Nature's Best Photography

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  Creative Digital Winner: Lunar Eclipse over Mount Shasta, Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon
  By Sean Bagshaw, Ashland, Oregon (www.outdoorexposurephoto.com)
  Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth passes between the sun and moon, casting its shadow on the moon's surface. Total lunar eclipses are relatively rare events, occurring about once each year. They can only happen during a full moon, when the moon and sun are on opposite sides of the Earth. However, lunar eclipses don't occur during every full moon because the Earth doesn't normally pass directly between the two.
  "An eclipse is only visible from the side of the Earth that is facing the moon when it takes place. If you happen to be on the wrong side, you miss the entire event. Another obstacle to photographing an entire eclipse is cloud cover. Even a single cloud passing in front of the moon for several minutes could eliminate the chance of capturing every phase of an eclipse.
  "The night of August 28, 2007, a spectacular total lunar eclipse was going to be visible from start to finish from the west coast of North America-provided that there were clear skies. A friend and I decided to try our luck photographing the event from a point high in the Siskiyou Mountains of southern Oregon. I would need to take separate images of the moon and recreate the scene as a composite of many frames. This turned out to be a benefit because it allowed me to zoom in with a telephoto lens and track the moon as it moved across the sky, capturing it in great detail. Right as the predawn light began to appear on the horizon, I took a wider landscape photo, knowing that I would later place various moon images in an arc across the sky. The result tells a six-hour story of a cosmic event in a single photo illustration. I doubt that I will get such an opportunity again in my lifetime."
  Equipment: Canon EOS 5D; 400mm lens and 28-135mm lens; exposure times and apertures varied with changes in the moon's brightness; Gitzo carbon fiber tripod wih Acratech ballhead
  
  
  
  

  Sean Bagshaw / Nature's Best Photography

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  Plant Life Winner: Pasque Flowers, Fertö-Hanság National Park, Hungary
  By Zsolt Kudich, Budapest, Hungary (www.kudich.com)
  Also known as the "Easter flower," the pasque flower is one of the earliest flowers to blossom in the spring, usually before surrounding foliage has fully emerged. The petals, in colors of blue, lavender, ruby wine, and white, open in the morning and close at night. Classical Roman legend holds that this plant sprang from the tears of the goddess Venus, and in dried form it was historically used for a variety of medicinal purposes.
  The Fertö-Hanság National Park is one of eight United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites in Hungary. Here habitat reconstruction is in progress to restore the fauna and flora of drained swamps and saline lakes, resulting in a sanctuary of unique botanical, medicinal, zoological, landscape, folklore, and ethnographical value.
  "The picture was taken in April, toward the end of the blooming period. A young pasque flower is surrounded by the fruits of its neighbors, thus showcasing all phases of its emergence. Capturing the different phases of the flower's life on a single frame is what makes this photograph special."
  Equipment: Nikon D300; 200-400mm lens; 1/400 sec at /7.1; ISO 320; Gitzo G1227 with Markins M20 head.
  
  
  
  

  Zsolt Kudich / Nature's Best Photography

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  Indigenous Cultures Winner: Evenki Reindeer Herder, Kystatem, Siberia, Russia
  By Chris Linder, Seattle (www.chrislinder.com)
  The Aoluguya-Evenki have practiced reindeer herding and husbandry in the subarctic coniferous forests of Siberia for thousands of years. The Evenki are one of the most widely scattered nationalities of the Russian Federation; their territory reaches from the Dolgans, Evens, and Yakuts in the far north all the way south to Lake Baykal and the Amur River. This region is regarded as one of the world's founding areas of reindeer husbandry.
  "In March 2008, I traveled to the Siberian Arctic to document an international scientific expedition. During the expedition, we visited two small communities along the Lena River. The indigenous people who live there subsist primarily through hunting, reindeer farming, and fishing. We were honored by an invitation to participate in a traditional reindeer roundup. It took eight hours-bouncing along on sleds pulled by ancient snowmobiles in sub-zero temperatures-to reach the herders' camp.
  "The next morning, I photographed an Evenki family as they drove several hundred reindeer across frozen lakes and through taiga forests to a wooden-fenced corral. While the reindeer swirled in a giant vortex around their pen, this herder stretched out his arms in a gesture of appreciation for the amazing spectacle."
  Equipment: Nikon D2Xs; 70-200mm lens; 1/15 sec at /16; ISO 100; hand-held.
  
  
  
  

  Chris Linder / Nature's Best Photography

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  Endangered Species Winner: Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, Qinling Mountains, China
  Jeremy Woodhouse, McKinney, Texas (www.jeremywoodhouse.com)
  Found only in remote areas of central China, golden snub-nosed monkeys are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as "endangered" because their population has declined more than 540 percent in the last 40 years. Their tenuous grip on survival is constantly threatened by loss of habitat and illegal hunting for their fur and for human consumption. To help preserve and foster a regeneration of this gregarious primate, the Chinese government has enacted a number of protective laws, established reserves, and made the golden snub-nosed monkey a conservation priority.
  "My photos of the endangered monkeys are the result of persistence and determination to fulfill a vision I developed over the course of two trips to a research site in the Qinling Mountains. In order to photograph there, I first obtained permission from university researchers in Xian, the capital of Shaanxi Province. My accommodations there were rustic, the winters were harsh, and my camera bags still smell of smoke from the single potbellied stove used to heat the dormitory. I had a daily four-mile roundtrip hike along a river and up a slippery, rocky trail that consisted of about 800 steps, all the while carrying my tripod and camera gear-it was quite strenuous! Yet, in spite of the biting cold, I was able to capture this creature during a brief flurry of snow and came away with this composition that I liked."
  Equipment: Canon EOS 1D Mark II; 70-200mm lens; 1/20 sec at /18; ISO 400; Gitzo tripod 320 with Wimberley head.
  
  
  
  

  Jeremy Woodhouse / Nature's Best Photography

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  Conservation Photographer of the Year: Sea Otters, Prince William Sound, Alaska
  By Florian Schulz, Wilhelmsdorf, Germany (www.visionsofthewild.com)
  "While scouting Prince William Sound by plane on an overcast day, we headed out low over a massive expanse of fractured icebergs and spotted a large group of sea otters. To capture this shot, I steadied my camera in the fast-moving craft as we approached from a steep angle. This image is part of my conservation photography project, 'Freedom to Roam,' which aims to increase awareness of the necessity to preserve wildlife travel corridors.
  "Just as America created Yellowstone as the very first national park, I see the potential in developing the first National Corridor, linking natural areas to each other to build a healthier and more sustainable ecosystem for wildlife and human communities."
  Nikon D3; 70-200mm lens; 1.4x teleconverter; 1/800 sec at /8; ISO 800.
  
  The 2008 Conservation Photographer of the Year Award, presented in alliance with the National Wildlife Federation, recognizes a special individual who has used his or her skills as a nature photographer to implement meaningful and measurable conservation efforts that inspire and educate the public about environmental concerns.
  Florian Schulz is a professional nature photographer with a mission to help protect endangered ecosystems across America. As a founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), he is constantly searching for unique images that will inspire the public to take action. For more than 15 years, Schulz has worked on projects concerning wildlife corridors. These geographic arteries of unmatched biodiversity and pristine wilderness are essential for wildlife survival.
  
  
  
  

  Florian Schulz / Nature's Best Photography