Nature is a magnificent thing full of beauty, surprises, and all kinds of interesting critters. No wonder so many photographers love to work with it. It's very fun to see a photograph that has been captured at the perfect moment. Especially when it's something as unpredictable and fast-moving as a bird.
That's why Bird Photographer of the Year (BPTY) organizes a contest every year to see all those perfectly captured moments. These awards focus on our feathered friends and their lives, showing us their everyday struggles, wins, and experiences. Photographers all over the world submit their pictures and we finally have the winners of 2021! Including some category winners and honorable mentions.
The organizers told us: "Now in its 6th year, the world's premier bird photography competition saw over 22,000 entries from 73 different countries all in competition for the £5,000 grand prize. Bird Photographer of the Year is a strong supporter of conservation, providing financial support for grassroots projects throughout partner charity Birds on the Brink." Click here to see the previous article!
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Bird Behaviour: ‘Floral Bathtub’ By Mousam Ray (Gold)
On their website, the Bird Photographer of the Year Competition tells us more about themselves: "Bird Photographer of the Year is a global photographic competition: it is a celebration of avian beauty and diversity, and a tribute to the flexibility and quality of today’s modern digital imaging systems. Some fantastic prizes are on offer including our top prize of £5,000, plus a host of other prizes including camera equipment from Olympus, binoculars from Swarovski Optik, and much more."
Best Portrait: Night Hunter By Jonas Classon (Bronze)
Best Portfolio Winner By Kevin Morgans
"Never before has there been a competition of this scale dedicated purely to the growing interest in, and passion for, photographing one of the most interesting and engaging areas of natural history. The advent of digital technology has revolutionized photography in recent years and some fantastic images, of a quality that wouldn’t have been possible in the days of film, now proliferate on the internet for millions to see."
Highly Commended: Brad James – Morning Breath
Highly Commended: Tim Hopwood - Present Under The Tree (Birds In The Environment)
"Bird Photographer of the Year is a competition that will appeal to a wide range of people. Whether you are a hardened pro, a keen amateur with the latest kit, or simply a hobbyist with a camera phone or small compact camera, there is an opportunity for you to have your pictures critiqued by leading experts, win prizes, appear in a stunning coffee table book and perhaps be on display in the traveling BPOTY exhibition. And who knows, you could be our next ‘Bird Photographer of the Year’ and win £5,000."
‘Blocked’ By Alejandro Prieto. Overall Winner And Bird Photographer Of The Year 2021
Highly Commended: Ben Hall – Backlit Beauty (Birds In The Environment)
"The competition is open to residents of any territory and to entrants of all ages. There are eight categories to enter and additional special awards, offering plenty of chances to win. The competition is open to people who wish to submit anything from a single image to an extensive portfolio. If you have any questions relating to the competition or the entry process then please contact us."
Black And White: ‘Feather Light’ By James Rogerson (Silver)
Highly Commended: Gail Bisson - Aerial Acrobat
‘Sing Heartily’ By Maofeng Shen (Silver)
Birds In The Environment: ‘Yellow-Billed Oxpecker With Cape Buffalo’ By Barbara Fleming (Bronze)
Highly Commended: Akhil Vinayak Balachandra Menon - The Spirit Of Love (Black And White)
9-13 Years: ‘In The Woodland’ By Andrés L. Domínguez Blanco (Gold)
Great talent already. Keep up your interest. Great future in photography.
Highly Commended: Lisle Gwynn - Surface Break (Best Portrait)
I find the bird's eye very interesting. I wonder what's going on there.
Highly Commended: Tibor Litauszki - Thrush Dream (Best Portrait)
Highly Commended: Basileo Stanislao – Waiting For Prey (Birds In The Environment)
Urban Birds: ‘The Guardians’ By Paolo Crocetta (Bronze)
Attention To Detail: ‘Blue Flames’ By Kerry Wu (Bronze)
Birds In Flight: ‘First Come First Served’ By Hannes Lochner (Bronze)
Bird Behaviour: ‘Entangled’ By Julie Halliday (Bronze)
Blue eyed shag, the southernmost cormorant species. Several species of birds exhibit this type of behaviour, commonly part of pair-bonding
Highly Commended: Mohammad Murad - Water Barrier (Attention To Detail)
14-17 Years: 'The Nightjar' By Daniel Martínez (Silver)
‘Underwater Portrait’ By Felipe Foncueva (Gold)
Highly Commended: Ben Cranke – The Blizzard (Birds In The Environment)
Attention To Detail: ‘Growing Up’ By Raymond Hennessy (Silver)
Urban Birds: ‘Lockdown’ By William Steel (Silver)
Birds In The Environment: ‘Claiming The Forest Floor’ By Joshua Galicki (Silver)
whats it staring at? (must be preeeeeetty interesting if its mouth is open)
Attention To Detail: ‘Disappearing’ By Rafael Armada (Gold)
Black And White: ‘Chinstrap Penguin’ By Renato Granieri (Gold)
Note: this post originally had 50 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
