Winner at GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018
Last weekend, two of my images won prizes at the 2018 edition of the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year. To be part of the jury's final selection out of 18,000 images obviously feels fantastic, but above all I am happy that the jury appreciated my creative view on nature photography so much this year.
The glowing scorpion was rewarded with a highly commended in the category “other animals”, the black rhino with a highly commended in the category “nature's studio”.
During one of my photo trips through South Africa I found this scorpion that crawled out of its hiding place at the beginning of the evening. The exoskeleton of scorpions contains specific proteins that glow under ultraviolet light. It surprises me every time how strongly these animals light up when a beam of UV light slides over them. This particular specimen was about eight feet above the ground, and by balancing my tripod (and myself) on the picnic table, I was finally able to get this image.
I photographed this black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) during its nocturnal visit to the well-lit Okaukuejo waterhole in Etosha National Park (Namibia). A slow shutter speed of 1.3 seconds gave me the desired ghost I was looking for. Rhino poaching is having a huge negative effect on rhino populations across Africa. There are currently only about 5,000 black rhinoceroses left in the wild. I hope that through the efforts of countless volunteers and a heightened awareness of humanity, their condition will soon improve. And especially that the vision I paint with this image is not the future of the rhinoceroses in Africa.
A few times a year I take a small number of participants on an adventurous safari through the most beautiful areas of Africa. Are you curious if this is also something for you? Then take a look at the upcoming photo tours.
