R1000 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher plus Heinrich van den Berg's Moods of Nature Elite Edition worth R2000
The photo was taken at the birdbath in my garden. Single bees regularly came to drink, but it was incredibly difficult to position them at the right angle to create a reflection.
I decided to make a strong sugar solution, which I added to the birdbath and the news spread. Within an hour there were many bees feasting on the sugary drink and I had the opportunity to experiment.
The biggest challenge was the background. The natural background colour was too dark and I could not get a clear reflection until I placed a white reflector about a metre away and used a soft flash from the left side. Thereafter, it was just a matter of patience, with many bees not playing along with my planned poses. I had hoped for three stationary, drinking bees and another coming in to land, but had no success for the latter addition.
I used a Canon 5D Mark III with a 100mm f2,8 Macro lens on a tripod with side-lighting and the following settings: 1/500 sec at f8.0, ISO 1000. The photo was processed in Lightroom.
R500 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher plus Heinrich van den Berg's Moods of Nature Standard Edition worth R850
Malachite sunbird face-off with an orange-breasted sunbird. Canon 7D II, Canon 70-200mm, 2 x 8000 Lumens video lights.
Find out about how Steve got this image here.
R1000 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher to use on any Fine Art Print on HPH Publishing's website.
Stripe-eye flower fly. EOS R, Tamron 90mm.
R1000 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher to use on any Fine Art Print on HPH Publishing's website.
Wasp that got stuck in the ‘glue’ at the bottom of a strelitzia. Sony Nex 7, Sony 30mm Macro.
R1000 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher to use on any Fine Art Print on HPH Publishing's website.
Male red-billed firefinch. Nikon D4, Tamron 150-600mm.
R1000 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher to use on any Fine Art Print on HPH Publishing's website.
Swamp bluet hiding behind a grass stalk. Canon 600D, Canon 105mm.
R1000 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher to use on any Fine Art Print on HPH Publishing's website.
The spider’s defence! Olympus OM-DE-M1 II, Olympus 300mm IS PRO.
R500 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher
Malachite sunbird and the leonotis flower. Canon 7D Mark II, Canon 400mm.
R250 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher
Bee-utiful ilanga. Nikon D5600, Nikkor AF/P 18-55mm.
R250 HPH Publishing Gift Voucher
Two spiders interact on a misty web. Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 100mm Macro.
If you want to download the complimentary copy of the Garden Lockdown PDF Book, go to
https://www.hphpublishing.co.za/products/garden-lockdown-pdf-book
The winning picture is simply stunning, a big well done to the photographer
Wow beautiful pictures!!! Well done the winners🍾🍾🍾
Firstly, thank you for the free download, what a wonderful gallery to watch over and over again.
I’ve also voted for the same winning photo, so extraordinary beautiful AND rare.
Congratulations to all winners and entrants….. and well done to me for choosing 1st and 2nd correctly :)
Super competition.
Congratulations to all winners. What an outstanding series of images which demonstrate what good can come out of the new norm!
Congratulations to the winners!
Great competition – Thank you HPH!
Looking forward to an UNLOCKED competition when we’re all set free to wander again with our cameras.
Stunning photos and so inspirational! Well done all you photographers!
I couldn’t agree more with the 1st prize. What an excellent picture. Obviously all the "tricks of photography are known to this photographer. Well done. It is amazing
Stunning Photos
Makes me want to grab my camera and macro lens and get out there
Unfortunately I’m at the dining room table working
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DINKI DILKS
August 13, 2020
Whaf incredible and interesting shots. Such talent and thought gone into the photo.