Name: David Maitland
Picture title: Spiral Galaxy
Category: Plants and fungi
Nationality: UK
Occupation: Profession nature / science photographer & author specializing in small and microscopic forms
Technical information
Camera: Sony Alpha 7R MKII
Lens: Microscope lens 5x Plan Apo
EXIF: 0.6s, ISO 100, Stacked Image
Accessories: Olympus BX51 Microscope. Ultraviolet Lamp
RUNNER-UP CATEGORY PLANTS AND FUNGI
David Maitland | Spiral Galaxy
Name: David Maitland
Picture title: Spiral Galaxy
Category: Plants and fungi
Nationality: UK
Occupation: Profession nature / science photographer & author specializing in small and microscopic forms
Technical information
Camera: Sony Alpha 7R MKII
Lens: Microscope lens 5x Plan Apo
EXIF: 0.6s, ISO 100, Stacked Image
Accessories: Olympus BX51 Microscope. Ultraviolet Lamp
David Maitland says:
The Margined Ramshorn pond snail (Planorbis planorbis) carries around a galaxy of photosynthetic single-celled algae, including Chlamydomonas and Micrasterias, living within a slimy biofilm covering the snail’s shell. The Chlorophyll within these unicellular algae shines bright red like stars within a night sky when illuminated by Ultraviolet light – a process called auto-fluorescence. The snail’s intestines are contrasted in shades of midnight blue. It is astonishing the diversity of “invisible life” that is all around us. I was amazed at the remarkable galaxy of microscopic life clinging to a pond snail’s back.
David Maitland
UK
David is a UK-based professional nature and science photographer specializing in microscopic forms, raising awareness and understanding of the natural world and science. He has a Doctorate in Zoology and is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. He is the recipient of numerous international awards including Sony World Photography, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Nikon Small World, and Olympus Image of the Year. He was named the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2008 and is an RPS Gold Medalist and winner of the International Images for Science awards. David’s specialist super-macro and microscopic photographic skills have been commissioned for bespoke advertising campaigns including Aberlour Whisky and Sharp Electronics and for collaborations with the BBC on “Wonders of Life”, “Human Universe”, and the “Science of Food.” David lectures at Universities and international conferences, and has been a jury panel member in leading international photography competitions including European Wildlife Photographer of the Year; MontPhoto; and HIPA, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He is a longstanding member of the judging panel for the Close-Up Photographer of the Year competition