HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY BIRDS
Laura Becker | Lost in blooms

Name: Laura Becker
Picture title: Lost in blooms
Category: Birds
Nationality: My country of origin is Germany. I live in Switzerland
Occupation: I am an anesthesiologist (medical doctor) working in a hospital. Nature photography is my hobby

Technical information
Camera: Nikon D500
Lens: Nikon 300mm F4
EXIF: 1/1000s F4.8 ISO 400

Laura Becker​ says:

I had the privilege to travel to the Falkland Islands for the first time in 2019. I was stunned by their rough beauty and the spectacular abundance of wildlife. So I felt I had to return for a longer time. In early 2020 I had the chance to spend three weeks roaming around bird colonies and observing their daily routines for hours. Every morning penguins would travel from their breeding colonies to the sea to catch food to provide for their young. Magellanic penguins bring up their chicks in burrows uphill which can be a few hundred meters away from the shore. So in the mornings, they make their way through the vegetation down to the beach. I loved the white sandy beaches on some of the islands decorated with beautiful yellow flowers of sea cabbage. So I laid down amongst them and waited for someone to pass by. This little fellow did, and I was quite happy with the composition. Also, I liked the little moment of confusion that is provoked by the sight of a penguin surrounded by flowers and white sand you could almost take for snow.