Shelducks in sync lands Marlborough photographer the Game Bird stamp
Tuesday, 14 January 2020
A perfectly timed photograph of two birds in sync has landed a Marlborough photographer a top award.
Freelance outdoor photographer and writer Matt Winter has bagged an inaugural Game Bird Habitat Trust award for his 'expertly timed' shot of two paradise shelducks.
Winter was with friends, duck hunting in the 'typical' West Coast bushes, when he suddenly grabbed his camera and shot a series of photos of two ducks flying away.
'The two paradise ducks in the photo spooked off the stream and flew away and I was just carrying my camera, as these birds flew in front of us, I managed to snap what turned out to be a really good photo,' Winter said.
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'[The judges] liked the symmetry of the birds, their wing position are exactly the same, that was the redeeming feature of the image,' he said.
Marlborough was a good place for bird photography, with the Wairau Lagoon home to a few rare species, Winter said.
'There is bittern, marsh crake, and as well as fern birds, all three quite rare species that you don't see quite often.'
The secret to great wildlife photography was enormous patience, he said.
'The patience to learn about your game and the patience to spend many hours out in the field waiting for that perfect photo,' Winter said.
Judge Richard Cosgrove said it was a majestic photograph, with the light showing what wonderful birds they were.
The winning photograph would be used as the 2020 Game Bird Habitat stamp, and the money raised used for the protection and enhancement of game bird and other wildlife habitat.
Sales from the stamp would go towards the Game Bird Habitat Trust, to projects that protect and restore game bird habitats.
The competition would be held each year, and for different species, and the winning photo selected for the stamp.
The 2021 game bird species is the New Zealand shoveler, with the pheasant picked for 2022.