European Wildlife Photographer Of The Year
Around the same time last year, Marsel and I were scouting for a new photo tour in Louisiana and Texas, and we didn’t really know what to expect. It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise and we managed to get some really good shots. The judges of this year’s European Wildlife Photographer Of The Year agreed, because they picked Marsel’s image ‘Primordial’ as a Highly Commended winner! We’re really chuffed with this result, as EWPOTY is one of the two most most important nature photography competitions in Europe, and the quality of the entries is always extremely high.
The photograph was shot on an early, misty morning, just after sunrise. The conditions were truly magical, and although truly amazing, it was also stressful – knowing that the sun would soon burn away the mist. We worked as fast as we could in what was probably 30 minutes or so, but felt like only five. What you’re looking at, are Cypress trees with Spanish moss, and those things in the water are called Cypress knees – they are part of the trees and kind of like roots sticking out of the water.
What’s interesting about this shot, is that Marsel decided to venture into the world of clutter – something he always tries to stay away from. If you want to make progress as an artist, you have to step out of your comfort zone every now and then and face the new challenges that will arise. We’re very happy that it paid off already!
Little over a month ago we were in Louisiana again, and we’re looking forward going through all the material that we shot there this time – hopefully more gems!
