Naturescapes Images of the Year Awards

We're proud to announce that for the second time in a row Marsel was successful in the Naturescapes Images of the Year Awards. After last year's First Prize in the landscape category, Marsel got an Honorable Mention in this year's competition. What makes this result extra special, is that it's in the Avian category for one of this favorite bird shots.

Here is the caption that goes with the image:

"The birds are very small in the frame, you can't see their heads, eyes or beaks, there's no spectacular feather detail, no action whatsoever, and no thermonuclear colors in the sky. Yet that is exactly why I took this shot. Every year on my Japan Squiver workshop we have on average one or two days with hoar frost, in my opinion one of the prettiest winter conditions you can get. On this particular morning we had left our ryokan long before sunrise to see the whooper swans wake up and watch their fascinating morning rituals. When we got closer to the lake I noticed the hoar frost and decided to take the group to one of my favorite and very quiet spots. We had to walk through a strip of trees and dense vegetation, which would normally create a lot of noise that could wake up the swans. The snow was about three feet high though, and the perfect natural soundproofing. When I reached the shore, a few swans looked up and then went back to sleep again. I set up my tripod, took this shot, and then just sat there for a while - amazed."

If you would like to join us on our next Japan tour to photograph whooper swans, cranes and eagles in the most amazing winter scenery, please have a look at the White & Wild Japan page on our website for more information and some really cool tour impression videos.