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Stampeding antelopes by Neil Aldridge wins top European wildlife photo | Stampeding antelopes by Neil Aldridge wins top European wildlife photo |
(about 7 hours later) | |
A photograph of stampeding blesbok antelopes on the plains of South Africa's Kariega Game Reserve has won best European Wildlife photograph. | A photograph of stampeding blesbok antelopes on the plains of South Africa's Kariega Game Reserve has won best European Wildlife photograph. |
The image, called Living Rock Art by Neil Aldridge, aims to "capture the energy and movement of the blesboks in a still frame". | The image, called Living Rock Art by Neil Aldridge, aims to "capture the energy and movement of the blesboks in a still frame". |
Mr Aldridge of Kenn, North Somerset, said when he saw the image on the back of his camera he "knew it was special". | Mr Aldridge of Kenn, North Somerset, said when he saw the image on the back of his camera he "knew it was special". |
Even so he said he was "speechless" when the award was announced. | Even so he said he was "speechless" when the award was announced. |
Mr Aldridge - a conservation photographer - was in South Africa working on a story about the rhino poaching crisis when he found the herd of blesbok. | Mr Aldridge - a conservation photographer - was in South Africa working on a story about the rhino poaching crisis when he found the herd of blesbok. |
He said capturing the shot was "difficult" involving slowing down the shutter speed to capture the movement and having to pan smoothly as the antelope ran past. | He said capturing the shot was "difficult" involving slowing down the shutter speed to capture the movement and having to pan smoothly as the antelope ran past. |
To give the picture even more impact he chose to shoot from ground level but that decision almost proved costly. | To give the picture even more impact he chose to shoot from ground level but that decision almost proved costly. |
As he stepped down from his vehicle there was a loud crack as his ankle turned in a hole causing him to collapse in a heap. | |
"The pain was excruciating... I thought I had broken my ankle," he said. | "The pain was excruciating... I thought I had broken my ankle," he said. |
"When I looked up, the antelope were still coming so I grabbed my camera, locked my focus on them and fired off a couple of shots as they stampeded past. | "When I looked up, the antelope were still coming so I grabbed my camera, locked my focus on them and fired off a couple of shots as they stampeded past. |
"I actually hadn't envisaged that the result would so closely resemble Bushman rock art." | "I actually hadn't envisaged that the result would so closely resemble Bushman rock art." |
Mr Aldridge is a contributing photographer to the BBC Wildlife Magazine, Wild Travel Magazine, South Africa's Go! Magazine and has published a book Underdogs about the endangered African wild dog. | Mr Aldridge is a contributing photographer to the BBC Wildlife Magazine, Wild Travel Magazine, South Africa's Go! Magazine and has published a book Underdogs about the endangered African wild dog. |
He has twice been a winner of British Wildlife Photography Awards - first in 2011 with his story documenting a country shoot and again in 2013 with his badger bovine TB vaccination story. | He has twice been a winner of British Wildlife Photography Awards - first in 2011 with his story documenting a country shoot and again in 2013 with his badger bovine TB vaccination story. |
Mr Aldridge collected his prize in Lunen, Germany last night at a ceremony marking the competition's 14th year. | Mr Aldridge collected his prize in Lunen, Germany last night at a ceremony marking the competition's 14th year. |
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