Prize

... And finally they have arrived! Hurrah!

My long awaited Giotto Tripod and Lowepro Bag turned up yesterday and, when I finally managed to work out how to get into the bag and how the tripod fitted together, I was very happy indeed. Not that I wasn't before, I was just a little perplexed at how two simple devices could be so awkward to operate!

Thanks to PP for their most excellent decision, their sponsor for their most generous gifts and my lovely family for their inspiration and being the best prize of all...

Vector

It would appear my Gorilla pic has been an inspiration to others. The British born artist Tom Deacon sent me a very polite email which read as follows:

Hi Nicholas,

I wanted to let you know that I was so impressed with your award winning "Tiff" photo... that I turned it into a vector based illustration...

Your original photo actually made it into the newspaper here in Brisbane, Australia several days ago. And since then I've noticed that it has appeared in several other places as well.

Congratulations on your success and I hope that you're cool with me posting my artistic interpretation of your photo. Of course I have given you credit for the original photograph.

I look forward to seeing more of your fantastic photos in the future.

Kind regards,

Tom

It was a bit naughty of Tom to use my image without permission, but at least he was kind and honest enough to let me know... And I quite like what he's done with it.

Worldwide Wander

It would appear the story around my gorilla capture is travelling the globe...
It has appeared on this Indian News website...

In Pakistan...


On this forum thread...


On this blog post...


... CNN Turkey...


... Here... Here... Here... Everywhere!*

*Mwah-ha-ha-haaaaa!

Tiff Critique

I have finally found the critique of my entry in the Totally Wild Photographic Competition:

"HIGHLY COMMENDED Nicholas Godsell What a shot. Movement; Action, One animal captured in the air and sharp too!!! Only the back ground clutter failed to make it the winner. Two jealous judges here."

Let's have a look at the winning picture then shall we?...

... Hmm, and what did the judges have to say about it?

"WINNER! Martin Eldridge A great study of a silverback; pin sharp, good colour and composition. Shooting tight has cut out the clutter of the park and left the viewer with a sense of the wild habitat of the animal's range. Excellent work"

...

Page 3

It would appear that my prize-winning photo is now national news, having appeared in both the Daily Express and the Daily Mail, on page 3 today. It's also possible it has appeared in other Saturday papers and may appear in some Sunday papers tomorrow, but to be honest I can't be bothered to look. It has also appeared on the Daily Telegraph website, the Daily Express website and the Daily Mail website, next to a horrific picture of me, taken by my lovely wife who is also very excited that one of her photos has appeared in the national press!

Prize Winning Photographer

Well, it would appear my photographic endeavours are finally paying off. The picture below, 'Tiff', of two Silverback Gorillas about to 'happy-slap' each other, has just won me a VIP trip around Port Lympne Zoo in Kent with professional wildlife photographer Vic Sharratt. Bargain.*

*Commiserations to Wayne, who was standing right next to me at the time and missed the same shot... :o(