Category Archives: Photography

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See Also: Level Up Your Summer with the realme Narzo 50

It is not often that ScandAsia publishes research into the historical past of Scandinavia in Asia. But we did on a few occasions. A few years ago, we published an article by Anne C. Tan about a photo album following EAC (East Asiatic Company) executives on an inspection of the Mekong river on a survey for alternative transportation routes to the market. The album ended up in a French library, which is a mystery by itself. 

This article identifies the most likely Photographer and adds other details to her research.

By Anne C. Tan

My recent research centered around the Danish East Asiatic Company, a photograph album documenting their activities with teak in Siam and a familial connection with my late father in law who was employed by the company in Penang, Malaysia in the first half of the twentieth century.

For the interested reader, an account was published in ScandAsia in November, 2021, ‘Travels in Siam and Laos: a lost photo album’, in which I made the familial connection to the East Asiatic Company, and their teak forest concessions acquired from the Siamese government in Phrae province. (https://scandasia.com/travels-in-siam-and-laos-a-lost-photo-album/)

In that article I drew upon an interesting photo album held by the Universite Cote d’Azur Bibliotheques which provides a photographic record of the company’s operations in Thailand in the early twentieth century. The album chronicles a trip to Siam and Laos with personnel linked to both East Asiatic company (EAC) and L’Est Asiatic Francaise (EAF) an affiliated company founded in 1902.

The bound photo album, Siam and Laos consists of 54 numbered plates which contain 350 photographs/albumen prints. The albumen process was the main positive printing photographic process of the nineteenth century. The trip starts in Bangkok and travels via Uttaradit north to Phrae, the teak forests of northern Thailand and thence to Laos. Journeying then by boat, the travellers descend the Mekong using small wooden boats bearing the flag of EAF.

Questions answered

Many questions arise when examining this photo album not the least of which is its provenance, the photographer’s name, travel details and companions, dating the expedition and so on. Presently, I believe I have been able to discern the answers to many of these questions and pay tribute to the many respondents who have assisted me with relevant ideas and references.

The academic institution which holds this photo album and their archivist who has written an excellent summary of the journey, has shed some light on the album’s provenance.

According to the archivist, on the album’s first page is mentioned: “ACHAT CNRS” which means ‘Bought by CNRS’. CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) was created in 1939 and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In the 1980’s, the archivist’s institution, ASEMI (South East Asia and Insulin World) was dependent upon CNRS.  Like me, their archivist hotly pursues each likely lead.

In my earlier article I commented on the outstanding quality of the photos, that the composition and framing of the images suggested that a professional was engaged to record this expedition.

Details resurfacing 

This quest has seen many twists and turns. A book Lao Roots: Fragments of a Nordic-Lao Family Saga by Fleur Brofos Asmussen promised to unlock some unknowns. In this book, the author recounts the story of her Norwegian grandfather, Peter Hauff, born in 1873. Hauff landed a job in 1894 with a large commercial firm in Saigon, where he immersed himself in the culture and language, which gained the respect of locals.

In his records, Hauff states that two East Asiatic Company personnel, Guldberg and Fenger, visited him in 1903, interested in floating teak on the Mekong. He was so skilled at this, having traded up the river from Saigon…so EAC personnel went to the right person. Hauff had invaluable knowledge of the Mekong both up and downstream, and its challenges especially the rapids of Khemmarat.

The account of Peter Hauff’s shipment of teak logs down the Mekong is contained in Lao Roots.

Hauff also states that EAC personnel had with them a Sinhalese servant and a French photographer, Mr Agassiz with much photographic apparatus whom Hauff had met previously in Singapore. Might he be the elusive photographer?

The East Asiatic personnel wanted to see the Mekong’s large waterfalls. Hauff makes arrangements for the trip with 150 men and plenty of boats. Subsequent research has identified Felix Agassiz as an assistant to G.R.Lambert, the longest surviving firm of Singapore photographers. John Falconer ( A Vision of the Past: Photography in Singapore and Malaya) argues that Lambert and Co., could be seen as the nurturer of the talent of numerous other photographers, including Stafhell and Kleingrothe.

Felix Agassiz, after a period as assistant with Lambert and Co., in the 1890’s, then went on to found his own business in town as proprietor of The Photo Store, 56 Hill Street, Singapore, ca. 1898-ca.1905. Along with another researcher, Jean-Michel Strobino, I believe that Felix Agassiz is the elusive photographer.

Virtual traveling Anno 1903 – 1909

The colonial album as a story has been described by Dirk Janse (1999) as a story told in meaningful coherence. The meaningful visual narrative could bridge the thousands of kilometres between far flung places and motherland. Images showed the ‘Westerner’ in the East. He explored unknown and dangerous areas, traversed treacherous rapids, faced obstacles.

Nowhere is this narrative exemplified so accurately as with the photo album Siam and Laos. Investors were given the opportunity to take a paper inspection tour of far flung companies through the photos in the album, to travel vicariously.This album documents riverscapes, company offices/factory/residences, group portraits, village views, company personnel and local employees. Such albums were used as a kind of visual annual report.

Guldberg and the temple camp

In my earlier research I was intrigued by a photo bearing the caption “Camp in a temple” which show East Asiatic Company personnel in a Buddhist temple and sojourning overnight as referenced with camping arrangements. Further study has revealed that camping in temples was common practice for imperial European travellers in the late 19th and early 20th century. The temple compound provided safety and sanctuary.

Travelling in Northern Siam, Reginald Le May, Acting Adviser to the Siamese Government wrote of the practice during his journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (1913).” [Spending a night in a temple]…which is not so strange a proceeding as it may seem, for most temples in Siam, at any rate in the provinces, are open to travellers as rest-houses, and you may spread your camp bed on the cement floor with the certain knowledge that no one will disturb you or question your honesty of purpose. Only you must put your head beneath the Buddha’s care, and not turn your feet towards the altar’. (An Asian Arcady. The Land and Peoples of Northern Siam, 1926).

I have also been able to identify the figure on the right as Captain V. Guldberg, brother-in-law of H.N Andersen the founder of the East Asiatic Company. Guldberg was the managing director of EAC in Bangkok. The temple itself has also been located and is the Wat Saen Muang Ma in Chiang Mai here imaged in both the EAC album and contemporary images.

Floating of logs on Mekong

On a website: https://entreprises-coloniales.fr I found an EST-ASIATIQUE FRANÇAIS company report dated 11 February, 1911 which commented on ‘a second floating of logs down the Mekong following a 1909 campaign (which showed favorable prospects)’. 1909…small number.

Mention is also made in the report to the French company’s connections/associations with EAC and to a French manager’s name, Monsieur Lesterre.

[The report further mentions: “The general assembly appoints as directors of the Company under the terms of article 16 of the articles of association: MM. Baron Hely d’Oissel, K. A. Wallenberg, Henri Estier, H. N. Andersen, Ernest Carnot, Paul Lecat, Alphonse Mayer, Count de Moltke-Huitfeldt, Admiral du Plessis de Richelieu, André Rickmers, Jean Trystram.” The presence of the EAC is evident. Ed.]

It seems likely that the second part of the photo album records joint early floating operations down the Mekong taken with EAC personnel, perhaps with their oversight/advice/possible scoping of future trade opportunities. It also is possible to then date the activities recorded in the album as likely occurring between 1903 and 1909.

Comments

As with all research some roads flow smoothly and some which appear promising yield scant reward. This researcher feels confident of making some small inroads into answering some of the questions raised by this photograph album.

The Universite Cote d’Azur Bibliotheques in Nice is very close to the small village where Peter Hauff died and the university’s archivist wonders if someone who inherited the album sold it to their institution in the 1980’s.

Watch video: What is exposure in photography? 

No matter what you’re taking photographs of, or what you’re taking photographs with, the foundations of your image are built on one crucial thing: exposure. 

Over the past year, I’ve looked at quite a few of the BLUETTI power stations, and so far, they’ve all impressed with a progressive upgrade in features and power. The new BLUETTI AC60 is a smaller unit more akin to the BLUETTI EB70 that I looked at in June 2022.

Although the capacity of this new power station is smaller, it stands out as a handy accessory for creative professionals due to its all-weather approach to design.

Designed for outdoor enthusiasts and professionals in photography, videography and, of course, other pursuits, the AC60 offers a versatile, powerful, and compact solution to stay connected and powered up during field shoots. Priced at £649 (RRP £699), the AC60 is now available on the BLUETTI website.

Compared with other power stations, the AC60 has a relatively small 403Wh LiFePO4 battery capable of delivering 600W of power. However, this can be expanded to 2,015Wh with the optional B80 batteries. This modular approach to on-site power suddenly changes the relatively small power of the AC60 into something much more useful and versatile, especially for photographers and videographers.

This small BLUETTI AC60 can keep equipment, such as the Canon EOS R5 C and Sony EV-Z1, as well as MacBook laptops, screens, audio kits, and batteries, fully powered throughout a session. The B80 packs boost that power when the AC60’s capacity depletes.

The AC60 offers multiple outlets, including two AC outlets, a 100W USB-C port, a 15W wireless charging pad, and a 12V DC outlet; the AC60 provides versatile charging options for various devices and accessories.

Aside from the expansion abilities, the AC60 has been built to withstand harsh weather conditions; the AC60 boasts an IP65 rating, making it dust and water-resistant. It’s solid construction and waterproof rubber seals on the outlets ensure reliable performance in challenging environments, giving photographers and videographers the confidence to use it outdoors.

Another standout feature that is becoming more common is the AC60’s fast-charging capability. With three charging modes – silent, standard, and turbo – you can choose the appropriate mode based on your needs. Turbocharging at 600W enables a full charge in just 1.2 hours, providing quick and efficient power replenishment, so if you stop off for a spot of lunch and the pub/cafe/restaurant doesn’t mind, you can stop for a quick top-up.

If no AC mains power sockets are available, the AC60 also supports car or lead-acid battery charging, enabling you to charge the power station while on the move. If you want a more sustainable charging option, BLUETTI’s PV120 and PV200 solar panels and other third-party options can provide up to 200W charging capacity.

BLUETTI also provides an app for the AC60, which will enable you to monitor the power station’s status, manage charging and discharging, and adjust settings conveniently from your phone.

Back to use on-site and the compact size, built-in carry handle, and lightweight design (8.6kg) mean that the AC60 is highly portable, making it an ideal companion for outdoor adventures and on-location shoots.

If you’re worried about the cost of the investment into on-site power, then you’ll be pleased to hear that BLUETTI offers a 6-year warranty for the AC60 power station.

The AC60 is available for £649 (RRP £699) on the BLUETTI website. Various bundles, including solar panels and additional batteries, are also available, such as the AC60+B80 (Expansion Battery) for £1,248.00 (RRP £1398).

For more information and to purchase the AC60, visit the BLUETTI website.

Posted By: The Reporter
July 20, 2023

A former Detroit-area gallery owner pleaded guilty to conning collectors out of more than $1.5m worth of art last week, charges that could land her up to 20 years in prison.

Wendy Halstead Beard pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, the Department of Justice said on Thursday (13 July). Beard is the former owner of the Wendy Halsted Gallery located in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Beard acknowledged defrauding more than 10 victims over nearly three years, including one victim who was vulnerable because of their advanced age, officials said. Beard’s sentencing has been scheduled for December.

From approximately March 2019 until October 2022, Beard defrauded her clients by selling photographic prints she had received on consignment without notifying the owners and pocketed the profits, according to the DoJ. Beard used a variety of excuses to explain to clients why their work could not be returned, including telling them she had recently woken from a coma or had received a double-lung transplant. Other times, Beard said clients’ photographs were not attracting buyer interest, even in cases in which the work had already been sold. Beard also created fake email addresses for employees who did not exist to support her fraud.

Beard’s alleged victims include Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist J. Ross Baughman, who told The New York Times earlier this year that the former gallerist conned him out of 20 prints she valued at $40,0000.

“She was willing to take advantage of me,” Baughman told the Times, saying Beard “had taken my life’s work—all of these very fun, sentimental personal artefacts”.

Beard is the daughter of well-known Detroit photography dealer Tom Halsted, who was a founding member of Association of International Photography Art Dealers (Aipad) and was elected the group’s second president. Halsted died in 2018, and Baughman told the Times he began working with Beard after he initially tried to reach out to her father after his death.

Another alleged victim was an 89-year-old man with Alzheimer’s disease who consigned five photographs for Beard to sell, including a signed print by famed landscape photographer Ansel Adams, according to a Federal Bureau of Investigation complaint. When the man’s relatives requested return of the works, Beard instead gave them a reproduction print that appeared to have been purchased from the gift shop of the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite, California, the complaint stated.

More and more alleged cases of art dealers defrauding collectors and artists have come to light in recent years. High-profile Manhattan art advisor Lisa Schiff indicated in recent legal documents that she will liquidate her firm to pay creditors after facing lawsuits claiming she defrauded collectors out of millions of dollars. Palm Beach art dealer Daniel Elie Bouaziz was sentenced to more than two years in prison last month after pleading guilty to selling counterfeit works he attributed to blue-chip artists like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Roy Lichtenstein. Last year, art dealer Inigo Philbrick was sentenced to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to federal wire charges linked to defrauding collectors, investors and lenders out of $86m.

Female birds continue to delight and inspire us. From the subtle beauty of a Spruce Grouse hen to the bold russet patches on a Red-necked Phalarope, the female birds featured in this gallery captured the eyes and imaginations of photographers from across North America who entered the female bird category of the 2023 Audubon Photography Awards.

Launched in 2021 to call attention to some of the most overlooked birds in the world, the female bird category challenges photographers to focus their cameras and attention on the sex that is too often ignored. Although these shots didn’t take any of the top prizes—you can see all of the winners here—we couldn’t help but share these equally inspiring images. You can also find more amazing photography from this year’s competition in our annual Top 100 review. 

If after perusing the below gallery you find yourself inspired to pick up a camera and photograph avians on your own, our photography section has everything you need to get started, including tips and how-to’s and Audubon’s ethical guidelines for wildlife photography. Then get out there and start documenting your favorite winged subjects—male and female. 

Northern Cardinal by Nicole Land (above)

Location: Cotulla, Texas
Behind the Shot: I was taking a photography workshop and exploring different camera bodies and lenses when I took this photograph. While using the Canon R5 (600mm lens) in shutter mode, we focused on the common birds in front of us—which happened to be a beautiful female Northern Cardinal bathing at the bird blind. Bath time is a great opportunity to practice photography skills like the importance of shutter speeds versus aperture settings. This cardinal saw me shooting and didn’t seem to care. The bath was way more important, so I was able to get many shots of various bathing poses. 
Female ID tip: Female Northern Cardinals are readily identifiable with their gorgeous beige and subtle red plumage. 

Belted Kingfisher by Jerry amEnde

Location: Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Behind the Shot: Belted Kingfishers are one of the most skittish birds to photograph. As soon as you get out of the car, they are almost sure to fly away. Therefore, the technique I’ve developed to photograph them is to find a favorite perch that the birds regularly return to, park a respectful distance away, and wait while using the car as a blind. I found one such perch at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge and shot several images of this female. Then, suddenly, she flew off the perch, and I was able to catch a photo of her in lovely morning light.
Female ID Tip: In Belted Kingfishers, the reddish patches on the chest and sides are only present in females.

Costa’s Hummingbird by Melissa Harnish

Location: Oro Valley, Arizona
Behind the Shot: Photographing hummingbirds has always been an obsession of mine. There is something about the detail of their tiny feathers and straw-like tongues that fascinates me. On this particular morning, I had gone outside my home, coffee in hand, when I noticed this female Costa’s Hummingbird flitting from flower to flower. There was something about her simple green iridescent feathers against the bright orange flowers of the Mexican Bird of Paradise that compelled me to grab my camera. Little did I know that capturing this image would occupy my time for several hours; every time I raised my camera to click the shutter, she would dart away, leaving me to patiently wait for her return. After several hours, I finally got the shot.  
Female ID tip: Female Costa’s Hummingbirds are overall green and gray, and lack the male’s bright magenta-purple gorget and head feathers. 

Pine Grosbeak by Yan Zhang

Location: Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Behind the Shot: Pine Grosbeaks are a magnificent winter bird, but they are fairly uncommon in Southern Ontario, as they breed in Northern Canada and the western high mountain areas across North America. This image was taken during an “irruption year,” when Pine Grosbeaks fly south in search of food. Photographing this female was really challenging because the birds were shy and so busy eating the berries on the trees. Fortunately, after flying away, they came back within an hour, and I captured this image using a 600mm lens to keep my distance.
Female ID Tip: Female Pine Grosbeak can be identified by their gray and yellow feathers; males are pinkish red.

Gambel’s Quail by Jen Shepherd

Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Behind the Shot: In January, my two daughters and I spent a week in gorgeous Scottsdale for our winter vacation. Back in the 1990s l lived in the desert and loved every moment. As a lifelong photographer, I hoped to take some wildlife images on this trip and packed my Sony Alpha 7 IV with a 200-600mm lens. Before sunrise, I decided to hike up a small ridge to see what animals might be waking up. I spotted a group of birds skittering about but couldn’t identify them because it was still too dark. Soon, though, it was bright enough for me to see that they were Gambel’s Quail. This female paused near some rose petals, so I crouched down as low as I could and began photographing. I waited patiently until she turned her head slightly and then snapped the shutter. One second later the group ambled away. 
Female ID Tip: The lighter brown feathers and short plume indicate a female Gambel’s Quail; males have black facial feathers and a much more prominent, curled plume.

Wood Duck by Tammy Kokjohn

Location: Santee, California
Behind the Shot: Every spring I return to one of my favorite local lakes to see the newly hatched Wood Duck ducklings. One April morning I quickly spotted a Wood Duck hen with ducklings in the distance. I found a soft patch of grass some distance away to sit; maintaining a respectful distance is crucial in allowing adults and their ducklings to not feel threatened and for me to witness their true behavior. When I first spotted this family, they were foraging along the shoreline, nibbling the freshly sprouted grasses. Soon the hen herded her babies together and guided them up the slope to lay in the patch of grass for nap time. As they began to relax, one little duckling curled up close to the mother, and a second hopped on her back, sharing what looked to me like an expression of love. These adorable baby ducklings melted my heart. 
ID Tip: Female Wood Ducks look like a much more understated version of the male. They have the same backswept crest and stately shape, but where the males are boldly plumed the females sport delicate beige and iridescent blue-purple. Females also sport a strong white eye ring. 

American Kestrel by Robert Kaplan

Location: Brooklyn, New York
Behind the Shot: Kestrels have always been one of my favorite birds to photograph—small, colorful, and very photogenic. For the last several years there have been one or two locations around New York where kestrels reliably feed on voles and insects. One of those places is at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. The challenge in capturing this shot was making an educated guess to which of the available perches the kestrel was going to land on. I positioned myself with the sun at my back and tracked the flight of the bird as it approached a nearby perch. When he flew off it and went to the ground in search of food, I was prepared, capturing the bird’s return flight and the bug in its beak. I was gratified to see later that I had also captured, in my experience, a unique wing position. In documenting this behavior, I hope the public will see the beauty and ferociousness in North America’s littlest falcon.
Female ID Tip: Female American Kestrels have a number of plumage differences from males, but the most visible one in this photo is the dark barring along each tail feather. Male American Kestrel tail feathers are entirely red with a black tip.

Bushtit by Ethan Cleveland

Location: Denver, Colorado
Behind the Shot: Early one morning I stepped out on my back deck to watch the small flock of Bushtits I saw patrolling my bird feeder. I pulled out my Nikon D3200 and a 300mm F4 lens that my grandpa had lended me and started taking some experimental shots of the birds. I was enjoying identifying the different eyes of the males and the females when I noticed one particular yellow-eyed female edging confidently along a twig toward where I was crouching, intent on the bird feeder. I raised my camera, carefully placed my focus point on the bird’s eye, adjusted my shutter speed to 1/1000 of a second, and was lucky enough to achieve this sharp image!
Female ID Tip: Female Bushtits are easy to identify once you know what to look for: Unlike males and juveniles, which have dark brown irises, female Bushtits have light yellowish-olive eyes.

Black-throated Blue Warbler by ML Strahlendorff

Location: Metuchen, New Jersey
Behind the Shot: About 10 years ago I started turning what had been a conventional suburban yard into a chemical-free habitat garden filled with native plants and birdbaths. One of my great rewards has been the visits by migratory birds who stop to glean insects, eat seeds and berries, drink, and bathe. One of the most popular spots in the garden is this bubbler fountain constructed from rocks salvaged from a local excavation job. The large rock that serves as the platform has a natural, shallow depression just deep enough for small birds to safely splash. I had been watching the Black-and-white Warbler in the front when I saw the Black-throated Blue female peering out from behind the top rock, intently eying the Black-and-white and the spot it was enjoying. 
Female ID Tip: Female Black-throated Blue Warblers look quite different from their male counterparts, but both sexes share one field mark that lets you know what species you’re looking at: a small white patch on each wing. No other North American warbler has this handy plumage detail.

Yellow Warbler by Heather Mall

Location: Richard Bong State Recreation Area, Wisconsin
Behind the Shot: We visited Richard Bong State Recreation Area in hopes of photographing Yellow-headed Blackbirds. While driving through, there were several birds we were hearing, but few we were seeing. It looked like it was going to start raining, so we parked our car at one of the stops and listened to the beautiful bird calls. I was looking out the car window with my camera when I noticed movement in the bushes in front of me. A female Yellow Warbler popped up and began foraging through the boughs. I was in awe of her beautiful plumage against the greenery and started taking photos. Looking back at my shots, I saw this one. It’s one of my favorite images that I’ve ever taken, and for me, it’s a reminder that something small can impact your life in a big, beautiful way.
Female ID Tip: Female Yellow Warblers are bright pure yellow and lack the reddish chest streaks frequently seen on male Yellow Warblers.

 Eastern Bluebird by Yan Zhang

Location: Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Behind the Shot: After a day of freezing rain and a sudden drop in temperature, the trees and plants were completely covered in ice. Everything was frozen! For me, photography is about more than getting beautiful images; I prefer to learn about bird behavior and document it through my lens. So I went to see how the birds survived such a severe change in weather. Fortunately, I found this female Eastern Bluebird perched on the branch of a fruit tree.
Female ID Tip: Eastern Bluebird females like this one are generally lighter in color than their similarly marked male counterparts.

Red-necked Phalarope by Mike Diersing

Location: Nome, Alaska
Behind the Shot: Sitting at the edge of a pond in chest waders, I was looking to photograph grebes. Toward the center of the pond, just beyond some grasses, I saw a cluster of Red-necked Phalaropes foraging in their distinct zig-zag pattern. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a lone female phalarope in stunning full breeding plumage making a beeline toward the group. Thinking I was probably too late, I managed to acquire focus and get a sharp shot of her banking in a ventral pose, calling to announce, “Hey folks, I’m back!” I was so thrilled to get a sharp flight shot that I overlooked the five or so gallons of ice-cold Alaskan pond water that came over the top of my waders! 
Female ID Tip: Like the Belted Kingfisher, phalaropes are the rare North American species where the females are more colorful than the males. In this case, the bright red neck and dark facial feathers indicate that this bird is female.

Spruce Grouse by Mark Staples

Location: Superior National Forest, Minnesota
Behind the Shot: While on a July hike in Superior National Forest, I noticed several young Spruce Grouse chicks had suddenly appeared among the undergrowth, calmly foraging along the hiking trail. They seemed totally unaffected by my accidental intrusion and continued to wander in all directions in search of food. As I reached for my camera, the mom hopped onto a nearby log to get a closer look at me. Before she returned to her brood, I was able to make an intimate portrait of the hen and her intricate feather pattern against a vibrant green backdrop. As both a birder and a conservationist, it was an incredible experience to watch this resident of the coniferous forest thrive in a protected habitat.
Female ID Tip: Female Spruce Grouse are overall speckled brown, while males’ heads and necks are mostly black.

Laysan Albatross by Hob Osterlund

Location: Kīlauea, Kaua’i, Hawaii
Behind the Shot: Laysan Albatross, like all other albatross species, are known for affectionate behaviors with their mates and chicks. Unmated pairs can also be very demonstrative with each other, and so can mated pairs who happen to be taking the year off from nesting. These two females, a known mated pair that skipped the breeding season, met up at the edge of a field in a colony where they typically nest, away from the other birds, for a session of preening, snuggling, and napping. These displays are common among mōlī, as they are known in the Hawaiian language. Since it was a late winter afternoon, the sun’s long rays put a spotlight on their bodies but kept the woods and the ravine behind them dark. I sat on the ground about 50 feet away and took a series of shots. The birds appeared oblivious to me. 
Female ID Tip: Laysan Albatross males and females have very similar plumage, but males can be up to 25 percent more massive than females. Female-female pairs can be identified by the presence of two eggs in a single nest. 

The theme for the sixth round of the Camera Jabber Photographer of the Year (CJPOTY) competition was ‘Wildlife’. Once again, the range and quality of the images was very impressive. It made selecting our top ten photographs very hard, and we could easily have included many more! However, the deliberation is over and we are delighted to announce that the following images will be added to our shortlist to be judged by our illustrious panel of judges at the end of the year.

One of these ten shortlisted images has also been selected as the round winner, with the photographer being awarded a voucher from MPB worth £500 – scroll down to find out who.

CJPOTY June 2023 ‘Wildlife’ shortlisted images

Sara Jazbar

Sara tells us that every May bee-eaters come to nest in a reservoir at about a 1 hour drive from her home. She says, ‘it’s a true spectacle to see hundreds of these colourful birds together. Hunting, bickering, and mating, they are colourful not only in aspect but in personality too. When I have occasion to go, I stay there for hours observing them, sometimes even forgetting to take pictures. They are truly amazing creatures!’ Thankfully, Sara did remember to use her Nikon D500 and Sigma 150-600mm to capture some images on this occasion!

Stephanie Chadwick

This puffin had to face high winds, heavy rain and the constant attack of black-backed gulls to deliver a beak full of sand eels to its offspring. Stephanie had to endure much of that too to capture this wonderful image with her Sony RX10 IV. Like Stephanie, we love the look of quiet fortitude on the bird’s face as it succeeds in its task. The water droplets on its feathers also make the conditions apparent.

Molly Hollman

Molly used her Sigma 105mm macro lens on her Sony A7 III to photograph this red soldier beetle at the top of a fern, and we think she’s done a brilliant job. The focus is exactly where it needs to be, and there’s just enough field depth so that the beetle’s top half is sharp, but the background is an attractive blur of green.

Helen Trust

Helen captured this red kite circling above her old apartment with her Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary. She says, ‘They are so beautiful and majestic, it’s scary to think that they were nearly extinct, yet I was able to observe them daily’.

We love the detail in Helen’s image and the bird’s dynamic diagonal across the square frame.

Jane Gross

While the female leopard’s body in Jane’s image looks fairly relaxed, its eyes have an intensity. Jane tells us that it was looking for her nearby cub and had a kill up in a tree. Jane captured this superb image using her Nikon D750 and Nikon 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 lens.

Ellen Bogenschutz

We saw many images of birds and animals catching and eating fish, so it was nice to see Ellen’s image of a salmon leaping upriver. Ellen must’ve had lots of patience to capture this image, and her timing and composition are perfect. We love how the fish matches the colour of the rocks around it.

Carmen Drake

Carmen says, ‘This is one of the nicest wildlife encounters I’ve experienced – a green woodpecker and the chick in the nest, in Bushy Park, London. Bushy Park is an amazing place for wildlife, and I’m lucky to be close to it and visit often.’

It’s a fabulous image with pleasant earthy tones, attractive bokeh in the background and superb eye contact between the two subjects. The young bird’s message is clear to all!

Carmen captured this wonderful image with the Canon EOS R6 and Canon RF 100‑500mm f/4.5‑7.1L IS USM lens.

Barbara Taskó

This is an image that many photographers aspire to capture, and Barbara has delivered it superbly. The kingfisher’s wings are at the bottom of their down stroke, so the colourful feathers are on display. Droplets are also still falling from the bird, and the splash around its exit point from the water is clear. Well done, Barabara.

Elizabeth Hammond

Elizabeth says, ‘This little wren was gathering moss to line its nest in a fallen tree in Bushy Park. Wren’s have been a bit of a nemesis for me. Despite one hanging out in my garden all last year, I didn’t manage a decent shot. It just kept flitting off as I got my sights on it. So it really was an absolute treat to spend time with this cute bird and finally get a decent shot.’

Wrens are tiny, and they move quickly, but Elizabeth’s determination paid off with this wonderful image captured using her Canon EOS R7 and Canon EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6 L IS lens.

Alison Tetley

As Alison explains, the expression on the leopard’s face tells a tale, ‘this leopard had crept closer and closer to the grazing zebra herd, but at the last minute, he was spotted. He turned dejectedly towards us and walked slowly away.’ Alison’s composition is excellent. We particularly like that how the zebra are out of focus, but there’s enough detail to see that they are watching the big cat’s retreat.

Alison captured this image using her Fujifilm X-T3 and Fujifilm Fujinon XF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 R LM WR OIS lens.

CJPOTY June 2023 winner: Carmen Drake

Congratulations, Carmen, a voucher worth £500 from MPB is heading your way!

Carmen’s image joins the other 9 images selected this month and goes onto our shortlist for our panel of VIP judges at the end of the year for the overall prize.

CJPOTY July: Summer

The theme for the seventh round of the 2023/24 Camera Jabber Photographer of the Year (CJPOTY) competition is ‘Summer’. Although it’s lovely to get out in the sunshine, the harsh light can make photography tricky. Nevertheless, summer holidays, the rural idle and blue skies hold plenty of appeal for photographers. For this round, we’d like to see images of whatever summer means to you, they can be captured anywhere and at any time.

This round of our monthly competition is open for submissions until 23:59 BST (00:59 CET and 15:59 PST) on 31st July 2023.

To submit your entry, follow the link to cjpoty or click on the CJPOTY button at the top of any of our website pages. You can submit up to three entries for £2.00 plus payment processing costs (£0.26). Images should be Jpegs at least 1920 pixels along their longest side but no larger than 2MB.

Camera Jabber Photographer of the Year prizes

At the end of the month, the Camera Jabber team will pick one winning image and nine runners-up from the July entries. The photographer of the winning image will receive a voucher from MPB.com to the value of £500 which can be spent on anything from a huge range of kit from the World’s biggest platform for used photographic gear.

All 10 of the selected images will go into our shortlist for the year.

We’ll do this each month in 2023 so that by the end of the year, there will be 120 shortlisted images. These will then go before our fantastic panel of judges who will decide the 1st, 2nd and 3rd-placed images.

The photographer of the first-placed image overall, as decided by the panel of judges , will receive a voucher to the value of £1000 from MPB.com as well as a trophy and the title ‘Camera Jabber Photographer of the Year 2023‘. The photographers who come second and third will receive vouchers worth £500 and £250, respectively.

About MPB

Founded by Matt Barker in 2011, MPB is the world’s largest platform for used photography and videography kit. MPB has transformed the way people buy, sell and trade equipment, making photography more accessible, affordable and sustainable.

Headquartered in the creative communities of Brighton, Brooklyn and Berlin, the MPB team includes trained camera experts and seasoned photographers and videographers who bring their passion to work every day to deliver outstanding service. Every piece of kit is inspected carefully by product specialists and comes with a six-month warranty to give customers peace of mind that buying used doesn’t mean sacrificing reliability.

‘Celebrating the Volunteers of Eastwood’ will open in the Gallery Space at the DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum on Victoria Street on July 27.

The exhibition will feature portraits from more than 30 local organisations, which have been taken by Lesley Grand-Scrutton and Anna Glew from The Beauvale Photography Group.

Speaking about the exhibition, they said: “We came up with the idea of creating an exhibition of photography, which acknowledges and celebrates the important work carried out by organisations and their volunteers to improve the lives of the people in our local community.

“Volunteering takes many forms, including management, administration, giving financial and legal advice, offering spiritual guidance, helping people who are suffering from physical and mental health issues, befriending the lonely and isolated, providing transport to doctor and hospital appointments, giving support to ex forces personnel, working with children and young adults, helping those who are homeless, helping people who are subjected to domestic abuse, working in charity shops, gardening and picking up litter, working in a food bank and serving meals, providing warm spaces. The list goes on.

“The common denominator, in every case, is that so many people are willing to use their skills and experience and give up their precious time to help others in order to make a difference within society.”

Among those featured in the exhibition include Diane Rowley, who set up Eastwood Memory Cafe in 2017 to provide a welcoming and judgement-free space for people with dementia and their carers.

Six years on, Eastwood Memory Cafe is now a registered charity with 22 team members, all continuing to work in a totally voluntary capacity.
Meanwhile Ellie Leatherland, who has been involved in community work since the early 1980s, is also featured.

Ellie is the former co-ordinator of the Eastwood People’s Initiative and has worked tirelessly to help less fortunate members of the local community over the past four decades.

The ‘Celebrating the Volunteers of Eastwood’ exhibition will run at the museum until September 30.