I'm very proud to announce my Image “Life on the Edge” just won the first place in the Animals in their Environment category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition! Being awarded as a category winners in the most prestigious nature photo contest is a dream come true for me!
Video credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London
Some FAQ questions about this Image:
What’s happening in the image? Nubian Ibex battle on the edge of the cliff with the beautiful backdrop of Zin Desert mountains. During the rut season males fur becomes darker in areas such as front chest and legs, the neck muscles thicken and they fight for the right to breed with the females. The battle usually begins with a display of the horns while tilting the head to the sides. In the second stage, if a fight develops, the males push each other as they both turn their heads and the base of their horns towards each other. If the opponents are equal, more vigorous fighting ensues as the males stand on their hind legs and strike each other. In this mode, the collisions of the horns make a loud sound that can be heard far and wide. Despite these violent fights, there is no damage to the skull, but sometimes horns are broken. Courting males seldom feed and expend much energy on fighting or mating, sometimes resulting in severe deterioration of their physical condition. Background story: I envisioned and dreamed about such kind of a image for many years since I started following and photographing the Nubian Ibex herd that live in this stunning environment. I always wanted to capture 2 adult males fighting in that exact spot by using a wide angle lens and include the beautiful desert habitat but I have never had a chance to do it until that special morning when I spotted these adults males just after sunrise on the cliff above me as they just started battling. I wanted include the Zin valley and mountains in the image so I knew I will have to hike up and and position myself above them with the stunning backdrop. I made my way up the cliff In a careful detour trying not to spook them and slowly positioned myself closer and closer to them in order to achieve the composition and angle of sunlight I envisioned in my mind. What motivated you to take this image?
By showing my images and telling the story conservation story of Nubian Ibex in Israel I wish to raise more awareness and act for conservation of this beautiful species. I have been working on a long-term project about the Nubian ibex life in different seasons and locations in order to tell the story of the species. The Nubian ibex is found in the desert mountain chains of Jordan and Israel, as well as in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Yemen. Less than 2500 ibexes are estimated to remain in the wild, the population is thought to be at carrying capacity in Israel, but otherwise critically endangered in other areas. Threats include habitat loss (via agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure development), hunting, pollution, and competition with non-native species. What challenges were faced in order to capture this image? Finding battling adult males Nubian Ibex is challenge, over the years I have seen many juvenile Nubian Ibex bumping their heads as a practice in order to test their strength against each other, but seeing adult males battling at full power for the right to breed was the first time for me. Getting close enough to the Ibex in order to effectively use a wide lens is key for achieving such a image. I did not want to interfere in any way with their natural behavior and so I approached with the utmost caution. To my delight, they were so engrossed in the battle and completely ignored my presence. The males fought for about fifteen minutes, at times I was worried about one of them falling down from the cliff but at the end one of them surrendered without any serious injuries. It was an incredible moment in nature to witness! What do you like most about it? The satisfaction feeling I had after I was finally able to execute the image as I envisioned it was incredible. I feel like everything came together in this image, the composition, the behavior, the quality and direction of light, the incredible desert environment, all the ingredients combined into one complete frame which I immediately knew was special. It is very rare that I immediately feel that way about a photo I took, I usually very critical about my work. Technical details: Canon r5, canon ef 24-70mm f2.8l ii usm, canon adapter ef to rf. 1/800, F8, ISO 500