Name: Bence Mate
Title: Beaks
Category: Animals
Nationality: Hungarian
Occupation: Wildlife Photographer

Bence says:
‘In many parts of the world humans have persecuted animals relentlessly, making some species very wary. The fishermen on Lake Kerkini in Greece, however, are an exception. The fish they can’t sell are offered as a treat to the pelicans who, as a result, have become exceptionally confiding. Having witnessed this firsthand, I was inspired to design a floating device that would allow me to take extreme close-ups of the birds.

A year later, I went back with a homemade water purification system, which filtered clear water into a pool we constructed in the middle of the lake. After 22 hours there were 15 cubic metres of clean water in which I could shoot for 15 minutes before the pelicans muddied the waters again.’

Technical information
Nikon D300S(in underwater housing)
Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye
ISO 500
f/16
1/160sec
Post processing: Basic adjustments in Photoshop.

Website: matebence.hu
Instagram: bence_mate_photography
Facebook: BenceMatesPhotography