Shadow Hunter | Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Philipp Egger's Image

Philipp Egger’s (Italy) patience is rewarded with the orange glint of an eagle owl’s eyes and the evening light falling on its feathers.

Philipp first saw this nest while climbing and spent four years observing it from a distance.

He planned this image meticulously, right down to the slight camera wobble to blur the few elements present. He took it using a telephoto lens.

These formidable nocturnal predators are among the largest owls. They’re about twice the weight of a buzzard and have a wingspan approaching 180 centimetres (6 feet).

They nest on sheltered cliff ledges or in crevices, often returning to the same site for years.

Behind the lens

Philipp Egger

Italy

Philipp is a photographer and a wildlife cameraman for TV productions. His work takes him to some of the most remote and untouched regions of the world, where he documents the behaviour of animals in their natural environment. Whether in the icy heights of the Alps or the dense forests of Scandinavia, his camera is his tool to tell the stories of nature. His photos and films aren’t created by chance, but are the result of months, often years, of patience.

Image details

Nikon Z9
180–600mm f5.6–6.3 lens
1/10 at f29 • ISO 320
Naturns, South Tyrol, Italy

Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.

Philipp Egger's Image

Visit the exhibition

Behind the lens

Philipp Egger

Image details

Support our important work

Connections

More images from

Sign up to our newsletter