Piping Plover chick lands latest bird photography award

SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2022
(Image credit: Sarah Keates)

The Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers (SINWP) has just revealed the winners of its Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 competition, which is now in its fifth year. 

Run in aid of the RSPB, one of the UK's biggest nature conservation charities, the contest this year attracted over 1,500 photographs. The wildlife subjects included a menagerie of creatures and species – everything from kingfishers to puffins to peacocks.

However, out of all the stunning entrants, the judges chose the image Piping Plover chick finds a shell as the overall winner. This charming portrait of a young Plover on the sand was captured by Sarah Keates from Massachusetts, USA, and she used a Canon EOS R5 with a Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, and EF 1.4x III extender – that's some serious focal length! 

The best lenses for bird photography are usually telephoto lenses, but Sarah got even closer to her subject by using a teleconverter. She set an aperture of f/7.1, a shutter speed of 1/2000 sec and ISO400, using Spot Metering to ensure that her exposure was spot-on.

SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2022

(Image credit: Michelle Jackson)

The award's second place was awarded to Michelle Jackson from Derbyshire, England and third position was given to Jason Gericke from Nottinghamshire, England.

The SINWP have thanked all the entrants for sharing their work, having raised over £2K for the RSPB this year, and over £10K over the five years that the competition has been running.

SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2022

(Image credit: Jason Gericke)

For more on the Bird Photographer of the Year 2022, and to see all the entries, visit the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers' website.

You might also like our camera for wildlife photography guide, and the best trail cameras, which can help you to spot elusive animals in your favorite photography locations.

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Lauren Scott
Managing Editor

Lauren is the Managing Editor of Digital Camera World, having previously served as Editor of Digital Photographer magazine, a practical-focused publication that inspires hobbyists and seasoned pros alike to take truly phenomenal shots and get the best results from their kit. 


An experienced photography journalist who has been covering the industry for over eight years, she has also served as technique editor for both PhotoPlus: The Canon MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine and DCW's sister publication, Digital Camera Magazine


In addition to techniques and tutorials that enable you to achieve great results from your cameras, lenses, tripods and other photography equipment, Lauren can regularly be found interviewing some of the biggest names in the industry, sharing tips and guides on subjects like landscape and wildlife photography, and raising awareness for subjects such as mental health and women in photography.