The Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) has announced the winners of its Maestro Awards 2023! This year’s theme, “The Animal Kingdom,” saw Swedish photographer Magnus Berggren take first place for his incredible bird photos. Angi Wallace from the United Kingdom secured a well-deserved second place, while the third spot was claimed by Pål Hermansen from Norway. The People’s Choice Award was earned by Mirjam Radke from Germany.

Scroll down to discover the captivating photographs! Don’t forget to upvote your favorite ones and share your thoughts in the comments!

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1st place – Magnus Berggren, Sweden

Image credits: Magnus Berggren

Magnus Berggren started photographing in 2007, but it was not until 2018 that he decided to focus on wildlife photography. “I started photographing small birds and just got hooked,” he says. “But I also like to photograph other animals, of course.”

Image credits: Magnus Berggren

His image style is distinctive and dramatic. “I try to plan how the background looks as I try to get the animal separated from the background. I want to try to show the beauty of the animal by editing the photos a bit dramatically and bring out their soul in the photos,” he explains. “I’ve been developing my style for a few years and it’s still evolving.”

Image credits: Magnus Berggren

Magnus uses a Sony Alpha A7 IV with a Sony 400mm F2.8 lens, but he hopes to upgrade to a Sony 600mm F4 soon. “It would be better suited to smaller birds,” he says. He edits his photos on a PC with Lightroom Classic and Topaz Sharpen.

Image credits: Magnus Berggren

Image credits: Magnus Berggren

Image credits: Magnus Berggren

2nd place – Angi Wallace, United Kingdom

Image credits: Angi Wallace

“I am an ex-nurse turned multi-award-winning photographer with a passion for close-up and macro, nature, still life, creative portraiture, landscapes and gig photography,” Angi Wallace says. Over 18 years of enjoying photography, she has relished learning various genres, concentrating initially on capturing images of amphibians and reptiles (another hobby of hers).

Image credits: Angi Wallace

More recently, Angi has been focusing on floral, fungi, and other close-up nature images as well as honing her skills in still life, focus stacking macro and food photography. “I produce a lot of my photography from home, using a mini studio set up in our dining room, simply because my health does not allow for energy-demanding activities,” she explains.

Image credits: Angi Wallace

Image credits: Angi Wallace

Image credits: Angi Wallace

Image credits: Angi Wallace

Image credits: Angi Wallace

Image credits: Angi Wallace

3rd place – Pål Hermansen, Norway

Image credits: Pål Hermansen

Pål Hermansen works as a photographer in the field of nature and arts. He was educated at Robert Meyer College of Art, Oslo, in addition to having degrees in dentistry and homeopathy. In his work, he is mainly focused on the interaction between man and nature, existential landscapes, and creative wildlife photography.

Image credits: Pål Hermansen

Pål has written and/or illustrated 40 books and is represented in the 2013 international portfolio book, Masters of Nature Photography (BBC/Natural History Museum, London 2013). His images have appeared in publications such as National Geographic Magazine, ORION, GEO, and BBC Wildlife Magazine. He is a member of FFF, The Norwegian Art Photographer’s Association, and is represented in the group 100 Norwegian Photographers (100norwegianphotographers.no).

Image credits: Pål Hermansen

Pål is also a member of the art collective HAM together with Mats Andersson and Erik Malm and is an honorary member and member of the board of NN, The Association of Norwegian Nature Photographers.

Image credits: Pål Hermansen

Image credits: Pål Hermansen

Image credits: Pål Hermansen

Image credits: Pål Hermansen

Image credits: Pål Hermansen

People’s choice award – Mirjam Radke, Germany

Image credits: Mirjam Radke

Whenever German travel blogger Mirjam Radke is selecting a new destination for an upcoming trip, it’s always the local wildlife in a country that is crucial in her decision-making, she admits. This 38-year-old amateur photographer from Munich has captured outstanding images of orangutans in Sumatra, lions in Tanzania, and hippos in Uganda. She is more than aware of one essential quality required in wildlife photography: Wherever she goes, she will need to bring along a lot of patience. Mirjam Radke knows that it will take time to get adapted to a place, learn about the resident animals, their habitat, and their behavior – and find the perfect situation for outstanding photographs.

Image credits: Mirjam Radke

If, for once, there isn’t any faraway destination on her travel agenda, there’s always the mountain region of the Alps near her hometown, where she will climb up high to capture portraits of marmots or take portraits of deer in the early hours of the day. And yes, in terms of technical equipment, she is well prepared, often bringing along 12 kilos of hardware in her backpack.

Image credits: Mirjam Radke

“Animals are definitely on top of my list of favorite subjects to photograph,” the self-taught photographer says. So, of course, she didn’t miss entering this year’s Maestro competition. Asked about the wildlife destination of her dreams, Radke is quick to answer that it’s Antarctica, where she would love to photograph seals and penguins.

Image credits: Mirjam Radke

Image credits: Mirjam Radke

Image credits: Mirjam Radke

Image credits: Mirjam Radke

The EISA Maestro Awards, founded 15 years ago, aims to inspire amateur and semi-professional photographers to create a photo series with a connection. This encourages a documentary approach while allowing creative freedom to interpret the yearly theme. The EISA Maestro quickly became popular, offering international winners appealing rewards like prize money, a trophy, an invitation to the Maestro Award Ceremony, and the prestigious title of Photo Maestro of the Year.

Since 2018, EISA’s Facebook page has allowed visitors to vote for their favorite EISA Maestro Photographer, giving them a voice in selecting the winners. All national winner results are shared online, boosting engagement and interaction with the audience.

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