TITLE: Challenge

It was my most frightening shooting in Africa, when after getting off the vehicle I took some photos of wild dogs from the base of a bush. In the beginning there were some cute puppies playing with each other, but in the meantime it got dark, and we suddenly found us face to face with six bloody-headed adult dogs snarling and grunting at us fiercely. At that moment I thought I would be no bigger a challenge for them than the poor creature whose blood was still dripping from their sneering faces. This scene was made even more fearsome by my guide who found this very moment appropriate to leave me alone and go back to the vehicle to replace his flat battery.

AUTHOR: Bence Mate (Hungary)

• Wildlife photographer, born in Hungary, 1985. In 2010 he won the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photography of the Year award in London. He is the most effective photographer in the 53-year-old history of the competition, being the only contestant winning the first prize in both the young and adult categories.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_Photographer_of_the_Year#Ranking
• In 2005 he experimented the one-way glass photography technique, making fundamental changes in hide photography practice. This technique has been widely used all over the world, and most hides are equipped with such glasses.
• Since 2008 he has been designing wildlife photography hides in different parts of the world (Hungary, Costa Rica, Brazil, Norway, South-Africa and Transylvania, Romania). His enterprise operating in Hungary welcomes photographers with the most exclusive hides in the world.

• Books: The Invisible Wildlife Photographer (English, Hungarian), The Handbook of Bird Photography (Markus Varesvuo, Jari Peltomäki, Bence Máté; English, German, Finnish, French)

• Website: www.bencemate.com; www.bencemateshides.com


Most significant awards:

• BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year (international), 2010
• BBC Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year (international), 2002
• BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Birds Category (international), 2014
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Hungary), 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015
• Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Hungary), 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Eric Hosking Award for the best portfolio, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011
• Bird Photographer of the Year (England), 2005
• GDT – European Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Germany), 2015, Mammals category, Winner
• Nature’s Best photography competition (USA), 2010, 2012, 2014, Category, Winner
• Environmental Photographer of the Year (England), 2010, Category, Winner
• MontPhoto International photography contest (Spain), 2014, 2015, Overall winner
• Aves International Photo Contest (Belgium), 2014, Overall winner
• Transnatura International Nature Photo Competition (Romania), 2015, Overall winner
• National Wildlife international wildlife photography competition (USA), 2014, Overall winner
• EuroNatur International Photography Competition (Germany), 2014, Overall winner