Wildlife photographer eclipses global competition with dramatic shot during solar event

After years of preparation for the hone birdwatch photo, Vancouver's Liron Gertsman did it. 

at present, he's been named Bird Photographer of the Year, for a photo he took in 2024 off the coast of Mexico during a total solar eclipse that captured the silhouette of a frigatebird in flight.

The story behind the photo goes back as far as 20 years, when Gertsman was five.

From there, his passion for photography and wildlife grew. Then, in high school, astronomy piqued his interest. 

"I had these two passions: bird photography and the night sky — celestial events. I decided I wanted to combine these into one dramatic photo."

That's when it hit him: a bird in front of a total solar eclipse.

A week in the life of a professional wildlife photographer

Total solar eclipses occur when the moon passes in front of the sun, blocking out its light. 

According to retired NASA astronomer Fred Espenak, total solar eclipses are rare in that they're only visible from a very small area on Earth's surface. The average for any one spot on Earth to see a total eclipse is about once every 375 years, said Espenak.

Gertsman figured out when and where a total solar eclipse would happen. 

"The one on April 8th, 2024 really caught my eye because it crossed the West Coast of Mexico," he said. "The West Coast of Mexico has some incredible seabird colonies."

He planned it out so that he would take a boat out onto the ocean, positioned next to some small islets off the coast of Mazatlán.

"I figured that during the eclipse, it would get dark. The birds would think it was night time, they'd fly into their island to roost," Gertsman said. 

Using the boat, he'd be able to get underneath them and get that perfect shot. 

"I was able to see hundreds of frigate birds flying in front of the most spectacular thing I've ever seen, which is that total solar eclipse."

Bobbing up and down on the ocean isn't exactly the easiest way to take a photograph. But Gertsman isn't interested in doing things traditionally. 

"You don't get photos that have never been taken before by doing things the way that everyone does them," he said. 

To deal with the movement in the boat, he had to get his camera settings just right — and that meant a lot of practice in the days leading up to the eclipse. He spent a lot of time adjusting his camera settings and monitoring frigatebird behaviour in advance of April 8.

Even with all that preparation, Gertsman was nervous the weather would hamper his photo: clouds were in the forecast. 

"I was fully prepared for the fact that it may or may not actually happen the way I envisioned it, and I was willing to accept the outcome regardless of whether it was a successful photo shoot or not, because I knew it would be a remarkable experience just getting to see the total solar eclipse," he said. 

Ultimately, the skies were clear and he got the shot. 

Being named Bird Photographer of the Year means people are seeing his work, which includes other wildlife shots like a bear catching a fish, a group of bald eagles and a particularly patriotic photo of Canadian geese under the northern lights. 

He also won a cash prize of £3,500, which is a little more than $6,500 Cdn.

But the real payoff, Gertsman said, is the attention the competition brings to preserving nature. 

"The power of photography is in communicating just how special and worth protecting things like birds are," he said.  "Birds really do play a really impactful role in the world's ecosystems. They inspire people."

Journalist

Courtney Dickson is an award-winning journalist based in Vancouver, B.C.

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