Rowe’s picture shows an American crocodile intensely staring into the camera with yellow-golden eyes, indifferent to the blood-sucking horseflies feeding on its snout. It was selected from over 1,100 photos as overall winner of Capturing Ecology, the annual photography competition of the British Ecological Society.
“I’d wanted to see a crocodile all trip, so I was more excited than anything”, said Rowe about the moment leading up to taking his award-winning photograph. “I’d also been snorkelling with sharks earlier that day, so I was probably feeling a little braver than normal. I think it was the combination of this newfound bravery – or stupidity – and being genuinely fascinated that drew me in. Looking into its eyes felt like stepping back in time.”
Camouflage strategies
Rowe came across the crocodile while taking a break from his scientific research in Panama. “My colleagues and I went on a moth treasure hunt, from the lowland rainforests along the Panama Canal to the mountainous cloud forests in the West. We tracked down as many tropical moths as we could to study the huge arsenal of camouflage strategies they use, and how these differ from the European species we work with.”
When facing the crocodile, Rowe didn’t feel any anxiety whatsoever. “I was still about five or six metres from the water’s edge where it was lurking, probably naively assuming that was a safe distance. The funny thing is, I didn’t keep back because I was worried it might lunge, but I kept back because I was more afraid of stressing the crocodile.”
Fierce competition
Rowe has been a photographer for a couple of years but only recently gained the confidence to submit his photos to competitions. Did he immediately know he shot a potential award-winner? “Not at all! I entered five images into this competition, and I honestly expected the others to do better than this one. I’m still really proud of the photo though, especially when I look at the other brilliant images it now sits alongside among the category winners and runners-up. The competition was fierce.”
“When I heard I had won, I was buzzing, so I paced around my flat in a mix of disbelief and excitement. Later that day, once it had properly sunk in, I leaned into my British instincts and went to the pub to celebrate.”
More photos can be found on Rowe’s Instagram account.