PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettenberg Bay's Rob Smith is one of 17 photographers whose work has been highlighted as the crème de la crème of bird pictures.
To celebrate World Photography Day, African BirdLife magazine published the top pictures taken in the past two years.
And Smith's photograph of two mating half-collared kingfishers was taken in Plett's backyard - at the Plettenberg Bay Golf and Country Club.
"Many of these photographers in this group have won international awards. And my photo was taken in a local stream and forest. Right on Plett's doorstep! Local can be best in class!" said Smith.
African BirdLife magazine celebrated the art of bird photography and those who dedicate countless hours to capturing the wild beauty of our feathered world.
"From patient waits in the wild to fleeting shots of birds in flight, these photographers open our eyes to avian wonder and inspire conservation of these enigmatic creatures," reads the magazine's write-up.
Awe
Smith, a retired foreign service diplomat, said the magazine mentions the patience that is needed to get that one really good bird shot.
"I know I'm not very patient, but also know that I never notice time passing when out in a forest or the bush taking photos of birds, wildlife, seascapes or landscapes," he said.
"How can one be impatient surrounded by such beauty we are so fortunate to have around us? And trying to capture birds in the most exquisite way invariably leaves me in greater awe of them."
His work can be viewed on his Instagram account: robtraverssmith
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