A great fruit-eating bat (Artibeus lituratus) takes off with a large fig in its mouth in this image by Canon Ambassador and tropical ecology photographer Christian Ziegler. Taken on a Canon EOS 5D (now succeeded by the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV) with a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM lens (now succeeded by the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM) at 16mm, 1/200 sec, f/18 and ISO100. © Christian Ziegler
After shifting his focus from ecology to photography, Canon Ambassador Christian Ziegler has become a celebrated photojournalist specialising in natural history and science-related topics.
A tropical ecologist turned nature photojournalist, Christian Ziegler has combined his two passions of photography and science to create an internationally-reaching reputation for producing engaging images rich in informed narrative, to highlight species and ecosystems under threat. "Most of the species that I photograph are endangered," says the German photographer. "We are at a tipping point in human history where we are over-stretching our natural environment and driving our fellow species to extinction. I hope my photography can make more people aware of this."