The Beauty of the Familiar Wall Print
The Beauty of the Familiar Wall Print
Quick guide to selecting your wall print:
1. Choose the type - canvas, photo paper or fine art paper. Need more details? See the wall prints guide.
2. Select the size - the options in the drop-down menu refer to the print before a frame is added (including any border). All images are produced in their original uncropped format, so the actual image size may vary depending on your selection.
Canvas prints: the full image covers the entire front face. There is no border and the edges are white. The size selected from the drop-down size menu will be the actual image size.
Photo paper or fine art paper (framed or unframed) - actual image size within the border will be:
| Paper size: width x height | Actual image size: width x height |
| 40cm x 30cm | 28cm x 18.6cm |
| 50cm x 40cm | 40cm x 26.6cm |
| 70cm x 50cm | 54cm x 36cm |
| 100cm x 70cm | 80cm x 53.3cm |
3. Pick a frame (or choose not to). Frames are 2cm wide and stand 2.3cm from the wall.
4. Add to basket and you're done!
In stock
Description / The Beauty of the Familiar Wall Print
The Beauty of the Familiar © Mateusz Piesiak 2022. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is owned by the Natural History Museum, London.
Rising Star Portfolio Award, Winner
A juvenile black-headed gull plunges into shallow seawater to seize small crustaceans just below the surface. Black-headed gulls are opportunists, with diets that include aquatic and terrestrial small creatures and even human food waste. They can catch insects on the wing, seize prey under water, and steal food from other birds. Mateusz and a friend had travelled to Poland’s Gdansk Bay after hearing reports of a species rare in Poland – red‑necked phalarope, on migration.
But gulls hovering and diving close by and lit by the early morning light proved more exciting. This was much to his friend’s surprise, given that black-headed gulls are widespread in Poland (and through most of Europe). But Mateusz was after the beauty of the bird and had visualized the image he wanted. He lay propped on his elbows holding his camera just out of the water and kept constantly alert to lift it above small incoming waves. It took many attempts to ‘nail the focus’ on the high-speed dives and freeze the exact moment of impact, catching the droplets in the splash as a sparkling ring around the gull’s neck.
About the photographer (2022)
Mateusz Piesiak is a Polish wildlife photographer. Fascinated by nature, he has been capturing unique moments for more than 10 years. Mateusz loves experimenting with light and composition, making photography a true art. Travelling throughout the year, he strives to capture inspiring images that present the beauty of nature. His work has been published in National Geographic Traveller Magazine, BBC Wildlife Magazine and The Guardian, and has been awarded in numerous international competitions.