Imagine capturing the very first breath of a newborn creature – a moment so fragile, so fleeting, that it exists for only a blink of an eye. Wildlife photographer Jamie Peters did just that, and the result is nothing short of breathtaking. His image, "First Breath," recently snagged a spot among the winners of the prestigious 2025 British Photography Awards (BPA), and it's easy to see why.
The photo freezes the precise instant a Sakishima Grass Lizard emerges from its egg, taking its first gulp of air. The tiny reptile's vibrant green scales gleam against the creamy, speckled shell. And if you look closely – really closely – you can even spot the egg tooth, that small, temporary, triangular structure on the lizard's upper lip used solely for breaking free. It's a tool for survival that will soon disappear, its purpose fulfilled.
"Knowing the likely timing from when the egg was laid, I checked each morning in hope of capturing this precise moment," Peters explains. Think about the dedication that implies! Reptile eggs can take weeks to hatch, and the actual moment of emergence lasts mere seconds. One wrong blink, one missed check, and the shot is gone forever. It's a testament to the power of patience and perseverance.
But here's where it gets controversial... Some might argue that such intense dedication borders on interference. Where do we draw the line between observation and intrusion in wildlife photography?
So, how did Peters pull off this seemingly impossible feat? He relied on a winning combination of equipment and technique. His weapon of choice was a Sony A7R V paired with a Sony 90mm macro lens – a duo increasingly favoured by macro photographers for its incredible resolving power. The A7RV's 61MP full-frame sensor captures an astounding level of detail, while the 90mm focal length provides a comfortable working distance, crucial when photographing a vulnerable hatchling that needed to be kept warm and undisturbed. Think about it: getting too close could stress the little creature or even risk harming it.
Another crucial element was Peters' clever execution. He placed the egg on a black acrylic surface, creating a dramatic, gallery-like backdrop that isolates the subject and emphasizes its colours. He then lit the scene with a Godox V1S flash fitted with a Cygnustech diffuser. This wasn't just about illumination; it was about control. The flash allowed Peters to freeze the moment at 1/250 sec, eliminating any motion blur, while the diffuser provided consistent, controllable light that wouldn't stress or overheat the cold-blooded newborn. "To protect the hatchling from the cold, I worked quickly," Peters emphasizes.
And this is the part most people miss... The final image isn't a single shot. It's a meticulously crafted 15-frame focus stack, combined using specialized software called Helicon Focus. Why so many frames? Because at f/8, even with a macro lens, the depth of field is measured in millimeters. To achieve sharpness from the front to the back of the lizard, Peters shot multiple frames, incrementally shifting the focus point with each shot. The software then blended these images together, creating a final result that would be impossible to achieve in a single exposure. It's like creating a 3D image from multiple 2D slices!
The technical settings themselves – ISO 100, 1/250 sec, f/8 – were chosen to maximize image quality, while the flash provided the necessary illumination. Minimal post-processing adjustments were then made, primarily to clone out small pieces of vermiculite incubating substrate that would have distracted from the main subject. The goal was to present the lizard as purely and naturally as possible.
Fun fact: That black mark visible on the egg isn't an artistic flourish; it's biological insurance. Reptile eggs must never be rotated after they're laid, as turning them can be fatal to the developing embryo. The mark ensures correct orientation throughout incubation, a natural guide for the photographer, and the reptile itself.
"First Breath" is a powerful reminder that extraordinary images don't always require exotic locations or rare subjects. Sometimes, they simply require timing, preparation, technical precision, and above all, patience. Peters didn't stumble upon this moment; he planned for it, prepared for it, and executed it with the kind of technical mastery that elevates a snapshot to the level of art.
The Sony A7RV has once again proven itself as a formidable tool for macro photography, its high-resolution sensor capturing every scale, every texture, every grain of the egg's surface with incredible clarity. Combined with Sony's excellent 90mm macro optics and thoughtful lighting, the setup delivered an image that's both scientifically fascinating and aesthetically stunning.
In an age where computational photography can sometimes feel like magic, this image reminds us that the fundamentals still matter: understanding your subject, mastering your equipment, and being present for the moment. As Peters himself puts it: "A fleeting instant of new life, preserved through patience, precision and light."
You can view "First Breath" and the other winning images on the British Photography Awards website – a superb showcase of British photography across categories from wildlife and landscape to street and portraiture.
What do you think? Does the photographer's dedication enhance the image, or does it cross a line? Is this level of technical complexity necessary to capture such a moment, or could it be achieved with simpler methods? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
