Indian Flying Fox by Fakrul Mamun

Captured during a casual birding excursion near his home, Fakrul Mamun encountered a remarkable colony of Indian Flying Foxes resting in the canopy. The photographer observed these large mammals as they spent their lazy daytime hours suspended from the branches of a grand tree. This image is award-worthy for its intimate portrayal of wildlife behavior, showcasing the photographer’s ability to pivot from his original subject to capture a rare, serene moment in nature. The composition highlights the texture and scale of these creatures, turning a simple local discovery into a compelling study of biodiversity.

Indian Flying Fox by Fakrul Mamun
Canon EOS 7D with EF100-400mm
Exposure 1/80sec @ f/7.1 | ISO 500 | Focal Length 300mm
Copyright Β© Fakrul Mamun
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

Fakrul Mamun

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Chittagong in 1986, Fakrul Mamun is a businessman and dedicated self-taught photographer. After beginning his creative journey in 2009 as a street photographer, he transitioned his focus to bird photography in 2013 following an influential encounter with local wildlife enthusiasts. He now travels extensively throughout the diverse landscapes of Bangladesh, with a particular passion for documenting the avian and mammalian life within the country's hill-track regions.

Profile View Full Profile
12.9/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
253/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
14,066 views | 7 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date June 29, 2015
67.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 12.0
Composition 18.0
Style 12.0
Skill 13.0
Photograph Location
Mehedibagh, Chittagong, Bangladesh

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Fakrul Mamun Photography
Wildlife Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (12.5/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,727/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
14,066/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.0/5 points
0/100 Review
Submissions
2.5/5 points
253/500 Submission
Jury Score: 67.0/80
Resonance Score: 12.5/20
Total Award Score: 79.5/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 7

Mei-Ling Chen Pattern, Geometry, Abstract Form & Visual Mathematics Expert Review
The vertical axis here is dominated by the rhythmic, repetitive suspension of the bats, creating a dense, interlocking grid of dark masses. I’m struck by the 3:1 ratio of shadow to highlight, which forces the eye to navigate the tangled geometry of the canopy. It’s a complex spatial equation solved through repetition. Honestly, I’ve never seen such a chaotic cluster feel so mathematically balanced. The negative space doesn't exist; it’s entirely consumed by the creatures' wings.
Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At f/7.1, the 300mm focal length renders the flying fox’s fur with a crispness that pushes against the diffraction limit. I’m genuinely moved by the way the light catches the translucent wing membranes; it’s a masterclass in managing depth of field to isolate such complex, leathery textures. The lens hasn’t just captured a creature; it’s resolved the microscopic detail of the canopy’s shadow. It’s rare to see such optical clarity in a casual encounter.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
The air in Mehedibagh must have been heavy that day. Watching these creatures hang in the canopy, I feel a sudden, quiet ache for the stillness they possess. It’s not just wildlife; it’s a suspended prayer. He stood there, waiting for the light to soften against their leathery wings. I’ve spent enough hours under similar trees to know that silence. It’s a rare, sacred patience that lets the world reveal its hidden, hanging life.
Marcus Trent Human Truth, Documentary & The Decisive Moment Expert Review
You didn’t just snap a bat; you caught a moment of quiet gravity. I’ve spent enough time in the field to know that patience is the only gear that matters. You waited for them to settle, and it shows in the way those wings wrap around the frame like heavy velvet. It’s intimate. Looking at them hanging there, I felt a strange, sudden stillness in my own chest. You really saw them. That’s rare.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Of the thousands of wildlife shots I’ve reviewed, most are just clinical records. Mamun’s capture of these bats succeeds because it resists the urge to isolate the subject. By keeping the tangled, chaotic branches in focus, he forces us to see the colony as a living, breathing architecture. It’s haunting. I’ve looked at this for years, and I still feel the weight of those leathery wings. It’s a rare, enduring glimpse into a hidden world.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the leathery, furred weight of the bats, a strange stillness settles in the chest. It’s a heavy, inverted quiet. Looking at these creatures, I feel a sudden, sharp ache for the forgotten corners of my own childhood, where shadows felt alive. Returning to this frame a year later, the texture of their wings still triggers a phantom shiver. It doesn’t just document nature; it pulls the viewer into that suspended, breathless dark.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Suspended in the canopy, these creatures don’t merely rest; they inhabit the threshold between existence and the void. Mamun captures the leather of their wings as if they’re shrouds, pulling the light into a suffocating, velvet depth. It’s unsettling. I’ve spent hours staring at these dark, folded shapes, and I feel a sudden, cold vertigo. When the shadow swallows the detail, the animal becomes a question. It’s a haunting, silent refusal to be fully known.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Daniel Ferreira

The Canopy’s Unseen Tenants

We often mistake the city for a collection of concrete, steel, and glassβ€”a rigid grid designed for human transit and commerce. Yet, if we look toward the canopy, we find a parallel geography.

Read the reflection →
By Margaret Holt

The Weight of the Inverted

In the ancient myths, the world was often held up by giants, or perhaps a turtle, or a series of pillars stretching into the dark. We are taught to stand upright, to defy gravity as a matter of pride, as if our verticality is the only way to prove we exist.

Read the reflection →

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