An aerial view of an elephant crossing a sea of trash, a standoff between a lion and a hooded cobra, the portrait of a group of curious Arctic wolves, and a group of emperor penguins walking on the edge.
These are just a few of the natural world images at stake in the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year photography competition, which is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.
In a statement, the institution notes that this year’s edition received 60,636 submissions from 113 countries and territories, the largest number since the competition began six decades ago.
The grand prizes (adult and youth) and the 19 winners in each of the categories will be announced on October 14, at a ceremony hosted by the British Museum, which will feature conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin as hosts.
Subsequently, on October 17, an exhibition with the 100 “most inspiring and powerful images of our natural world,” selected from the total submissions by a panel of experts in wildlife photography, documentary storytelling, science and conservation, based on the creativity, originality and technical quality of the works.
According to the Natural History Museum, London, the exhibition will also inform visitors about how the planet’s habitats are changing. In addition to the displayed photos, information will be provided about some of the habitats shown in the images, namely, how biodiversity in that region remains on a 0% to 100% scale. This measurement is made through the Biodiversity Intactness Index, created by the museum and adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity as an official indicator to support decision-making.
Kathy Moran, chair of the jury for the 61st Wildlife Photographer of the Year edition, comments, in a statement, that “as a champion of the power of photography, there is nothing more rewarding or moving than seeing our relationship with the natural world, in all its complexity and splendor, shared on the world’s largest platform for wildlife photography.”
Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, is convinced that, “with the inclusion of the Biodiversity Intactness Index, this year’s exhibition will be our best yet combination of high artistic merit and innovative science, helping to inspire visitors to become advocates for our planet.”
