The 57th Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, has released a handful of “highly commended” photos from thousands of submissions.
This year submissions for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition hit a record, with over 50,000 photos received from photographers in 95 different countries.
The submissions included a mixture of thought-provoking images that showcased the darker sides of nature, whilst others highlighted the joy and wonder that is abundant across our planet.
“It was the overall quality of entries that took us by surprise. With most travel plans cancelled over the past year, photographers seem to have spent extra time considering what gems to submit,” says Roz Kidman Cox, chair of the judging panel and former BBC Wildlife editor.
The competition has been held annually since 1965 by the Natural History Museum in London.
It features nature photography from all over the world though 16 categories including urban wildlife, photojournalism, and young photographers.
From cheetahs traversing Kenya’s raging Talek River to bright green glowing fungi in tropical far north Queensland, each image had a powerful story to relay to its audience about the resilience and wonder that exists on earth.
Other images call upon us to consider our impact on the environment – A sea of dead and dying herrings are pictured sprawling out from a fishing boat after it had caught too many fish, causing the netting to break and burst open. The sight is confronting and raises a lot of questions about greed and consumerism.
The images are deliberated by “industry experts”, who judge based on a criteria of “creativity, originality, and technical excellence.”
The first look at #WPY57 is here, with Sergio Marijuán’s young Iberian lynx. A species once on the brink of extinction is rising in numbers thanks to conservation practices.
Take a sneak peek at the upcoming Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition: https://t.co/viFl09AtIb pic.twitter.com/jF3BpbEcl2
— Wildlife Photographer of the Year (@NHM_WPY) September 1, 2021
The winning images, along with the two grand title winners, will be announced during a virtual awards ceremony, broadcast live from the Museum’s famous Hintze Hall on October 12.
From these, the winners can earn up to £10,000 in cash prizes depending on the category.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
I’m extremely honoured and humbled to share that my image ‘A caring hand’, has been awarded a Highly Commended in the Photojournalism category of this year’s prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) competition. #WPY57 #WPY @NHM_WPY pic.twitter.com/EPlkfH5NDS
— Doug Gimesy (@DougGimesy) September 1, 2021
These shots will eventually be featured in an exhibition running from October 15th until June 5th of 2022.
The 58th Wildlife Photographer of the Year opens for entries on the 18 October and closes on the 9 December.
If these don’t tickle your fancy, check out Crap Wildlife Photography or The Comedy Wildlife Awards for some more light-hearted nature content.
