Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year reveals the best of the wild
A fairytale image of an Iberian wolf and two yellowhammers fighting over food – the winners of the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition 2009 were unveiled
last night (21 October) at a glittering ceremony held at London’s Natural History Museum.
The much coveted title of Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year was awarded
to Spanish photographer, José Luis Rodríguez, who impressed judges with his image, the
storybook wolf. Scottish teenager Fergus Gill was crowned Veolia Environnement Young
Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his dramatic photograph, clash of the yellowhammers.
The pair succeeded from a record 43,135 entries from 94 countries, a 33 per cent increase on
last year. The best of these, including all winners, runners-up and commended photographs
from the competition’s 17 categories, will be showcased in a visually stunning exhibition that
opens at the Natural History Museum tomorrow (23 October).
To cater for its increasing popularity, this year’s exhibition will be displayed in one of the
Museum’s largest galleries. Photographs will be exhibited on a larger scale than ever before
and new features include an optional audio guide allowing visitors to hear comments from
photographers and judges on the images. There will also be an audio-described guide for
visually impaired visitors.
José Luis had set out to capture the perfect shot of an Iberian wolf, but feared they would be too
wary. When he realised he had got the shot of his dreams, he couldn’t quite believe it. Iberian
wolves have been persecuted by humans because they are often seen as a threat to game and
livestock, which they hunt when natural food is scarce. They also face superstition about the
supposed danger they pose. Even though they live close to humans, there are no verified
incidences of them attacking people. In Spain, the population of Iberian wolves – a subspecies
of the grey wolf – is thought to number 1000–2000 in the north with a few tiny, isolated
populations in the south. José risked a slow shutter speed to reveal the moonlit sky and conjure
up the atmosphere of the place. He switched from using his Nikon D2X to a Hasselblad so he
could get the exact framing that he had in mind.
He said, ‘I hope this picture, which shows the wolf’s great agility and strength, will become an
image that can be used to show just how beautiful the Iberian wolf is and how the Spanish can
be proud to have such an emblematic creature’.
Competition judge and noted wildlife photographer, Jim Brandenburg said, ‘This wolf jumping
over the farmer’s enclosure with the supposed intent of killing his livestock speaks for itself –
thousands of years of history are frozen in this masterfully executed moment. This is a more
technically complex photograph to achieve than one can imagine.’
The planning for Fergus’s clash of the yellowhammers started in the summer, when he collected
sheaves of oats from a local farmer specifically as winter food for the birds. One evening in
February, hearing that snow was forecast for the next morning, Fergus set up his hide in the
garden, hung out feeders and carefully positioned a sheaf. He woke up early the next morning
and got into the hide to wait. After a few hours, the garden was full of birds. At one point he
counted 32 yellow hammers feeding on the ground. After a couple of hours, more snow fell and
the yellowhammers began jumping up and feeding on the sheaf.
‘Every so often, I would see a fight between two males over ownership of the oats, but the spats
were incredibly brief,’ said Fergus. This, however, was the event he decided to focus on.
Two days later, Fergus got the photograph he wanted, capturing both the clash and the
composition he’d planned.
Commenting on Fergus’s image, competition judge Mark Carwardine said, ‘What a joy.
First your eyes go to the yellowhammer on the left, then you realise there is another one in the
bushes. Split-second timing has captured the perfect wildlife moment.’
The competition is owned by London’s Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine and
is regarded as the international leader in the artistic representation of the natural world.
The 2009 competition and exhibition at the Natural History Museum are sponsored by Veolia
Environnement. They are a world leader in environmental services, working with businesses,
communities and governments to minimise our daily impact on the environment we have a
communal responsibility to protect.
Chair of the judging panel, Mark Carwardine said, ‘While there is no magic formula for winning
and no hard and fast rules to explain why one photograph wins and another doesn’t, all winning
shots have one thing in common – originality. The judges are looking for something that stops
them in their tracks.The competition plays an increasingly crucial role in raising the profile of
wildlife photography and generating awareness of conservation. Nothing speaks louder than an
evocative photograph that stirs the imagination, tugs at the heart strings and engages the mind.’
Photographers can enter next year’s competition online from January to March 2010.
For further details about the competition and its various categories, or to enter online, visit
www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto
Exhibition information for visitors:
Venue: Natural History Museum
Dates: 23 October, 2009 – 11 April, 2010
Opening times: every day, 10.00–17.50 (closed 24–26 December)
Visitor enquiries: 020 7942 5000
Admission: adult, Gift Aid admission £9*
concession, Gift Aid admission £4.50* family, Gift Aid admission £24* (up to two adults and
three children) free for Members, Patrons and children aged three and under
Nearest tube: South Kensington
Website: www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto
* If you are a UK taxpayer and pay the Gift Aid admission ticket price, the Natural History
Museum can reclaim the tax on the whole ticket price you pay. For every £100 worth of tickets
sold, we can claim an extra £28 from Government. This means you can further support the work
of the Museum. The standard admission charges are adult £8, concession £4 and family £21.
The right of entry is the same for visitors with or without the voluntary donation.
Visitors can buy tickets at the Museum or online. Latest details of UK regional and international
tour venues are available on the website.
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