Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards - NHM in London

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Tiago C

Tiago C

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All category winning and highly commended images of this years' award are available here: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/gallery
Many nice images IMO. Most of them taken at quite small apertures and some of them with somewhat dated gear. I've listed gear and settings below of adult category winners (excludes highly commended images and young category winners).

Amit Eshel
Canon EOS R5
24–70mm f2.8 lens at 45mm
1/800 at f8 • ISO 500

Vishnu Gopal
Nikon D850
14–24mm f2.8 lens at 14mm
1/30 at f6.3 • ISO 1600 • torch

Juan Jesús Gonzalez Ahumada
Canon EOS R6
100mm f2.8 lens
1/80 at f5.6 • ISO 320 • ring flash

Hadrien Lalagüe
Canon EOS 100D
10–20mm f4.5–5.6 lens at 11mm
1/60 at f10 • ISO 1600 • 2x Nikon flashes • Panasonic PIR motion sensor • custom housing

Sriram Murali
Canon 6D
24mm f1.4 lens
19 sec at f2 • multiple exposures • ISO 6400 • cable release • Manfrotto tripod

Bertie Gregory
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Hasselblad L1D-20c
1/120 at f4 • ISO 100

Lennart Verheuvel
Canon EOS R5
100–500mm f4.5–7.1 lens at 100mm
1/80 at f7.1 • ISO 1250

Agorastos Papatsanis
Nikon D810
105mm f2.8 lens
1/40 at f36 • ISO 500 • Godox flash + trigger • Leofoto mini tripod

Rachel Bigsby
Nikon D850
Sigma 60–600mm f4.5–6.3 lens
1/1600 at f11 • ISO 5000

Mike Korostelev
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
17–40mm f4 lens
1/320 at f7.1 • ISO 640 • Seacam housing

Knut-Sverre Horn
Canon EOS R5
24–70mm lens at 42mm
1/5000 at f8 • ISO 100

Joan de la Malla
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Hasselblad L1D-20c
1/25 at f6.3 • ISO 100

Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar
DJI Mavic Mini 2
24mm f2.8 lens
1/320 at f2.8 • ISO 100

Karine Aigner (Photojournalist Story Award)
Sony α1
24–105mm lens
1/320 at f8 • ISO 640

Karine Aigner (Photojournalist Story Award)
DJI Mavic Mini 2
24mm f2.8 lens
1/320 at f2.8 • ISO 100

Karine Aigner (Photojournalist Story Award)
Sony α7R III
35mm f2.8 lens
1/1000 at f8 • ISO 1250

Karine Aigner (Photojournalist Story Award)
Sony RX1R II
35mm f2 lens
1/40 at f8 • ISO 1600

Karine Aigner (Photojournalist Story Award)
Sony α7R III
35mm f2.8 lens
1/160 at f4.5 • ISO 4000

Karine Aigner (Photojournalist Story Award)
Sony α7R III
24–105mm f4 lens
1/125 at f7.1 • ISO 5000

Karine Aigner (Photojournalist Story Award)
Sony α7R III
35mm f2.8 lens
1/6400 at f2.8 • ISO 1600

Luca Melcarne (Rising Star Portfolio Award)
Nikon D850
600mm f4 lens
1/5000 at f4.5 (+1 e/v) • ISO 640

Luca Melcarne (Rising Star Portfolio Award)
Nikon D850
400mm f2.8 lens
1/8000 at f2.8 (-1.6 e/v) • ISO 50

Luca Melcarne (Rising Star Portfolio Award)
Nikon D850
400mm f2.8 lens
1/4000 at f2.8 (+1 e/v) • ISO 320

Luca Melcarne (Rising Star Portfolio Award)
Nikon D850
400mm f2.8 lens
1/125 at f2.8 (-1 e/v) • ISO 10000

Luca Melcarne (Rising Star Portfolio Award)
Nikon D850
400mm f2.8 lens

Luca Melcarne (Rising Star Portfolio Award)
Nikon D850
400mm f2.8 lens
1/320 at f5.6 (-1.6 e/v) • ISO 3200

Laurent Ballesta (Portfolio Award)
Nikon D5
13mm f2.8 lens
1/25 at f22 • ISO 800 • Seacam housing • 2x Seacam strobes

Laurent Ballesta (Portfolio Award)
Nikon D5
105mm f2.8 lens
1/80 at f36 • ISO 800 • Seacam housing • 2x Seacam strobes

Laurent Ballesta (Portfolio Award)
Nikon D5
13mm f2.8 lens
1/20 at f20 • ISO 200 • Seacam housing

Laurent Ballesta (Portfolio Award)
Nikon D5
105mm f2.8 lens
1/80 at f36 • ISO 800 • Seacam housing • 2x Seacam strobes

Laurent Ballesta (Portfolio Award)
Nikon D5
105mm f2.8 lens
1/100 at f8 • ISO 50 • Seacam housing • 2x Seacam strobes

Laurent Ballesta (Portfolio Award)
Nikon D5
13mm f2.8 lens
1/50 at f18 • ISO 800 • Seacam housing • 2x Seacam strobes
 
Member's gallery
Is it me or those all-singing all-dancing uber-cameras and those very long lenses that people seem to always need for wildlife are a bit under-represented? :p

On a less sarcastic note, I got for Christmas a few years back a WPY book with the awards history and it's winners and that got me depressed... made me feel that what most of us "wildlife photographers" do is more like fishing than photography ;).
 
Member's gallery
Selected from 49,957 entries from 95 countries, the winners of the Natural History Museum’s prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition (2023) were revealed at an awards ceremony in South Kensington last week.

The flagship Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition featuring the awarded images will open on Friday 13 October 2023 at the Natural History Museum in London.

Images at the museum’s gallery:

www.nhm.ac.uk

Gallery | Wildlife Photographer of the Year | Natural History Museum

Browse the WPY winning images in our immersive gallery. Use the filter tab to customise your search
www.nhm.ac.uk www.nhm.ac.uk

Once loaded onto your computer, click on “edit..” if you want to sort the images by category or by winners.
 
Member's gallery
OMG...so many grim photos! Makes me want to start shooting wildflowers. It's too bad that to be a "good" wildlife photo it has to be about killing or being killed or maimed. Obviously those are the types of photos that these judges admire. Yes, some good photography but I stopped looking when I realized there was so much death and dying shown. I like the happy part of wildlife, not to say that I don't get the other part. I am aware that hunting is a part of wildlife but so is family, friendship and rearing young and so on. Is it really a wildlife photo when you are showing men who hunted bobcats and are standing in a line with their kill (I probably could have done that with deer around here but would never think of it as a wildlife photo)? I don't that type of photo is a valid wildlife photo unless you are using it for a specific story in a specific instance, just my take on it. Also some really strange images that are hard to define, at least as far as I got.
 
Member's gallery
Viathelens said:
OMG...so many grim photos! Makes me want to start shooting wildflowers. It's too bad that to be a "good" wildlife photo it has to be about killing or being killed or maimed. Obviously those are the types of photos that these judges admire. Yes, some good photography but I stopped looking when I realized there was so much death and dying shown. I like the happy part of wildlife, not to say that I don't get the other part. I am aware that hunting is a part of wildlife but so is family, friendship and rearing young and so on. Is it really a wildlife photo when you are showing men who hunted bobcats and are standing in a line with their kill (I probably could have done that with deer around here but would never think of it as a wildlife photo)? I don't that type of photo is a valid wildlife photo unless you are using it for a specific story in a specific instance, just my take on it. Also some really strange images that are hard to define, at least as far as I got.
Click to expand...
I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't call those images of hunters with their kill "wildlife". Storytelling, as you said, sure. But then, the image of a tiger in a cage stretches my boundaries of "wildlife".
 
Member's gallery
StefanSC said:
Is it me or those all-singing all-dancing uber-cameras and those very long lenses that people seem to always need for wildlife are a bit under-represented? :p

On a less sarcastic note, I got for Christmas a few years back a WPY book with the awards history and it's winners and that got me depressed... made me feel that what most of us "wildlife photographers" do is more like fishing than photography ;).
Click to expand...

Long and fast lenses seem a bit under-represented. However, there are many different award categories that benefit from various focal lengths - macro, journalism, etc - and there are many types of subjects. Also, IMO, this type of award tends to prioritise showing the enviornment/behaviour in favour of more portrait-style photos.

What do you mean by your second comment, I didn't fully understand.

Thanks
 
Member's gallery
Doomrider74 said:
Clearly, I don't know what makes a good wildlife photograph because I don't see the appeal of the overall winner and there's far better photos in that selection, IMO.
Click to expand...
Often I feel like this way about higher level photography competitions in general. Frequently it seems like the judging gets so focused on the story of the image - which is an important component, of course - that they judge the story almost in isolation without regard for other elements like composition, lighting, etc.
 
Member's gallery
MikeJ said:
I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't call those images of hunters with their kill "wildlife". Storytelling, as you said, sure. But then, the image of a tiger in a cage stretches my boundaries of "wildlife".
Click to expand...
If the photo was composed and lighted in such a way that it somehow highlighted the experience of captivity for the tiger or juxtaposed the power if the beast with the helplessness of its situation that might be a different story, but to me it just looks like a haphazard snapshot someone took at a zoo.
 
Member's gallery
On that tiger in a cage, I think it was being rehabilitated, it looked like bandages on its front paws. It does tell a story but I would never think it was appropriate for a wildlife competition. Part of what is happening these days, I think, with wildlife is the whole concept of conservation and it seems to have dwarfed any other consideration. Many of the shots were appropriate for a wildlife conservation competion, it's a shame that that concept has taken over and now is just about the only thing considered.
 
Member's gallery
MikeJ said:
I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't call those images of hunters with their kill "wildlife". Storytelling, as you said, sure. But then, the image of a tiger in a cage stretches my boundaries of "wildlife".
Click to expand...
Agreed. Many of the photos are more like photojournalism, which is fine if accompanied by an article, but as abstract images they aren't what I would call 'wildlife photography'.
 
Member's gallery
I did a quick scroll through and will spend more time tonight (getting ready for work now). I have the annual book of the winning images starting with Portfolio 13 up until last year's Portfolio 32. I have also seen two of the exhibitions in person in London. There has been a distinct change in focus the last three years or so and the last two portfolios have some bizarre choices. I don't mind the "troubling" images of abuse or degradation, as those go in a specific category and serve a valid purpose. But some of the ones from last couple years were just bad in that they appeared to be mistakes that I would have deleted immediately (like missing a bird taking off and all that is in the frame is its feet). I think they only won because they were different; there were so many good images that these bad ones stand out.

With that being said, I actually think this year's selection is better overall than the last two years. I did not see any real duds like I have recently. I was going to stop buying the Portfolio due to this trend, but after seeing these I will buy this year's.
 
Member's gallery
Viathelens said:
OMG...so many grim photos! Makes me want to start shooting wildflowers. It's too bad that to be a "good" wildlife photo it has to be about killing or being killed or maimed. Obviously those are the types of photos that these judges admire. Yes, some good photography but I stopped looking when I realized there was so much death and dying shown. I like the happy part of wildlife, not to say that I don't get the other part. I am aware that hunting is a part of wildlife but so is family, friendship and rearing young and so on. Is it really a wildlife photo when you are showing men who hunted bobcats and are standing in a line with their kill (I probably could have done that with deer around here but would never think of it as a wildlife photo)? I don't that type of photo is a valid wildlife photo unless you are using it for a specific story in a specific instance, just my take on it. Also some really strange images that are hard to define, at least as far as I got.
Click to expand...
MikeJ said:
I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't call those images of hunters with their kill "wildlife". Storytelling, as you said, sure. But then, the image of a tiger in a cage stretches my boundaries of "wildlife".
Click to expand...

When looking at the photos, it's important to realise this is not a one category award. There's the "Photojournalist Story Award" and the winner had 7 photos of the same story showing expoitation of wild animals.
 
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Member's gallery
Viathelens said:
On that tiger in a cage, I think it was being rehabilitated, it looked like bandages on its front paws. It does tell a story but I would never think it was appropriate for a wildlife competition. Part of what is happening these days, I think, with wildlife is the whole concept of conservation and it seems to have dwarfed any other consideration. Many of the shots were appropriate for a wildlife conservation competion, it's a shame that that concept has taken over and now is just about the only thing considered.
Click to expand...
The concept hasn't "taken over". It's one of the many categories.
 
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Member's gallery
Spending more time photographing wildlife tends to produce more excellent wildlife photos.

Often the skill of the photographer is even more important than the equipment used.

To some extent the results are an indication of equipment used 1-2 years before now.
 
Member's gallery
MrFotoFool said:
I did a quick scroll through and will spend more time tonight (getting ready for work now). I have the annual book of the winning images starting with Portfolio 13 up until last year's Portfolio 32. I have also seen two of the exhibitions in person in London.
Click to expand...

Wow that's some collection!! I'm in Portfolio 17 and was there for the awards that year. What a great few days!! Awesome to see the whole exhibition in person!
 
Member's gallery
Thanks for posting, Tiago. It's always interesting to see good work, and what the judges deem to be good that I might not agree with. The hunting pictures were poignant, and might do a good job of putting people off towards hunting for profit or reward. Agreed that it is really interesting to see what equipment is used.
 
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