Capturing the Awards: Wildlife Photographers of the Year
These awards are given to those who capture the best wildlife photos.
Dec 8, 2020
The Annual International Showcase takes place at the Natural History Museum in London where the best photographs of nature are judged. This year, tens of thousands of entries were given a total of 17 awards. The two main awards with the biggest prizes are the Grand Title awards for the two age groups, the Young Grand Title winner receiving 1,000 pounds and a personalized certificate while the Adult Grand Title Winner receives 10,000 pounds. This year, the Adult Grand Title Winner award was given to Sergey Gorshkov and his photo is called “The Embrace” and the Young Grand Title winner was given to Liina Heikkinen’s image “The Fox That Got the Goose.”
“The Embrace” was taken by Gorshkov and demonstrates a rare Siberian tiger hugging a Manchurian fir tree. This image won the award because it demonstrates how such a powerful creature can also be affectionate. Siberian tigers are an endangered species, as there are only about five hundred left in the world and finding one in its natural habitat is unlikely. Yet, Gorshkov was able to capture the moment after 10 months of hard work and dedication. As the winner of the Adult Grand Title, Gorshkov was given a 10,000 pounds trophy and a personalized certificate.
There are so many beautiful things that can be captured with just one click of a camera. The best part is that keeping a photograph can capture a moment that would be so rare to see again, which is why each picture taken is uniquely distinct and captivating.
— junior Jennifer Urbina
Gorshkov is the winner of several awards due to his unique and influential photographs of landscapes and wildlife. The cameraman was born in a remote village in Siberia, Russia, where he was fascinated with nature and enjoyed the beauty of the environment around him as a kid. He is a self taught photographer and is a founding member of Russion Union of Wildlife. His photos tell stories about the animals and explores the several beauties that nature has to offer.
“The Fox That Got the Goose” depicts a red fox devouring a goose and defending its prize in its natural habitat, deepening the significance of the photo. The photo captures the reputation of the clever and intelligent creature and the way it behaves. Liina Heikkinen was 15 when she took the picture as she was out exploring the wilderness in Finland. She was born in the Northern European country, and she is the youngest in her family, which is full of wildlife photographers. She was also a finalist with her photo “The Stare of the Goshawk,” another intense picture that illustrates the duality of nature, taken back in 2015.
“It captures the beauty that nature has to provide and this photo focuses on the animal and the background compliments it,” junior Andrea Sosa said.
There were 15 more awards that were handed out from the 49,000 entries. All the photos that were awarded were unique and influential as they demonstrated beauty, and in some cases, the impact of climate change.
Many asserted the idea that people need to take care of the environment and preserve the earth before its living things perish. There were several other awards that deserve their recognition such as the Animal Portraits Winner, Wildlife Photojournalist Story and several others.
Although nature can be a double-edged sword, it is worth protecting and preserving because it sustains life, and without it, there would be no more marvels for photographers such as these to capture.
