All creatures great and small as you’ve never seen them before: Incredible entries from international wildlife photography competition.
From tiny critters in a garden pond to an Osprey swooping in with a fish in its talons, these stunning images capture all creatures great and small as you’ve never seen them before.
Photos of flies, fish, snakes, seabirds, a decapitated butterfly and even a decaying zebra have been recognised in the British Ecological Society’s annual photo competition.
More than 200 entries were received – a new record for the competition – showing scenes of the natural world spanning Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
The winning shot was taken in a back garden in Sweden by Alejandro Ruete, a PhD student at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. He called his photo, which shows a hoverfly perched delicately on a globe thistle, “Kiss in the backyard”.
A shot of an elephant matriarch leading her family to water was highly commended by the judges.
See more… BBC News – Hoverfly kissing a thistle wins photo competition.
Did you know that after National Geographic published its first wildlife photographs in July 1906, two of the National Geographic Society board members “resigned in disgust“? They argued that the reputable magazine was “turning into a ‘picture book’”.
Luckily for us, it did turn out to become quite a picture book. Those first wildlife photos published in the magazine were captured by George Shiras, III, and marked quite a few “firsts.”
Shiras was a lawyer and politician by day — a U.S. Representative from the state of Pennsylvania — and a pioneering photographer by night (literally!). His nighttime photographs of animals represent some of the earliest examples of flash photography.
To achieve his shots, Shiras pioneered a number of different photo-making methods. One was to float silently across water in complete darkness. When he heard rustling nearby, he would point his camera system and snap a flash photograph in that direction.
See more… These Were the First Wildlife Photographs Published in National Geographic.
Natural History Museum’s new book released on Wednesday marks five decades of the WPY competition, celebrating the art of wildlife photography. Started in the 1960s, the 160 prize-winning and commended images represent 50 years of different times, styles and specialisms – showcasing some of the iconic images of wildlife on planet Earth, part of an exhibition in London from 24 October.
See more… 50 Years of Wildlife Photographer of the Year – in pictures | Environment | The Guardian.
A Cardiff-based wildlife photographer with a passion for tigers took advantage of soaring temperatures in India to capture his first images of a mother with her cubs.
The heat had topped 44 degrees Centigrade in Rajasthan when Andy Rouse, two days into a trek, found the shots he wanted.
The tiger, called Noor, had three-month-old cubs but she kept them sheltered in a desert cave at Ranthambore National Park.
But Andy gambled they would have to cool off and take in water in the sultry temperatures.
“I’ve been 6ft (2m) away from a tiger, they don’t see you as food in a vehicle, they leave you alone,” he said.
“But I made sure I was 150m (450ft) away in the first Jeep as I didn’t want the cubs to get nervous, this was the first time they would have seen people.”
Read more… BBC News – Andy Rouse captures tiger cub photos in Indian heat.
Spanish photographer Marina Cano’s wildlife images are a stunning depiction of the way animals interact with nature and one another. While some of the photos may seem posed, the majestic beasts Cano documents are wild and are captured in photos while simply going about their daily lives.
Read more… Breathtaking Portraits of Animals by Wildlife Photographer Marina Cano – weather.com.
The World Cup has brought the best fans from around the globe together to celebrate and root for their country.
Seemingly the wildlife is coming out in support too.
See more: PHOTOS: Animals from around the world celebrate the World Cup.
An interesting article with tips from top wildlife photographers, these include:
With its stunning scenery, vast sand dunes, rugged mountains and sweeping coastline, the beauty of Namibia is captured in these stunning photographs. Crowned number one in the top 50 emerging travel destinations this year, the country – widely regarded as one of the safest places in Africa – is also one of the most diverse and tranquil.
As one of the least densely populated countries in the world, with only 2.1 million people living in its landscapes, Namibia is dominated by vast sand dunes, rugged mountains and a sweeping coastline. Photographer Paul Goldstein captured these incredible shots, from rocky mountains to the famous Sesriem Canyon and the two highest sand dunes in the world, Dune 45 and Big Daddy.
Grizzly bears may look cute and cuddly, but they can also pull off a wicked death scare. The many personalities of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) have been captured by award-winning wildlife photographer Ingo Arndt, who traveled to the remote Lake Clark National Park in Alaska to document the majestic beast.
Read more: PHOTOS: Wildlife photographer Ingo Arndt captures stunning images of coastal bears – Metro.us.
