Wildlife photography for all levels of expertise

Nature photographers from all over the world submitted their works to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. From these, a jury of photojournalists, biologists and editors chose the best shots across seventeen categories, now on display. The result is a breathtaking exhibition with the power to awe, to move and to disturb.

It is clear that a lot of care was taken to ensure the photographs were presented at their best. Each is set in a light panel against a dark, minimalist background, positioned at eye-level in a large size, big enough to be fully appreciated on its own. All in a low light environment – collisions with other visitors are part of the fun! – with delicate, nature-evoking ambient music.

The structure of the exhibition is simple and intuitive. One moves swiftly from one section to the other, with clear information panels marking the transitions. These provide additional information on the focus of each section, the sub-categories and the judging criteria. An initial oval corridor is followed by a branching gallery, with the two grand-prize winners closing the show. Overall it shouldn’t take much longer than an hour to see, but no rest is provided along the way: only the last two pictures merit the honour of an ‘art appreciation bench’.

Apart from the pictures themselves, one of the strongest aspects of the whole exhibition are the captions. For the aspiring nature photographers, technical details on cameras, lenses and accessories used are provided. For those who are choosing their next exotic travel destination, maps and locations are available. Naturalists will learn about the subject, specific behaviour, biological interaction or habitat depicted. And the rest of us won’t stay indifferent to the amazing stories behind each photograph, nor to the effort their authors put to them. Mud rolling, ice trekking and deep sea diving to take a photograph can only be classified as passion, and that feeling permeates every picture. References to habitat loss, endangered species and climate change are not uncommon, subtly reminding the viewers that they might be looking at natural relics, and educating us as to the need for conservational efforts.

As for the stars of the show, the photographs, they are a rich display of nature’s uniqueness. From tiny microorganisms to huge deserts, the exhibition covers every scale of the natural world. Some of the images are fascinatingly disgusting, such as one depicting a lizard peeping out of a carcass’s empty eye socket. Others are almost abstract and supernatural, such as a colorful composition with algae, or a hummingbird at a surprising angle. Others, and curiously the great-winners fall into this category, depict animal subjects in a very human-like fashion, appealing to our natural empathy and striking powerful emotions.

At the end, we leave amazed by our world’s wonders, and perhaps a bit more inclined to protect them.

-4.5 stars