Art / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Inside The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60 exhibition
The 60th year of The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is now on show at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, where it will remain until April 2025.
The internationally renowned touring exhibition is produced annually by the Natural History Museum and features work from talented photographers around the world.
100 images were selected from nearly 60,000 entries in 117 countries and territories, judged by an esteemed panel for their “creativity, originality and technical excellence”.
is needed now More than ever
Bristol24/7 takes a look at some of the chosen works being showcased:
Twist and Jump by Jose Manuel Grandío, Spain – Highly Commended, Behaviour: Mammals
Twist and Jump by Jose Manuel Grandío, Wildlife Photographer of the Year – photo: © the artist
A stoat leaps in mid-air in snowy conditions in the French Alps. Usually more nocturnal animals, this expressive and unusual ‘dancing’ behaviour from stoats is not fully understood by scientists.
“Some think it is an attempt to confuse prey,” say the exhibition notes, “while others believe it is linked to a parasitic infection.”
Location: Athose, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
Nikon D500 + 500mm f4 lens; 1/6000 at f4; 1SO 800
Moonlight Hunter by Xingchao Zhu, China – Highly Commended, Behaviour: Mammals
Moonlight Hunter by Xingchao Zhu, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60 – photo: © the artist
The Pallas’s cat – so named after the Prussian naturalist-explorer Peter Simon Pallas, has been dubbed ‘the grumpiest cat in the world’ owning to its characteristically hard-set facial features.
In this dramatic shot on a moonlight night, the cat locks eyes with the camera lens, just after it has preyed on a bird.
Location: Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia, China
Nikon Z 9 + 800mm f6.3 lens; 1/160 at f6.3; ISO 1400
Precious Rocks by Samual Stone, UK – Highly Commended, Behaviour: Birds
Precious Rocks by Samual Stone, Wildlife Photographer of the Year – photo: © the artist
Stone is a London-based amateur photographer who champions the rich variety of wildlife in his local area.
In the run-up to taking this shot, he had been following a pair of jackdaws as they carefully built and enhanced their nest using a variety of found materials: in this case, rocks.
Location: Bushy Park, London, England
Nikon D5500 + Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 lens; 1/500 at f6.3; ISO 800
Stormy Scene by William Fortescue, UK – Highly Commended, Behaviour: Mammals
Stormy Scene by William Fortescue, Wildlife Photographer of the Year – photo: © the artist
Fortescue is a photographer who has raised significant funds for conservation charities. His time spent observing and photographing lions on the plains of the Serengeti led to the capturing of this image, showing a male and female mating as dark clouds gather behind them.
The photo is notable for its incredible detail, from the “saliva trails” of the female to “the explosion of insects” buzzing around the male’s mane.
Location: Namiri Plains, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Nikon Z 9 + 70-200mm f2.8 lens; 1/1000 at f5; ISO 320
Leaving the Nest by Sasha Jumanca, Germany/Romania – Highly Commended, 10 Years and Under
Leaving the Nest by Sasha Jumanca, Wildlife Photographer of the Year – photo: © the artist
Jumanca’s touching moment between two Eurasian tawny owls earned him recognition as a young photographer with great prospects.
His passion for capturing birds on film was sparked at seven years old, on first spotting a kingfisher in the wild.
Nikon D7200 + 200-500mm f5.6 lens at 270mm; 1/500 at f6.3; ISO 2200
Location: Maximiliansanlagen, Munich, Germany
Deadly Bite by Ian Ford, UK – Highly Commended, Behaviour: Mammals
Deadly Bite by Ian Ford, Wildlife Photographer of the Year – photo: © the artist
Having crisscrossed the world in his professional capacity as a travel agent and photographer, Ford views the art of making images as a lifestyle. He reflects: “I firmly believe that images can evoke emotions in ways that words often cannot, transcending language and cultural barriers”.
This image depicts the last moments of a caiman, in the jaws of a jaguar.
Sony a1 + 400mm f2.8 lens; 1/800 at f4 (-1 e/v); ISO 400
Location: Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60 is at Bristol Museum until April 27, 2025. Tickets can be purchased through Bristol Museums. Booking a time slot in advance is recommended, to guarantee entry.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.
Main photo: As Clear as Crystal by Jason Gulley, Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Highly Commended, Underwater)
Read more:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
