Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the announcement of winners was unconventional. Duchess Kate pre-recorded her speech in the building of the competition organizer, Natural History Museum in London, and the recording was streamed on social networks on Tuesday.
–
However, the course of one of the most famous photography competitions in the world was not affected by the pandemic. To the competition Wildlife Photographer of the Year contributed to 49,000 people from around the world. “The skill and creativity of this year’s photographs provide a moving and fascinating insight into the beauty and vulnerability of life on our planet,” said the Duchess.
–
The winner of the competition was announced by Duchess Kate.
Photo: Profimedia.cz
“Thank you to all of you for showing us the magic of the natural world and reminding us that caring for our environment and its valuable biodiversity has never been more important,” added the Duchess, who then named the winner.
–
The winner was a petting tigress
A six-member jury, led by Rosamund Kidman Cox, a longtime editor and writer focusing on nature and environmental issues, chose Russian photographer Sergei Gorshkov as the absolute winner with a photo called Hugs.
–
Gorshkov managed to take a picture of a female Ussuri tiger at a time that is not easy to capture. Like other beasts, tigers use odor, urine or hair to mark territory. They are well served by trees, which they rub gourmetly. It was the petting of the tigress with the tree that captivated the jury of this year’s competition the most.
–
The children’s categories also offered great photos
A total of twenty photographs in various categories were awarded. Even this year, three children could not be missing – for photographers up to ten years of age, for children from 11 to 14 years and for the age category 15–17 years. The Spaniard Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco scored in the first category. Near his home, he found a black-headed potato beetle resting on a vetch. The film aptly named Perfect Balance.
–
Perfect balance – winner of the category up to 10 years. The black-headed potato beetle balances on the stem of a vetch.
Photo: Andrés Luis Domingo Blanco (Spain) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
In the category from 11 to 14 years, Sam Sloss from the USA was placed with a photo called Average Bite. While diving in Indonesia, he managed to find an eyed clown peeking out of an anemone.
–
From the third category came the overall children’s winner. She became Liina Heikkinen from Finland with her dramatic photo of a fox cub, which won the fight with her siblings for a goose, which was brought to them by their mother. With the closing of this year came the beginning of the following year.
–
Those interested in participating in the competition can send their contributions until December 20 this year. It is already clear that even next year we will see breathtaking photographs documenting the beauty of the world around us.
–
