Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2005
Enjoy captivating wildlife images from the world's largest and most prestigious wildlife photography competition.
Chosen from more than 17,000 entries from 57 countries, this popular exhibition showcases 86 spectacular images and incredible stories which capture the diversity and wonder of the natural world.
From tiny polar bear twins whimpering to their mother as they sink into the snow to an aging leopard looking out from behind bars in an Italian zoo - marvel at nature's beauty with award-winning photographs by talented amateur and professional photographers from around the world.
Highlights include two Australian images - Tom Putt's highly commended 'Ancient snow gum' and Julian Smith's winning 'Bogong swarm.'
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2005 competition is organised by BBC Wildlife Magazine and the Natural History Museum, London. The Australian Museum's exhibition patron is the National Geographic Channel.
The exhibition is free with general Museum entry.
Further information
Competition website
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/Wildphoto
Australian Tour for 2005-2006
Australian Museum
26 November 2005 - 19 March 2006
South Australian Museum
29 March 2006 - 14 May 2006
Newcastle Regional Library
30 June 2006 - 6 August 2006
Bogong Swarm
Photographer: Julian Smith, New Zealand
Winner - Urban and Garden Wildlife Category
Some photographers spend months trying to get a winning shot. Julian Smith was simply killing time in a dusty Australian town, waiting for his car to be fixed. But as he wandered the streets for three days, he never stopped thinking as a photographer - and opportunity loves a receptive mind. On his last evening, he watched players on a rugby field and spotted the bogong moths swarming around the floodlights. "The locals told me that millions of bogongs often descend on the town in spring as they migrate south," he says. Julian realised that a long exposure would translate the moths' flutters as scribbled signatures on the black sky. He had just one frame left on his last roll of film. By the time he returned with fresh film, the lights were off, and the moths and the opportunity were gone.
Canon F1n with Canon 135mm f3.5 lens and 2x teleconverter; 8 sec at f7; Fujichrome Velvia 50; tripod.
Yawning fox
Photographer: Bence Mate, Hungary
Winner - Eric Hosking Award
In 2005, an unprecedented amount of snow fell in the Transylvanian mountains. When Bence heard that tourists were feeding a hungry fox from one of the mountain huts, he set off to photograph it, even though this meant walking a considerable distance laden with heavy equipment and five days' supplies. The result was a series of memorable portraits which includes Fox washing, all taken in just one session
Canon EOS 1N RS with Nikon 300mm f2.8 lens, EOS Nikon converter andNikon TC-301 2x teleconverter; 1/250sec at f5.6; Fujichrome Velvia 50; Gitzo tripod.
Polar Trek
Photographer: Thorsten Milse, Germany
Runner-up - Animal Behaviour: Mammals
The female polar bear is ravenous after eight months without food, much of it spent in a cramped snow-hole giving birth to and suckling twins. Now it's March, and she is taking her three-month-old cubs on a 43-mile trek to Hudson Bay . The sea-ice there will have frozen again and for a few bountiful weeks she will be able to fatten up on seal meat. But she hasn't got long: the ice melts again in July. "You could sense the urgency," says Thorsten. "The tiny cubs whimpered to their mother as they sank into steep snowdrifts." He watched as the female was tugged in different directions by two mighty instincts: forwards by hunger, and backwards by her youngsters.
Canon EOS 1DS mark II with Canon EF 600mm f4 IS lens and 1.4x teleconverter; 1/250 sec at f8; tripod.
Gorilla in the rain
Photographer: Joe McDonald, USA
Highly commended - Animal Portraits
The only region in the world where mountain gorillas are found is the Virunga Volcanoes - a misty, rainy refuge in Central Africa . Gorillas often take shelter when it rains, but this group in Rwanda seemed happy to wait out the day's downpour in the open. By the time Joe reached them, he was soaked, and his boots were full of water. The silverback (the male group leader) shuffled around several times but was unperturbed by the torrential rain, finally settling into this pose - just as there was a break in the rain that allowed Joe to unpack his camera gear. "I wanted to convey both character and atmosphere and so zoomed in," explains Joe. Fortunately, he didn't make eye contact - to a gorilla a sign of aggression.
Canon EOS 1D mark II with Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 lens; 1/85 sec at f5.6; 400 ISO.
Beech in the Mist
Photographers: Luca Fantoni & Dan ilo Porta, Italy
Highly commended - Nature in Black and White
Monte Barro is in the Lombardy Prealps in northern Italy, not far from where Luca and Dan ilo live. It's a hotspot for flowers and insects in summer. But at any time of year, it's a wonderful place to visit, with woodland containing majestic, centuries-old beech trees. One particular foggy grey November morning, they discovered this individual, 'resembling a wise old patriarch who had gathered his subjects around in order to let them know something important.' Looking skyward, the branches and twigs appeared root-like, as though delving upwards to gain nourishment from the heavens.
Nikon F90x with Nikkor 20mm lens; 1/60 sec at f8; Ilford FP4.
