HOUSTON-Now in its fifty-first year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the international leader of innovative visual representation in the natural world. This prestigious competition and resulting exhibition, opening at the Houston Museum of Natural Science Jan. 29, stimulates engagement with the diversity and beauty of the natural world..
On loan from the Natural History Museum in London, this special exhibition features awe-inspiring images, from fascinating animal behavior to breath-taking wild landscapes, which reveal the richness and diversity of life on our planet.. Judged by a panel of industry-recognized professionals, the images are selected for their creativity, artistry and technical complexity.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases the natural world’s most astonishing and challenging sights for 50 years. Launching in 1965 and attracting 361 entries, today the competition receives almost 42,000 entries from 96 countries highlighting its enduring appeal. This year’s 100 award-winning images embarks on an international tour that allows them to be seen by millions of people across six continents.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year will be on exhibit from January 29 through June 5. The exhibit is free for Museum members and with general admission. For tickets or more information on Wildlife Photographer of the Year , visit www.hmns.org or call (713) 639-4629.
- Subjects: African Elephant (Loxodonta africana), Plains Zebra (Equus quagga), South African Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) Location: Etosha National Park, Namibia Gear: Nikon D800, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR-II @ 200mm, handheld from an underground bunker Camera Settings: f8.0; 1/640 SS; ISO-360 Post Processing: Basic adjustments, toning and monochrome conversion, local contrast enhancement, dodging and burning Story: Spending time concealed in a hide among a myriad of wild mammals that come to this remote waterhole to drink, you start looking out for that spit second when the chaos lines up into order, when you can make sense of your surroundings for 1/640th of a second, when every element in your viewfinder somehow finds the wherewithal to work together as a cohesive composition, showing you more than just the obvious (“hey, it’s an elephant!”). When that moment arrives, you trip the shutter, put down the camera, and enjoy the chaos of thirsty animals at a life-giving waterhole for what it is – bliss.
