Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Natural History Museum

15 OCTOBER 2021 - 5 JUNE 2022

£17.25

I first went to this particular exhibition in 2017 and was completely blown away by what I saw. A marvellous chance for both professional and amateur photographers to have their work publicised and enjoyed by millions. My second time back, 4 years later, did not disappoint. Preserving our planet and the world has never been more of a public and dominant issue, the images you will see at this exhibition are a reminder of the beautiful fragility of the world, and how we must act now to save all of the wonderful life that currently inhabits it. The sheer detail and quality of these images is like nothing I have seen before, which, when coupled with the pure skill of timing and dedication to these animals and the artworks they produce makes this exhibition truly unique.

The exhibition is formed of over 100 photographs. We made our way through feeding pelicans, fighting eagles and flying goats before we found truly majestic insects – with colours I thought only possible in the imagination. Cheeky rodents and menacing owls glare at you as you walk through the exhibition, with of course some appearances from the kings and queens of the jungle, my favourites: the big cats. The winner of this year’s exhibit was Sergey Gorshkov, for his image of a Siberian Tiger marking his scent (which looked like scratching a itch on a nearby tree), in a remote Russian forest. It took him 10 months to capture the image, which shows his sheer commitment to capturing the animal – with many other photographers spending much longer on their pieces.

The exhibition brings to light young photographers too, whose works are equally as compelling as their older counterparts. There is an near even spread of land to ocean, insect to mammal, and the images vary from an array of different countries. There are some images which fill you with joy, as well as sections which highlight the terrible misfortunes of some animals who face extreme cruelty at the hand of human beings. The exhibition is much like an extended David Attenborough episode: you can laugh and cry within the same 60 seconds depending on the scenario you are observing.

There is not much else that needs to be said about this exhibition, other than it is truly out of this world. I was blown away yet again and will make a promise to go every year. If you’re struggling to see much charm in the world today, take yourself back to nature starting here and remind yourself that there really is magnificence everywhere if you take the time to notice.

OVERALL RATING *****

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year.html