The BBC and Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition returns to the Australian Museum on March 28.
The BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, co-owned by the London’s Natural History Museum, will open at the Australian Museum in Sydney on Saturday, March 28. Now in its 50th year, it’s claimed to be the most prestigious wildlife photography competition in the world.
The 2014 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award was won by American photographer Michael Nichols, whose stark black and white photo of a pride of lions resting on a rocky outcrop in the African Serengeti was the product of more than six months in the field following and photographing lions.
Two Australian entries are among the 100 award-winning photographs shortlisted this year, including a stunning shot captured by Matthew Smith of a bluebottle jellyfish washed ashore.
"I wanted to pick out the beautiful colouration and detail in the tentacles against the eerie darkness of a stormy morning. The wild atmosphere is a testament to the lifestyle of this sailor of the open seas," Smith said.
Eight year old Carlos Perez Narval was awarded Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his image of a scorpion soaking up the sun near his hometown in Spain. Launching in 1965 with just 361 entries, the competition now receives almost 42,000 entries from 96 countries. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is co-owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide, and is open to amateur and professional photographers across all age groups.
The competition even attracts entries from children under 10 years of age. Every year the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition attracts people from around the world to see the world’s best wildlife images.
The exhibition’s Australian tour will include Townsville, at the Museum of Tropical Queensland, from March 21 to May 17; Newcastle, Regional Library, from June 12 to August 8, and Launceston, Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery, from September 5 to November 1.
Mike Nicholls set out to capture an archetypal image of this pride of lions. He shot this award-winning image through a hole in the roof of his vehicle. His images were photographed with an infra-red camera. 'The Last Great Picture' by Mike 'Nick' Nicholls/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014.
Mike 'Nick' Nicholls followed this pride of lions for six months to capture this image. He used a radio-controlled robot on tracks to get in this close. 'Intimacy' by Micheal 'Nick' Nicholls/Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
A bluebottle, one of thousands blown towards the NSW coast in certain conditions. 'Sailing' by Matthew Smith/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014.
A Yellow Scorpion captured by youngster Carlos Perez Narval. Image by Carlos Perez Narval/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
'Apocalypse' by Francisco Negroni/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014. The photographer captured a volcano erupting in southern Chile, and then was amazed to see this shortlived volcanic lightning storm.