A Tohora, or Southern Right whale, in the Auckland Islands. Photo / Richard Robinson
A Tohora, or Southern Right whale, in the Auckland Islands. Photo / Richard Robinson
One of New Zealand's most celebrated wildlife photographers, former New Zealand Herald staffer Richard Robinson, has joined an elite club being named among a group of highly-commended entrants to the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
One of the foremost in the world, the competition run by the Natural History Museum in London is celebrating its 58th year, and a new look to the event.
The organisers have released a sneak peek at some of the best images that will be among the 100 top entries to be displayed in a travelling exhibition following the announcement of the winners in October this year.
A wild Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit in the Columbia Basin, Washington. Photo / Morgan Heim
Robinson's picture of a Tohora, or Southern Right whale, was shot on assignment for New Zealand Geographic magazine in Port Ross in the Auckland Islands, a subantarctic archipelago over 450km south of Bluff.
"This animal is still growing, as evidenced by its not-yet-fully-formed callosities, the clusters of whale lice that mark the face of every right whale," said Robinson. "Tohorā are highly tactile, using their nose, fins and tail to investigate floating objects, which puts them at great risk of entanglement."
White-throated Dippers on the Kuusamo River, Finland. Photo / Heikki Nikki
The main challenge for Robinson to capture the image was to swim far enough away during an encounter that lasted half an hour.
Photographers from 93 countries entered the awards this year, with each image judged on its creativity, originality, and technical excellence by an international panel of industry experts.
A polar bear takes residence in an abandoned house in the Russian high Arctic. Photo / Dmitry Kokh
Among the newly released Highly Commended images is Tiina Törmänen's otherworldly encounter with fish "flying" through cloud-like algae, and 7-year-old Joshua Cox's portrait of a stag in London's Richmond Park. The contrast between the natural world and human infrastructure is artfully captured by Jose Fragozo in Nairobi, and Srikanth Mannepuri offers a sobering look at the scale of unsustainable fishing
Marlin and sail fish dominate a fish market in a drone's-eye view in Andhra Prakesh, India. Photo / Srikanth Mannepuri
"Captured by some of the best photography talent from around the world, the 100 photographs encourage curiosity, connection and wonder," said Dr Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum. "These inspiring images convey human impact on the natural world in a way that words cannot – from the urgency of declining biodiversity to the inspiring bounce back of a protected species."
European perch swim through pink-tinged algae in Honkalampi lake in Finland. Photo / Tina Tormanen
Chair of the judging panel, Roz Kidman Cox, said, "What's stayed with me is not just the extraordinary mix of subjects in this year's collection – a vast panorama of the natural world – but the emotional strength of so many of the pictures."
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth meets a Dog in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Photo / Suzi Esterhas
After the flagship display at the museum in London, the exhibition will travel around the UK and to the rest of the world after. The touring exhibitions have been seen by over 20 million people over the past 10 years all over the globe. Visitors to Tamaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum have flocked to see the winning images over the years and will be returning in the new year.
A stag in the snow in Richmond Park, London. Photo / Josha Cox
