Christian Vendramin has just been proclaimed the best photographer wild life of the year when receiving the Wildlife Photographer of The Year People's Choice Award thanks to your snapshot 'Ice Lake: Frozen in Time' (Ice Lake: Frozen in Time), taken at Lake Santa Croce in the north of Italy and dedicated to a lost friend.
Every year the Natural History Museum, London hold the contest Wildlife Photographer of the Year , in which are selected the best wildlife photography
Its objective? "Celebrate the diversity of life, inspire and inform and create defenders of the planet." The striking winning image, which shows willow branches reflected on the surface of a frozen lake, received the vote of more than 31,800 nature lovers.
This edition –the fifty-seventh– of the event has had a record number of participants: there were 50,000 images from 95 countries, of which the Natural History Museum of London made a selection of top 25.
A LAKE FROZEN IN TIME
The picture 'ice lake' was captured during the winter of 2019, when Cristiano was visiting the Santa Croce lake, in the Italian province of Belluno (Veneto).
Cristiano Vendramin noted that the water was unusually high and that the willows were partially submerged, creating a play of light and reflections on the surface. Waiting for cooler conditions, he captured the scene in icy stillness. In that moment, he remembered a very dear friend who loved this special place and is now gone: “I want to think that he made me feel this feeling that I will never forget. For this reason, this photograph is dedicated to him”, comments the Italian photographer.
Vendramin hopes the photograph of him "encourages people to understand that the beauty of the nature can be found everywhere around us, and that we can be pleasantly surprised by the many landscapes that we have so close to home.”
And he adds: “I think having a daily relationship with nature is increasingly necessary to have a serene and healthy life. Therefore, nature photography is important to remind us this bond, which we must preserve and in whose memory we can take refuge”.
Lake of ice.
“The moving image of Cristiano symbolizes the positive impact that nature can have on our well-being and our lives. It can provide comfort and a space to reflect on the past and even create hope for the future , comment Dr. Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum.
“These last two years have redefined what really matters in life, people and environments that play a crucial role in our own personal ecosystems. I hope that those who watch this landscape frozen in time remember the importance of connecting with the natural world and the steps we all must take to protect it” Gurr concludes.
THE FOUR FINALISTS
Following Cristiano's winning photograph, four snapshots have been classified as finalists receiving the title of 'Highly Commended'.
Among those four images that also caught the attention of the public are: Ashleigh McCord's Shelter from the Rain (USA), Hope in a Burnt Plantation by Jo-Anne McArthur (Canada), The Eagle and the Bear by Jeroen Hoekendijk (Netherlands) and 'Dancing in the snow' by Qiang Guo (China).
'Shelter from the rain', was taken by photographer Ashleigh McCord in Maasai Mara (Kenya), a trip during which she captured this tender moment starring two lions in the rain.
At first, Ella Ashleigh had been taking pictures of one of the lions and the rain was just a light drizzle. The second lion briefly approached and greeted his mate before opting to walk away.
However, when the rain turned into a heavy downpour, the second male returned and sat up, positioning his body as if to protect the other. Shortly afterward they rubbed their faces together and continued to sit stroking each other for some time. Ashleigh stared at them until the rain fell so hard that they were barely visible.
Shelter from the Rain.
Jo-Anne McArthur flew to Australia in early 2020 to document the stories of animals affected by the devastating forest fires that devastated the states of New South Wales and Victoria.
Jo-Anne McArthur worked with the protector Animals Australia and she had access to burn sites, rescues and veterinary missions. in your photograph ‘Hope in a burned plantation’ we can see an eastern gray kangaroo and her joey emerging from the aftermath of the Australian bushfires, near Mallacoota (Victoria).
The babysitter barely took her eyes off Jo-Anne as she calmly walked to the place where she could take a great photo. She had just enough time to reach down and press the trigger before the kangaroo jumped into the burned eucalyptus plantation.
Hope in a burned plantation.
Jeroen Hoekendijk took 'The eagle and the bear' in the depths of Anan temperate rain forest in Alaska, a dynamic photograph showing a surprising encounter between two unlikely subjects.
Black bear cubs often climb trees, where they safely wait for their mother to return with food. This little pup decided to take a nap on a mossy branch under the watchful eye of a bald eagle.
The eagle had been perched on this pine tree for hours and Jeroen found the ideal situation. He quickly set out to capture the scene from eye level and, with some difficulties and a lot of luck, he was able to position himself a little higher on the hill and take this picture while the bear was sleeping, without realizing it.
The Eagle and the Bear.
Finally, 'Dancing in the snow' was taken by Qiang Guo in the Lishan Nature Reserve in Shanxi province (China).
Qiang watched as two male golden pheasants kept changing places on this trunk: its movements were similar to a silent dance in the snow.
These birds, native to China, inhabit the dense forests of mountainous regions and Despite their bright colors, they are shy and difficult to spot. They spend most of their time foraging on the dark forest floor and They only fly to evade predators or to perch in tall trees at night. Qiang Guo was lucky enough to capture them on his camera.
Dancing in the snow.
All photos can be seen at exposition Wildlife Photographer of the Year, at the Natural History Museum in London, until June 5. Tickets available here.