38,575 entries. 93 countries. But only two snapshots have been crowned overall winners at the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for 2022.
The first Grand Title winner, entitled ‘The Big Buzz’ (see: above + below), depicts a mass of male bees competing for the privilege of mating with a single female on the hot sands of a Texas ranch.
Captured by American photographer Karine Aigner, she represents the fifth woman to ever be awarded this honour in the competition’s entire 58-year old history.
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“Wings whirring, incoming males home in on the ball of buzzing bees that is rolling straight into the picture,” said Rosamund “Roz” Kidman Cox, Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury.
“The sense of movement and intensity is shown at bee-level magnification and transforms what are little cactus bees into big competitors for a single female.”
The youth Grand Title winner, on the other hand, depicts the moment a Bryde’s whale breached the surface near a boat, flashing its pink gums and brushlike baleen contrasted against its black skin.
Dubbed ‘The Beauty of Baleen’ (see: above), this one was captured by 16-year-old Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn from Thailand.
“Out of the jaws of a Bryde’s whale comes this dazzling creation,” said Roz.
“The pin-sharp detail of the tiny anchovies is set against an abstraction of colour with the weave of brown baleen hair rimmed by a cascade of water drops.”
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“Wildlife photographers offer us unforgettable glimpses into the lives of wild species, sharing unseen details, fascinating behaviours and front-line reporting on the climate and biodiversity crises,” said Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Museum.
“These images demonstrate their awe of and appreciation for the natural world and the urgent need to take action to protect it.”
Check out the winning and runner-up shots from the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year (2022).
Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2022 Winners
‘The Big Buzz’ – Karine Aigne (US) [Grand Title Winner]
‘The Beauty of Baleen’ – Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn (Thailand) [Young Grand Title Winner]
‘Heavenly Flamingos’ – Juni Takasago (Japan)
‘Ndakasi’s Passing’ – Brent Stirton (South Africa)
‘The Dying Lake’ – Daniel Núñez (Guatemala)
‘Spectacled Bear’s Slim Outlook’ – Daniel Mideros (Ecuador)
‘The Listening Bird’ – Nick Kanakis (US)
‘The Great Cliff Chase’ – Anand Nambiar (India)
‘The Bat-Snatcher’ – Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar (Mexico)
‘New Life For The Tohorā’ – Richard Robinson (New Zealand)
‘The Magical Morels’ – Agorastos Papatsanis (Greece)
‘Shooting Star’ – Tony Wu (US/Japan)
‘House Of Bears’ – Dmitry Kokh (Russia)
‘A Theatre Of Birds’ – Mateusz Piesiak (Poland)
‘Under Antarctic Ice’ – Laurent Ballesta (France)
