London

The <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wildlife Photographer of the Year</a> exhibition is back at the Natural History Museum and the standard, as ever, is jaw-dropping. Muddy turned up for launch day and was awestruck, particularly by this year&#8217;s ultimate winner Shane Gross, who beat a record-breaking 59,228 entries across 117 countries with his photo The Swarm of Life. Check. It. Out.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="682" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tadpoles_Winner-1024x682.jpeg" alt="The Swarm of Life Shane Gross tadpoles and waterlilies Wildlife Photographer of the Year" class="wp-image-5790" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tadpoles_Winner-1024x682.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tadpoles_Winner-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tadpoles_Winner-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tadpoles_Winner.jpeg 1501w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Swarm of Life, Shane Gross</figcaption></figure>



The longer you stare, the more you see. Apparently Shane snapped this after hours of snorkelling in a lake in Vancouver &#8211; the water was cloudy, so he had to follow beavers around and get shots in the clear water left in their wake. Some scene.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Young_Photographer_otY-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-5820" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Young_Photographer_otY-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Young_Photographer_otY-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Young_Photographer_otY-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Young_Photographer_otY.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Life Under Dead Wood, Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas</figcaption></figure>



This was the contribution of this year&#8217;s Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas. It&#8217;s a springtail (&lt;2mm long) &#8216;in conversation&#8217; with a ball of slime mould &#8211; gross, maybe, but WHAT a photo.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="684" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/WPotY2-1024x684.jpeg" alt="Twist and Jump, Jose Manuel Grandio " class="wp-image-5825" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/WPotY2-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/WPotY2-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/WPotY2-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/WPotY2.jpeg 1498w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Twist and Jump, Jose Manuel Grandio</figcaption></figure>



These two &#8216;overall winners&#8217; weren&#8217;t the only winners, though. There was a winner in each of 16 categories called things like Behaviour: Birds, Wetlands: The Bigger Picture and Natural Artistry. There were also sub-competitions for different age groups. This sensational still (below) was the winner of the Under 10 category &#8211; unbelievable. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/U10_Winner-1024x683.jpeg" alt="Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition U10 winner bird on railing next to rusted chain" class="wp-image-5763" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/U10_Winner-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/U10_Winner-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/U10_Winner-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/U10_Winner.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Free as a Bird, Alberto Roman Gomes</figcaption></figure>



In short, I spent an hour and a half dragging my jaw along the floor. As silly as it may sound, the exhibition feels like 100 little windows into some of the most beautiful and fascinating parts of our planet, all in one room. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/IMG_6810-1024x683.jpg" alt="Practice Makes Perfect, Jack Zhi, eagle tracking a butterfly Wildlife Photographer of the Year" class="wp-image-5788" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/IMG_6810-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/IMG_6810-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/IMG_6810-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/IMG_6810.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Practice Makes Perfect, Jack Zhi</figcaption></figure>



Not much of a fair fight, hey? Apparently, this young peregrine falcon was &#8216;just practising&#8217; its hunting skills on a butterfly, which it caught and released. Fun, unless you&#8217;re the butterfly. Jack Zhi won the Behaviour: Birds category with this shot.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tiger_Uxbridge-1024x683.jpeg" alt="Tiger on a hillside, Tiger in Down by Robin Darius Conz, Wildlife Photographer of the Year" class="wp-image-5793" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tiger_Uxbridge-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tiger_Uxbridge-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tiger_Uxbridge-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Tiger_Uxbridge.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tiger in Town, Robin Darius Conz </figcaption></figure>



Robin Darius Conz captured this incredible image in Uxbridge. Ok it was India, and the winner of my favourite category, Urban Wildlife.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Lynxes-1024x683.jpeg" alt="'On Watch' by John Marriott, three lynxes at Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition" class="wp-image-5761" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Lynxes-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Lynxes-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Lynxes-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Lynxes.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">On Watch, John Marriott</figcaption></figure>



These majestic lynxes were captured on camera by John Marriott in Canada after an entire week of tracking them in temperatures as low as -20ºC. Some commitment and well worth it, I think you&#8217;ll agree.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Bird_ringing-1024x683.jpeg" alt="Recording by Hand, Liwia Pawłowska Wildlife Photographer of the year bird ringing" class="wp-image-5764" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Bird_ringing-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Bird_ringing-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Bird_ringing-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Bird_ringing.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Recording by Hand, Liwia Pawłowska</figcaption></figure>



Sometimes, it&#8217;s not just the photo but the story behind it, as in the case of Liwia Pawłowska&#8217;s Recording by Hand. This is the loving grip of a bird-ringer, taking down details about the bird before putting a small ring on its leg and releasing it. Liwia was highly commended in the 11-14-year-old category and she wants to be a bird conservationist when she grows up.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/butterflies-1024x683.jpeg" alt="Summer Gathering, Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas butterflies Wildlife Photographer of the year" class="wp-image-5792" style="aspect-ratio:1.499267935578331;width:640px;height:auto" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/butterflies-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/butterflies-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/butterflies-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/butterflies.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Summer Gathering, Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas</figcaption></figure>



Here&#8217;s another that just keeps giving the more you look. And even more impressively, it&#8217;s a second feature for Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Monkey-1024x683.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-5795" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Monkey-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Monkey-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Monkey-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/10/Monkey.jpeg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A Tranquil Moment, Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod</figcaption></figure>



And this is a toque macaque sleeping in its mother&#8217;s arms. Look at its little hand. Oh, to be a wildlife photographer.



The <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wildlife Photographer of the Year</a> exhibition is on at the Natural History Museum until 29 June 2025, off-peak tickets £15.50 (U16s £9.25), peak tickets £18 (U16s £10.95).

Review: Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition 2024

You may also like