Wildlife Photographer of the Year returns to ROM November 2021

Exhibition of winning nature photography will feature prestigious Grand Title winners, and category winners from Canadian photographers

TORONTO, ON, October 13, 2021 – This fall, visitor-favourite Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) returns to ROM with 100 dazzling photos from some of the best amateur and professional photographers in the world. On display from November 20 (new date), 2021, to April 18, 2022, ROM is the competition’s exclusive Canadian venue and its North American debut host. WPY is organized and presented by the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London.

Encapsulating a year in which many people spent more time outdoors, this competition received a record-breaking number of entries from photographers in 95 countries around the world. The winning photos across nine main categories will be featured in ROM’s soaring Roloff Beny Gallery, where visitors can escape urban life and immerse themselves in the natural world.

“Through exhibitions like Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the ongoing Great Whales: Up Close and Personal, ROM challenges visitors to examine their relationship with nature and inspires them to protect it,” says Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO.

The two Grand Title winners were revealed by Natural History Museum during an online ceremony on October 12 from the 19 category winners. This year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021 is French underwater photographer and biologist Laurent Ballesta, for his enigmatic image, Creation, that captures camouflage groupers exiting their milky cloud of eggs and sperm in Fakarava, French Polynesia. (Photo © Laurent Ballesta)

 Young Photographer of the Year 2021 has been awarded to 10-year old Vidyun R. Hebbar for his colourful image, Dome home, of a tent spider. Hebbar first entered the competition when he was just eight years old and loves to photograph often-overlooked creatures that live in the streets and parks near his home in the city of Bengaluru, India. (Photo © Vidyun Hebbar)

Also included in the ROM exhibition are stunning Canadian photos by:

·       Gil Wizen, Israel/Canada

·       Martin Gregus, Canada/Slovakia

·       Nichole Vijayan, Canada (Young Photographers)

·       Shane Kalyn, Canada

·       Celina Chien, The Netherlands/Canada

Each image in the show is presented in backlit frames that highlight the dramatic photos in all their richness, allowing visitors to experience, and being inspired by, the beauty and fragility of nature. Each photo offers a sense of what the world stands to lose as a result of habitat destruction, pollution and climate change.

“This pandemic has uprooted so many aspects of our lives—one of the comforts for many is the time to reconnect with nature, whether it be an intimate view of an animal, an insect or a landscape,” says Dr. Burton Lim, ROM Assistant Curator of Mammalogy and curator for the Museum’s presentation of WPY. “With COVID-19 restricting travel, this exhibition also showcases wildlife from so many other parts of the world here for visitors to contemplate and appreciate.”

Now in its 57th year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the Natural History Museum showcase for the world's best nature photography. The competition is open to photographers of all ages, nationalities and experience levels.

Programs

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year keynote lecture at ROM will be in February 2022. Entitled “The Great Whale Feast: Wildlife Photography and Marine Science Hand-in-Hand,” it will be presented by acclaimed Norwegian photographer Audun Rikardsen, who is both a wildlife photographer and a marine biologist. For the past 10 years, large numbers of humpback and killer whales have arrived in specific fjords in Northern Norway to feed on herring that have mysteriously started overwintering there. Rikardsen has a photo on display in this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, and has participated in many previous WPY competitions.

ROM Photo Contest

The ROM Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest will return for the seventh year. Ontario-based amateur and professional photographers (adult and youth) are invited to share their captivating images of the natural world for a chance to win prizes and the honour of displaying the winning work at the Museum. Full contest details coming November 2021.

ROM Members Information

Members see it free, and first. ROM Members will have the opportunity to see WPY first at the exclusive Member Preview held Friday, November 12, 2021, 10:00 am to 5:30 pm and Saturday, November 13, 2021, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. See visit www.rom.on.ca/members

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Captions for top set of four images: 

Category Winners:

Winner, behaviour: birds - The intimate touch, by Shane Kalyn, Canada. © Shane Kalyn.

Winner, rising star portfolio award - Martin Gregus, Canada/Slovakia. © Martin Gregus.

Winner, urban wildlife - The spider room (left), and Winner, behaviour: invertebrates - Spinning the cradle (right), both by Gil Wizen, Israel/Canada. © Gil Wizen 

COVID-19

Admission to the Museum is limited and time-ticketed. Tickets should be purchased online to book a time slot. The Museum is following the advice of public health authorities and making every effort to help ensure visits are enjoyable, entertaining and, above all, safe, including wearing masks, social distancing and other precautions.

Beginning October 27, 2021, all visitors ages 12 and older must show proof of vaccinations when entering the Museum.

See the online Visitor Guidelines for the most current COVID-19 protocols.

ROM COMMUNICATIONS

Images for media use of the winning photos, or Canada photos, are available from the ROM.

General: media@rom.on.ca

Exhibition:

David McKay

davidm@rom.on.ca  (*Email is preferred during COVID-19 work-from-home protocols)

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#ROMWPY

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