Milan, Italy, the traditional annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition returns

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world’s most prestigious wildlife photography exhibition,is staged again this year in Milan in the spaces of the Luciana Matalon Foundation at Foro Buonaparte 67, from October 4 to December 22, 2019. Organized by Roberto Di Leo’s cultural association Radicediunopercento, under the patronage of the City of Milan, the event is always highly anticipated and presents the 100 prize-winning images from the 54th edition of the photography competition held by the Natural History Museum in London.

Arriving from 95 countries, competing are 45,000 shots taken by professional and amateur photographers, which were selected at the end of last year by an international jury of experts based on creativity, artistic value and technical complexity.

Admire the finalist and winning photos from the 19 categories of the award that depict rare animals in their habitats, unusual behaviors and images of surprising psychological introspection; an incredible visual experience, compositions and colors that pierce the eyes from a remote corner of the desert, the depths of the sea or the intricate greenery of the jungle.

Dutch photographer Marsel van Oosten won the coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018 title for his extraordinary shot, The Golden Couple ( Animal Portraits category), which depicts two golden-nosed monkeys in the temperate forest of China’s Qinling Mountains, the only habitat for these endangered species. The portrait captures the beauty and fragility of life on earth as well as a glimpse of some of the extraordinary living things we share the planet with. Sixteen-year-old Skye Meaker received the 2018 Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award with his mesmerizing shot Lounging Leopard, a leopard waking from sleep in the Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana.

Six Italian photographers were awarded starting with Marco Colombo from Lombardy, who won the Urban Nature category with his shot Crossing Paths: the protagonist is a Marsican bear venturing at night into the streets of a small village in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park.

Pictured: Marsel van Oosten, The Golden Couple

Special mentions also to Emanuele Biggi author of Eye to Eye in the Animals in their Environment category, Valter Bernardeschi with Mister Whiskers in Animal Portraits, Lorenzo Shoubridge with Sinuous Moves in Amphibians and Reptiles, Stefano Baglioni with A Rock in a Hard Place in Plants and Mushrooms, and Georg Kantioler with the two photos Dolomites by Moonlight and Ice-Cave Blues in Earth Environments.

New in this edition are the Rising Star Award, given to a photographer between the ages of 18 and 26 for consistent ability and quality, won by Michel d’Oultremont, and the Lifetime Achie vement Award given to reporter Frans Lanting, one of the most important nature photographers ever, for his 30-year contribution to wildlife conservation. His assignments for National Geographic magazine led him to pioneering work that raised important environmental issues in Madagascar and Botswana, inspiring a sense of wonder and concern for our planet. In the Projection section Cinemada space see the video featuring a selection of his photographs, as well as a choice of images voted extra by the public,from among all those in the competition.

The Cultural Association Radicediunopercento proposes, as usual, evenings of insights and book presentations with renowned nature photographers to be held on Saturdays at the House of Culture (h 21 via Borgogna 3). On the program: on Nov. 23 Marco Urso(wildlife and travel photographer), with theme African felines - Differences, behavioral curiosities, dangers for the future, on Nov. 30 Marco Colombo (naturalist and photographer), with Paesaggi bestiali,on Dec. 14 Lorenzo Shoubridge (wildlife photographer) presents the book Apuane terre selvagge and on Dec. 21 Stefano Unterthiner(wildlife photographer) talks about the book On assignment - Una vita selvaggia.

A trained naturalist and multiple Wildlife Photographer of the Year awardee, Marco Colombo will also be available for guided tours of the exhibition at the Matalon Foundation, every Friday from 7:30 p.m. (reservations required).

In addition to the two top awards Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018 and Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018, the exhibition tour illustrates all winning and finalist images divided into categories: Amphibians and Reptiles, Birds, Invertebrates, Mammals, Animals in their Environment, Plants and Fungi, Earth Environments, Underwater, Urban Nature, Animal Portraits, Black and White, Creative Visions, Portfolio, Youth (photographers up to 10 years old, 11 to 14 years old and 15 to 17 years old).

Other important sections include the documentary categories Wildlife Photojournalism Award: Single Imageand Wildlife Photojournalist Award: Photo Story, which bring attention to man’s impact on nature and how cruel it can be, and the Projection Space Cinema section.

The captions and textstell both the technical requirements of the photograph and the story and emotions that motivated the author in taking the shot, along with scientific data on the species photographed.

Accompanying the exhibition, by popular demand, the “immersive virtual reality” experience returns, thanks to a state-of-the-art RV visor that transports visitors into fascinating naturalistic environments.

Available at the bookshop is the exhibition catalog with all the award-winning images, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio 28 published by the Natural History Museum and edited by Rosamund Kidman Cox (English Language; Pages 160; €35); as well as the 2018 WPY Highlights Book Magazine with the section-winning images and those voted by the public, extra jury, from all those entered in the competition (€12).

For all information you can call +39 348 2506498, send an email to info@radicediunopercento.it or visit the official website of Radicediunopercento.

Milan, Italy, the traditional annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition returns

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