Posted by Ken Watkins on October 18, 2013 at 4:51 AM
I would be interested to hear what others think of this years winning image?
From my point of view it is totally inexplicable that something this awful could be chosen, this contest goes from bad to worse, fake images, images taken without a photographer and so on.
I just think they like to shock, this is the only excuse I can come up with.
Posted by Max Waugh on October 18, 2013 at 1:00 PM
My reaction isn't as strong (or as negative) as yours. I will say the selection of the grand prize winner does not surprise me, as it seems to be the type of image that's done well in this competition in the past.
Ultimately, there are always going to be a few head-scratchers that don't jive with our personal tastes. I'm sure I could pick out a few of the winners that didn't appeal to me. Regardless, I always find it exciting and inspiring to look through the winning gallery. Congratulations to all of the honorees.
They like things that are different, and I would certainly say this image is different. They also seem to like images that put the viewer in a unique position that few people ever get to experience in person. Greg's image tells a unique, exciting, dreamy, and even dangerous story of being up close with wild elephants.
Check out Greg's portfolio, and even if you don't like the elephants, I think you'll find he's a very worthy winner. He's also incredibly friendly and an all around fantastic guy (I met him in London 4 years ago).
Plenty of the other images I did find rather disappointing, though. Especially in the botanical and landscape categories, where I thought there were several choices that just were not new and creative. Aurora of Jökulsárlón? Some great stuff in the creative visions gallery, though!
Posted by Stan Rose on October 18, 2013 at 10:37 PM
why are the elephants blue??
Posted by Keith Bauer on October 19, 2013 at 9:06 AM
When I saw the winning image, I had to sit and study to even understand the intent. When I have to read about the intent for an image, it loses some of its' impact for me.
I do a fair bit of photographic judging in my local community. I know it is a subjective endeavor, so I know that everyone won't agree with my final decisions. I do see this worldwide contest as one that seems to carry a lot of prestige, and often see images that I simply don't understand how they placed. I've never entered because I don't think I have anything worthy of entry. After seeing year after year the kinds of images that win, maybe I should re-think that
Posted by Nate Chappell on October 19, 2013 at 12:26 PM
I think it's a very good, very interesting image. But, the first time I saw it on Greg's website it didn't blow me away and I wouldn't have picked it as the WPOTY. It's one of those images that I like more the more I view it. I thought the mammal behavior shots were excellent this year. I guess with any nature photography contest you are going to wonder about some of the picks, it's subjective and everyone has different tastes.
Posted by Ken Watkins on October 21, 2013 at 3:52 AM
Thanks for all of your views, which I find most interesting.
Stan,
They are blue because he used a white balance setting of Tungsten, well that is what is claimed.
As for the circumstances of the shot what is said is somewhat misleading, it was taken from a quite nice underground hide in the luxury lodge of Mashatu (part of the Mala Mala group).
Here is a quote from a somewhat famous wildlife photographer who will remain anonymous
"Ah I know what it is now. It's our composition Ken. We get whole animals walking into the frame. Obviously you need to get something walking out of the frame obscuring everything else. Now I get it. Obviously you and I are complete idiots here, how could we be so silly....."
I just think that this is just for the sake of being different, sad really
Posted by Ellen deBoer on October 22, 2013 at 7:46 AM
I really have mixed feelings about the winners (and runner-ups) in this competition. I was completely not pleasantly surprised by the two photo's of snowleopards in the endangered category. They were both attracted by bait. In one photo the bait, a deer is fully visible. For the other lights are set up. Is this the way we like to make winning images?
Congrats to the three Dutch photographers Jasper, Theo and Marsel in the category Creative Visions!
Posted by David Bostedo on October 23, 2013 at 1:23 PM
Here's a link to the gallery, for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. It's well worth browsing, even if you don't agree with the winning selections!
Posted by Martin Dunn on October 30, 2013 at 8:42 AM
When I heard that Greg had won the BBC WPOTY 2013 I was actually pleased that it had been won by someone whose work I had seen and generally found very impressive.
At the time I did not know exactly which image it was that had won. When I saw it I was surprised, to me it is not a great shot. BUT, as has already been said, Greg has produced some very fine images and I have no quibble with him being the winner.
Ken, I think the problem is simply that all of us are now exposed to so many wildlife photographs that images of whole animals, in focus, no longer stand out. Cameras are so clever these days that they do so much of the work that photographers used to have to think about.
I can therefore only assume that the judges are looking for photographs that show an unusual perspective and/or show that the photographer has made an effort to capture something different.
I would wager that if you lined up that winning image alongside a dozen other first rate wildlife photographs a very small percentage of viewers would have picked it as a winner.
Posted by Kah Kit Yoong on November 2, 2013 at 4:49 AM
I like Greg's work and met him one of the years I was successful in the comp. Really nice guy and he has an amazing portfolio. However, I think as WPOTY image of the year it's an awful choice. And I've got no idea what's going on in the landscape category this year - extremely underwhelming.
Posted by Adam Gibbs on November 11, 2013 at 8:33 AM
Overall I thought that the quality of the winning images was excellent and well deserved. But of course I would say that as I was one of the commended winners in the Wildscapes category. I thought that the winner of Wildscapes was well deserved, it is a fantastic image. The Icelandic images common perhaps to the photography community because we see so many from Iceland these days but remember this contest is directed towards the general public who 95% have probably never seen the Aurora. As far as my own image well I cant comment other than I think it is cool and was a great morning out in The Enchantments.
While I don't always agree with the winning images I do think that the images represented do display situations that in many cases are unrepeatable and show nature in a unique and thought provoking manner. Of course there are exceptions but the images do represent for the most part something different from the usual cookie cutter images that we are overwhelmed with online. The current trend seems to be one photographer comes up with a great image and everyone and their mother in law blatantly copies and posts it online calling it their own.
Probably the most important but sadly disturbing aspect of the contest is the highlighting of what we are all doing to wildlife and nature throughout the world. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest is one of the only contests in the world that brings not only the celebration of nature to the public but also the ongoing plight of our natural world.Take a look at the images regarding the ivory trade, very disturbing but a very necessary story that people need to be aware of.
Discussion
11 repliesFrom my point of view it is totally inexplicable that something this awful could be chosen, this contest goes from bad to worse, fake images, images taken without a photographer and so on.
I just think they like to shock, this is the only excuse I can come up with.
Ultimately, there are always going to be a few head-scratchers that don't jive with our personal tastes. I'm sure I could pick out a few of the winners that didn't appeal to me. Regardless, I always find it exciting and inspiring to look through the winning gallery. Congratulations to all of the honorees.
Max
Check out Greg's portfolio, and even if you don't like the elephants, I think you'll find he's a very worthy winner. He's also incredibly friendly and an all around fantastic guy (I met him in London 4 years ago).
Plenty of the other images I did find rather disappointing, though. Especially in the botanical and landscape categories, where I thought there were several choices that just were not new and creative. Aurora of Jökulsárlón? Some great stuff in the creative visions gallery, though!
I do a fair bit of photographic judging in my local community. I know it is a subjective endeavor, so I know that everyone won't agree with my final decisions. I do see this worldwide contest as one that seems to carry a lot of prestige, and often see images that I simply don't understand how they placed. I've never entered because I don't think I have anything worthy of entry. After seeing year after year the kinds of images that win, maybe I should re-think that
Stan,
They are blue because he used a white balance setting of Tungsten, well that is what is claimed.
As for the circumstances of the shot what is said is somewhat misleading, it was taken from a quite nice underground hide in the luxury lodge of Mashatu (part of the Mala Mala group).
Here is a quote from a somewhat famous wildlife photographer who will remain anonymous
"Ah I know what it is now. It's our composition Ken. We get whole animals walking into the frame. Obviously you need to get something walking out of the frame obscuring everything else. Now I get it. Obviously you and I are complete idiots here, how could we be so silly....."
I just think that this is just for the sake of being different, sad really
Congrats to the three Dutch photographers Jasper, Theo and Marsel in the category Creative Visions!
At the time I did not know exactly which image it was that had won. When I saw it I was surprised, to me it is not a great shot. BUT, as has already been said, Greg has produced some very fine images and I have no quibble with him being the winner.
Ken, I think the problem is simply that all of us are now exposed to so many wildlife photographs that images of whole animals, in focus, no longer stand out. Cameras are so clever these days that they do so much of the work that photographers used to have to think about.
I can therefore only assume that the judges are looking for photographs that show an unusual perspective and/or show that the photographer has made an effort to capture something different.
I would wager that if you lined up that winning image alongside a dozen other first rate wildlife photographs a very small percentage of viewers would have picked it as a winner.
While I don't always agree with the winning images I do think that the images represented do display situations that in many cases are unrepeatable and show nature in a unique and thought provoking manner. Of course there are exceptions but the images do represent for the most part something different from the usual cookie cutter images that we are overwhelmed with online. The current trend seems to be one photographer comes up with a great image and everyone and their mother in law blatantly copies and posts it online calling it their own.
Probably the most important but sadly disturbing aspect of the contest is the highlighting of what we are all doing to wildlife and nature throughout the world. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest is one of the only contests in the world that brings not only the celebration of nature to the public but also the ongoing plight of our natural world.Take a look at the images regarding the ivory trade, very disturbing but a very necessary story that people need to be aware of.