World of the Snow Leopard by Sascha Fonseca (Germany) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
German photographerSascha Fonsecawon the prize after a record number of votes, beating out 24 other shortlisted images.
Fonseca shared the reason behind his use of camera traps whenspeakingwith My Modern Met in March 2022.
“World of the Snow Leopard” by Sascha Fonseca (Germany) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Winner, People’s Choice.“Against a backdrop of the spectacular mountains of Ladakh in northern India, a snow leopard has been caught in a perfect pose by Sascha’s carefully positioned camera trap. Thick snow blankets the ground, but the big cat’s dense coat and furry footpads keep it warm.Sascha captured this image during a three-year bait-free camera-trap project high up in the Indian Himalayas. He has always been fascinated by snow leopards, not only because of their incredible stealth but also because of their remote environment, making them one of the most difficult large cats to photograph in the wild.”
You could spend months or even years staked out and not capture a single image.
He was also quick to shoot down the notion that using a camera trap is easy.
Noting that, this is more than strapping a trail camera to a tree.
“Among the flowers” by Martin Gregus (Canada) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, People’s Choice.“Martin watched this polar bear cub playing in a mass of fireweed on the coast of Hudson Bay, Canada. Every so often the cub would take a break from its fun, stand on its hind legs and poke its head up above the high flowers to look for its mother.Wanting to capture the world from the cub’s angle, Martin placed his camera – in an underwater housing, for protection against investigating bears – at ground level among the fireweed. He then waited patiently a safe distance away with a remote trigger. Not being able to see exactly what was happening, Martin had to judge just the right moment when the bear would pop up in the camera frame.”
Its basically like setting up a studio in nature.
Photography can connect people to wildlife and encourage them to appreciate the beauty of the unseen natural world.
In addition to Fonseca’s winning image, the contest also revealed four other High Commended photographs.
Portrait of Olobor by Marina Cano (Spain) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, People’s Choice.“It was late afternoon when Marina found Olobor resting. He is one of the famous five-strong coalition of males in the Black Rock pride in Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve.All around the lion, the ground was black, having been burnt by local Maasai herdsmen to stimulate a new flush of grass. Marina wanted to capture his majestic and defiant look against the dark background and lowered her camera out of her vehicle to get an eye-level portrait.”
Among the flowers by Martin Gregus (Canada) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
He then waited patiently a safe distance away with a remote trigger.
Portrait of Olobor by Marina Cano (Spain) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Holding on by Igor Altuna (Spain) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, People’s Choice.“This leopardess had killed a monkey in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park. The monkey’s baby was still alive and clinging to its mother. Igor watched as the predator walked calmly back to her own baby. Her cub played with the baby monkey for more than an hour before killing it, almost as if it had been given live prey as a hunting lesson.”
Highly Commended, People’s Choice.It was late afternoon when Marina found Olobor resting.
Holding on by Igor Altuna (Spain) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Highly Commended, People’s Choice.This leopardess had killed a monkey in Zambias South Luangwa National Park.
Fox affection by Brittany Crossman (Canada) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, People’s Choice.“On a chilly day in North Shore on Prince Edward Island, Canada, a pair of red foxes, greet one another with an intimate nuzzle.The red fox’s mating season is in the winter, and it is not uncommon to see them together prior to denning. This special moment is one of Brittany’s favorite images and one of the tenderest moments she has witnessed between adult foxes.”
The monkeys baby was still alive and clinging to its mother.
Igor watched as the predator walked calmly back to her own baby.
Fox affection by Brittany Crossman (Canada) / Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
