The “Glanzlichter 2020” photo competition is the largest international nature photo competition in Germany and has been advertised annually since 1999. A jury will evaluate photos in eight different categories and award the winners cash and material prizes worth almost 30,000 euros. In addition, there will be a public exhibition of the winning photos.
Once again this year, photographers from all over the world responded to the call to send in photos: the jury had a total of almost 17,000 images to choose from. The Alexander Koenig Zoological Research Museum in Bonn will be exhibiting this year’s 80 winning pictures from September 10, 2020 to January 10, 2021. Due to the corona pandemic, a tour can also be seen digitally on film.
Our picture of the week shows that it is definitely worth taking a look at the winning photos: The Finnish nature photographer Markus Varesvuo was crowned the “Highlight Nature Photographer 2020” with the picture “Prey Flight”.
He took the photo in Norway at a place that is known for its sea eagle feedings and attracts many tourists. This also offers a rare opportunity for photographers like Varesvuo: one early evening in August, the nature photographer observed the mighty birds from a boat in the water. The white-tailed eagle of his shot plunged down from a hill in the fjord on its prey. When approaching the fish, Varesvuo followed the eagle with his camera and pulled the trigger at the exact moment when the bird with the caught fish in its claws hovered over the surface of the water.
The composition of the backlight of the setting sun on the plumage of the flying eagle, the reflections in the splashing water and the attitude of the animal gives the snapshot its special atmosphere. This lucky catch astonished the photographer and the judging jury.
Source: Alexander Koenig Zoological Research Museum Foundation, Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity