About the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition
The European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has unveiled the winning and highly commended images, and they're a stunning showcase of the beauty and diversity of life on planet Earth. Organised by the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT), 2021 represents the 50th edition of the competition, and competition was fierce.
Over 19,000 photograph were submitted from 36 countries, representing the work of over 1,000 professionals, and were whittled down by an international jury. For 2021, this comprised Viktoria Haak (Canada/UK), Ofelia de Pablo (Spain), Jim Brandenburg (USA), Ole Jørgen Liodden (Norway) and Andrew Parkinson (UK).
The main focus of the competition are the wildlife eight categories; Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Plants and Fungi, Landscapes, The Underwater World, People and Nature and Nature' Studio. One image from these is judged the overall winner, and there are two separate awards for young photographers aged up to 14 years old, and 15 - 17 years.
Spanish photographer, photojournalist and author Angel Fitor was crowned 2021 European Photographer of the Year for his ethereal image 'Medusa Ballet', which shoes jellyfish in the Mar Menor lagoon in Spain, Europe's largest saltwater lagoon.
Judge Jim Brandenburg commented that "the powerful image spoke strongly to us jury members on many levels, and after the ecological catastrophe that occurred only a short time later at the place where it was taken [...] it [the winning photo] also speaks about the massive environmental problems of this region."
Fitor used multiple flash triggers to create the illusion of a swarm, though in fact there were only two jellyfish in the water before him. Aquatic ecosystems are a point of concern for Fitor, who believes that photography has the power to initiate change to address environmental problems.
View more wildlife photography competition galleries:
To view the images as a slideshow, click on the arrows in the top right hand corner of the photos below.
