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An image of a napping polar bear curled up on an iceberg has captured the hearts of voters to become the winner of this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.

British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani called it an honor to win the award for the dreamy scene “Ice Bed,” captured off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, saying that the image “stirred strong emotions,” such as hope, in those who saw it.

“Whilst climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope that this photograph also inspires hope; there is still time to fix the mess we have caused,” Sarikhani added in a press release.

Organizers said more than 75,000 people voted in the competition — a record number.

“Ice Bed” was chosen from a shortlist of 25 images, which was previously narrowed down from around 50,000 entries. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.

Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, described the winning shot as “poignant” and “breathtaking.”

The “thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss,” Gurr said in the release.

As well as the winner, there were four highly commended finalists. All five images will be exhibited at the Natural History Museum in London until June 30.

Scroll through the gallery above to see the winner and highly commended images.

A groundbreaking photography exhibition, Head / Heart: Framing the Future: Photography from Wales, Scotland, and Catalonia takes place this half-term (10-17 February), showcasing 46 photographs from 35 photographers from across the three nations.

The exhibition, hosted by Caernarfon’s Oriel CARN,will offer visitors a rare insight into how people’s life experiences in the three nations can impact on how they think and feel about the future of their own country.

Dyfodol Cymru

The unique exhibition also gathers visitors’ own feelings and thoughts by posing the question: what is important to you about the future of Wales?

Curated by Dr Elin Royles and Dr Anwen Elias from the Centre for Welsh Politics and Society at Aberystwyth University, the free exhibition is integral to their non-partisan, academic study on the sentiments and experiences that shape people’s perspectives on Independence.

Dr Elin Royles explains: “A vital component to our world-first research is this exhibition, which captures people’s emotions and feelings.

“We’re interested in how people from different backgrounds, from different nations, think and feel about their different futures, and what experiences shape their views.

“These photographs provide striking responses to the issue of Independence. Through captions accompanying the photographs, viewers can assess whether their reflections on the images correspond to what the photographers were trying to convey.

“We’ll be sharing the research findings in Cardiff in May.”

The Aberystwyth team has collaborated with photography clubs and students in this brand-new approach that is set to challenge academics’ conventional reliance on survey responses and demographic data such as age, gender or class to examine attitudes to independence.

Dr Anwen Elias, a member of the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales, explains:“Photography is a powerful tool in providing a more rounded understanding of what’s going on, and to help determine to what extent emotion dictates people’s standpoints on issues like independence.

I’ve certainly been persuaded by this new methodology, which I now believe has a real role to play in continuing the conversation about Wales’s constitutional future.”

Head and heart

Ahead of the official exhibition reception on Thursday 15 February, special guest Siân Gwenllian MS (Arfon MS) said: “This exciting photography exhibition at Oriel CARN, led by Aberystwyth University, is a real eye-opener.

“I’m particularly struck by the fact that there was often a tension between the head and the heart. Whatever your political views, this contributes a new layer of understanding to the ongoing debates about constitutional futures in Wales, Scotland, and Catalonia.”

The exhibition comprises work by photographers from Aberystwyth Camera Club; Workers Gallery in Ynyshir, y Rhondda; Foto-Cine Mataró d’UEC (Mataró Camera Club); and IEFC: Institut d’Estudis Fotogràfics de Catalunya (Catalonia Institute of Photographic Studies).

North Wales photographer Richard Jones has two of his photographs in the exhibition, and said: “My photographs ‘Dolbadarn yn deffro’ (Dolbadarn awakens) and ‘Annibyniaeth Barn’ (Independent Opinion) express the kind of new dawn that I believe Independence could bring to Wales.

“Because the exhibition itself does not promote a particular position on Independence, it has been illuminating to see my photographs alongside the work of photographers from different sides of the debate.”

CARN Co-ordinator, Menna Thomas, said: “We are delighted to have this thought-provoking, pioneering exhibition at Oriel CARN in Caernarfon over half term.

“We recommend very much for the public to come along and explore this fascinating collection of 40+ photographs and contribute to Aberystwyth University’s project if they so wish. With free family activities throughout the week, it has something to offer each and every member of the family.”

The exhibition is part of a project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of the WISERD/ ESRC Civil Society Research Centre (Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data).

Head / Heart: Framing the Future at Oriel CARN, Caernarfon takes place from 10-17 February 2024; 10am-3pm (except Sunday)

Admission: Free

James D. “JD” Howard, a Marine Corps veteran who became an internationally known photographer for the AFRO American Newspapers, died Jan. 29 of complications from dementia at the Perry Point Veterans Administration Hospital in Cecil County. The West Baltimore resident was 82.

“Ever since he came home from Vietnam, JD has been truly one of our great heroes. He set the standard for what our generation should be doing,” said friend of 50 years and former state Sen. and Del. Clarence “Tiger” Davis, regional coordinator for the National Association of Black Veterans.

“He is a man who is known worldwide for his photography. The Congressional Black Caucus hired JD to do their photography and he brought along with him young proteges whose work he respected.”

James Dennis “JD” Howard was the son of James Cruter Howard, a Navy shipyard mechanic, and Eliza Peed Howard, a nursing assistant. He was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, where he graduated in 1960 from the Booker T. Washington High School.

He played guard on the recreation center football team and won the Virginia Golden Gloves welterweight championship in 1957.

The second of six children, he was “known for his bravery, athletic skill, and always testing his limits,” wrote a son, James D. Howard Jr., of Tokyo, in a biographical profile of his father. “In the summers, he and his brothers would go back to North Carolina each year from Norfolk to earn money for school supplies by working with their uncles harvesting tobacco.”

Mr. Howard enlisted in the Marine Corps and was sent to Camp Lejeune, where he was a member of the boxing team.

In 1962, he married the former Geraldine Stevenson, and three years later after the birth of two children, he was deployed to Vietnam.

Under enemy fire, Mr. Howard was wounded and received the Purple Heart.

After being discharged, he returned to Baltimore and joined the police department. When his wife needed surgery and he “lacked sufficient tenure to qualify for insurance,” his son wrote, he reenlisted in the Marines and was sent to Vietnam, for a second tour of duty, where he attained the rank of staff sergeant.

While in Vietnam, he learned photography and “documenting what he saw in the field and taking pictures during breaks. Gradually, he discovered he had a knack for capturing the most essential visual elements of people and places and using them to tell stories,” his son wrote.

Discharged in 1970, Mr. Howard opened a small photography studio behind the old S. & N. Katz Jewelry store at 105 N. Charles St.

Not content to just sit in his studio waiting for business to come his way, he instead made inroads in the city’s African American churches, where he covered weddings, christenings and funerals, among other events.

He expanded his work to city schools, photographing graduation ceremonies, and into politics, where he became the official photographer for various candidates.

He shot the National Black Beautician Convention and covered the Bronner Brothers International Beauty Show in Atlanta.

His work was published in The Baltimore Sun, Jet and Ebony magazines, and for decades until retiring in 2015, he was a staff photographer for the AFRO.

From the 1970s through the 1990s, he documented construction projects such as the Baltimore Metro, Fort McHenry Tunnel and Harborplace.

His work for the AFRO took him far from Baltimore. He photographed the inauguration of Barack Obama, the funeral of Nelson Mandela and the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2015.

His work was featured in an exhibition at the Jubilee Arts Center in West Baltimore.

In 2019, his wife told the AFRO: “JD is a strong-willed individual who makes up his mind to do something and doesn’t stop until it is complete.

“He has always been very passionate about photography,” she said. “What I love most about his work is that he made photography work for him and his family.”

“JD was always trying to make life better for everybody and he did it in a quiet way,” Mr. Davis said. “He led by example.”

Mr. Howard’s wife, who was an administrative assistant, died in 2020.

Funeral services for Mr. Howard will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the March Funeral Home at 4300 Wabash Ave.

In addition to his son, he is survived by another son, Lester Howard, of West Baltimore; two brothers, Theodore Howard, of Washington, and Victor Howard, of Norfolk; two sisters, Phyllis Dogget, of Randallstown, and Kay Collins, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; and two grandchildren. His daughter, Denise Howard-Johnson, died in 2016.

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A “breathtaking” image of a young polar bear drifting off to sleep on an iceberg has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.

The shot, captured by British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani, came top in a public vote that saw a record 75,000 nature and photography enthusiasts choose their favourite picture from shortlist of 25 images.

Dr Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, which runs the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, said the picture is a visual representation of the impacts of climate change and habitat loss.

Mr Sarikhani, from London, said he wanted the photograph to inspire hope, as polar bears are incredibly adaptable and there is still time to “fix the mess we have caused” to their environment.

After three days searching for polar bears in thick fog off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, the expedition vessel Mr Sarikhani sailed to an area with where there was sea ice, and encountered two of the animals.

Just before midnight, a young male climbed on to a small iceberg and used his paws to scrape away the ice to carve out a bed for himself, allowing Mr Sarikhani to capture the moment the bear drifted off to sleep.

He said: “I am so honoured to have won this year’s People’s Choice Award for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the most prestigious wildlife photography competition.

“This photograph has stirred strong emotions in many of those who have seen it.

“Whilst climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope that this photograph also inspires hope.

“Polar bears are incredibly adaptable and, in some areas, increasing in number, and there is still time to fix the mess we have caused.”

Dr Gurr said: “Nima’s breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet.

“His thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss.”

Among the 25 pictures, four shots that also proved favourites with voters included the interaction between a pond turtle and a northern banded groundling dragonfly, and a starling murmuration forming the shape of a bird.

Two lionesses grooming a cub and two moon jellyfish illuminated by the aurora borealis in a fjord in Norway were also among the highly commended finalists in the public vote.

The shortlist for the People’s Choice Award was chosen by the Natural History Museum and an international judging panel from almost 50,000 images submitted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

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A “breathtaking” image of a young polar bear drifting off to sleep on an iceberg has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.

The shot, captured by British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani, came top in a public vote that saw a record 75,000 nature and photography enthusiasts choose their favourite picture from shortlist of 25 images.

Dr Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, which runs the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, said the picture is a visual representation of the impacts of climate change and habitat loss.

Mr Sarikhani, from London, said he wanted the photograph to inspire hope, as polar bears are incredibly adaptable and there is still time to “fix the mess we have caused” to their environment.

After three days searching for polar bears in thick fog off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, the expedition vessel Mr Sarikhani was on changed course to where there was still some sea ice, and encountered two of the animals.

Just before midnight, a young male climbed on to a small iceberg and used his paws to scrape away the ice to carve out a bed for himself, allowing Mr Sarikhani to capture the moment the bear drifted off to sleep.

He said: “I am so honoured to have won this year’s People’s Choice Award for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the most prestigious wildlife photography competition.

“This photograph has stirred strong emotions in many of those who have seen it.

“Whilst climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope that this photograph also inspires hope.

“Polar bears are incredibly adaptable and, in some areas, increasing in number, and there is still time to fix the mess we have caused.”

Dr Gurr said: “Nima’s breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet.

“His thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss.”

Among the 25 pictures, four shots that also proved favourites with voters included the interaction between a pond turtle and a northern banded groundling dragonfly, and a starling murmuration forming the shape of a bird.

Two lionesses grooming a cub and two moon jellyfish illuminated by the aurora borealis in a fjord in Norway were also among the highly commended finalists in the public vote.

The shortlist for the People’s Choice Award was chosen by the Natural History Museum and an international judging panel from almost 50,000 images submitted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

The five images will be displayed online at www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-choice and at the Natural History Museum in London until June 30 2024.

The International Space Station (ISS) has ushered in a new era of space photography with the recent receipt of 13 Nikon Z9 mirrorless cameras, 15 FTZ II adapters, and over 15 Nikkor Z lenses. Delivered via the 20th Northrop Grumman commercial resupply services mission for NASA, aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the new equipment marks a significant shift from Nikon DSLR cameras previously in use.

A Historic Moment for Nikon and NASA

This transition to the Nikon Z9 cameras represents the first time mirrorless cameras will be used by the ISS crew. This milestone is another feather in the cap for Nikon, which has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with NASA, starting with the Apollo 15 mission over 50 years ago.

The Challenges of Space Photography

Photography equipment in space faces a unique challenge: exposure to cosmic rays reduces their lifespan to about six months. In response, Nikon has customized the firmware of the Z9 cameras to withstand the harsh space conditions. The cameras now feature enhanced noise reduction and optimized file naming, settings, and controls suitable for the ISS environment.

Protecting the Equipment

During spacewalks, the cameras are safeguarded by a special NASA-developed blanket. This is part of Nikon’s commitment to support NASA’s mission of space exploration and ensure that astronauts are equipped with reliable camera gear.

As the ISS crew transitions from DSLR to mirrorless technology, the world can expect to see even more stunning images of Earth and beyond, captured with unprecedented ease and precision.

Feb 07, 2024 02:12 PM IST

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Nima Sarikhani searched for polar bears on for 3 days before taking the pic that won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.

An image of a polar bear sleeping on a small iceberg has bagged the 2023 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award. As per reports, Nima Sarikhani, the winner, captured the image after searching for polar bears for three days on Norwegian islands.

Each year, this photography competition is organised by the Natural History Museum. The organisation also shared a blog about the pictures that made it to the top of the list in the recently concluded competition.

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About the photo of the sleeping polar bear:

Sarikhani’s picture called the ‘Ice Bed’ was ‘crowned champion following a contest in which a record 75,000 people voted’. While talking about this accomplishment, the photographer told the museum, “I am so honoured to have won this year’s People’s Choice award for Wildlife Photography of the Year, the most prestigious wildlife photography competition. This photograph has stirred strong emotions in many of those who have seen it”.

“Whilst climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope that this photograph also inspires hope. There is still time to fix the mess we have caused,” he added.

Also Read: ‘Moody’ baboon to ‘curious’ cheetah: Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards pics

“Nima’s breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet,” said Dr Douglas Gurr, the Director of the Natural History Museum.

‘His thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss,” the director added.

A glimpse at the other photographs:

The photographs submitted to the competition by people from across the world were regularly shared on the official X handle dedicated to the contest.

Here is a glimpse of several images, including the one that won:

These images, shared in a tweet, capture animals and insects of different species ‘talking’ to each other:

Other than ‘Ice Bed’, ‘The Happy Turtle’ by Tzahi Finkelstein and ‘Starling Murmuration’ by Daniel Dencescu were highly commended. As for Sarikhani’s work, it will be displayed in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition until June 30 in South Kensington in Central London.

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