There are masquerade traditions all around the world. Bulgaria has the Babugeri, men who dress in full-body animal costumes and perform rituals intended to banish evil spirits. Babugeri can be seen at the Surova folk feast that takes place in the Pernik region. My work is not to photograph the masquerade. My work is to photograph the figures, almost like sculptures. So I make appointments with these men and travel out to photograph them in their own landscape, on their own territory. You get to a field and these guys are dressing up next to their cars, and then they come and stand in front of you. It’s a powerful moment when you are facing them. That’s the moment I like.

This costume is made of goat fur. The quantity of fur needed to make one costume is crazy – I think it’s eight goats. You have to be a young and fit man to wear them because they’re very heavy. I once photographed a guy who was not just dressing up but also breeding the goats and killing them himself. He was invested in the whole process, because these costumes are not cheap at all.

This image is from my project Wilder Mann. I have many photographs of different masquerade traditions all over the world. I’ve just returned from the centre of Borneo, where they make costumes not with fur but with grass and banana leaves, mixed with anything they find from the forest. Different materials but the same system. Sometimes there are extra layers to a costume – old clothes, fabrics – which make it more complex, like a collage. You have these traditions in Britain, too, with characters like Jack in the Green in England, or The Burryman in Scotland. But whether it’s a green man or a guy dressed in fur, you get the same feeling – of facing something from nature.

For the first two years of this project, I was OK with people saying, “Oh, this is paganism,” and telling me it’s a really ancient tradition that comes from the middle ages or neolithic times. But the origins of these traditions are actually not very precise and they have all been adapted over time. They constantly change. More recently they’ve been influenced by media, technology, cinema, Facebook, whatever. And they have influenced cinema in return. Star Wars’s Chewbacca, for instance, was inspired by folk traditions in Europe.

This image is very simple. It’s a photograph that can’t be shot in any other way. My work has nothing complex in it, but I never work quickly. A shoot like this takes 45 minutes to an hour to get the image right. Sometimes you see the eye of the guy, or the hands like in this one – there is always something you can’t control.

A lot of these rituals are connected to the Christian calendar. For example, the Penitensya in the Philippines, where people whip themselves, happens around Easter. Some rituals are on or around Christmas day, others at the new year. In the UK, the traditions are usually during spring and summer.

It is obvious this costume is phallic – a lot of these traditions are associated with fertility. There is also a Greek tradition called Arapides, where the guys dance in a circle dressed a bit like this, with very tall costumes made from animals. You have to be a teenager or a young man: no children and no women are allowed in the circle. The rules are very strict and you always want to know why. Because at the end of the day, what is this? In Bulgaria, it’s a group of guys who are going to spend three days jumping around and dancing, drinking too much alcohol and posing for selfies to post on social media. I think the combination of wearing the costume and the lack of oxygen inside, plus the alcohol consumed, can make people believe they are a real animal.

Charles Fréger’s CV

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Born: Bourges, France, 1975
Trained: “I am the son of a farmer so originally I learned agriculture, then went to fine art school in Rouen, Normandy”
Influences: “Painters more than photographers: Flemish primitive artists such as Jan van Eyck; the light of Vermeer; Spanish artists like Diego Velázquez”
High point: “The first time I photographed a sumo wrestler in his circle in 2002. That’s when I realised my work was about getting into someone else’s space”
Low point: “Sometimes feeling that I am not really a part of the world as it is now”
Top tip: “Stay in the reality”

British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani has clinched the coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award with his enchanting image titled Ice Bed depicting a young polar bear peacefully drifting into slumber on a bed sculpted into an iceberg.

Sarikhani’s winning shot was captured after a three-day expedition off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. Amid thick fog, the expedition vessel altered its course, eventually encountering two polar bears. In a mesmerizing moment just before midnight, the young male bear climbed onto a small iceberg and meticulously crafted a bed using his powerful paws.

Expressing his gratitude for winning the prestigious award, Sarikhani voiced his hope that the image would not only raise awareness about the pressing issue of climate change but also inspire optimism, underscoring the possibility of rectifying the damage caused by human activity.

Among the highly commended finalists were images that resonated with wildlife enthusiasts worldwide. These included Tzahi Finkelstein’s The Happy Turtle, capturing a captivating interaction between a Balkan pond turtle and a northern banded groundling dragonfly, and Daniel Dencescu’s Starling Murmuration, which immortalized the moment a murmuration of starlings formed the shape of a bird.

Dr. Douglas Gurr, the Director of the Natural History Museum, commended Sarikhani’s work commenting, “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.”

Other notable entries include Mark Boyd’s Shared Parenting, showing two lionesses grooming one of the pride’s five cubs in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, while Audun Rikardsen’s capture Aurora Jellies showcased two moon jellyfish illuminated by the aurora borealis in a Norwegian fjord.

This year, a record-breaking number of over 75,000 wildlife photography enthusiasts from across the globe participated in voting for their favorite among the 25 stunning images contending for the award. These remarkable images were handpicked from a shortlist of 25 by the Natural History Museum, London, and an international judging panel, out of nearly 50,000 submissions for the fifty-ninth Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

All five winning images, including Sarikhani’s Ice Bed, will be showcased online and in an accompanying exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London, until June 30, 2024.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition curated by The Natural History Museum London aims to highlight compelling stories from the natural world, fostering advocacy for environmental conservation. Both amateur and professional photographers worldwide are invited to enter with images that embody people’s connection with wildlife and nature. The winners of the sixtieth edition of the competition are currently being deliberated upon by an international panel of experts, with the announcement scheduled to take place at the annual awards ceremony in South Kensington.

Read our guide to help choose the best camera for wildlife photography if you need a hand.

One of the world’s most prestigious wildlife photography awards has announced its winner – and it’s equal parts mesmerizing and adorable. The winner of the Natural History Museum of London’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year award is Nima Sarikhani, for her captivating image of a polar bear sleeping on sea ice. 

The photograph, called “Ice Bed,” was captured in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, the museum says in its description of the photo. According to a news release, Sarikhani had spent three days looking for polar bears while aboard an exploration vessel in the area, but had been having no luck as they were immersed in a “thick fog.” 

But then, as the ship came across some sea ice, he saw it – two polar bears. 

Those on board the ship tracked them for eight hours. And just before midnight, the moment that resonated with people worldwide finally happened. 

“Under the light of the midnight sun, the bear used its powerful arms to claw out a bed on a small iceberg before drifting off to sleep,” the press release from the museum says. 

Sarikhani said in the release that he’s honored to have won the People’s Choice award, which is one of nearly 50,000 entries from 95 countries. It will be on display at the museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit through June 30. 

“This photograph has stirred strong emotions in man of those have seen it,” he said. “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.” 

Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, said the “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,” Gurr said, “and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss.” 

Polar bears are known to dig themselves spots to sleep in, which are sometimes referred to as “day beds,” according to scientist Thea Bechshoft at Polar Bears International. They’re also known to take one- to two-hour-long naps, “especially after a good meal,” Bechshoft said.

According to the museum, the area in which the polar bear was captured on film is among “the most isolated in the world.” That area of the Arctic Ocean holds 19 polar bear populations that rely on the sea ice to travel and hunt offshore. 

But according to a 2018 report by the Norwegian Centre for Climate Services, air temperatures in Svalbard have increased by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius over the past 40 to 50 years, conditions that have resulted in heavy winter rainfall and in some areas being “ice free most of the year.” Other areas have seen ice thickness and extent decrease “dramatically,” the museum said of the report. 

“The period with sea ice over shallower water in much of the area is now much shorter than it was a few decades ago,” said Jon Aars, who researches polar bears in the region. “While the bears that follow sea ice may still be able to hunt year-round, this is increasingly over deeper waters which may be less productive.” 

Less sea ice for polar bears to use as a way to safely travel has also led to the animals having less genetic diversity, Aars said. 

“There aren’t as many opportunities for different groups to mix,” he said. “This is leading to increased inbreeding among resident bears.” 

Svalbard’s polar bear population is still considered to be stable, but as global temperatures continue to increase, that may not be the case for long. 

Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.

Spring is coming into focus, and that means graduation and wedding season are on the way—along with lots and lots of photos. Whether you’ve got a big event coming up or it’s time to update the family portrait, local photographers have a few hints. Wedding and portrait photographer Erishyll Mae Isidro of Erishyll Mae Photography and wedding photographer Alex Harris of Alexandra Harris Photography give their advice on how people can get their best photograph.

Plan Ahead

“The biggest mistake I see some clients make is choosing to not include their photographer in the planning process of their session,” Harris says. “I try to offer the best client experience I can, and part of that is making an effort to be super communicative with my clients and walk them through the planning process step-by-step. I’ve had a few clients that may have had a very specific vision in their head about what they wanted their shoot to look like and were very rigid in not wanting to sway from that vision at all, but [they] didn’t have the professional experience to take into account how the time of year might affect their chosen location, how the time of day might affect the lighting, how comfortable a certain type of clothing might be and how all of that comes together to create their final images.”

Specific Style

“For some people, the biggest mistake is assuming every photographer can photograph the same,”  Isidro says. “Sometimes clients will misinterpret what ‘photography style’ means and will assume that we are all under the same umbrella and therefore we can change our styles to look like someone else’s. Always look for style first, then what they offer. Quality over quantity.”

Personal Photos

“Pick a photographer whose style and work you love, and trust the process,” Harris says. “Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. A person will know that they’ve gotten the shot if they pay attention to their manual camera settings. I think a successful photo is one that is balanced and has a touch of intimacy—something that creates intrigue and is personal.”

Ian MacEachern. (Photo by Linda Munn)

As Ian MacEachern wandered through the slums of Saint John, New Brunswick in the mid-’60s, he had no idea he was laying the groundwork for what would become an iconoclastic, decades-long career in photography. A native of Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, MacEachern had moved to New Brunswick when he was 20 to work as a cameraman for the local television station. He moonlighted as a photographer, searching for compelling scenes in Saint John’s ravaged North End, where homes and storefronts were being razed. Some were wrecked to make room for a bridge and highway, others demolished as part of a scheme of “urban renewal.” Those photos eventually became the backbone of The Lost City, John Leroux’s Maritime bestseller that detailed Saint John’s mid-20th-century reform.

Those daily pilgrimages motivated MacEachern to pursue photography full-time and, within a few years, to leave for Ontario to chase new opportunities. In 1967, on an afternoon touring Midland, Ontario, he ditched the backseat of a car stopped at a traffic light to snap a photo of two men chatting outside Hebner’s Taxi, a now-defunct taxi service. The picture, with its ten-cent newspapers and jukebox-styled vending machines dispensing Coca-Cola, crisply captures an era past. Today, the image is featured in museums, retrofitted onto Korean umbrellas and even splayed on an ashtray that his friend bought on eBay. “That picture, Hebner’s Taxi, took on a life of its own; the man’s shadow lined almost perfectly with the sidewalk to make it one in a million,” said MacEachern, who’s now 82. “There are some things you just cannot predict.”

MacEachern went on to work as a freelancer in Toronto and London and contributed to this magazine, as well as others like ArtsCanada, Time Canada and Chatelaine. Over the years, he taught community photography classes, took various contracts at CBC Toronto and relished street assignments that told a story. He once spent a week in the Prairies, driving more than 1,200 kilometres to cover Indigenous life on a reserve. He worked as a photographer on the Toronto-based CBC documentary show Man Alive, which explored topics as varied as the developing world, UFO sightings and sexual abuse. For his assignment, he documented life in mid-20th-century Cabbagetown, Toronto, where, historically, residents had planted and sold cabbages in their gardens. “I photographed Trefann Court for the CBC in the late ’60s. It still wasn’t as bad as the Saint John slums,” he says. 

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MacEachern moved back to Saint John in 2020. This year, a collection of his raw photos, taken over the last six decades, are featured in the exhibit Black and White Is Like Radio, which runs until April 16 at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton. His pieces, street shots taken in Canada and beyond, are the product of a life behind the lens, and evoke social ironies and quirky settings—or, as he calls them, “wild moments in nature.”

Saint John, New Brunswick, 2019: “I shot this when I was moving back to Saint John. I had parked down the street with my realtor to look at houses. When I passed by this one, there was this creepy and mysterious head floating in the door window. I had to photograph it. There was lots of speculation that the face was a cut-out of Bob Marley. Only a couple of years ago, someone posted the exact same face on Facebook, and I recognized it: turns out, it was a famous photo of Miles Davis.”

Midland, Ontario, 1967: “I was in the backseat of a friend’s car and ran outside as we stopped in traffic to take this picture. It felt like perfect composition: the man’s shadow aligned almost perfectly with the sidewalk, everything around him was framed. It’s still one of the best pictures I’ve taken. Years later, I found my photo online: copied, bent into panels and made into an umbrella by some Korean company. My friend recently found it plastered on an ashtray. He bought it, and it’s now at the Beaverbrook below the actual photo. The image lasted longer than Hebner’s Taxi itself.”

London, Ontario, 2003: “I saw this huge inflatable gorilla, peeking behind a building in a subdivision. I think it was a gimmick, but all I thought was, That is a photo I cannot miss. Nowadays, you could easily use AI to replicate that shot: find a building and add a digital gorilla behind it. Back then, though, it was a surreal sight.”

London, Ontario, 2001: “I was driving in downtown London and saw a big protest that nearly blocked the busy Oxford-Wharncliffe intersection. I parked around the corner and walked toward the action. This woman holding a sign in front of her face is just a so-so picture; what makes it good is that the word “variety”—the opposite of chastity—is written on the right. I don’t think she was aware of that. I still am not sure what she was protesting. It was a quick moment that I didn’t have time to explore.”

London, Ontario, 2004: “I was on my way to Costco and drove past a large park just west of downtown London. In it was a quickly deflating, massive T. Rex hot-air balloon, so I stopped the car and ran out to take pictures. Kids gathered around the dinosaur as it fell slowly and, at that moment, it looked like they were about to be eaten. The T. Rex created a weird juxtaposition with the calmness around it. The composition also works: you’re drawn directly to the centre of the photo, where the kids and the dinosaur have a showdown.”

New Orleans, 2013: “The French Quarter has short driveways, like Saint John: stumble out of your door, take two steps and you’re on the street. I would come out of a building and see these Segways right away. I even saw police officers wheeling around on them. They’re so simple and fun to ride: you lean forward, you go faster. I wish I’d kept the photograph contained, because you can’t tell what these people are looking at. But there was no other way to take this photo—they were quickly on the move.”

London, Ontario, 2004: “This place was a secondhand shop in the east end of London. It was a tough area: there were lots of people smoking on the streets and in doorways. I wandered into the store anyway, because I knew it would make for a funny picture.”

New Orleans, 2013: “I was hanging out in a park near the French Quarter and saw this man walking with his Vietnamese pot-bellied pig—a popular pet in New Orleans. I couldn’t believe it: his posture was so much like the pig’s that they were even walking in step. I took several photos of this man, also because the doorways in the back created a nice counterbalance. This picture looks even stranger to people who aren’t from New Orleans—we’re not used to seeing domesticated pigs—but apparently they make great pets.”

London, Ontario, 1968: “Ex-Cell-O was a Detroit-based industrial manufacturer with a division in London, Ontario. I was hired to photograph the factory. It was a technical place: they made machines that made machines: engines, telephone connectors, gable-end milk cartons. The company even made guns that could be reconfigured for various purposes—carbines, machine guns, rifles. The irony is that Ex-Cell-O also sponsored the SS Hope, a repurposed hospital ship that travelled to war-torn places to provide medical support. I thought their economy was so strange: their guns would create new patients for those ships to save.”

Marigny, New Orleans, 2015: “I travelled to New Orleans just prior to Mardi Gras in 2015. On Frenchmen Street, in an area called the Marigny, clubs and bars line the roads, and krewes travel up and down them all dressed up in costumes around that time of year. I photographed that woman in particular because there was something about the intense look on her face. All of it stood in contrast with nearby Bourbon Street, a dangerous place to be, especially in the night.”

Discovering forgotten rolls of film can lead to unexpected treasures and insights into photography’s past, much like stumbling upon a long-lost artifact. This phenomenon not only captivates the imagination but also serves as a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of moments and the importance of preserving them.

Coming to you from The Photographic Eye, this fascinating video looks into the story of a roll of 120 film that had been forgotten for 20 years. Narrator Alex Kilbee shares a personal anecdote about finding the film, which sets the stage for a deeper exploration into the historical significance of photography and the stories that could be lost if not for serendipitous discoveries. The video then transitions into the story of Eve Arnold, a photographer whose career might have taken a very different path had it not been for a critical moment of feedback in a class led by Alexey Brodovitch, the art director of Harper’s Bazaar. Arnold’s experience underscores the transformative power of critique and mentorship in photography, illustrating how a single moment can alter the trajectory of an artist’s career.

The significance of Arnold’s story lies not just in the personal journey, but in the broader implications for photographers everywhere. It highlights the importance of perseverance in the face of criticism and the value of constructive feedback in refining one’s craft. The video encourages photographers to embrace their unique visions, even when faced with discouragement. Furthermore, it discusses the role of community and mentorship in a photographer’s development, suggesting that the right guidance can unlock untapped potential and lead to unforeseen opportunities, much like Arnold’s association with Magnum Photos. Check out the video above for the full rundown.

Captivating snapshot titled “Ice Bed,” was taken off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago

An image featuring a tranquil polar bear taking a nap on an iceberg has secured the coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award. 

British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani expressed his honour in winning with the captivating snapshot titled “Ice Bed,” taken off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. 

Sarikhani shared that the image evoked powerful emotions, particularly hope, among viewers. In a press release, he conveyed, “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.”

The competition witnessed unprecedented participation, with over 75,000 people casting their votes. “Ice Bed” emerged triumphant from a shortlist of 25 images, carefully chosen from a pool of approximately 50,000 entries. The Natural History Museum, London, is the driving force behind the Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

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

He emphasised its significance as a thought-provoking reminder of the vital connection between an animal and its habitat, serving as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss. 

The winning image and four highly commended finalists will be showcased at the Natural History Museum in London until June 30.

Photographers in Minnesota have been left reeling after being banned from dance tournaments. The league has hired its own photographers whose pictures will be available to purchase by the public.

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHL) made the decision to stop photographers from shooting the postseason high school dance competition and local photographers say they were blindsided.

“I shoot action photos at all their comps and give them to the parents and coaches for free,” Cobey Rouse tells CBS News.

“The photo I took of my daughter in the state for her last leap in jazz, her last time dancing. That was my favorite photo. That’s the gift that I feel like we give to a lot of these athletes, and that is being taken away.”

Rouse is contracted by high school dance teams to capture the action throughout the season but less than 24 hours before the season’s peak the MSHL banned him and his colleagues.

“The night before the event, photography was revoked. There was no reason given,” adds photographer Alyssa Kristine who is a former dancer and whose main photography focus is dance.

“One of my clients I think has 18 seniors, like almost half of their team, and they didn’t qualify for state and they don’t have any photos of their last dance, period.”

Kristine shoots photos and video but the MSHL informed her that she could only shoot video from a restricted area and she’s not allowed to take any photos.

“I would be relegated to ‘video only’ in a designated performance chair on the floor. I could not shoot anything from the bleachers,” Kristine tells Fox 9.

“I could shoot performances only up to three minutes and then the camera had to be turned off, and I had to exit and sit in the general admission area.”

The dancer-turned-photographer laments the fact some of the kids performing will do so for the last time and none of it will be immortalized in a photograph.

Fox 9 spoke to two seniors, Alexis Laramy and Riley Wolf, who were devastated there won’t be any pictures of them.

“To not have any of that footage, none of the hugs, none of the talks before and after: Those are the moments that I look back on and are some of my favorite moments. To not have that captured my senior year was really disappointing,” Wolf says.

“It was honestly like shocking and disappointing just because [Alyssa Kristine] had been with us through this whole season,” says Laramy of her team photographer.

The dancers added that their parents tried to take photos but — as to be expected — they didn’t capture it the way a pro would.

“Alyssa is able to capture moments that we also like to watch back in order to make sure that we all look alike and we’re all in sync and that we’re all doing what we can in a more competitive team,” says dancer Camryn McNeal.

“What she does she doesn’t do like anyone else, which is why she is so credited in the community.”

A league spokesperson said that the dance team will have the chance to select a team video operator to film their routine, adding that it employs its own photographers whose photos are available for the public to purchase.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.