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.

Follow STV News on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet

Get our free Climate email

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

Share Via

Copy Link

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.

Discover the thrill of cricket like never before, exclusively on HT. Explore now!

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.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it’s all here, just a click away! –Login Now!

Share this article

Share Via

Copy Link

• Viral
• Twitter

Honor launched the Magic6 Pro in China last month, and now we are approaching the moment when the phone will go global at MWC 2024. The company is very proud of what it achieved with the phone’s camera setup and in the latest teaser it is hyping up the sports photography prowess of the flagship.

The Honor Magic6 Pro’s Falcon Camera system promises to leverage AI Motion Sensing capabilities, to auto-capture the incredibly fast sporting moments, such as the highlights of facing match. The company worked with Cecilia Berder, fencing World champion and Olympic silver medalist to give it a try.

Honor Magic6 Pro camera capabilities

The AI algorithm helps detects motion and automatically captures multiple frames to let you identify that perfect one. Obviously, fast-paced action requires fast shutter speeds, so high light sensitivity is required and Honor is confident the Magic6 Pro has what it takes. We’ll obviously need to give the phone a proper test before believing all that, but the hardware does look promising.

Honor Magic6 Pro camera specs

• Wide (main): 50MP OmniVision OVH9000, 1/1.3″, f/1.4-2.0, 23mm, Laser AF, PDAF, OIS; 4320p@30/60fps
• Telephoto: 180MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3, 1/1.49″, f/2.6, 2.5x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS
• Ultrawide: 50MP Samsung S5KJN1, 1/2.76″, f/2.0, 13mm, 122 degrees FoV, AF
• Front camera: 50MP, f/2.0, 22mm, AF

The Honor Magic6 Pro will be accompanied by the Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design at the event in Barcelona. Rumors suggested there might be a luxurious variant of the camera flagship as well; we will be at the event and will have the latest info once everything is official.

A major pitfall to avoid is perfectionism. With a subject as subjective as photography, there’s no such thing as ‘perfection.’ You cannot expect to be artistically satisfied with every shot you take.

Nor can you expect absolutely everyone to ‘get’ the ideas behind your snaps. It takes a lot of courage to look at a photo you took, label it as ‘good enough,’ and then share it with the world.

The feedback that you get from other people can be incredibly valuable for your personal growth. But it takes humility to accept constructive criticism for what it is.

His photo was crowned as champion following a contest in which a record 75,000 people voted

A stunning picture of a sleeping polar bear has won the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award. According to BBC, the portrait titled ‘Ice Bed’ has been clicked by British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani. His photo was crowned as champion following a contest in which a record 75,000 people voted.

Notably, Mr Sarikhani captured the image after three days of searching for polar bears off the coast of Norway. When his expedition vessel changed course, he finally encountered two polar bears and caught the younger one climbing onto a small iceberg and carving out his bed. The image he took shows a male polar bear having a peaceful night’s sleep. 

See the picture here:

Powerful🔥
If you need a visual representation of the impact of climate change ⬇️

📷 British photographer Nima Sarikhani, winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award. pic.twitter.com/JFzolatIsJ

— Jessica G. Obeid  (@Jessica_Obeid) February 7, 2024

”Sarikhani’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,” Natural History Museum director Dr Douglas Gurr said.

Reacting to the win, Mr Sarikhani said, ”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.”

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. The annual contest was originally founded in 1965 by BBC Wildlife Magazine. 
 

Nimble hands, a metal lock and a key fill the camera’s lens. A hairy hand twists the key to crack open the lock. The camera snaps. An orangutan mother opens the door, grabs her child and flees the dark cage, yet again.

Richard Sheehan, Notre Dame professor emeritus and independent photographer, captured this moment years ago in the Los Angeles Zoo. According to him, it was a common occurrence.

Before becoming a Notre Dame finance professor and capturing wildlife pictures, Sheehan worked at the Federal Reserve as an economist. During his time at the Federal Reserve, he recorded the macroeconomy, monetary policies and their growth over time.

He said sports-related data piqued his interest in pursuing a career as a macroeconomics professor and researcher.

“It led me to think of the question: Suppose you could split off football programs from colleges … and then you can sell that. How much would that be worth?,” he said. 

Sheehan was the first who “asked that question.” It commenced his research, teaching and career at Notre Dame.

This idea, along with others, prompted him to release his book, “Keeping Score: the Economics of Big-time Sports.” In his book, Sheehan addresses the value of professional and collegiate teams. He also answers questions about “paying [college] athletes” and “competitive balance.”

Throughout his time as a finance professor, Sheehan also pursued photography as a hobby. He accredits his interest in photography due to the revolution of the digital camera.

A digital camera was his present to himself after defending his Ph.D. dissertation. It was barely used, but his first family African safari was “a real breakthrough” for two reasons.

One reason was because Sheehan did not have to rely on developers and “was in control all the way through.” Another reason was the instant feedback allowed him to learn more throughout the safari than previously.

Over his 40 trips to Africa, he has taken digital pictures of nearly every wild animal. 

“If you can think of a wild animal, I have probably photographed it from lions to leopards to tigers to cheetahs … ” he said.

Sheehan said that one of his friends has a history of leopard and tiger conservation, which prompted Sheehan’s hobby of wildlife photography. In his most recent trip to the Orange Free State, South Africa, Sheehan photographed these tigers and their cubs outside of their den. 

Sheehan said one of his favorite animals to photograph is the African wild dog, a critically endangered species whose hunting patterns are distinct from the common cat predators.

He said the monochromatic aesthetic of zebras are “always graphic.” He also said intelligent animals, like the orangutan and elephant, are his favorite to capture, pointing to the common orangutan outbreak in the Los Angeles Zoo. 

After his recent trip to South Africa, Sheehan returned to Notre Dame to temporarily teach macroeconomics this semester.