Press release

Wildlife Photographer of the Year closes Sunday 17 April

A lioness standing her ground in South Africa, Galapagos giant tortoises waking at dawn, sharks hunting for their prey and the volcanic mountains of Iceland – just some of the stunning images in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Closing on Sunday 17 April 2005, time is running out to see this captivating display of nature at its best.

‘The images in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will impress everyone who sees them,’ says Sophie Stafford, Editor of BBC Wildlife Magazine. ‘The talent of the photographers helps make this competition the most prestigious in the world’.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, organised by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine, is the most successful event of its kind in the world. It aims to find the best wildlife pictures taken by photographers worldwide of all ages, showcasing the splendour, drama and variety of life on Earth.

The 2004 competition attracted over 18,500 entries from more than 50 countries including Japan, Australia, Hungary, Finland, Brazil and Canada and the exhibition is touring five continents.

All winning and commended images are also published in a commemorative book, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio 14, priced £25, which is available from the Museum Shop and all good booksellers.

The closing date for entries to the 2005 competition is on 4 April and a new exhibition of winners will open this October at the Museum.

Ends

Notes for editors

• The Natural History Museum (co-organiser and exhibition venue) and BBC Wildlife Magazine
  (co-organiser) must be mentioned in all editorial pieces.
• For full UK regional and international tour details, please visit www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto .
• The two overall winning titles, Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, are selected from the category winners.
•  The 12 adult entry categories are:
  Animals in Their Environment, Animal Behaviour: Birds, Animal Behaviour: Mammals, Animal Behaviour: All Other Animals, Animal Portraits, Urban and Garden Wildlife, In Praise of Plants, Composition and Form, From Dusk to Dawn and Wild Places. The World in Our Hands category is supported by WWF – for a living planet. The Underwater World category is supported by Project Aware.
• The Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition is open to photographers aged 17 years and under, in three age categories: 10 years and under, 11–14 years old and 15–17 years old.
• The three special awards are:
  The Innovation Award given for the image that best illustrates originality of both composition and execution; the Eric Hosking Award given for the best portfolio of six images taken by a photographer in the age range 18–26; the Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Wildlife given for the best image of a species officially listed in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• Microsoft Corporation: Digital Technology Sponsor

VISITOR INFORMATION
Exhibition: closes Sunday 17 April 2004
Tickets: £5, £3 concessions, £12 family, free to under 5s,
NHM Patrons and Members
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10.00–17.50, Sunday 11.00–17.50
Public enquiries: 020 7942 5000
Nearest tube: South Kensington
Museum website: www.nhm.ac.uk
Competition website: www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto/

CONTACT INFORMATION
For photographs or for further information, please contact:

Mairi Allan
The Natural History Museum Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7942 5156
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7942 5354
Email: wildpress@nhm.ac.uk (Not for publication)

Issued February 2005