Stefano followed these reindeer during the rutting season. Watching the fight, he felt immersed in ‘the smell, the noise, the fatigue and the pain’. The reindeer clashed antlers until the dominant male (left) chased its rival away, securing the opportunity to breed.
Reindeer are widespread around the Arctic, but this subspecies occurs only in Svalbard. Populations are affected by climate change, where increased rainfall can freeze on the ground, preventing access to plants that would otherwise sit under soft snow
Italy
Stefano became serious about photography at 17 and went on to obtain a PhD in zoology from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland). He is the author of nine photography books, a multi-award winner in Wildlife Photographer of the Year and a regular contributing photographer for National Geographic magazine. Stefano has run many long-term multimedia projects, the latest being A Family in the Arctic.
Underwater photographer Laurent Ballesta has won the Grand Title in the fifty-seventh Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his photo, Creation.
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Winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021 announced.
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Take a look at some of the Highly Commended photos from the fifty-seventh Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, opening on 15 October.
