At the Fortress of Bard the Italian premiere of the year's best nature photographs

From February 5 to June 5, 2022, theItalian preview of the 57th Wildlife Photographer of the Year, a major award dedicated to wildlife photography promoted by the Natural History Museum in London, will be held at the Fortress of Bard. On display will be the hundred best images selected from more than 50 thousand shots by photographers from 95 countries around the world and evaluated by an international jury of experts and nature photographers. The images represent nature and animals not only in their beauty and diversity, but also in their fragility and emphasize the importance of defending and safeguarding the planet.

Overall winning image of the new edition is Creation, taken by French biologist and underwater photographer Laurent Ballesta. The shot depicts a school of groupers swimming in a milky cloud at the moment of spawning in Fakarava, French Polynesia-a moment that occurs only once a year, during the July full moon. The Polynesian lagoon is one of the few places where these fish still manage to live free, because it is a reserve, and to photograph them Ballesta has lurked every year for five years along with his entire team to succeed.

“The image works on so many levels,” commented jury chair, writer Rosamund Roz Kidman Cox Obe, “it is striking, energetic, intriguing and has an otherworldly beauty. It also captures a magical moment-a truly explosive creation of life-leaving the tail of the egg exodus hanging for a moment, like a symbolic question mark.”

Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, added, “This year’s winner reveals a hidden underwater world, a fleeting moment of fascinating animal behavior that very few have witnessed. In what could be a pivotal year for the planet, Laurent Ballesta’s Creation is a compelling reminder of what we could lose if we don’t address humanity’s impact on our planet.”

The Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021 went instead to the image Dome Home by Vidyun R Hebbar: a ten-year-old boy from Bengaluru, India, who took a spectacular photo of a spider trapped inside a tent.

The two winners were selected from nineteen category winners celebrating the beauty of the natural world with nuanced habitats, animal behavior and extraordinary species. This year’s competition saw the addition of three new categories, including Oceans - The Bigger Picture and Wetlands - The Bigger Picture to highlight these ecosystems.

Five Italian photographers were awarded prizes: Stefano Unterthiner from Valle d’Aosta won the Behaviour section with Mammals; special mentions were earned by Mattia Terreo (Under 10 years old category), Giacomo Redaelli (15-17 years old category), Georg Kantioler (Urban Wildlife) and Bruno D’Amicis (Photojournalism).

Hours: Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Tickets: Full 8 euros, reduced 7 euros, schools 5 euros. Free for Piemonte Musei, Lombardia Musei, Forte di Bard Membership Card subscribers.

Image © Laurent Ballesta, Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

At the Fortress of Bard the Italian premiere of the year's best nature photographs

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