Wildlife Photographer of the Year Opens in Christchurch After London Run
Wildlife Photographer of Year's 100 images, chosen from a record 65,403 entries across 121 countries, open free at Canterbury Museum Pop-Up from November 7.
One hundred photographs from the world's most prestigious nature photography competition go on free display at the Canterbury Museum Pop-Up on Gloucester Street from November 7, barely three weeks after the exhibition opened at London's Natural History Museum in mid-October.
The show runs to April 26, open 9am–5.30pm daily, and this year draws on a record-breaking 65,403 entries from 121 countries — a figure that translates to roughly 540 submissions for every image an expert panel ultimately selected. The competition is now in its 62nd year.
What made the cut?
Among the highly commended images is Audun Rikardsen's Icy Window, a disconcerting seal's-eye view from beneath the Arctic sea ice. The Norwegian photographer set an underwater camera with a motion sensor below the frozen surface and settled in. The bear triggered the shutter after an eight-hour wait.
The image captures the risky arithmetic of surfacing for air when hungry polar bears are lurking. Patience, in this case, was the entire technique.
From the other hemisphere, US photographer Zenya Lepper was exploring Brazil's vast Pantanal wetland by boat when she spotted a jaguar cub and its parent in a tree. Her frame catches the exact moment the two family members jostle for position — a study in animal intimacy rather than spectacle.
What are the institutions saying?
Dr Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, said the selected images were "truly extraordinary", adding: "This exhibition offers visitors a rare opportunity to experience the wonder of our planet through the eyes of some of the world's most talented photographers."
Canterbury Museum director Anthony Wright was especially pleased with the timing. "Cantabrians love Wildlife Photographer of the Year and we are delighted to bring the latest exhibition to Waitaha Canterbury so soon after the opening at the Natural History Museum in London," he said.
That proximity is the point. Regional audiences rarely see a competition of this standing within weeks of its London debut, and the museum is treating the loan as a statement about its temporary quarters' ambitions.
Why this competition matters
Now in its seventh decade, Wildlife Photographer of the Year remains the benchmark against which nature photography is measured, and its annual selection reliably doubles as a snapshot of the planet's fraying edges — species, habitats and the photographers who wait eight hours under sea ice to document them.
Entry is free. The exhibition sits at Canterbury Museum Pop-Up, 66 Gloucester St, Christchurch, until April 26 — a nearly six-month run that gives the city ample time to see what 65,403 entries from 121 countries distilled down to 100 frames.
Key points
- Wildlife Photographer of the Year opens at Canterbury Museum Pop-Up, Christchurch, on November 7 and runs to April 26; entry is free.
- A record 65,403 entries from 121 countries were judged; 100 photographs were selected.
- The competition is in its 62nd year and is the most prestigious nature photography event of its kind.
- Audun Rikardsen's highly commended Icy Window took an eight-hour wait beneath Arctic sea ice.
- The exhibition opened at London's Natural History Museum in mid-October.
Source: Google News: photography museum
Olivia Hart
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Staff writer covering people, launches and day-to-day practice in Photography exhibitions, photographers, photo books, festivals and awards at Lens Gazette.
