I am looking forward to tuning in to the live stream of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards ceremony tonight (you can tune in too at the Natural History Museum’s YouTube channel or Facebook page). I was delighted to be invited to the press preview of the 2011 awards, but it is still pretty exciting to get to watch the ceremony from the comfort of our sofa this year.
A visit to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition was the start of my photography journey. I remember making that first visit, looking at the stunning images and saying to my partner “I wish I could do that”. He suggested I give it a go and I came up with a whole list of reasons not to: I don’t know the first thing about photography, I’d never be able to work out how to use a camera properly, I’m not at all artistic, it’d be too expensive and what would I photograph in the middle of London anyway? All of which I know now to be the kind of defensive rubbish I say when I want to try for something but I’m too scared to in case I mess it up. He must have known that as well because that Christmas he bought me a Nikon D3000 with kit lens and basically told me to stop wishing and start photographing.
A lot has changed since the Christmas of 2010, including that I am no longer with the person that first gently shoved me into this. I hope my ex-husband knows that I am eternally grateful to him for giving me the kick up the backside to try wildlife photography. I am also forever grateful to my partner now for encouraging me to take it up seriously again when I moved up to Scotland and for being a constant source of inspiration (and backside kicking when required).
This image was captured in the Masai Mara back in 2011. It would never win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award, or any other award, but it will always be special to me as a reminder of one of the so many wonderful experiences that I have had in the company of the wildlife I love with my camera in my hand. I hope there will be many more to come.
Good luck to all those nominated for an award tonight, I can’t wait to see your stunning images!