Photographer Angel Fitor has been awarded the prestigious “Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021” title for his serene jellyfish photograph, which he hopes will raise awareness of ecological disasters that affect marine life.
European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, one of the most renowned competitions for nature photography, is run by the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT).
This year, the panel of judges had to look through over 19,000 submitted photos from 36 countries to crown winners across eight major categories: “Birds,” “Mammals,” “Other Animals,” “Plants and Fungi,” “Landscapes,” “The Underwater World,” “People and Nature,” and “Nature’s Studio.”
In addition, the next generation of photographers were awarded in the “Young Photographers up to 14 years” and “Young Photographers 15-17 years” categories. For nature photography stories, portfolios, and projects, the contest awards what is called the Fritz Pölking Prize.
Same as last year, the competition award ceremony took place online and all the winning photos will go on a tour to be exhibited in Germany and Europe, with the German Horse Museum in Verden as the first venue to hold the exhibition on December 7, 2021.
The competition shared a prize pool worth €32,000 ($37,400) with the overall winner taking home €3,000 ($3,500) and Olympus as the main sponsor of the contest.
European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Photo by Angel Fitor | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
The overall winner and the recipient of the “European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021” title is Spanish photographer, photojournalist, and author Angel Fitor. His striking picture, titled “Medusa ballet,” depicts jellyfish in the Spanish lagoon of Mar Menor.
“Through the illusion of a swarm of jellyfish, [the photo] evokes associations with a trend we can observe everywhere in heavily overexploited seas,” says Prof. Dr. Beate Jessel, the patron of the competition and President of Federal Agency for Nature Conservation. “Marine ecosystems that are no longer unimpaired and the warming seas as a result of climate change are promoting the increase of individual species.”
Fitor has long been concerned with the aquatic ecosystems of our planet and believes in the power of photography to initiate necessary changes and address environmental problems.
Below are the winners of the other individual categories:
Birds
Photo by Terje Koolas | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Mammals
Photo by Danny Green | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Other Animals
Photo by Jan Pedersen | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Plants and Fungi
Photo by Tobias Richter | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Landscapes
Photo by Anette Moosbacher | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
The Underwater World
Photo by Fabrice Guerin | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
People and Nature
Photo by Magnus Lundgren | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Nature’s Studio
Photo by Francis de Andrés | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Young Photographers Up to 14 Years
Photo by Andrés Domínguez Blanco | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Young Photographers 15-17 Years
Photo by Lasse Kurkela | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Fritz Pölking Prize
Photo by Jasper Doest from project “Nsenene” | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
Fritz Pölking Junior Prize
Photo by Emile Séchaud from portfolio “Kingdom of the Ibex” | GDT Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021
The full list of winners and runners-up of this year’s contest can be found on the GDT’s website.
Image credits: All photos individually credited and provided courtesy of GDT.
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