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The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
is home to a collection of more than 124 million objects, including
ancient dinosaur bones and the celebrated Hope Diamond, which many
regard as the world's most famous jewel.
But tucked away on the second floor of the iconic institution is another
gem of an exhibit which has attracted an impressive number of visitors.
There, colorful, large-format prints showcase captivating images of
nature taken by both professional and amateur photographers from all
over the world.
These are some of the winning entries in the 2010 Nature’s Best
Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition.
The contest drew more than 20,000 entries from photographers in 56
countries. Thirty-nine of the winning entries are now on display at the
Smithsonian.
It is a stunning collection of photographs, presenting images of
everything from exotic wildlife to a wide variety of plant life and
vibrant landscapes.
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Nature’s best photography
The annual contest was launched by Stephen Freligh and his wife and
co-publisher, Deborah, both lifelong nature enthusiasts. They created
the competition in the magazine, Nature’s Best Photography, in 1996.
Each year, the winning entries are featured in the magazine and
exhibited online. Since 1998, a selection of the winning entries has
also been exhibited at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural
History.
Freligh says he created the contest “to celebrate the beauty and
diversity of nature through the art of photography.”
Ordinary people, extraordinary images
Freligh looks at every photograph entered into the competition. He,
along with a panel of judges made up of photographers, publishers and
conservationists, carefully select images for their excellence in
composition, use of light, technical accuracy and overall image appeal.
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“What we are looking for,” he says, “is something that catches you off
guard, that makes you stop and view that image for a longer period of
time.”
One of Freligh’s favorite entries is a photograph of an osprey crashing
into the water trying to capture a trout.
According to Freligh, photographer Peter Cairns spent endless hours
watching the osprey, trying to get the perfect shot. His patience paid
off. The photograph was the competition's grand prize winner.
“The whole story was there in that one shot,” says Freligh. “And that’s
what makes an image that we feel deserves the position of grand prize.”
Freligh believes every photograph in the exhibit has a story to tell.
“It really has to be a capsule of information that people can get,
understand and take away with them,” he says.
Appreciative audience
There did seem to be some take-away moments for several recent visitors
who packed the exhibit.
Norman Baade of St. Joseph, Missouri says he has been to Africa several
times and was impressed by a photo of two young cheetahs chasing a
springbok fawn. It reminds him, he says, of the fragility of nature.
For Baade, the photo also serves as a reminder that people need to have
an understanding and appreciation of other places and the animals that
live there.
“If people in general don’t have an appreciation of them, they won’t
survive,” he says.
The exhibit inspires twins Claire and Jack Winters, 10, of Austin,
Texas, to get closer to nature.
“I think it’s really cool how they captured almost everything in
nature," says Claire. "They look so real.” |
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