By Frank Gallagher, NANPA Marketing, Communications, and Blog Coordinator
Since NANPA introduced the conservation category in the 2020 Showcase nature photography competition, we’ve received hundreds of fascinating entries, each of which told urgent conservation stories. Picking the winners from these excellent photos isn’t easy and calls for an added level of expertise on the part of the judges, who must have a deep level of knowledge in conservation photography to properly evaluate a photos artistic merit as well as its ability to tell a story. Once again, an exceptional panel of judges volunteered to examine the conservation entries. We’re grateful for the time and expertise they’re contributing to Showcase. (Learn about the judges for the other entry categories here.)
Clay Bolt is a natural history and conservation photographer specializing in the world’s smaller creatures. Clay’s work appears in publications such as National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, and National Wildlife. He is a Senior Fellow in the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) and past president of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA). His current major focus is on North America’s native bees and the important roles that they play in our lives. He was a leading voice in the fight to protect the rusty-patched bumble bee as a federally protected species under the Endangered Species Act, which became North America’s first federally protected native bee in 2017. In 2019, Bolt became the first photographer to document a living Wallace’s Giant Bee—the world’s largest bee—as a part of a four person exploration team to rediscover the species in the Indonesian islands known as North Maluku.
Clay Bolt
Jeff Foott
Jeff Foott has worked for over 25 years, documenting nature and environment in both film and still pictures. Having worked in over 35 countries, he has produced over 40 films, shown in over 100 countries. His last film on Patagonia for the Living Edens Series was a finalist for an Emmy. His films for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC have won numerous awards.
His pictures have appeared in National Geographic, Geo, Natures Best, Smithsonian and many others. As a marine biologist he worked extensively on sea otters and manatee, resulting in several films and a book on each. Jeff is a past professional advisor to Outdoor Photographer Magazine. He is proud to be an iLCP Fellow and Senior Fellow in NANPA.
Rosamund Kidman Cox (Roz) is an editor, photo editor and writer specializing in wildlife and environmental issues. Previously editor of BBC Wildlife magazine for more than 20 years, she project manages, edits and writes photography-led books. She has been involved in the judging of Wildlife Photographer of the Year for the past four decades and edits the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portfolio books. Books she has authored include 55 Years of Wildlife Photographer of the Year and The Masters of Nature Photography titles for the Natural History Museum, as well as the Unforgettable Photography series. Titles she has project managed for BBC Books include Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, The Hunt and Planet Earth II. Roz is an affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers.
Roz Kidman Cox. Photo Credit: Steve Taylor
Whatever type of nature photography excites your creativity, there’s still time to select your best images and enter them in NANPA’s 2023 Showcase nature photography competition. But don’t delay. The entry window closes on Friday, September 15, 2022, at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
Frank Gallagher is a landscape and nature photographer based in the Washington, DC, area who specializes in providing a wide range of photograph services to nonprofit organizations. He serves as NANPA’s Interim Marketing and Communications Coordinator and manages NANPA’s blog. He can be found online at frankgallagherphotography.com or on Instagram @frankgallagherfoto.
