European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020
Judging panel
Orsolya Haarberg
A landscape architect by training and originally from Hungary, Orsolya turned her passion for photography into a profession when she moved to Norway in 2005. In her work, Orsolya looks for the unusual in everyday nature. She seeks the detail or the unexpected moment of light that adds atmosphere, drama or magic to a landscape. She has won prizes in competitions worldwide, including the prestigious Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year, where she also served in the jury in 2009 and 2016. She has twice been awarded the title of Hungarian Nature Photographer of the Year. Orsolya's images have been published in the National Geographic magazine in both the US and international editions. Thus far, Orsolya's photographic work has resulted in four books (joint projects with Erlend Haarberg):
Lapland – Alaska of Europe (in 3 languages), Iceland – Land of Contrasts (in 2 languages), Iceland in all its Splendour (in 4 languages) and Laponia – Majestic Stillness (in 4 languages).
Staffan Widstrand
National Geographic Explorer
Founder and Managing Director, Wild Wonders of Europe (2007-)
Wild Wonders of China (2014-), Wild Wonders International (2015-)
co-founder and senior advisor, Rewilding Europe Foundation (2011)
co-founder of ILCP, the International League of Conservation Photographers (2005-)
co-founder of the Swedish Ecotourism Association (1996-)
Born in 1959. Previously a picture editor, nature tour guide and nature tour production manager. Since 1990 a full-time independent professional photographer, working on long term projects. The winner of numerous international photography and book prizes and awards (11 in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year WPY, 5 in the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Image of the Year in Sweden, 9 in the Emirates Wildlife Photographer of the Year, appointed Nature Photographer of the Year in Sweden and 4 times given the WWF Panda book of the Year award). Author of 18 books, a founder of the Swedish Ecotourism Association and main consultant behind its quality label Nature’s Best, a founder of the Swedish national carnivore information centre The Big Five, a founding fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, (ILCP) and a founder of the mass communication initiative Wild Wonders of Europe, which to date has reached 800 million people with its images and messages. He is one of the founders of the Wild Wonders of China initiative. He is also one of the founders of the cutting-edge nature conservation initiative Rewilding Europe. In 2012 Widstrand was awarded the Golden Pennant (”Gouden Wimpel”) – the highest award from the Dutch Postcode Lotteries. He has been the head judge for nature, and a finals’ jury member in the World Press Photo competition (WPP), twice a jury member in The Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) competition, a jury member in the Russian national nature photo competition The Golden Turtle, a jury member of the Xishuangbanna Photo Festival Competition as well as of the Humanity Photo Awards in China. An outdoor photography magazine has called him “One of the World's most influential nature photographers”.
Widstrand has been a Nikon Ambassador since 1997.
www.staffanwidstrand.se
www.wild-wonders.com
www.wildwondersofchina.com
Keith Wilson
Born and raised in Australia, Keith Wilson is the co-founder of Photographers Against Wildlife Crime™, the international group of leading photojournalists and writers who have combined their talents to produce two highly acclaimed photo books about the illegal wildlife trade. His other nature photography book collaborations include Silver (with Jonathan Chritchley), Zero Footprint (Leeming + Paterson), As Long As There Are Animals (David Lloyd) and the best-selling Remembering Elephants and Remembering Rhinos.
Keith moved to London in the 1980s and began his career editing the Amateur Photographer magazine before cementing his reputation as the founding editor of Outdoor Photography magazine and then later Wild Planet, the world’s first digital magazine devoted entirely to wildlife and conservation photography. He is also well-known for his interviews in British and European magazines with the modern masters of nature and documentary photography, including Jim Brandenburg, Sebastiâo Salgado, Brent Stirton, Britta Jaschinski, Alex Webb, Stephen Shore, Christian Ziegler, Steve McCurry, Ami Vitale and Frans Lanting.
Keith is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a highly sought-after speaker at international nature photography festivals, universities and workshops.
Angel Fitor
Angel is a professional photographer and storyteller specialising on marine and freshwater environments since the late 80’s.His photographic work has been featured on a myriad of publications including books, online media, and printed magazines such as National Geographic magazine main edition, and GEO magazine.In addition, his images have been awarded in some of the most prestigious photo competitions in the world such as the World Press Photo, NHM Wildlife Photographer of the Year, GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Big Picture, National Geographic Photo Contest,and Sony World Photography Awards.
He has been speaker for WildPhotos and jury member for the NHM Wildlife Photographer of the Year, GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and Montphoto competitions.He has also contributed both as a photographer, cameraman and natural history advisor for several world renowned broadcasting companies including the BBC NHU, and Silverback Films.
In addition to his primary work on nature related subjects, he has been producing commissioned work for the medium to high-end corporate and advertising industries since the start of 2000, which has largely broadened and expanded his understanding of modern photography.
Joan de la Malla
Joan is a freelance photographer focused on nature, local communities and the environment as well as a biologist, specialised in organisms and systems. At present he is devoting his efforts to conservation topics by working with national and international entities helping to raise awareness of the vital work being undertaken to safeguard the future of endangered species and their habitats.
His work has been exposed internationally and his images illustrate a vast number of books and magazines. His images have been awarded several times in prestigious international contests including, for instance, winning images and first prizes in the NHM Wildlife Photographer of the Year or in the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Joan combines his professional activity with educational work. He gives talks and runs conferences related to photography and its application to science and conservation in several centres and universities around the world.
Joan is a fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and he also contributes with his images to the Photographers Against Wildlife Crime initiative.