Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Natures Best Photography

I went to an amazing event last night at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum. It was a reception for the Natures Best Photography, Windland Smith Rice International Awards Exhibition 2007. The photography presented is simply spectacular. If you live in the Washington, D.C. area or plan to travel there, you absolutely must stop in and see this exhibit on the second floor of the museum (right next to the Hope Diamond exhibit).


Outside the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History

The Natures Best photography exhibit officially opened Oct. 30 and will remain in place through April 27, 2008. Presented are 60 awe-inspiring, award-winning images from the annual Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition. Also featured are photos by the Conservation Photographer of the Year, Howard Ruby. This is perhaps the finest collection of nature photographs housed in one space. Many of the award-winning photographers stood by the images they had shot that were on display and talked with those attending about their photography and how they made their images.



As you walked through the gallery, it was impossible to pick a favorite. There was a mesmerizing shot of a lizard's eyes ...



... three somewhat menacing-appearing buffalo plowing through the snow, looking like they were about to run down the photographer ...



... there was an endearing shot of a two-toed sloth and a wonderfully colorful shot of a Mandarin duck as well as an interesting shot of a fox buried halfway in snow, digging for a snack of some sort. If I had to pick a favorite, though, I think it might be the shot of Nevada's Fly Geyser by Rodney Lough Jr. It was absolutely other-worldly.

We will offer a selective look at some of the award winners in an upcoming photo gallery on AOL, but for now, take a look at a gallery of photos that we have from a new publication that
Natures Best has launched: Natures Best for Kids.

- Gary Hopkins

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hello Gary. My name's Jurgen Freund and I won the Oceans category with the minke whale image for this year's Nature's Best.  I was not able to go to the awards ceremony but chanced upon my image on the wall in the Smithsonian through your entry.  Excellent!  I would like to ask your permission to use your photo in my soon to come blogsite.  My email address is freundfactory@gmail.com  Cheers, Jurgen