World-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens in Adelaide today

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Image (above): As Clear as Crystal by Jason Gulley, USA – Highly Commended, Underwater

If you love nature and photography, there’s somewhere you need to be this spring. The world’s most prestigious wildlife photography event, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, has once again taken over Adelaide Botanic Garden’s Bicentennial Conservatory, opening today for its sixtieth season.

This isn’t your standard gallery show. Step inside the lush, rainforest-like glass dome and you’ll find one hundred astonishing images hanging among rare and endangered tropical plants from Northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and beyond. The effect is surreal and immersive, using the power of photography to advocate for the planet.

Launched in 1965 and now celebrating its 60th year, the London-born exhibition is on loan from the Natural History Museum and continues to be a global stage for photographers at every level. The most recent competition drew a staggering 59,228 entries from 117 countries, each judged anonymously by an international panel for creativity, originality and technical excellence.

“We’re delighted to welcome back this international tour to Adelaide Botanic Garden,” says Michael Harvey, Director of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium.

“The award-winning images feature wildlife from across the globe and have now been seen by well over a million people – testament to the quality of the photographs.”

Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, says, “As we celebrate sixty years of Wildlife Photographer of the Year, we also celebrate the generations of visitors who have been inspired by the beauty and majesty of its images, and the millions of connections made with nature.”

Twist and Jump by Jose Manuel Grandio, Spain
Highly Commended, Behaviour: Mammals

A Tranquil Moment by Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha, Sri Lanka
Winner, Behaviour: Mammals

And in true Festival State fashion, Adelaide’s program of events is shaping up to be as much of a drawcard as the photos.

Kids can dive into the school holiday fun with a Leaf Litter Critter station – where they can design their very own critter using real plant materials collected from the garden floor – and a nature-inspired photography competition to unleash the inner artist.

Then there’s summer evening sessions set to spill out onto the lawns. Enjoy balmy nights with food, drinks, live music, and access to both the Bicentennial Conservatory showcase and Tails from the Coasts, a sister exhibition inside the Museum of Economic Botany.

The ever-popular Prohibition Gin masterclasses will also be back, and the Palm House will once again glow with Dale Chihuly’s illuminated Glacier Ice and Lapis Chandelier. Tickets for these January events drop in November, so keep an eye out.

They say a picture tells a thousand words and here, more than a hundred come together to tell a story of nature at its most raw and beautiful, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. For visitors, it’s a gallery woven into a living jungle, an eye-opener to the connection between human and nature, and a feast for all the senses.

Stormy Scene by William Fortesque, UK
Highly Commended, Behaviour: Mammals

“These images tell a vital story of conservation and protecting the natural world, a cause the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium work towards every day. We hope this exhibition motivates visitors to connect with nature in meaningful ways and encourages a renewed commitment to safeguarding the planet,” adds Harvey.

Whether you’re a fan of photography, a conservation advocate, or someone who just loves seeing nature, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is one not to miss.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.