Wildlife Photographer of the year investigation

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Glosfisher

Tenderfoot
Feb 22, 2007
92
0
60
Cotswolds
This story's been rolling around the natural history media for a few months now and I do think there's something in it.

It seems to me that an increasing level of artifice is being used by entrants to the WPoY competition. Did anyone see last year's Young WYoP winner? He used a toy mouse on a string in front of his hide to get the Great Grey Owl to stoop directly in front of the camera. Ten out of ten for enterprise but is it a photo of a real natural event?
 

Rebel

Native
Jun 12, 2005
1,052
6
Hertfordshire (UK)
The last I heard the photographer was stripped of his title.

"The winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award has been disqualified after judges ruled that the featured wolf was probably a "model".

The 2009 winning image, dubbed the storybook wolf, was taken by photographer Jose Luis Rodriguez.

Mr Rodriguez strongly denied that the wolf was a trained animal, according to a statement from the organisers.

His photograph was chosen out of more than 43,000 competition entries in October 2009.

Louise Emerson from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition office explained that the judging panel had been "reconvened" and had concluded that it was likely that the wolf featured in the image was an animal model that could be "hired for photographic purposes".

This, she said, was in breach of the competition rules which are made available to all entrants.

"The judging panel looked at a range of evidence and took specialist advice from panel judges who have extensive experience of photographing wildlife including wolves," continued Ms Emerson.

"They also considered the responses to specific questions put to the photographer."

The annual competition is owned by the Natural History Museum in London and BBC Wildlife Magazine."


Source: BBC

It's a great shot but I was surprised to see the wolf leaping over the gate. Personally I'd have thought a wild wolf would have been more likely to clamber over the wall or try to squeeze through the gaps.

article-1237468-07AC1190000005DC-11_634x554.jpg
 

SOAR

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 21, 2007
2,031
8
48
cheshire
Shame if its true, its a great photo, nice looking gate also:)
 

firecrest

Full Member
Mar 16, 2008
2,496
4
uk
I dont know what to make of it to be honest, I feel personally the judges aught to have concrete evidence , not just `a feeling` that it was fake. The consulted an `expert` but I do not think that is good enough as expert advise obtained from individuals is quite often not that accurate, especially to do with animal behaviour. For the sake of destroying a persons career, they should have looked into this before hand, and as they didnt, stayed with their final decision.
 

mr dazzler

Native
Aug 28, 2004
1,722
83
uk
What "evidence" are they waiting for? Unless they have a load of mugshots of known wolf models to work against...:lmao:
 

Dave

Hill Dweller
Sep 17, 2003
6,019
9
Brigantia
Ive got a soft spot for anything canine at the moment. Just lost our beloved 13 year old boxer.

Its a great photo, but why were these so called wildlife experts, not consulted, with the shortlist of likely winners, prior to a decision being made?
 

JonathanD

Ophiological Genius
Sep 3, 2004
12,809
1,479
Stourton,UK
I don't know about anyone else, but I can see clear differences between the captive wolf and the one in the picture. There is surely not enough evidence to condemn the man based upon the articles posted here.
 
Some of those apparent differences will be due to the lens - without getting technical, wider angle lenses stretch things out while longer lenses compress them. The two photos are taken with wide and long lenses. Another major difference is the contrast and saturation - again these are to do with the photos, not the subject.

Don't forget that what is posted in the article is not the sum total of evidence in exactly the same way that a court report in a local paper does not include the sum total of evidence presented in the court.
 

Laurentius

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Aug 13, 2009
2,422
614
Knowhere
The point is not where the wolf came from surely but the quality of the photograph. That is sufficient in itself to win any prize.

Is anything truly wild on this Island?
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
7,981
7,759
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
It's a fantastic photograph but the first time I ever saw it I thought "that can't be wild!".

Having spent years trying to get good photos of wildlife as a total amateur I just couldn't think of a way that that shot could have been achieved in the wild - as has been said, it's not natural behaviour, so how would anyone expect the wolf to do that and be prepared enough to get the shot?

The real question is why the panel of 'experts' didn't ask those questions before the award was made?

As for the guy's reputation, I think that's his responsibility. A shame but I think the evidence is fairly convincing.

Cheers,

Broch
 

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