17-year-old Robert Irwin wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020 for bushfire image
His winning photograph is an aerial shot of a raging bushfire, which he captured using his drone during the 2019/2020 Australian summer bushfires.
Australia's Robert Irwin has been awarded the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award 2020 for his drone image of Bushfire in northern Australia.
The 17-year-old is the son of Australian wildlife conservationist and icon, the late Steve Irwin.
His winning photograph is an aerial shot of a raging bushfire, which he captured using his drone during the 2019/2020 Australian summer bushfires.
Winning Photograph |
| •Robert Irwin's photo titled 'Bushfire', shows a pristine conservation area on one side and blackened remains on the other. •The area captured in the photograph is Cape York, Queensland, which is an area of great ecological significance because it is home to over 30 different ecosystems and many endangered species and reflects the damage wrought by Australia's wildfires. •It is close to the border of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York.
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Natural History Museum, which shortlists the images, said the photograph was a “poignant reminder of the problems that our natural world is facing and that we need to urgently take action to secure its future”.
Speaking on his win, the 17-year-old said he was "incredibly excited" to win the award. He said for him, nature photography is about telling a story to make a difference for the environment and our planet.
He said that he felt particularly special to be awarded for this image, as it is not only a profound personal honour but also a reminder of our effect on the natural world and our responsibility to care for it.
Irwin revealed that he had only just managed to take the shot after spotting smoke and launching his drone even though it was running out of battery.
Key Details
•Out of the total of 49,000 submissions to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, the Natural History Museum had chosen 25 images.
•The public then voted to decide which among the 25 images would be the winner of the people's choice award.
•Irwin's image along with four others emerged as favourites and they will all be displayed in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London when the museum reopens.
•Irwin's image won the competition with 55,486 public votes.
The Natural History Museum director Doug Gurr described Irwin's image as "stirring and symbolic".
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition |
| •The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is an annual competition, which is put together by the Natural History Museum in London. •The competition is in its 56th year now and it has a long history of celebrating the world’s most amazing nature and wildlife photography, with this year no different. •The other images that emerged as favourites also showcased important stories about nature and wildlife. |
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