A photographer originating from Sussex has received recognition at a globally acclaimed photography competition.
Wildlife photographer Kutub Uddin, who operates from West Sussex, secured a Portfolio Award at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for documentation of microscopic slime mould environments within nearby woodland areas.
Italian photographer Federico Veronesia claimed this year’s overall Wildlife Photographer of the Year title for documentation depicting a female elephant transporting her deceased calf, which was described as deeply moving and emotionally powerful.
The monochrome composition by the Italian photographer materialised following encounters with an elephant family unit in Namibia’s Huab River Valley.
The image was selected from an unprecedented 65,403 submissions representing 121 nations and territories.
The photograph illustrates the calf positioned between the elephant’s tusk and trunk, documenting conduct surrounding mortality documented among both African and Asian elephant populations.
Specialists propose this may demonstrate elephants’ comprehension of death or expressions of mourning.
Kathy Moran, chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year judging panel, described the winning entry as conveying complete meaning.
She explained that the photograph succeeds on numerous dimensions, delivering emotional impact as a profound and sorrowful experience while simultaneously providing intellectual evidence of animal awareness.
A monochrome image featuring a dung beetle propelling a dung ball claimed the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year distinction, achieved by Oscar Whitfield, a British photographer residing in Zimbabwe who was aged 14 during capture.
Additional youth recipients featured Amelie Davis, who received first place in the ten-years-and-under classification for imagery captured at age nine depicting a common carder bee approaching a flower, recorded using her father’s mobile device.
The victorious photographs, alongside category selections spanning urban wildlife to natural habitats, will comprise an exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum, which administers the annual competition, prior to touring throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.