Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Winner Disqualified!

[gila]

The organisers reckon the wolf was a tame "animal model".

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/1002200/s...-wildlife-prize

[Ripley]

Wow! I saw that photo up close at the museum the other week. Wonder if they will take it down now as the exhibition is running until March.

[poodlefan]

I don't think there's any such thing as a "tame wolf". But if the shot wasn't taken in the wild, a DQ seems fair enough.

[spottychick]

good pic tho

[Guest Tess32]

I wonder how they know?

[gila]

That's what I was wondering Tess. The article just says that after an investigation they think it's "likely" the wolf was an animal model. Maybe whoever provided the wolf said something?

Surely they must have some sort of proof though?

[Ripley]

The exhibition is still running in London, Sydney and probably other major cities. I even bought the soft cover book of images where it features this as the main photo.

Here is what The Guardian in the UK says:

"The Natural History Museum's wildlife photographer of the year has been stripped of his £10,000 prize, after judges found he was likely to have hired a tame Iberian wolf to stage the image of a species seen rarely in the wild.

The judges of the award, which attracted more than 43,000 entries from 94 countries, said they were convinced José Luis Rodriguez hired the wolf called Ossian from a Madrid wildlife park, contradicting his claim the image was taken in the wild after months of patient tracking of the dwindling species.

Competition rules prohibit the use of animal models and this morning organisers took down Rodriguez's image from the exhibition at the museum in London, banned him from entering the contest again and announced they were "saddened" by the disqualification. Apparently without irony, he had titled his image The Storybook Wolf, but headline writers have since dubbed it the "loan wolf".

Rodriguez could not be contacted, but the competition organisers said he continued to strongly deny the wolf was tame.

"I remember thinking, my God, this really is a wild wolf, what an achievement," said Mark Carwardine, chairman of the judging panel. "I don't understand the mentality at all. People feel very disappointed with the photographer."

The organisers said they were planning to erect a notice at the Natural History Museum explaining to visitors their belief that the photo was staged, although it is too late to remove the image from the thousands of books that have been published by BBC Worldwide.

The controversy is thought to be the first time the competition's expert judging panel have allowed an animal model to win a prize and there was concern the revelation could damage a contest which has a reputation as the most prestigious of its kind in the world.

"The wildlife photographer of the year is the one institution that has pushed us [animal photographers] to be more creative, so it is very sad it has happened to this competition," said Chris Gomersall, a wildlife photographer who was involved in judging.

"In wildlife photography there are ethical guidelines and there has always been an explicit understanding that if you take pictures of a captive subject, you declare it on your caption."

Rodriguez had told the judges he had sketched the shot he wanted to get on paper, but "couldn't quite believe it when he got the shot of his dreams". He said his main fear had been that the wolves "would be too wary".

Jim Brandenburg, a judge and a wildlife photographer with 45 years experience of taking pictures of wolves, marvelled at the image of the animal, captured so clearly and apparently hunting a farmer's livestock. He declared it "a masterfully executed moment", but having studied pictures of Ossian and Rodriguez's image, he is now "99.9%" sure it is a tame wolf, according to Carwardine.

The organisers were alerted to suspicions about the image by Spanish photographers who recognised the wolf and the location as the Cañada Real wildlife park. Wolf experts also questioned why the wolf would jump the gate when a wild animal was more likely to squeeze between the bars.

The judges said they asked Rodriguez for corroboration of his story and if there was anyone who could act as a witness to back him up, but his answers were inadequate."

[Ripley]

Someone just sent me this. More developments here with photos and debate on whether it's the same wolf:

"The pieces of evidence are apparently collected by a group of Spanish photographers. They are conCerned about the reputation of all Spanish photographers and, thus, want to bring the evidence in public.

”I hope the truth will come out finally”, one of the photographers says to Suomen Luonto magazine, ”there are many of us (Spanish nature photographers) who have strong ethics.”

Well, is it the wolf from the zoological park in the winner picture, then, or not?

To clarify things Suomen Luonto showed the comparison photos to an internationally merited wolf researcher Ilpo Kojola from the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute. Kojola has a long history in field study of wolves.

"Yes, it seems to be the same wolf in the pictures”, Kojola says. ”For example the dark, scar-like sign under the right eye seems to be a unique mark of this individual.”

Kojola, however, finds one clear difference between the wolves: "The wolf in the winning picture has beautiful flawless ears, whereas Ossian wolf seems to have a visible mark in its right ear.” Kidman Cox admits that the WPY organization is pondering over the same detail: ”Yes, I know about the ear.”

She presents one possible explanation for the difference: "The wolf has had a fight. And so the ear looks different.”

"It sounds like a plausible explanation that the ear has been damaged in a fight", says wolf researcher Kojola.

One thing in the behaviour of the wolf makes Kojola very suspicious: "Why is the wolf jumping high over the fence? It's behaving like a trained animal. It's definitely not natural behaviour in this kind of situation where the animal obviously could sneak between the crossbars."

Article and photos here http://www.suomenluonto.fi/bbcs-nature-pho...aud-allegations

[gila]

Hmm interesting..

The jumping behaviour does seem odd.

[cannibalgoldfish]

We are getting this exhibition at the museum I work at in September. I was looking forward to seeing this photo:(

[PossumCorner]

If he is honest, and it is a wild wolf, how totally shattering! If only the organisers had stuck to the "old rules" of wild-life photography, of no man-made object in photograph. Then he couldn't have used the twee wooden fence/gate as a prop, just done a wolf-in-snow-forest shot and maybe it would not have won but at least he would have been spared some embarrasment. I thought it was a bit odd when I first saw the shot that they had allowed people-stuff in it, but seems the requirements have changed.

[iltby]

If its back leg is in front of the fence post rather than behind it, surely it's Photoshopped? It looks rather fake to me I have to say.

ETA: Never mind, mind is playing tricks on me

Edited January 23, 2010 by iltby

[kendall]

I actually don't like this photo When I first saw it I felt it didn't look right?? maybe I knew it was a fake

[redangel]

Seems like all is pointing to a breach of the guidlines & rules. As a photo of wildlife generally I feel there must be more impressive shots out there, this one seems benign to me. I have friends that send me pps of photos of various subjects all much more facinating than this. Am I missing the element in this photo that makes it a winner???? Sad situation for all concerned I say.

[Mooper]

Wow, what an odd shot and what a kerfuffle it has caused!