Wildscreen and Wildlife Photographer of the Year have joined forces and have launched WildPhotos 2024, a new one-day event packed with talks from world-leading nature photographers.
WildPhotos 2024 will feature keynote talks by renowned nature photographers Charlie Hamilton James and Thomas P. Peschak, lightning talks on all things wildlife photography, and panel discussions featuring leading wildlife and conservation photographers from all over the world.
This is an event to get first-hand experience from photographers at the top of their fields, from experiences shooting in challenging environments to advice on what makes the best camera for wildlife photography.
In his keynote talk titled 'Amazon, A Journey from The Andes to the Atlantic', headline speaker, marine biologist and National Geographic photographer Thomas P. Peschak will share his 396-day journey following the Amazon River throughout South America. Just a brief peek at his social media account is evidence enough that this talk will be filled with fantastic adventure and stunning images.
The second headliner is world-renowned National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, and author Charlie Hamilton James. He will showcase his latest project 'End Times', described as, "an exploration of the evolution from photojournalism into an artistic exploration of global environmental collapse and how we consume information about the natural world".
The two headline talks are just the tip of the iceberg as there will be a series of lightning talks throughout the day, that cover everything you could want to know about nature photography. The series of talks is broken down into four sections featuring multiple speakers giving 20-minute talks.
The sections include, 'Two Worlds' which looks at the experiences working with both stills and video, 'Under Our Feet' is an exploration into the often unloved smaller wildlife species, 'The Conservation Narrative' which will explore how conservation storytelling creates a visual narrative, with photography as evidence, and lastly, 'Water Worlds' exploring life under the surface.
CEO of Wildscreen Lucie Muir says, "As the home of natural history production, it’s fitting that WildPhotos will be coming to Bristol, bringing world-class inspiring photography to the city ahead of our internationally acclaimed Wildscreen Festival. It’s never been more important to highlight the beauty of the natural world and the danger it faces from the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss. We hope that delegates will find the images and discussions inspiring and that it will spark ideas that create positive change.”
Completing the program, and a valuable opportunity to put what you've learned throughout the day into practice is a panel discussion titled, How to Pitch Stories and Fund Photography.
The panel comprises industry professionals such as National Geographic Society Vice President for Storytelling Grants and Programs Rachael Strecher and Head of Content for WWF - UK, Britta Jaschinsk. Insights from organizations like this do not come around very often and are incredibly valuable in taking the next steps into a career in wildlife photography.
The event will be produced and hosted by Kathy Moran, current Jury Chair for the Natural History Museum and former National Geographic Deputy Director of Photography. She says, "I'm honored to be producing and hosting WildPhotos this year, particularly in this, the 60th anniversary of Wildlife Photographer of the Year and just ahead of the world-renowned Wildscreen Festival. I look forward to some lively discussions with some of the world’s most talented photographers working today".
This is an unbelievable lineup and a must-attend for any wildlife photography enthusiast! The amount of valuable advice and inspiration is unlike any other wildlife photography event I've ever seen, and it's coming directly from professionals at the very top of the industry.
The inaugural event will take place on October 13, 2024, in Bristol, UK, however, if you are unable to attend in person, the hybrid nature of the event enables viewers to attend online from anywhere in the world. For a full program schedule and further details on tickets can be found on the WildPhoto 2024 website.
You may also be interested in our guides to the best camera for wildlife photography, the best lenses for bird photography, and the best trail cameras.
