Michelle Wood, a member of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards team, was very enthusiastic about what this year has in store for the competition.
"2024 is going to be bigger and better than ever! It is our 10th year of the Awards and we have some exciting events coming up," she was happy to share with Bored Panda.
"We can't say too much at the moment but we will reveal all when we launch the competition at the Photography Show in Birmingham, UK in March later this year."
We were curious about the qualities and skills that are essential for wildlife photographers. Wood explained that there are "no quick wins to this comedy photography lark," however, a love of wildlife is absolutely crucial.
"It may take hours of waiting and studying your subject before you get to snap a funny shot. Understanding and observing their natural behaviors without disturbing their routines is really important. This can only help you achieve a great shot and is only possible if you absolutely love spending a lot of time amongst the wildlife," she told Bored Panda.
"Other skills, like preparation—making sure your camera/phone is on the right setting—patience and practice are all really helpful too. But at the end of the day, you need a large dollop of luck to be in the right place at the right time."
#6 Winner 2023, Air Guitar Roo (2023)
Meanwhile, Wood told us what everyone who hopes to enter the competition in 2024 can do to prepare before spring arrives. "It would be a good idea to check their hard drives for any images that might have been forgotten from previous trips or sessions that could be entered when we open," she advised.
"And just get out there and enjoy some wildlife with your camera. Keep an eye on the website and our socials so you know exactly when we open, too!"
After a very successful last year, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards will once again be open to entrants in 2024. Photographers—amateur and veteran alike—should keep an eye out for when the competition opens to new entries in March of this year. “Keep those funny pics safe until then!” the team behind the project urges.
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards was first started way back in 2015 by professional photographers and conservationists Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam. Their goal was to create a fun, refreshing, and free-to-enter competition that would celebrate the planet’s wildlife and humor.
During an earlier interview with Bored Panda, project co-founder Sullam explained that timing is the essence of photography. “The single best tip to get that decisive moment is to watch your subject and see how it moves, where it turns its head, how it flicks its tail, how its back, legs, neck move, and so on,” the professional photographer told us.
#10 Fun For All Ages (2020)
“Learn to see these movements—in this way, you can pre-empt the behavior. You cannot predict behavior, but you can pre-empt a movement and be ready to fire that shutter! Obviously, the right settings on your camera goes without saying!” Sullam shared with us at the tail end of last year’s competition.
Something to keep in mind if you’re planning on entering this year is to have a thorough read through the contest’s rules. One condition, in particular, is very important for Digital Age photographers. Namely, that all images entered in the contest also have to be submitted as a raw file. That way, the team can check the quality of the photo.
“We also ask for the surrounding shots of the image to make sure that the entry is authentic,” Wood from the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards team told Bored Panda.
#13 Smiley, Parrot Fish From El Hierro, Canary Islands (2020)
Though you can make simple digital corrections to your photo, like adjusting the tone and contrast, cropping, sharpening, reducing noise, etc., you are not allowed to alter the integrity of the image itself. “If you reach the finals, we will ask for the original image, and we have the finest team of digital detectives on the planet to make sure every image is verified. These guys are serious pixel Sherlocks, so pay attention, no cheating!” The team is very big on transparency and honesty. It expects the same of all entrants!
A whopping 1,842 people with 5,300 entries from 85 countries around the globe took part in the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards in 2023. The overall winner that year was Jason Moore with his iconic photo ‘Air Guitar Roo.’ The image of the female Western Grey Kangaroo was captured in the outer suburbs of Perth, Australia. Moore won a safari in the Masai Mara, Kenya, with Alex Walker’s Serian. He was also presented with a unique handmade trophy from the Wonder Workshop in Tanzania and a photography bag from THINK TANK.
“I had been out with my camera photographing some waterfowl at a nearby lake. I had been up at sunrise to take advantage of the ‘golden hour’ light, but it turned out to be a disappointing morning on the water,” Moore shared some background about his winning photo, which was originally taken back in August 2021.
