We present a selection of winners and finalists in Art Wolfe's International Conservation Photography Awards contest, which recognizes photographers who are committed to environmental stewardship.
Known for his passionate advocacy for the environment, nature photographer Art Wolfe created a conservation-themed photo contest in 1997 as "an event for the advancement of photography as a unique medium, capable of bringing awareness and preservation to our environment through art." This year marks the 11th anniversary of Wolfe's annual photography exhibit, which has gone through some name changes and is currently known as the International Conservation Photography Awards (ICP Awards).
The focus of the ICP Awards has been updated to reflect the new emphasis on conservation.
The mission statement is: "To harness the potential of amateur and professional photographers around the world who are not yet involved in environmental and cultural conservation; to recognize and reward excellence in conservation photography; and to educate, inspire and motivate the public through a photographic exhibition that will create a sense of urgency and move people to take action."
Working with foundations, nonprofit organizations and industry-related businesses, the ICP Awards were able to award more than $10,000 in cash and merchandise this year. Entrants from all over the globe submitted more than 1,000 images for judging in nine categories: Landscape, Wildlife, Flora, Conservation Project, Environment at Risk, Underwater, Student, Indigenous Cultures and Puget Sound at Risk.
The 2008 judges for ICP are:
Michele Benoy-Westmorland, lifestyle and marine photographer
Julie Eggers, nature and travel photographer
Gary Halpern, publisher of PhotoMedia magazine
David Julian, illustrator, teacher and photographer
Keron Psillas, photographer and director of the Art Wolfe Digital Photography Center
At the heart of the ICP Awards was the six-week exhibit at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle, which displayed the best prints from this year's contest. Here, we present some highlights from that exhibit, which ended on Oct. 12.
To view the entire gallery, or for more information about the ICP Awards, visit ICPAwards.com. The next ICP Awards contest period will open in early 2010.
