Rather disappointingly, only five members came to the exhibition at Nature in Art in Twigworth, near Gloucester, on 15 February. Perhaps it was the distance that deterred people or maybe just lack of interest, who knows? However, those who did come along were able to enjoy some really exceptional photography.
The exhibition comprised shortlisted entries to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, also exhibited in the Natural History Museum in London. Nearly fifty thousand entries had to be judged in advance of the competition and then divided into several categories. Each category included five or six examples, including the winner as well as highly commended examples. Categories included ‘Plants and Fungi’ with incredible examples of microscopic photography and ‘Under Water’ which showed examples of the winning horseshoe crab in a portfolio of several images. Perhaps the category which had most impact was ‘Photojournalism’, some examples of which really packed a punch in terms of the cruelty and destruction of wildlife round the globe.
Regretably, photography is not allowed inside the exhibition, so the only example of any image had to be taken from a postcard. The image of the mason bee reminded me of our walk with Malcolm Brownsword at Aston Upthorpe during which we enjoyed watching an industrious mason bee collecting dry grass which she used to seal her eggs into a snail shell. There are examples of all the winning photographs online, on the Natural History Museum website.
Nature in Art houses a small permanent collection with some interesting paintings and sculptures of wildlife.
Julia Reid 16 February 2024
We try hard to put together a varied programme for winter and summer outings which, we hope, will appeal to different interests. If anyone has suggestions for visits, do please let me know.
WEST OXFORDSHIRE FIELD CLUB 