The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has crowned its funniest photographer of the year.
Milko Marchetti's side-splitting shot of a 'Stuck Squirrel' took the top prize at the Oxo Gallery in London.
OVERALL WINNER & MAMMALS CATEGORY WINNER
The photo was taken on April 23, 2022, in the Podere Pantaleone park in Bagnacavallo -- Ravenna -- Italy.
It is a park open to the public and schools, but from October to March, it is closed to visitors, and I am allowed (in exchange for photographs for educational and promotional purposes) to use a fixed photographic hide to photograph passerines, woodpeckers, hawks, and even 3-4 squirrels that come to visit the photographic set consisting of a small lake, and the surrounding vegetation.
Generally, in Italy, especially in the area where I live, in the Po Delta Regional Park, it is very difficult to see and photograph squirrels (they are very rare) but here in the park they are quite confident.
A few meters from the hide, an old cut tree has a hole (an old woodpecker's nest), and here the squirrels (two years ago there were 4 specimens) sometimes come out of curiosity to check out the old hollow tree.
I have taken several photos of squirrels in many situations, but the shot I choose to participate in the Nikon Comedy Wildlife immediately struck me for the strange position assumed by the squirrel that seems to be stuck halfway in the hole in the tree, but in reality, it is the moment in which it is detaching the support on its hind legs and enters the hole.
This photo had an effect on me and made me smile a lot at the moment that I clicked the button, and during my evenings of slideshows and nature videos that I often hold at photography clubs and theatres, the audience always explodes in energetic laughter when I show this photo. I knew I had to enter it into the competition.
INSECT CATEGORY WINNER
Mantis Flamenca by Jose Miguel Gallego Molina
On my way back from my photo walk in a swamp near my town (Pantano el Sitjar), I suddenly stopped my car on the road when I saw someone ordering me to stop. This was when I saw my friend the Flemish Mantis for the first time.
You can imagine the faces of the other cars passing by, seeing a car with the indicators on and the door open, stopped on the roadside and a madman lying on the ground with his camera in his hand.
Animal: Mantis mediterranea - Iris oratoria
Location: Onda, Spain
Frog in a balloon by Eberhard Ehmke
During a photo shoot at the pond, I discovered this frog with its head in a bubble. This resembles a tree bell.
Animal: Frog
Location: Bergwinkel, Germany
Whiskered Tern crash on landing by Damyan Petkov
A Whiskered Tern's head hit the rock when it tries to land.
Animal: Whiskered tern
Location: Svishtov, Bulgaria
Unexpected role swap by Przemyslaw Jakubczyk
Every annoyed and overtired fish needs to de-stress by hunting for a bald eagle.
Animal: Bald eagle and bream
Location: Szczecin Lagoon, Poland
Smooching owlets by Sarthak Ranganadhan
Our parents always find a way to embarrass us, I guess that's also true in the case of spotted owlets.
It was truly a funny sight to see two owlets trying to get some privacy as their little offspring stood next to them with a grin shut eyes.
Animal: Spotted Owlets
Location: Gurgaon, India
Awkward Smiley Frog by Kingston Tam
I've always been interested in photography since I was about 10. And I started out just taking snapshots of little things like flowers, and pretty skies on my cousin's point-and-shoot, just like any other 10 year old would.
When I was about 16, I got super interested in star trail photography and started doing it on the Nikon p900 since it has a star trail mode for dummies. Slowly, it evolved to proper wide-angle landscape and astrophotography (Milky Way and deep sky) and that's when I invested in a bit of gear and really dived into learning about the technical and creative side of photography, trying to do better every time I go out shooting.
I also decided to pick up photography for my high school art class and dabbled in some street photography. In 2022 I moved to Australia from Hong Kong to study wildlife science and my friends got me into 'herping' (looking for reptiles and amphibians in the wild) through that, I met a bunch of amazing photographers who specialise in taking photos of these critters and I started doing it as well. And that's how I ended up photographing critters.
My goal for my images is to bring attention to our scaly or moist friends, showing that not only fluffy animals can be cute and beautiful. Ultimately, I wish my work could bring more conservation awareness to these amazing reptiles and amphibians, and that's been my motivation to keep doing what I'm doing.
This award is by far my biggest photography achievement yet. I never thought an accomplishment this scale would be achievable but I'm grateful that this photograph has been recognised by the judges and many others.
This award would be a reminder to me that I should keep my passion up because someone out there appreciates my work and hopefully, it can encourage people to show some love to not just the fluffy animals but also the slimy and scaly friends.
Animal: Cyclorana novaehollandiae
Location: Queensland, Australia
Shake ruffle rattle and roll by Tapani Linnanmäki
In the picture, a white-tailed eagle is ruffling its feathers. The picture was taken with the Nikon Z9's auto-capture feature. The camera is placed on top of the sea ice on top of a bag of nuts at the level of the ice.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this picture. There were more than ten funny poses and expressions in the photo series.
Animal: White-tailed eagle
Location: Kustavi Finland
Dancing To The Music, Rock Guitar, Roly Poly, Weight Lifting by Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb
I love taking photos of all kind of animals: Birds, foxes, spiders, butterflies, squirrels. Anything that catches my eyes. Anything that is beautiful.
I won my first ever award coming third place in Bird Photography Of The Year competition for Under 8 category when I was 6 years old with my Perching Seagull. I went on to win the RSPCA Mobile Phone under 12 category in 2023 with my Weaving Spider.
Winning the Comedy Wildlife Portfolio Category would mean everything to me. It will be my third win. This is a big international competition and it is difficult and hard to win. I dream of being a winner and come home with a trophy in my hand. It would be my greatest achievement so far in my life, if I am the winner. I would so love to win!
If I could photograph anything at all, I would use the best Nikon camera ever to take a family of a white fox in the snow with little cubs running and playing.
Animal: Squirrel
Location: Southampton, UK
Fox with the zoomies! By Kevin Lohman
A Red Fox on a cold morning couldn't get enough of having fun rolling around on frosty grass. I had been watching this fox walking slowly across the grass when it suddenly got the zoomies like my dog does after its bath. It started rolling around on the ice-covered grass, then sliding, then shaking it off like nothing happened.
Animal: Red Fox
Location: San Jose, California. USA
Over 9,000 images were entered this year, from professional and amateur photographers vying for the top accolade of being the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Here are some of the Highly Commended Winning entries.
HIGHLY COMMENDED WINNERSGang of Four by Ralph Robinson
On the penguin highway, these rockhoppers are moving into town, and this town ain't big enough for all of them! I set up my camera a good distance from this ridge, where rockhopper penguins were returning from feeding in the southern Atlantic Ocean in the Falkland Islands.
The long lens pulled them into the frame without disturbing their return to nests on the hill. I love photographing penguins after they've been in the water as they are cleaner! These birds look like they are ready to kick some penguin ass!
Animal: Southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes Chrysocome)
Location: Pebble Island, Falkland Islands
Are You Kidding by Marti Phillips
Two Cape Fur seals having a laugh.
Animal: Cape Fur seals
Location: Cape Cross Seal Reserve, Namibia
The Contemplative Chimpanzee by Arvind Mohandas
Shot in the jungles of Uganda, following a group of around 50 chimpanzees. This one was obviously comtemplating an important issue, on a day of realization and reaffirmation of how close chimpanzees are to humans!
Animal: Chimpanzee
Location: Uganda
Alright Mate Back off- this is My Bird by Andy Rouse
This image was taken in South Georgia, it really does show a male king penguin trying to make a move on a female who has already paired up with her male. The body position and wing posture make the message clear -- "Back off!"
Animal: King Penguin
Location: South Georgia
I'm too sexy for my love by Artur Stankiewicz
One of the 'lazy' mornings we have decided to stop by the pool with hippos while in Mana Pools NP. My idea was to try and catch fighting hippos, yet, they all were quite peaceful. I have positioned on the bank, safely from the potential charge and waited.
Some of them raised their heads in curiosity or when proximity to the other individuals was too close. Then I got this idea to catch the portrait with water plants decorating the head, It looked like the guy just got our of the hairdresser with a big smile on his face :)
Animal: Hippopotamus
Location: Mana Pools NP, Zimbabwe
Hide and Seek by Leslie Mcleod
We were on safari in Kenya and happened upon this beautiful female who was looking for a mate. A group of topi were also keeping a pretty close eye her as she left messages for a potential partner on various trees.
This shot makes me think that the cheetah is just about to shout out, "ready or not, here I come!"
Animal: Cheetah and Topi
Location: Mara North Conservancy, Kenya
I'll tell you a secret by Jan Piecha
A tiny raccoon is telling a secret to its mum while whispering in her ear.
Animal: Raccoon
Location: Germany
The Rock Star by Sanjay Patil
Fan-throated lizards are found only in the Indian subcontinent, where they have evolved under the influence of changing climates. These lizards are colourful and belong to the category of reptiles.
Female Lizards do not display fan as they do not have. Male lizards inflate their attractive neck pouch to attract females in the hot summer season. Here is the female lizard standing upright to escape the summer heat.
Animal: Fan-Throated Lizard, Female
Location: Maharashtra, India
You're Not My Mother by Randy Herman
This female Red-bellied Woodpecker had been investigating this Screech Owl nest for a couple of days; perhaps it was her nest last year?
This little owlet was definitely startled and didn't seem to know what to make of this intruder. The woodpecker moved on, and the owlet fledged with its two siblings about an hour late.
Animal: Screech owlet and female Red-bellied Woodpecker
Location: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio, USA
Mafia Boss by Takashi Kubo
It looked like he was sucking a cigar, and he looked like a mafia boss.
Animal: Flying squirrel
Location: Hokkaido Japan
Published with permission from Tom, Paul and Michelle/Comedy Wildlife Awards
Photographs curated and presented by Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com
