Submissions for the Rewilding Europe Award on this yr’s European Wildlife Photographer of the Yr competitors are eligible till March 1. Because the deadline approaches, we speak to celebrated photographer and rewilding thought chief Peter Cairns, who will act as considered one of this yr’s judges.
Peter Cairns / SCOTLAND: The Large Image
As a part of the annual European Wildlife Photographer of the Yr competitors, which was launched in 2001 by the German Society for Nature Images, the Rewilding Europe Award celebrates among the greatest rewilding-related imagery from throughout Europe. The deadline for submissions this yr is March 1.
In 2025, the Rewilding Europe Award shall be judged by Jen Guyton and Peter Cairns, the founder and Head of Rewilding at Scottish Rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Large Image. Effectively-known in rewilding circles, Peter is a Senior Fellow of the Worldwide League of Conservation Photographers, multi-award-winning photographer, creator of a number of books, and co-founder of a number of conservation communications initiatives. We caught up with him to seek out out somewhat extra about his background -and what he appears for in an excellent rewilding picture.
Peter Cairns
How have your pictures modified over your 30-year photographic profession?
I’m undecided my pictures have modified that a lot, however my mindset actually has. I name the early a part of my profession the “calendar cowl” years – it was all about fairly footage of fairly animals, which had an opportunity of discovering their manner on to a calendar cowl. There comes some extent whenever you realise that these pictures don’t actually “say” that a lot – they don’t talk something.
My mantra at this time is “story” – does this picture inform a narrative, both by itself, or as a part of a wider assortment? Visible media holds a lot potential for altering the best way folks understand the landscapes round them, and the species that share their house, it doesn’t make sense to waste that chance. So, “fairly” remains to be good, however “story” is an absolute should.
Peter Cairns
You’ve travelled throughout Europe together with your digicam – what’s your most memorable encounter?
Each encounter has an influence – whether or not that’s with a panorama, a wild animal, and even with a human being. I suppose time spent with brown bears in Finland, polar bears in Svalbard, musk oxen in Norway – these recollections all burn brilliant.
However to be sincere, I nonetheless bear in mind the primary time I photographed a purple squirrel in my native forest and even at this time, I get a thrill after I see one working by way of my backyard. Nature photographers are sometimes drawn to the uncommon and unique, however we shouldn’t look previous what’s native to us – among the most hanging pictures I’ve seen have been taken in the course of massive cities.
Peter Cairns
What makes a prize-winning shot?
Influence. Competitors judges are sometimes sifting by way of hundreds of pictures so there should be a right away connection, or influence. So, what does influence seem like? I’m undecided I can outline it, however as a photographer, it is best to have the ability to instinctively recognise it whenever you see it.
All of that mentioned, pictures are subjective – what one particular person likes, others gained’t. However normally, it’s the picture with essentially the most influence that rises to the highest.
What’s going to you be on the lookout for on this yr’s Rewilding Europe Award submissions?
I suppose the query I’ll ask myself is: does this picture make me really feel otherwise about local weather, air pollution, or species extinction? It’s not a lot a couple of particular theme, however whether or not a picture teaches me something. Does it make me wish to act?
Peter Cairns / 2020VISION
How can pictures advance rewilding?
There’s little question in my thoughts that the inventive use of visible imagery has helped seize the general public’s creativeness round rewilding. You solely have to have a look at the expansion in Rewilding Europe during the last decade – pictures and visible storytelling has actually underpinned that development.
Persons are usually nervous about rewilding as a result of they don’t perceive what it appears like. I usually use imagery from northern Europe or North America to color an image of what may be potential right here in Scotland.
How would you say rewilding is progressing in Scotland and Europe?
Fairly nicely, I’d say! Vital obstacles stay, however after I look again during the last 20 years or so, there was big change and the wind is unquestionably behind us.
Apparently, the obstacles are not ecological. We all know easy methods to restore forests and wetlands, and reintroduce species. The battleground, if there’s one, is for folks’s hearts and minds. At SCOTLAND: The Large Image, we frequently say that rewilding is 20% ecology and 80% psychology.
Peter Cairns
What has been the most important step ahead for rewilding in Scotland?
We hosted a convention in 2019 with the only intention of mainstreaming rewilding. Again then, it was an idea very a lot on the fringes of the dialog round land use change. Quick ahead 5 years and “rewilding” is broadly used within the media. There are a number of teams in Scotland – NGOs, landowning organisations, farmer clusters and even public businesses – which are training rewilding rules, even when they don’t use the phrase itself.
It’s again to the hearts and minds battle. We’ve modified the dialog, however we have to preserve our foot on the gasoline in terms of mainstreaming rewilding and reworking folks’s relationship with wild nature.
Peter Cairns
Are you able to inform us about one picture you’d like to shoot near dwelling sooner or later?
My pictures days have dwindled considerably since rewilding started consuming my each waking hour! Assuming I can nonetheless function a digicam, I’d love to have the ability to seize the discharge of lynx into the wilds of Scotland. We’re engaged on it!
