Last night was the highlight of my photographic career, being awarded in Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016, the most prestigious photography competition in the world, is an honour and a privilege to say the least. I truly am ecstatic to be recognized for my work and humbled to be among such talented photographers competing on the world stage. Definitely one of my proudest moments and an unforgettable night as we dined in the great hall of the Natural History Museum surrounded by impressive dinosaur skeletons, stunning architecture, as the top 100 award winning images chosen from over 50,000 images across 95 countries, were revealed to a room full of excited photographers.
The image, ‘Collective Courtship’ was captured while diving in South Australia. Here’s the summary from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year website: “Scott spent hours in the cold shallow waters capturing one of nature’s greatest events, the spawning of giant cuttlefish. In this aggregation, a line of suitors are poised in the background, waiting for a chance to mate with the female. Scott finally framed the ideal composition when the onlookers momentarily faced the same way.”
Male giant cuttlefish, like these, can grow up to one metre long. They flicker colourful patterns to mesmerise and attract females. Small males are sneaky. They mimic female posture and colouring, going unnoticed in the group, then mate with the females when the larger males look away.
Check out all the winning images at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year website
