Nominated Czech Nature Photo 2018 pictures

The Mammals category shortlist comprises Vladimír Čech’s Tiger and storm, Igor Mikula’s Mareeba rock-wallaby and Jiří Karbus’s In the glass of the ocean. The Birds shortlist comprises Martin Tomáš’s Railway worker, Libor Šejna’s In a blizzard and Lukáš Martínek’s Protector. Favourites for victory within the Reptiles, Amphibians and Underwater Life category are Igor Mikula’s Northern leaf-tailed gecko, Viktor Vrbovský’s Toad and Rostislav Štefánek’s Under the Ice. Shortlisted within Invertebrates are František Dulík’s Last fighter, Jakub Hodáň’s Caring mother, and Igor Mikula’s Cicada.

Nominations within the Czech Forests category are Ondřej Balý with his Guardian of the tower, Josef Bosák’s Misty morning in the Beskids and David Mahovský’s Before sunrise. Within the Czech Farmland and Rural Areas category we have Michal Dobeš and his photo, Fear, Martin Veselý’s Cheetah behind glass and Roman Vodička’s Slávek. Shortlisted in Wildlife in Prague are Jiří Durdík’s Please, not in front of the people, Petr Kocourek’s Swan queen and Ivan Mikšík’s Krč mouflon.

Nominated within the Best Photograph of Czech Wildlife and Countryside were Zdeněk Jakl with his Marsh frog, Petr Salinger and his Bee-eater and loader, and Václav Bystřický and his Common firecrest.

The panel also decided in addition to award a special prize to Vladimír Čech mladší for his series of photographs of Czech forest inhabitants taken using a camera trap. They also gave three of the youngest photographers the Junior Awards prize – Jakub Klíma, Mojmír Ševčík and Oliver Josek, because a love for nature begins at an early age, and it needs to be supported and developed.

The judging panel, headed by photographer Michal Krause, included international representation in the person of Spanish biologist and wildlife photographer Javier Aznar. The Czech panellists included Miroslav Bobek, Prague Zoo Director, Petr Bambousek, award winner in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Sony World Photography Awards and Czech Press Photo contests, and winner of many photography awards, Václav Šilha.

The work of Czech and Slovak photographers capturing wildlife and nature in the Czech Republic and anywhere else in the world could be sent from 18 January to 18 February through the contest website. The exhibition of all award-winning and other selected Czech Nature Photo 2018 photographs will be launched with a vernissage in the Czech Photo Centre gallery on 4 April. The official results will also be announced here on 19 April..

“This year demonstrated true professionalism, with extremely high quality photographs submitted for the contest, and the judging panel which included international representation with phenomenal Spanish wildlife photographer, Javier Aznan, had a very difficult job in choosing the best shots. I can say with certainty that the exhibition is going to be excellent. I hope that the photographers whose shots haven’t been nominated are not disappointed, but rather will be proud to have been a part of the Czech Nature Photo project. We consider the contest and exhibition to be a strong tool for educating and motivating people to protect the environment and countryside, and we hope that the photographs of our unique wildlife and countryside will be able to convince the public of the urgency of its protection,” says Veronika Souralová, a panellist for this year’s Czech Nature Photo and also Director of the Czech Photo Centre gallery.

Partners of this year’s Czech Nature Photo are Prague City Council, Lesy ČR, Prague Zoo, the National Agricultural Museum and the Krkonoše National Park Administration. Our main Commercial Partner is Olympus, which is also providing prizes in the main categories, and also Trigema, CEWE Color, Rückl glassworks, Nielsen, Fujifilm. Our main media partner is Czech Radio 1 Radiožurnál.

Press release to download in format  .doc
Press release with photos to download in format  .zip

Source of photography: Czech Photo Centre / Czech Nature Photo

Contacts and further details:
Public relations - Radek Polák tel.: +420 778 747 113, polak@czechpressphoto.cz, www.czechphotocentre.cz.