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https://petapixel.com/2023/11/13/moody-andean-bear-portrait-wins-nature-photographer-of-the-year-2023/>
"Canadian nature photographer Jacquie Matechuk has won the prestigious Nature
Photographer of the Year 2023 competition for her incredible photo, “He Looks
to the Heavens,” which depicts a beautiful spectacled bear, also known as an
Andean bear, surrounded by dreamy Spanish moss in Ecuador.
“The Spanish moss hanging from this centuries-old fig tree gives an incredible
sense of three-dimensionality while the soft light filtering through the colors
highlights the profound connection between species and habitat in this image,”
explains competition chairman Marco Gaiotti. “Finally, the pose of this
spectacled bear fits perfectly into the texture of the photograph.”
Of her winning image, which has earned Matechuk the title “Nature of
Photographer of the Year,” the Canadian photographer says, “Spanning more than
8,000km, the Andean Mountain range occupies more than a quarter of the land
surface in Ecuador. Rich in biodiversity, it’s also home to a unique species
called the Spectacled Bear. Until planning this trip, I knew nothing about
them. But as a certified bear guide, I was excited to expand my knowledge and
understanding of a new species and to compare behavior and their interactions
to those of our grizzly, polar, black, and brown bears.”
After traveling from the Ecuadorian capital of Quito to the Andean mountains,
Matechuk was struck by the rich, fertile lands of the country. She met up with
a local farmer/guide in the rural mountains. Matechuk says the man is
“gentle-natured” and has worked “tirelessly for decades” to observe, learn, and
advocate for spectacled bears, a threatened species and the only native bear
species left in South America.
“For 11 days at roughly 8,000 feet above sea level, we hiked vertical paths up
and down the canyon walls, trekking through creeks, ducking out of torrential
downpours, and often clambering through mud to observe these beautiful bears.
In their natural habitat and with our guide’s intimate knowledge of each bear,
we were quickly accepted by them. We kept a respectful distance to ensure their
comfort and it paid off in spades. They would nurse, fall asleep, cuddle,
forage, and play, seemingly more oblivious to our presence with each passing
encounter,” Matechuk explains. The prize-winning photo shows “Tony,” a large
male spectacled bear seen frequently in the area."
Via Christoph S.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
