Malaysian Photographer of the Year Competition will be a national showcase for the very best of photography featuring natural subjects. The competition is organized by Zoo Negara who pride themselves on revealing and championing the diversity of life on Earth.
Being accepted into this competition is something that wildlife photographers, nationwide, aspire to. Professionals win many of the prizes, but amateurs succeed, too. And that's because achieving the perfect picture is down to a mixture of skill, vision, originality, knowledge of nature and luck.
This year thousands of entries will be received and judged by a specially selected expert panel. The winners will be announced at an Oscar-Style Awards Gala Nite that will take place at the Palace of the Golden Horses, Kuala Lumpur.
ADULT CATEGORIES
You can enter unlimited number of digital images or scanned color slides in each of the following categories.
1. Animals in Their Environment
Images entered in this category must be powerful and memorable, showing the relationship between the animal subject and the place it lives in or the environment in which it is pictured.
Prize: RM3,000
2. Animal Behavior: Birds
Submissions must show memorable, unusual or striking behavior. As with all categories, originality is the key.
Prize: RM3,000
3. Animal Behavior: Mammals
Submissions must show memorable, unusual or striking behavior. As with all categories, originality is the key.
Prize: RM3,000
4. Animal Behavior: All Other Animals
Submissions must show memorable, unusual or striking behavior. As with all categories, originality is the key.
Prize: RM3,000
5. The Underwater World
Images must feature marine or freshwater life. With around 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface under water, the scope here is huge.
Prize: RM3,000
6. Animal Portraits
Portraits should capture the character or spirit of the subject and focus on it. The key here is striking originality.
Prize: RM3,000
7. In Praise of Plants
This is the category for pictures that highlight the beauty, diversity and importance of all forms of plant life.
Prize: RM3,000
8. Urban and Garden Wildlife
Urban wildlife can often be overlooked, but can be a wonderful source of unusual and striking compositions of wild animals or plants in urban settings.
Prize: RM3,000
9. Nature in Black and White
Digital, slide or print images can be submitted to this category. The subject can be any wild landscape, animal, plant or other living organism. The judges will be looking for skilful use of the black-and-white medium.
Prize: RM3,000
10. Creative Visions of Nature
Photographs should reveal new ways of seeing natural subjects or scenes, representing them in an imaginative or abstract way. Judges will be looking for originality and artistic vision.
Prize: RM3,000
11. Wild Places
Entries must show scenes that are truly wild and awesome. They should convey a sense of wonder and wildness and be taken in wild and/or remote places.
Prize: RM3,000
PRIZES
THE WINNER
The title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 will be given to the photographer whose single image is judged to be the most striking and memorable of all the entries. The winning photographer will receive a cheque for RM10,000, which will be presented at the awards ceremony at the Palace of the Golden Horses in KL on 17 January 2009
Prize RM10,000 + Professional DSLR
