Oct 29, 2009

Russian Life photographer honored

Congratulations are in order for Igor Shpilenok, an amazing photographer who has been published many many times in Russian Life. Igor was just awarded a prize in the 2009 Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. It's the second time for him... His wife, Laura Williams, also a frequent Russian Life contributor, supplied the background:

RESPECT

Ryska the cat fiercely guarded her property

With the help of his feisty cat, Igor Shpilenok won the Urban and Garden Wildlife category with this shot. He also placed first place in the same category in 2006 with his photo "Still Life and Bear" of a bear peeking into a cabin window.

Igor spent five months in winter as a ranger in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve in Kamchatka in the east of Russia, and took his cat Ryska with him for company.

"It's a very remote place and there were lots of animals - bears, foxes, wolverines - living near my cabin," he told BBC News.

"The cat was really jealous of me. If I started to look at the animals she would attack them. Just like a woman," he smiled.

"Maybe she thought I was her pet."

But the animals were curious about the area's new residents, and drawn by cooking smells from the cabin. The foxes in particular would visit every day. "When they came within 20m, that was her boundary and she chased them. It was really funny - foxes were climbing trees to get away from a cat."

Mr Shpilenok's wife, Laura Williams, selected the category-winning image. "It's ironic," she said. "He photographs wilderness in the most remote places on Earth, but the two times he's won a category [in this competition] it's been the urban wildlife one. Because the wilderness is his back yard."

Igor is a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers. His book with ILCP photographer Patrico Robles Gil, "Kamchatka: Wilderness at the Edge," is out with Sierra Madre press.

Image details: Nikon D3 + 300mm lens; 1/500 sec at f4.5; ISO 640

And here are some links:

RESPECT Ryska the cat fiercely guarded her property
With the help of his feisty cat, Igor Shpilenok won the Urban and Garden Wildlife category with this shot. He also placed first place in the same category in 2006 with his photo "Still Life and Bear" of a bear peeking into a cabin window.
Igor spent five months in winter as a ranger in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve in Kamchatka in the east of Russia, and took his cat Ryska with him for company.
"It's a very remote place and there were lots of animals - bears, foxes, wolverines - living near my cabin," he told BBC News.
"The cat was really jealous of me. If I started to look at the animals she would attack them. Just like a woman," he smiled.
"Maybe she thought I was her pet."
But the animals were curious about the area's new residents, and drawn by cooking smells from the cabin. The foxes in particular would visit every day. "When they came within 20m, that was her boundary and she chased them. It was really funny - foxes were climbing trees to get away from a cat."
Mr Shpilenok's wife, Laura Williams, selected the category-winning image. "It's ironic," she said. "He photographs wilderness in the most remote places on Earth, but the two times he's won a category [in this competition] it's been the urban wildlife one. Because the wilderness is his back yard." Igor is a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers. His book with ILCP photographer Patrico Robles Gil, "Kamchatka: Wilderness at the Edge," is out with Sierra Madre press. Image details: Nikon D3 + 300mm lens; 1/500 sec at f4.5; ISO 640

Russian Life photographer honored

Rate this

Sample Modal Window

This is just a sample…