Comedy Wildlife Photographer Award - Conservation through Competition

The world is beautiful and interconnected, yet humans have excessively exploited and destroyed it. Although wildlife conservation and sustainable development issues have received more attention globally, related information is often negative and pessimistic. Paul Joynson Hicks, founder of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Award, discovered that interesting animal photos are both entertaining and can draw attention to the threats faced by animals while working as a wildlife photographer in East Africa.

In 2015, the award was born in an office located on the slopes of Mount Meru in northern Tanzania, and subsequently co founders Tom Sullam and Michelle Wood joined in. This award has developed into a global competition that resonates by showcasing the similarities between animals and humans, allowing people to appreciate the value of nature. Every year, thousands of entries are received from around the world, and both beginners and experts can participate for free, aiming to broaden their understanding and participation in sustainable world and wildlife conservation. Although not primarily for fundraising purposes, we support a small grassroots conservation organization every year. In addition, the experiences of three team members were also introduced. Paul has been in East Africa for a long time and has been enthusiastic about various social enterprises, earning the MBE medal; Tom experienced setbacks and eventually devoted himself to photography, co creating awards with Paul; Michelle joined due to comments on related Facebook posts. Although she is not good at photography, she has extensive experience in handling photography related affairs.

Background of the award: When founder Paul was engaged in wildlife photography in East Africa, he saw interesting photos and realized their entertainment value and their role in raising awareness of animal threats. At that time, there was a lot of negative information about wildlife conservation that was difficult to digest, but interesting photos could break down barriers to understanding and inspire human empathy. Therefore, the 2015 Comedy Wildlife Photography Award was born, opening up a unique way to promote wildlife conservation. For example, seeing a photo of an eagle looking at a person from between its legs can make people laugh and also draw attention to this animal.

Award Development and Influence: Starting from a small office, it has grown into a global event under the promotion of its founder, receiving a large number of participating photos from around the world every year and receiving global media coverage. By showcasing the interesting side of animals to resonate with people, allowing the audience to appreciate nature and recognize its value, it plays an important role in promoting wildlife conservation and spreading conservation information more widely.

Competition rules: This award is open to novice and expert photographers. Each person can submit 10 photos per year, including 4 series works and 6 different categories of works, and participation is free. This rule lowers the threshold for participation, encourages more photographers to participate, and brings together a diverse range of works for the award, showcasing wildlife from different perspectives.

Team Member Introduction - Paul: Paul is a wildlife photographer who has lived in East Africa for 30 years and has written multiple photography books. He is passionate about social welfare and has participated in many social enterprise activities, such as helping street children in Uganda and creating recycled art with people with disabilities. He was awarded the MBE medal in 2011. Afterwards, he focused on wildlife conservation and established the Comedy Wildlife Photography Award, contributing to the cause of conservation.

Team Member Introduction - Tom: Tom aspired to become a photographer, but went through many twists and turns. He studied psychology, worked in strategic marketing consulting and financial services, and eventually devoted himself to indoor photography and collaborated with renowned landscape photographers. After meeting Paul, he co founded the Comedy Wildlife Photography Award. He has a passion for environmental protection and as he grows older, his attention to wildlife conservation and the well-being of the Earth becomes increasingly strong.