CIWEM, WaterBear and Nikon Announce Judges for the Environmental Photographer of the Year 2021

CIWEM, WaterBear and Nikon Announce Judges for the Environmental Photographer of the Year 2021

The 2021 competition is open until 14th August at www.epoty.org.

Environmental and water management charity CIWEM, free streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet WaterBear, Nikon, and engineering consultancy Arup have today announced the Environmental Photographer Of The Year 2021 competition’s panel of high-profile judges in the fields of photography, climate justice and environmental activism.

British photographer Ope Odueyungbo, Norwegian photographer Lina Kayser, British photographer Alfie Bowen, photographer for The New York Times and Pulitzer Prize Winner in the category of Feature Photography Josh Haner, designer Marquise Stillwell, climate justice activist Frances Fox, Director of the ICCCAD Saleemul Huq, photographer Ben Moore, civil engineer Diana Abrunhosa and CIWEM CEO Terry Fuller, will review and select the winning photographs.

Now in its 14th year, the Environmental Photographer Of The Year competition showcases some of the world’s most inspirational environmental photography. The annual competition provides an international platform to raise awareness for the environmental issues that put our planet at risk. The winning photographs of this year’s competition will be revealed alongside the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow this November.

Introducing this year’s diverse panel of award-winning judges;

• Lina Kayser, Photographer: Lina is a Norwegian photographer based in Dovrefjell, Norway. She specialises in cold and remote places in the north as well as the fragile Arctic life. In addition to her solo photo projects, Lina has been hosting photography workshops in Norway and abroad as well as ship based expeditions to Svalbard. With a strong passion for wildlife in the Nordic and Arctic, Lina uses social media to share her perspectives. Lina has worked in partnership with Nikon since 2017 and is now also a Nikon Z Creator.

• Alfie Bowen, Photographer: Alfie is an award-winning British photographer with autism. His artistic vision is shaped by a meticulous attention to detail and an unwavering determination to prove people wrong. Once alienated by his peers, Alfie found an affinity to animals that guided him through his darkest moments. As a child, he sought solace in wildlife magazines and documentaries, now as an adult his work has been featured by BBC Earth and is lauded by celebrities including Sir David Attenborough. Alfie's inspiring story has also seen him work alongside charities to raise awareness for wildlife and autism. As of 2021 Alfie is now one of the Nikon Z Creators.

• Josh Haner, Photographer: Josh is a staff photographer and the senior editor for photo technology at The New York Times. He was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography and has spent the last seven years working across the globe to document the pressing and wide-ranging realities of climate change. In drone footage and still photography from the ground, he explores the consequences faced by a warming world. His photography and video journalism have been honored with awards from World Press Photo, Pictures of the Year International and the National Press Photographers Association.

• Frances Fox, Youth Climate Justice Activist: Frances is a youth climate justice activist and the Founder, UK Director and International Artist/Speaker Outreach Coordinator for Climate Live. Climate live produces global concerts harnessing the power of music to engage, educate and empower people in the climate movement. Frances is also Festivals Coordinator for the UK Student Climate Network and helps organise international campaigns with Fridays For Future. Frances represented UK school strikers when she stood up on the same stage as Greta Thunberg in Bristol to speak to the crowd of 30,000 people demanding action from government and businesses on climate change.

• Ope Odueyungbo, Photographer: Picking up photography at the age of 16, Ope’s style and work has changed over the years appreciating all kinds of photography but he has always loved specialising in street, portraiture and architecture. Ope’s work has been published by Trope in the 2019 book Parallel Lines, his first solo book release and volume 2 of Trope’s Emerging Photographers Series, a new collection celebrating the works of young and emerging photographers from around the world. Ope’s images are a study in contrast, presenting a duality of perspective evident in his professional and personal work: extrovert vs. introvert, urban/architectural vs. personal/familial. Ope strives to capture his viewers’ attention by making the ordinary extraordinary, drawing them in through his use of leading lines, grids and geometric patterns, and his experimentation with distances and vantages.

• Diana Abrunhosa, Civil Engineer: Diana is a Civil Engineer in the Water team at Arup and a chartered member of CIWEM. Diana has always been inspired by water resilience, sustainability and how cities can adapt to embrace their environments and help tackle climate change. She has an active role as a STEM ambassador, having participated in several school programmes to raise awareness of sustainability principles.

• Terry Fuller, CIWEM Chief Executive: Terry has over 30 years’ experience as a water and environmental manager having provided technical leadership on large-scale projects in some of the world’s most beautiful and challenging locations. Terry is passionate about reaching a zero carbon world and recognises that achieving net zero by 2050 domestically will not avert the disastrous global heating projected under current trends. Before devoting his work full time to CIWEM, Terry was, and remains, an active member.

• Ben Moore, Photographer: Ben Moore is a self-taught commercial photographer specialising in aerial, architectural and urban photography. His style is slightly moody but clean with earthy tones. He has a love for using lines in his images with a sharp visual that shocks and excites his audience. Ben has worked with Nikon since August 2020 as a Nikon Z Creator.

• Marquise Stillwell, Designer: Marquise Stillwell is a designer and a catalyst for building communities across design, art, and culture. With a practice spanning across two decades, Marquise Stillwell’s journey began with a curiosity for people and spaces that later developed into a passion for designing systems that make all environments better for everyone. In 2009, Marquise founded Openbox - a design and research studio based in New York City that works at the intersection of people and systems.

• Saleemul Huq, Director of the ICCCAD: Saleemul Huq is the director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in Bangladesh, and is an expert on the links between climate change and sustainable development, particularly from the perspective of developing countries. He was the lead author of the chapter on Adaptation and Sustainable Development in the third assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and was the lead author of the chapter on Adaptation and Mitigation in the IPCC's fourth assessment report.

Launched at the end of March, the Environmental Photographer Of The Year 2021 competition is open to both professional and amateur photographers and is free to enter for all ages. Participants will be competing for cash awards and prizes across 8 categories, and for the top award of The Environmental Photographer of the Year 2021. Categories include Environmental Photographer of the Year, Young Environmental Photographer of the Year - Nikon Award, Environments of the Future, Sustainable Cities, Climate Action and Water and Security, the Resilient awards and People’s Choice. The voting will be open to the public via social media in the month leading up to COP 26.

To learn more, enter, and for full details on The Environmental Photographer of the Year competition rules and prizes visit www.epoty.org. Entries close on 14 August 2021 and winners will be announced alongside COP26 in November 2021.

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Contact:

For more information contact:

Clara Zerbib (WaterBear) / Kate Riddell (Franses)

• Phone: +31 6 25423365 / +44 (0)7921 455261
• Email: clarazerbib@waterbear.com / kate.riddell@franses.co

Jane Boland (CIWEM)

• Phone: +44 (0)207 2695831
• Email: jane.boland@ciwem.org

About WaterBear

WaterBear is the first network of its kind: a free interactive video and digital platform dedicated to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It does this through inspirational content, cutting-edge technology that facilitates action, and through its global network of partners. It uniquely empowers the viewer to take direct instant action to support NGOs around the world and shape a better future for our fragile planet. Download WaterBear from the app store or head to: https://waterbear.com

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About CIWEM

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is a Royal Chartered independent professional body and a registered charity in the United Kingdom working internationally to advance the practice of water and environmental management. CIWEM represents a community of 30,000 professionals with a shared vision for a safe and sustainable world. For more information, visit www.ciwem.org.

About Nikon Europe

Nikon is a world-leading provider of imaging products and services. Its innovative optics technology – from consumer to professional cameras, lenses to system accessories – is powered by over 100 years of experience. The brand is globally recognised for setting new standards in design and performance, with Nikon’s revolutionary Z series mirrorless cameras and NIKKOR Z lenses representing a new dimension of optical performance. Nikon is committed to leading imaging culture and enables some of the world’s best visual artists to reach their creative potential through storytelling. Its award-winning equipment empowers photographers and videographers to realise their creative vision at the highest level. As a trusted visionary partner, Nikon unites all levels of content creators through its engaged community, unrivalled technical expertise and access to educational resources, via initiatives such as The Nikon School. For more information visit www.europe-nikon.com

About Arup

Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world’s most prominent projects in the built environment and across industry. Working in more than 140 countries, the firm’s designers, engineers, architects, planners, consultants and technical specialists work with our clients on innovative projects of the highest quality and impact. www.arup.com