BENGALURU: 10-year-old Vihaan Talya Vikas from Bengaluru, was awarded the best photographer in his category at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) competition held in London.
Organised by the Natural History Museum, London, the competition showcases the finest wildlife photography from around the world. The event is also considered as the ‘Oscars of Photography’. Vihaan’s photo of a spider along with Krishna’s carving clicked on the outskirts of the city and helped him bag the award.
Inspired by his father’s passion for wildlife photography, Vihaan said, “I am very happy and excited to receive this award. I like doing photography because it helps us think creatively and connect with nature.”
The competition this year saw submissions from 95 countries in different categories. A total of 50,000 images were submitted, out of which the top 100 were considered for the competition and 11 were chosen in different categories, with Vihaan winning the under-10 category award.
Vihaan’s image will be part of the WPY59 collection and will be presented in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition at the Natural History Museum, which will tour around 25 venues across 4 continents to create awareness about the protection of wildlife.
A student of Kumarans School, Vihaan’s journey began at the age of 7, under the guidance of his father.
Dhritiman Mukherjee, Wildlife and Conservation Photographer and Competition Judge, said, “Vihaan’s image served the purpose of art, concept, conservation and science very nicely.” He also appreciated the young boy’s thought process behind it and the composition of the image.