Steve Winter on Being Named Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Hello, I wanted to share this with everyone. I have been voted the Wildlife Photographer of the Year for 2008. This is a great honor for myself, the snow leopard and National Geographic magazine!  The snow leopard story appeared in the June issue of NGM.

I want to thank the Editor in Chief Chris Johns, (for giving me this opportunity and believing in me), my photo Editor Kathy Moran, (my guiding light), Editor at Large Nick Nichols, Emilene Ostlind, Jenna Pirog, and the whole staff at NGM.

I would also like to thank Dr. George Schaller, whose book Stones of Silence showed the snow leopard–and a passionate scientist–for the very first time.

Thank you to the Museum of Natural History in London, the BBC and WildPhotos for holding this important event. The show of all the winners at the Museum of Natural History in London is truly an amazing window on the talent of the winning photographers and our natural world–if any of you are in London please visit. A big thank you to all the judges also!

I had the expert knowledge and unselfish assistance of two friends–Tashi Tundup, from Snow Leopard Conservancy India and Raghu Chundawat from Snow Leopard Trust in Delhi. I cannot thank you both enough.

This was a real collaboration between the snow leopard and myself. Hopefully this award will help further worldwide interest in the beauty and importance of the snow leopard and understanding of our need to protect it. I applaud National Geographic for making this story possible.

Want to help? Please visit these websites of organizations working with the snow leopard:

www.snowleopard.org
www.panthera.org
www.snowleopardconservancy.org

Here is a link to the BBC news item about the award.

Thank you, and “Save the snow leopard.”

Posted Nov 17, 2008

To view one of Steve Winter’s stunning snow leopard photos, please click on the link below:

http://ngm.typepad.com/on_assignment/2008/11/steve-winter-on.html