A fifth grade student of BGS National Public School in Bengaluru has won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year-2021 award, which is often described as the Oscar of wildlife photography.
Vidyun R Hebbar’s photograph of a tent spider shot in a car park in Bengaluru and titled Dome Home won the coveted award in the under 10 category at the contest organised by the Natural History Museum in London.
The award ceremony was held virtually from the museum at 12.30am (IST) on Wednesday due to the pandemic. Vidyun had sent 10 pictures to the competition in December 2020. The organisers receive almost 50,000 entries from 96 countries every year. One of his other photographs of a butterfly taken in his school garden won him a commendation as well.
Vidyun, who was only 10 years old when he sent his entries last December and has turned 11 now, will receive a certificate and a portfolio book which has the pictures of the winners and 1,000 British pound sterlings (Rs 1 lakh).
“It’s such an imaginative way of photographing a spider. The picture is perfectly framed, the focus is spot on. But the really clever bit is the addition of a creative backdrop – the bright colours of a motorised rickshaw,” said chair of the jury, Roz Kidman Cox.
Vidyun, who started his photography journey at a very young age, also won the Highly Commended award in the same competition last year for his image titled “City Signature”. The boy wants to be a wildlife photographer or perhaps, an astronaut.
Vidyun’s father Raviprakash SS, a software engineer and a renowned photographer, said:”I am very happy as it is a great milestone in my son’s life. He will get a lot of exposure and this will help him develop multiple skills.”
