Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Romance is Dead awarded in major competition
Romance is Dead, one of William’s best selling prints, has just won highly commended at Wildlife Photographer of the Year out of over 60,000 competition entries.
Romance is Dead: Highly commended in the Animal Behaviour category.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
With over 60,000 this year the Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPOTY) competition is regarded as the most prestigious and toughest in the industry. From the thousands of entries just 100 make it through and William’s image, Romance is Dead is one of this year’s handful of highly commended images.
Known for rewarding original imagery, WPOTY is now in its 60th yea and previously awarded photographers include the likes of Charlie Hamilton-James, Ami Vitale and Bertie Gregory, some of the biggest names in the industry and constant sources of inspiration to William’s work.
The Awards Show at the Natural History Museum in London
Image Story
Throughout William’s work there is usually a feeling of calm, for that is how he endeavours to keep the encounters between him and his wild subjects. Every now and then though something happens that leaves William stunned.
In early 2023 William was staying at Namiri Plains, a beautiful camp in Eastern Serengeti,
Again this image is all about the angle and perspective, taken as if lying in the grass next to them, which William almost as they mated. This process between male and female often takes up to three days, with regular mating during this time they spend together, away from other lions. Reactions between the lions can often be dramatic and it was this William set about trying to capture.
“I knew that once they finished mating lioness’ can often react in a visceral way, biting or snarling at the male. This reaction was one of the harshest I saw over the time I spent with these two though, with flys exploding from his mane and a look of genuine fear on his face.
It was not until I got the print on my computer later that evening that I also noticed the trail of saliva coming from the lioness’ jaws, another extraordinary detail in this shot.”
Behind The Scenes
Highlights from William’s eight days at Namiri Plains, working on the winning image.
Join William in the Serengeti
In 2021 William co-founded Armstrong Fortescue, a photographic safari company offering guided trips to some of the world’s most exciting photography locations.
William will be back in Namiri Plains for private safaris in early 2025, and you can join him there for a group safari in 2026. To enquire about either option please use the form below and William will be in touch with you.