Igor Shpilenok
A word from the expert
Igor Shpilenok is a nature photographer, multiple participant and winner of international photo contests, an expert of the "Golden Turtle" creative competitions in the field of ethical treatment of animals, the founder and the first director of the Bryansk Forest reserve, the author of many photobooks about the wildlife.
TOP AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
- Founded the Bryansk Forest reserve, Russia 1987
- Joined the International League of Conservation Photographers, 2014
- Laureate of the "Wildlife Photographer of the Year" international photo contest, Great Britain 2006, 2009
- Laureate of the "Golden Turtle" international photo contest, Russia 2006, 2007
A WORD FROM THE EXPERT
«One of the most important tasks of the "Golden Turtle" International Wildlife Festival and its photo contest is to attract public attention to the beauty and fragility of wildlife and to promote care towards the world around us.The ethical side of photographing the wild is actively discussed by the authors themselves, the authorities and the public not indifferent to the beauty of the surrounding world. And it is not surprising, since photography can not only save, but also destroy the fragile world of wildlife. For example, an inept, but passionate photographer, trying to photoshoot birds in the nesting colony without a pre-arranged skrader, can destroy hundreds of bird lives in less than an hour.
It is a great honor for me to be the Festival Expert on Ethical Treatment of Animals. My colleagues from the professional jury - Jim Brandenburg, Claudio Contreras Cub, Michel Roggo – and me are members of the International League of Conservation Photographers, whose mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through photography2.
That is why it is so important for all the authors, submitting their works to the contest, to take care of animals in the process of shooting and observe the ethical standards of wildlife photography!
Each of us is guided by their own motives when taking pictures of the surrounding world. Some of us want to spend more time in the wild, others satisfy their hunting passion, follow their creative ambitions or illustrate their scientific research. And due to these various motives, our ethical approaches to photography may differ. But we all have to unite in one thing - in our desire to help nature and to preserve its beauty!
That is why, we have adopted the
Ethical Photography Standards of
the International League of Concervation Photographers (ILCP)
to serve as the the ETHICAL CODE
of the "Golden Turtle" International Wildlife Festival and its photo contest,
which can be found on the competition website.
Ethical Photography Standards of
the International League of Concervation Photographers (ILCP)
to serve as the the ETHICAL CODE
of the "Golden Turtle" International Wildlife Festival and its photo contest,
which can be found on the competition website.
Photographers, especially professional wildlife photographers, are the ambassadors of nature in the modern world. Our viewers will imagine the world around us exactly the way we show it to them through our work. Therefore, I want to encourage each one of us: let us show the wild nature carefully and truthfully to help protect and preserve it for the generations to follow!»
Best regards,
Igor Shpilenok