‘I’m in search of images that dive under the floor and actually inform a narrative.’

 

As a part of the annual European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitors, which was launched in 2001 by the German Society for Nature Photography, the Rewilding Europe Award celebrates among the greatest rewilding-related imagery from throughout Europe. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2026.

In 2026, the Rewilding Europe Award will likely be judged by Jon A. Juárez and Viktoria Pezzei, a German-Ukrainian photographer and photojournalist based mostly in Munich. In her work, which focuses on the setting, science, and sustainability, Viktoria explores relationships between individuals, wildlife, and place — with a concentrate on underrepresented tales in conservation. She is an Emerging League Photographer with the International League of Conservation Photographers, and a member of Women Photograph and the German Society for Nature Photography. We caught up along with her to search out out a bit of extra about her background — and what she appears for in an important rewilding picture.

 

What does it imply to be a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers?

Above all, it’s about group and shared function. In a discipline that may typically really feel solitary, being surrounded by like-minded fellows who share a deep-rooted dedication to moral storytelling is extremely empowering. It gives a platform the place we are able to change concepts, collaborate on world points, and amplify our collective voice. Knowing that I’m a part of a gaggle that prioritises the safety of nature over simply “getting the shot” provides my work a way of belonging and pushes me to uphold the very best requirements of integrity in conservation pictures.

 

 

You concentrate on underrepresented tales in conservation. Can you give us an instance?

I’m deeply drawn to the “underdogs” of the pure world — species comparable to bats, which are sometimes misunderstood or neglected, notably in my dwelling nation of Germany. I imagine that by bringing native tales to a world viewers, we are able to encourage a wider attain for conservation efforts. A latest instance is my work on fawn rescue in Bavaria, which was lately printed in BBC Wildlife magazine. These tales show that you just don’t must journey to the ends of the earth to search out compelling conservation narratives. By highlighting the sweetness and vulnerability of species proper on our doorstep, we are able to foster a extra private connection between individuals and the character they work together with on daily basis.

 

 

Your pictures helps individuals visualise scientific analysis – why is that this essential?

Scientific analysis is the spine of conservation, however analysis papers are sometimes complicated and written for a really particular, professional viewers. I see pictures as a bridge; visuals have the facility to translate summary information right into a language that’s tangible and emotional for most people. When individuals can really see the topic of a examine — or the influence of a selected conservation methodology — the science turns into accessible. It transforms info and figures right into a story individuals can perceive, really feel — and finally help.

 

 

Nature pictures has historically shied away from together with people and man-made components, however you have a good time it — why?

To me, conservation is inherently a human story. Humans are those behind each rescue effort and each restoration venture, and I need to make that invisible work seen. I worth a journalistic strategy that embraces the “whole story”, slightly than only a sanitised model of wilderness. In at present’s world, the place there may be much less house for nature, lots of our most susceptible species merely wouldn’t survive with out human intervention and dedication. By together with the human component, I hope to point out that we aren’t simply observers of nature, however lively members in its therapeutic.

 

 

What’s your most memorable wildlife encounter?

By pure coincidence, it really occurred proper in my very own neighbourhood. My neighbour instructed me a few bat conservation initiative in a forest simply minutes from my doorstep, which ended up sparking a long-term private venture. I keep in mind becoming a member of the volunteers as they monitored bat bins. As I sat prepared with my digicam on the base of a tree, they opened a field, and every little thing occurred in a blur. A bat flew out and brushed previous me — a sensation I’ll always remember because it was extremely mushy. In that break up second, I managed to seize the second earlier than the field was closed once more. It was a fantastic reminder that pure surprise is usually hiding precisely the place you least count on it.

 

 

Do you suppose pictures generally is a pressure for good?

Absolutely. Photography is among the strongest instruments we have now for advocacy, however it comes with a substantial amount of accountability concerning how topics are portrayed and interpreted. When used ethically, a picture can shift views, affect coverage, and lift very important funds for conservation. An ideal instance of this energy is Steve Winter’s iconic {photograph} of the mountain lion positioned in entrance of the Hollywood signal. In a single body, that picture instructed a whole and complicated story: that wildlife can and does coexist inside our densest cityscapes. The influence was monumental; shifting the narrative from worry to delight, it finally led to the development of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. This reveals {that a} well-timed, intentional picture can encourage tangible, large-scale change that advantages the pure world.

 

 

What will you be in search of on this 12 months’s Rewilding Europe Award submissions?

I’m in search of images that dive under the floor and actually inform a narrative. While technical talent is the baseline, I’m looking for photos that evoke a way of hope and present the tangible progress of rewilding. I notably love tales that occur in a single’s personal yard; photos that discover the extraordinary within the atypical, and show that conservation isn’t simply occurring in distant wilderness — however proper the place we reside. I need to be stunned by a perspective I haven’t seen earlier than and moved by the narrative behind the lens.

 

What are you engaged on now?

I’m honoured to be a Vital Impacts Fellow, which is giving me the chance to dive into a brand new venture exploring the intersection between people and wildlife. I’m at present specializing in the essential function bats play in agriculture — an interesting relationship that helps our meals programs in ways in which few individuals respect. This fellowship gives an exquisite platform to additional develop my visible storytelling and spotlight important conservation narratives which I hope will resonate each domestically and internationally.

 

Want to know extra?