The Nature Pictures of the Year 2024 exhibition until 8.12.2024

The Nature Pictures of the Year 2024 exhibition will be on display at Maretarium right away. The results of the 44th edition of the Nature Picture of the Year competition were announced on Saturday 19.10. in Helsinki. Timo Mylläri’s stunning bird picture “Congestion” – a snapshot of a flock of Ruffs exuding the intoxication of spring was chosen as the Nature Picture of the Year.

“A unique and punchy snapshot of a flock of flying Ruffs, the jury of the Nature Picture of the Year competition commented on the winning photo. According to the jury, the image shows breathtaking speed, even though the movement itself is technically stopped. “The entire surface area of the picture is brimming with the excitement of spring, which spreads and continues beyond the picture”, the jury praises and continues the analysis: “The image captivated as soon as you saw it. A document also recorded in a split second about flock intelligence, where each bird follows its neighbor and reacts with lightning speed to its movements.” The jury also noted that such an image cannot be planned very far in advance, but must be ready in the right place at the right time.

A total of 12,116 images from a total of 774 photographers were uploaded to the Nature Picture of the Year 2024 competition. In the first round of judging, the jury selected 1242 semifinalist photos from 452 photographers. An image participating in the Nature Picture of the Year competition is a semifinalist if at least one judge shortlists it. In the next phase, the jury scored all the semi-finalist photos, and 460 photos from 255 photographers were selected among the finalist photos to compete for the prize. For each competition category, the jury selected the series winner, the 2nd and 3rd prizes and the honorable mentions, and finally the Nature Picture of the Year from among all the series winners.

Winner of the Nature Photo of the Year Birds category and Nature Picture of the Year Timo Mylläri, Seinäjoki
winner of the Landscapes category Timo Vesterinen, Kotka
winner of the Plants and Mushrooms category Tommi Kuisma, Lahti
winner of the Mammals category Mikael Koskinen, Nokia

winner of the Other Animals category Hannu Ahonen, Jyväskylä
winner of the Details and Shapes of Nature category Ilpo Aalto, Mikkeli
winner of the Man and Nature category Elmeri Juuti, Espoo
youth (under 18 years) – winner Tiitus Hanf, Espoo
winner of the Black and White Photos category Arto Juvonen, Loviisa

The competition judges were Mika Honkalinna from Liminka, Lasse Kylänpää from Västanfjärd, Tero Pelkonen from Kuopio and Eva Roos from Turku. The aim of the Nature Picture of the Year competition is to shine a spotlight on Finnish nature and the best photographs of Finnish nature of the year – in all its beauty and diversity. The Nature Picture of the Year is a visually impressive photograph that demonstrates the art of photography and insightful vision.

This year, the Nature Picture of the Year competition had nine categories, one of which has an annually changing theme. This year’s theme was black and white images. The Nature Picture of the Year, the series winners of the competition and the other images awarded in the competition form the Nature Pictures of the Year 2024 exhibition, which will tour around Finland for the next year, and now the first exhibition venue is Maretarium. The exhibition is included in the ticket price of Maretarium and will be on display until 8.12.2024, welcome!