November 11, 2023 Interview by Erik Ruiterman Today the jury of the prestigious Nature Photographer of the Year contest announced the winners of this year’s edition. I spoke to Jacquie Matechuk shortly after she learned that she may call herself the Nature Photographer of the Year 2023 and she was still over the moon. Jacquie: “It seems almost surreal. I saw the quality of the other competitors and I was really impressed. To me it was already an honor to be one of the finalist. I feel deeply grateful for the jury and the organization of Nature Talks, to grant me such&nbs ..read more

How does a deep-felt fascination with mountains at a young age become the start of a successful career as a professional nature photographer? To get an answer to that question, I interviewed Dutch nature photographer Bas van Laarhoven. At the NPOTY contest 2022 he was highly commended in the category ‘Nature of “De Lage Landen”‘. Bas is a renowned, multi awarded nature photographer who specializes in landscape and abstract nature photography. From an early age on he has a fascination for mountains, but through the years also he learned to appreciate his rural environment as an important sou ..read more

What kind of photographer will one become when you grow up in a little village at the edge of the fascinating Indian jungle? To get an answer to that question, I interviewed Indian nature photographer Ripan Biswas. At the NPOTY contest 2021 he was both highly commended in the ‘Plants and Fungi’ category and runner-up in the Peoples Choice award. Ripan is a multi-award winning nature photographer and story teller with a strong opinion on the role that people and animals play in our complex ecosystem. His work is published in various national and international magazines like Sanctuary Asia &a ..read more

What are your goals if you have a passion for wildlife photography, witness the effects of climate change and are blessed with a strong entrepreneurial spirit? To get an answer to that question, I interviewed Israeli nature photographer, Greenpeace ambassador and environmental diplomat Roie Galitz. In the 2021 NPOTY contest, he was winner in the Black and White category. As a nature photographer, Roie travels to the most extreme habitats in the world, photographing animals as they have never been seen before. But this also makes him more aware of the distress of nature due to man’s influenc ..read more

How does a deeply rooted love for cats leads to traveling the world and photograph nature in a way that creates visual and emotional impact? To get an answer to that question, I interviewed Chinese nature photographer Jie Fischer. At the NPOTY contest 2020 she was highly commended in the ‘Landscape’ category. Jie loves nature, although she lives in big cities all her life. She has always loved animals, especially cats and sees herself as a crazy cat lady surrounded by four cats (lol). What Jie Fischer appreciates in animal relationships is the fact that there is no gossip, no betrayal and n ..read more

How does a recreational diving course turn into a lifelong career, both intellectually, professionally and romantically? To get an answer to that question, I interviewed the German nature photographer Georg Nies. At the NPOTY contest 2021 he was winner in the category ‘Under Water’. Through the years Georg found the perfect way to combine his big passions – underwater photography and marine biology – with his professional life. He became the German representative for SEACAM underwater photo gear. He is a diving instructor. And he is organizing workshops for underwater photography in the mos ..read more

Does growing up in one of the Baltic States influence the work of a wildlife photographer? To answer to this question I talked to the Estonian nature photographer Aare Udras. Aare was a runner-up in the categorie Mammals in the NPOTY contest 2021. For Aare the main reason to explore the Estonian forests is to try to understand a bit of nature and to study the behavior of the animals that live there. And during this process of studying, sometimes a reward in the form of a photo awaits. It is time to get to know this nature explorer. For him, the exploration process is even more important tha ..read more

What if approaching an empty nest offers an opportunity to rediscover your love of nature? Would you take the chance to take your photo gear outside? And would you embrace the beauty of nature and relive your deep-felt love for nature that you acquired during your childhood? To get an answer to that question, I interviewed the American nature photographer Pam Dorner, highly commended in the category “Mammals” at the NPOTY contest 2021. As a young girl, she became fond of the natural world, but as a mother, her adult life has been centered on her boys and was filled with their activities, li ..read more

What if you could show the general public that every bird is a personality? Would that help more people give birds the respect they deserve, since we humans tend to respect an individual’s personality more than the one-of-a-million-in-the-flock? To get an answer to that question, I interviewed the Norwegian nature photographer Terje Kolaas, overall winner of the NPOTY contest 2021. For Terje Kolaas, birds have always been his living and profession since his adult years. In 2006, he established the study “Bird Identification” at Nord University, where he still teaches. Furthermore he guides ..read more

How can a honeymoon shape the rest of your life? To get an answer to that question, I interviewed the Spanish Nature photographer Oscar Diez. Oscar is a multi-awarded nature photographer and part of his work is published in various magazines and books. He is partner of the Spanish photography associations AEFONA and FONAMAD and partner of the Spanish Society of Ornithology SEO. Interested in all disciplines of nature photography, he likes to shoot birds, landscapes, mammals and reptiles. Nowadays he even starts to take his camera into the water to shoot the underwater world. Oscar was ..read more