Wildlife Photographer Stripped of Award for “Faking” Photo
After being named the Wildlife Photographer of the Year by the British Natural History Museum, José Luís Rodriguez has been stripped of his award. Judges have determined his winning photo of a wolf jumping over a fence, below, was staged.
When the award was first announced, it caused an uproar among people claiming the photo was fake. Not because it was photoshopped, which is the usual accusation, but because the wolf in question looked like a tame wolf by the name of Ossian. Additional evidence: the wolf in the photo is an Iberian wolf, rarely seen in the wild. Guess what kind of wolf Ossian is?
Rodriguez is, of course, denying the accusations. But comparisons of the wolf in the photo and images of Ossian have convinced judges the wolves are one and the same.
It’s still a cool photo of a very handsome creature.
As a student studying visual journalism, this is another controversial topic that hinges on the “myth of photographic truth.”
Where is the line drawn and how does it change for outdoor photography? Is a staged photograph of people different than a staged photograph of animals?
I’m not necessarily defending him, but this photograph would still take a great deal of knowledge and skill to execute properly. Just some interesting things to think about.
Hey Evan – Interesting questions. I’m not a photographer, nor do I play one on TV, so I don’t feel qualified to answer them. However, I can say that my issue with this is the photographer’s outright denial that the photo was staged with a tame wolf, despite evidence against him. It seems like a blatant violation of the spirit of the award. Had he staged it with a wild wolf (as he claims he did), I might feel differently. But, as it stands, I admit to feeling that the photo seems less than authentic in the context of “wildlife” photography.