Photo competitions in the internet age have the power to change lives for aspiring photographers, and that’s what Gunnar Hartmann, an amateur photographer and Biogeoscience student at the University of Koblenz, Germany, hopes will happen.
Hartmann recently won the Scientists at Work photo contest, an annual promotion by science journal publisher Nature, and, following the “unexpected win”, now has his sights set on professional wildlife and conservation photography.
“To be honest, I was not prepared for such a big win and the amount of public attention that came with it,” said Hartmann. “Photography has never been my main goal. But winning this award and receiving so much attention has made me realize that maybe the biggest impact I can have is to tell stories through my camera.”
The shot which has propelled Hartmann into recent wildlife and conservation photography limelight depicts migrating northern bald ibises in flight being guided by researchers from the Waldrappteam conservation program in a light craft. Hartmann used the Canon R7 paired with a Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens, and opted for a 1/1000sec shutter speed, f/8 aperture and ISO 200.
Although primarily contracted by Waldrappteam for bald ibis conservation efforts, documenting the project on camera is what Hartmann felt created the most impact. “My main role was not photography, but field work. Photography was only a part of my work besides my other tasks but the one with the most passion! Sometimes so much that I forgot my other tasks and responsibilities.”
Hartmann hopes that the Scientists at Work award will help conservation projects build platforms and gain visibility, but also further his career ambitions. “Winning this award is a great honor for me, especially because I still have such a low profile," he said. “I do not even have a website or a real Instagram presence. I do not have the money or the skills for that yet, but those things may come with time.”
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