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Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 815 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

For three months, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai is showcasing the exhibition titled Wildlife Photographer of the Year. See Part I of our coverage here.

“We are delighted to host such a brilliant selection of photographs, uplift the talented photographers behind the lens, and help raise awareness about the important issues our planet is facing right now,” says Isha Ambani.

NMACC is a pioneering multi-disciplinary arts space located within the Jio World Centre at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex. See also our coverage of its earlier exhibition on the ‘Pop Art’ movement here.

Developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London, the awards for Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) are dedicated to spreading environmental awareness and nature conservation. The images are featured in a global tour to locations like NMACC, thus igniting a sense of exploration and commitment to protecting the natural world.

The Natural History Museum is one of the most visited attractions in the UK. As a global source of curiosity, inspiration, and joy, its vision is to build a future in which both people and the planet thrive.

The WPY collection premiered at the Natural History Museum, and has been showcased at over 35 venues in 15 countries around the world. The 100 finalists include six photographers from India.

“The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition reveals some of nature’s most wondrous sights whilst offering hope and achievable actions visitors can take to help protect the natural world,” says Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum.

Photography as a medium and art form has a unique emotive power to engage and inspire audiences. The exhibited images shine a light on wildlife stories from around the world, and also encourage audiences to advocate for preserving the beauty of our planet.

The photographs were selected from a pool of nearly 50,000 entries from 95 countries, according to the jury team. They include fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species, and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world.

The exhibition draws attention to the beauty and fragility of life on our planet. It prompts reflection on how to advocate for the planet at a local and global level. In this manner, the exhibition appeals to photography hobbyists, wildlife enthusiasts, and nature conservationists alike.

“We felt a powerful tension between wonder and woe that we believe came together to create a thought-provoking collection of photographs,” observes Kathy Moran, Chair of the judging panel.

The WPY awards advocate ethical wildlife photography, and reward authentic representations of nature that reinforce respect for animals and the environment. Immersing in the WPY exhibition is thus a great way to spend the day, learn about nature, and draw inspiration from the masters of photography as a craft.

Entries for the competition were submitted in 19 categories, by photographers of all ages and experience levels. Entries were judged based on their creativity, originality, and technical excellence by an international panel of industry experts.

The lineup of photographers from India includes Sriram Murali and Vinodh Venugopal. Murali won the ‘Behaviour: Invertebrates’ award for his image of a forest illuminated by fireflies. He is also a filmmaker and volunteer for the International Dark Sky Association, with a passion for astronomy.

Venugopal was highly commended in the same category for his image of a spider’s silky web. He is an architect for IT infrastructure solutions at Cisco Systems, and is an avid traveler.

In addition to the Arts House which hosts the WPY exhibition, NMACC is home to three performing arts spaces: the 2,000-seater Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seater Studio Theatre, and the more intimate 125-seater Cube. There are also public art installations in the open areas, as shown in this photo essay.

The lineup of performances at the theatres includes Mughal-E-Azam, Life of Pi and The Phantom of the Opera. NMACC also features the lotus-inspired Fountain of Joy, with spectacular choreographed performances powered by 392 nozzles, 45-foot water jets, 664 LED lights, 200 mist emitters, and event eight fire shooters.

Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?

(All photographs were taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at NMACC.)