went to see the wild life photographer of the year award at bristol museum

I used to gte quite irritated by super HD digital photography with it sometimes surreal looking bright colour and feel quite old fashioned being upset about the lack of grain. The perfection just made the real look exaggerated and "hyper real" to me.
Today changed my opinion. I saw some amazing compositions and awe inspiring landscapes, funny and interesting animals and eye opening thought provoking documentary. Next to the bright and shiny pretty images of plants, night skies, cute mammals and funny birds were also black and white prints, grainy under exposed night shots but of main interest to me the documentary portfolios, "telling stories without the need of words". Going in  hand with the next part in the exhibition which points out the documentary photographers' importance to conservation/ raising awareness.

Brian Skerry on the exploitation of the seas:


(this is Tuna. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/prevPhoto.do?photo=2584&category=58&year=2010)

 (Fishing boat's waste)

Mark Leong: "It's just an animal"  poaching, abuse and torture

(making a pet)


(extracting bile for "medicine")

Always need these little reminders of what can be shown and how powerful photography can still be. The problem we face is a culture over saturated with visual products especially of both extremes - beauty and horror. These are shocking but have been shown for many years now and the change in people's emotions and empathy still shockingly slow.