Best Wildlife Photographers and (Silly) Pictures, 2024

In October, the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award 2024, was announced by the Natural History Museum in London, and Alberto Román Gómez (Spain) won the under 10 years award with the picture "Free as a Bird" (left). You can gaze at the stunning photos and read the descriptive captions in The Guardian report "Wildlife photographer of the year 2024 winners -in pictures". The captions are very succinct and precise so, rather suitable for C1 learners and above, where these words, among other, will come up: record-breaking [59,228 entries], an exhibition, a tadpole, a swarm, to snorkel, a lily pad, a stonechat bird, hefty, tricky, ownership, to roll [a log] over, to fruit, [slime] mould, a springtail, a split second, focus stacking, to mirror, a spot, a [camera] trap, a prey, an [elusive] lynx, fungi, gnarled, a birch tree, a lichen, a timeless [beauty] etc. 

NPR also covered the same competition with a more factual article, "Lynx, tiger and tadpoles, oh my: See the Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners", which is longer, more cohesive and easier to read perhaps, so, it can be recommended for B2 students and above, who will find words like: a lynx, a tadpole, a swarm, a lily pad, to lay [in wait], to track [animals], to set up, [camera] traps, to frame, a shot, to seize the moment, to stretch, to wrestle, a yacare caiman, a falcon, underwater, to narrow down, to be featured, a venue, to spark [creation], to coil itself, a snout, to snorkel [painstakingly], a lily pad, silt, to dodge, stunning, to hatch, wetlands, to rally [the community together] etc.

To add a touch of humour to wildlife art, B2 students can either have a peek at the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Gallery of Winners and Finalists 2024 or read the USA Today report on the winners of that competition, "'Squirrel stuck in a tree' tops funniest wildlife photos of the year: See the pictures". The final list of goofy winners was published on December 10th.

The pics will certainly bring a sunny smile (or raucous laughter) to learners, who may pick up new words like: a squirrel, [stuck], to stick, smooching, owlets, to highlight, a compromising [position], a [tree] hole, hind [legs], a statement, a raucous [laughter], to be shortlisted, ecstatic, to narrow down, a standalone [photograph], to showcase etc.

Back in April, the winners of the World Nature Photography Awards 2024 came out. B2 learners and above can click above to look at amazing pictures, and find interesting words in the captions and explanations like: hired, waterproof, a gannet, to dive into [water], anglerfish, a reef, a cheetah, a herd, a topi, dotted [across the valley], to cling [onto a foal], to launch, iconic [iguanas], a lizard, to bask, and many more.

Other interesting wildlife photography awards to check out are the British Wild Photography Awards and National Geographic best wildlife photos from 2024.

"Veneradas y Temidas" in CaixaForum Zaragoza

"Veneradas y Temidas: el poder femenino en el arte y las creencias" is a British Museum globetrotting exhibition that opened in London in 2022 as "Female Power: the Devine to the Demonic" and has finally come to CaixaForum Zaragoza. 

The exhibition is a 5,000-year, cross-cultural stroll that shows the visitor how femininity has been perceived and represented by different faiths, mythologies and cultures across the world, often in contradictory terms: how women have been worshiped as the embodiment of protection, fertility, purity, gentleness and modesty, but often the very same goddesses have been feared as the epitomes of destruction, vengefulness, lust and wrath. Gender fluidity is also showcased in the exhibit, with artifacts of ancient non-binary deities, who display male and female sexual attributes and can transform into different animals to connect to mortals.  

The British Museum published a number of helpful guides for the teachers and students who are planning to visit "Feminine Power: the Devine to the Demonic", as well as comments by high-profile collaborators like Mary Beard, Elisabeth Day, Bonnie Greer, Rabbia Siddique and Deborah Francis-White, or by current religious communities, like the Bengali Hindu London Durgostav Committee (LDC), or the pagan Children of Artemis.  This kaleidoscope of opinions and materials will certainly sharpen the visitors' eyes to spot crucial details in the figures, and, hopefully, may open their minds to ideas beyond accepted beliefs and truths to prompt meaningful conversations with their companions.  Personally, I would stongly recommend watching a long video with subtitles below (01:11:43) "The curators introduction to the exhibition" -or at least parts of it- where Belinda Crerar and Lucy Dahlsen discuss the artistic and cultural significance of the highlights of the exhibition (note: in "Veneradas y Temidas", the exhibit touring Spain, Kiki Smith's Lilith 1994, has been substituted by Zanele Muholi's Somnyana IV 2015 etc., and John William Waterhouse's Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses 1891, has not come to Spain). 

C2 students who are planning to visit "Veneradas y Temidas" do not need to watch the whole video, they can just focus on the objects that catch their eye. The language in the video is rich and dense at times, so subtitles and pauses could help to pick up individual words and expressions such as: curator, to display, femininity,a deity, beliefs, faiths, to depict [in Art], bigendered, genderless, to honour [these deities], commonalities and contrasts, to run through [these themes], a [faith] community, a playwright, to prompt [questions], to tune in, to hand back [to Belinda], an artwork, a pioneering [artist], a multi-layered [narrative], sacred artefacts, vulva, to drag, to spin out, the cycle of life, [deliberately] provocative, Abrahamic [narrative], an unapologetically [feminist perspective], second wave feminist, [celebratory] imagery [associated with childbirth], visceral, crude, flexed [knees], labia, a carving, [artworks] on display, lust, emaciated, to trace [the interpretentions], [stories] revolve around, to transcend [gender], a print, Shinto, to stir [the primordial water], to bob [its tail], to embody [natural phenomena], to encapsulate, fiery [temper], to flow [like lava],rough/ polished texture, a dual/ multifaceted [nature], unpredictable, volatile, crossovers [between the sections], [female] agency, nudity, a relief, yuxtapositions, to epitomize the [male] gaze, to cover up, to avert [her gaze], to wield [power], rage, to worship, to underscore [other aspects], to mint [a coin], to honour [Venus], a shockingly [erotic image], [who is] in control [of her power], earthbound, stiff, demonology, to submit [to Adam], to lie [underneath Adam], defiance, to wreak [havoc], cast [from a body], crouched, on all fours, to embellish, temptress, [seemingly] blameless [Adam], to underscore [innate female deviousness, [women's] collusive [responsibility],  courtship, 

a cowherd, evil, esoteric [knowledge], to encapsulate, an icon of [feminist rebellion], to reinterpret, hunched [over], [the male] gaze, assertive [figure], to be tamed, to clutch [the chalice], [to have] the upper-hand, a deceptively [seductive figure], to look down her nose, witchcraft, voyeuristic, Sabbath, to epitomize, lust, to poke fun at, surrealist [artist], folk [belief], [feminity] to imbue [the natural world], to draw on [a standard belief], to transgress, demons, vengeance, an ogre, grief,
a sage, anger, jealousy, to encapsulate, furrowed brows, [emotional] turmoil, despair, annihilation, slaughter, wrath, to be venerated, to offset, to wipe them off [the planet], to rampage, harshness, to dye [beer red], Puja [celebrations], fearlessness, [demonic] hordes, to defeat [demons], enraged, emanations, to confront and overcome [injustice], compassion, to sever [her followers from greed, envy, ego], the Savior, [to guide] the faithful [to salvation], a striking [piece], straws, a shimmering [effect], a pilgrimage [site], straw mosaic, a calligraphy [work], upbringing, unshakeable fortitude, a role model, compassion, canonically, to lessen [her importance], an enlightened [being], goddess [of compassion], perceiver [of sound], genderless, wisdom, to be venerated, embodiment, to overcome [a vice], karma, a [fully meditative] pose, [a subject of] contention, seductiveness, sensuous, alluring, curvaceous, draped [in silks], jewels, nirvana.

C1 learners can read a shorter, easier prologue to Feminine Power written by curators Belinda Crerar and Lucy Dahlsen: "An Introduction to Feminine Power". C1 students will find interesting key words like: a sneak peek, belief, artwork, to shine [a light], femininity, a goddess, annihilation, embodiment, to showcase, primordial, vulva, to grasp, a breast, needleworkers, depiction, a deity, a goddess, a [reddish] hue, fiery[nature], flaming [hair], to flow [down], a rough/ polished texture, dual [nature], a relief, to stare [confidently and confrontationally], a [lion] mount, a tiered [crown], volatile, votive [models], to assert [her equality], defiance, to cast [the image from a real woman], piercing, lifelike, to crouch, on all fours, a [voyeuristic] gaze, to permeate [mythology], to defy [expectations of female submission], empowerment, bulging [eyes], a glyph, slaughter, to withhold [her wrath], to grant [healing and peace], scorching, to set up, garland, severed [heads], fearlessness, compassion, karma, enlightened [being], to fan out, to transcend [gender], androgynous, swiftly, to spring [into action], wrathful emanations.

Today covered the opening of the London exhibition on BBC Radio-4 back in May 2022. C2 learners can listen to the inauguration report with an interview to Elisabeth Day, and they can do a listening comprehension task and check their answers with the key. The list of key words can be used to follow the radio report without a script (these materials were already published on this blog, in the entry "Art and Femine Power"). Some interesting words and collocations in the Today report are: a goddess, a she-devil, a saint, a witch, to be betrayed, a blood-thirsty warrior, divine, demonic, to be installed, a gargoyle, a bronze [sculpture], to crawl, [about] to pounce, attached to [the wall], [female] defiance, [to refuse] to submit [to Adam], the Garden of Eden, happily ever after, to rebel, depiction, faiths and mythologies, a [painted] terracotta, dating [from 500 BC], snake-like [hair], fangs, to stick [her] tongue out, to have [someone] round for dinner, to reassess [things after Me Too], a survivor [of rape], [female] rage, a statement [of power], to be rageful, [to be sexually] assaulted, a male-dominated [industry],an all-boys [club], gratitude, to put up with [a lot of stuff], to range from,

an orgasm [machine], to impress [my bosses], [everyday sexual] harassment, micro-aggressions, an admission price [to being a woman], stepped into [my rage], bulbous [eyes], [to die in] childbirth, to be engaged [in a battle], to long for [children], yearning and shaped [by her lack of children], to open up [about a personal failure], [universal] resonance, my soul, [millennia of] patriarchy, to strive [against that], a cohesive narrative to [this exhibition].

"Vereradas y Temidas: el poder femenino en el arte y las creencias", CaixaForum Zaragoza, December 5th, 2024- March 23rd, 2025.