Don’t be grumpy like this bird, let Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards make you smile

There are many great photography contests out there. Still, none of them can make me laugh like the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards and its selection of images. The jury has just announced the finalists of the 2021 contest, and just as always, there are many photos that will instantly improve your mood.

This year’s final shortlist includes 42 photos plus the Portfolio and Video category entries. It showcases the biggest mix of animals seen in the competition to date. Photographers from all over the world sent over 7,000 photos: a laughing vine snake from India, a trio of strutting Gentoo penguins on the beaches of the Falkland Islands, and a Kangaroo performing a Pavarotti impersonation in Australia. But tall photos have one thing in common: they show animals, and they’re hilarious.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards was co-founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam. The duo wanted to create a competition that focused on the lighter side of wildlife photography, but also helped promote wildlife conservation. They chose, in my opinion, the best possible “weapon” to spread the important message: humor.

This year, the competition is supporting Save Wild Orangutans by donating 10% of its total net revenue to the charity. The initiative safeguards wild orangutans in and around Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo.

It was hard to choose a favorite among all these images, but I was immediately drawn to this grumpy bird by Andrew Mayes. That’s probably because I looked and felt equally grumpy since I woke up this morning.

However, after going through the finalist images, they managed to turn my frown upside down. Since I love sharing good things, here are more hilarious photos to make your day, too. Make sure to visit the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards’ website for more information. For even more giggles, check out winners and finalists from previous years, and sit tight till October when we’ll see this year’s winners!

© Lea Scaddan/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2021

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