RR Photographer of the Year
Ranger Rick magazine and the National Wildlife Federation are proud to announce that Thomas Marent, of Neuenhof, Switzerland, has been named winner of the Ranger Rick Photographer of the Year award.
This award is given to the photographer who best advances the mission of the magazine with exciting, informative, and spectacular eye-popping photographs.
Ranger Rick is the award-winning nature magazine for children ages 7 and up. It is published by the National Wildlife Federation, America’s largest conservation organization dedicated to protecting wildlife for our children’s future. The mission of Ranger Rick is to inspire in its readers a greater understanding of the natural world, a deep love of nature and wildlife, and a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship.
Marent’s photographic contributions to Ranger Rick were numerous during the past year. They include a cover and a story about orangutans, as well as various frogs and reptiles. Marent was selected by a panel of top nature photography experts and Ranger Rick editors. The judges collectively felt that Marent’s photos reflect his exceptional passion for wildlife and commitment to the environment, superior technical expertise, and his ability to tell an engaging story through pictures.
As a young boy, Marent loved to explore wildlife in the mountains around his home in Switzerland. When he bought his first camera at age 16, he became as passionate about photography as he was about nature. After his first trip to an Australian rainforest in 1990, he decided to explore rainforests throughout the world. He explains, “It was the rainy season and the forest was bursting with life. It was hot, humid, noisy and completely exhilarating, but most exciting of all was the wildlife. I was immediately hooked.”
“It becomes obvious, when you look at Thomas Marent’s photographs, that he has a deep love and appreciation for the rainforest and its inhabitants,” says Mark Godfrey of the Nature Conservancy, and one of the expert judges. “His orangutan photos comprise the finest set of images I’ve ever seen of that increasingly endangered and elusive arboreal ape.”
Joanna Pinneo, another judge and photographer for Ranger Rick magazine, says "One of the first things you notice about Marent's photography is the intimacy with which he captures his subjects. It's as if you're right there in the tree with the orangutan mother and baby. I'm especially delighted by his frog photos—they pop with personality! His images bring you into to the world of that wonderful, wild creature."
Along with bragging rights, the award comes with a $1,000 prize and an announcement in the May 2011 issue of Ranger Rick.
The National Wildlife Federation inspires Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. Media Contact: Susan McElhinney, Photo Editor of Ranger Rick
