AltaiPhotoLife – 2024: The nature of Kazakhstan’s Altai through a scientist’s lens

Senior researcher at the Laboratory of Entomology of the Institute of Zoology, Sergey V. Titov, won prizes in two categories at the regional photo contest AltaiPhotoLife – 2024, organized by the Katon-Karagay National Park.

1st Place in the category “Insects and Arachnids of Kazakhstan’s Altai” was awarded to Titov’s work featuring the Empusa pennicornis, a species of mantis from the Empusidae family.

2nd Place in the category “Red Book and Endemics” went to his photo of Damalacantha vacca, a species of grasshopper from the Pamphagidae family.

Sergey’s photographs were entered in four contest categories. Two of the images captured Red Book-listed animals: the grasshopper Damalacantha vacca and the thick-tailed pygmy jerboa. Following the exhibition, these photos were added to the relevant sections of Wikipedia.

This year marked the third edition of the photo contest, with submissions accepted from March 1 to October 15, 2024.

All entries for AltaiPhotoLife had to depict the Kazakhstan Altai region and be taken within the administrative boundaries of East Kazakhstan and Abai regions. Over 400 submissions were received from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Germany, with 300 photographs passing the technical selection stage.

The contest featured 10 categories:

  • Flora of Kazakhstan’s Altai
  • Fungi and Lichens of Kazakhstan’s Altai
  • Animals of Kazakhstan’s Altai (excluding birds)
  • Birds of Kazakhstan’s Altai
  • Insects and Arachnids of Kazakhstan’s Altai
  • Landscapes of Kazakhstan’s Altai
  • Anthropogenic Impact
  • Red Book and Endemics
  • Technical Photography Equipment
  • Special Protected Areas of Kazakhstan’s Altai (exclusive to SPA employees from East Kazakhstan and Abai regions).

On November 30, the opening of the exhibition and awards ceremony for the AltaiPhotoLife photo contest took place at the A.S. Pushkin Regional Library in Ust-Kamenogorsk. The exhibition showcases the top 100 photographs from 41 participants, including 32 prize-winning works. The display will remain open until December 17. If you live in Ust-Kamenogorsk, don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy stunning images of East Kazakhstan’s nature.

The AltaiPhotoLife contest aims to promote environmental awareness, highlight the relationship between humans and nature, and support biodiversity conservation efforts, including those focused on Special Protected Areas.

We congratulate our colleague, Sergey Vasilyevich Titov, on his achievements and wish him continued success, fascinating discoveries, and extraordinary photographic captures!

Photo: Sergey Titov, AltaiPhotoLife
10.12.2024

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