French photographer Emmanuel Tardy has achieved what every wildlife photographer dreams of - being selected as a finalist for the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. At 57 years old, Tardy saw his photograph chosen from among 60,636 submissions from around the world for the renowned contest organized annually by London's Natural History Museum. His winning image captures a sloth clinging to a concrete post topped with barbed wire in Costa Rica, a scene that emerged from an unexpected traffic jam.
The photograph tells a powerful story of contrast between the wild and human-dominated worlds. "It's a sloth hanging on a concrete post with barbed wire," Tardy explains. "This image represents the contrast between the wild world and the domestic world created by humans. You can see in the extension of this image, in the depth of field, a path that leads toward civilization. So it's a wild animal lost in the middle of civilization, and it really has no business being there."
The circumstances behind the photograph were entirely unplanned. Tardy was vacationing in Costa Rica with his wife when they encountered a traffic jam near La Fortuna. Word spread among the stranded motorists that a sloth was crossing the road, and when they reached the scene, they found crowds of people who had left their vehicles to photograph the stressed animal, which had frozen on the concrete post.
"We preferred not to add to the stress," Tardy recalls. "We went and parked a little further away and waited for everyone to leave. From a distance, I watched what was happening. This gave me time to mentally program my photo and construct it to spend as little time as possible next to the sloth." When the crowd dispersed, he approached the animal carefully, getting down on all fours to avoid appearing imposing. He spent just one minute taking three or four shots before retreating the same way he came.
Photographing sloths presents unique challenges for wildlife photographers. These creatures rarely descend from their trees and are typically seen from far away, surrounded by dense vegetation. They only come down approximately once a week to relieve themselves, requiring photographers to be in the right place at precisely the right moment. "When it happens, it's a dream!" Tardy says. "For this photo, it wasn't the case - it's not where I would have wanted to photograph it."
Despite its success in the competition, the image represents something troubling for the photographer. "It's a sad photo that demonstrates the split that is being created between man and nature," he reflects. "I think we are definitively taking over nature, and that particularly touches me. So this image is certainly a testimony of what we shouldn't do or the mistakes we are making." This contrasts sharply with his preferred style of creating very clean portraits of animals in their natural environments.
Tardy's journey to this prestigious selection happened somewhat by chance, though he had followed the competition for years. He previously entered in 2015, making it through preliminary selections but not advancing further with a more traditional image. For ten years, he felt he didn't have an image that could take him to the next level. However, immediately after taking the sloth photograph, he told his wife he thought he had an image for the Wildlife competition.
The notification of his selection created a memorable moment of confusion and joy. "It was weird because I speak very poor English," Tardy admits. "When I received the email saying I was selected, I read it three times to understand properly. I told myself it wasn't possible, I put it through a translator to be sure I understood correctly, and then I had my wife read it - she speaks fluent English - and she confirmed the news again!" He describes it as immense joy and true recognition of his daily work, though he expects the full emotional impact won't hit until he sees his image printed at the Natural History Museum.
Looking ahead, Tardy has one particular photographic dream that remains unfulfilled. "The real photo I want to take is that of the wolf," he reveals. "It's the animal I've never encountered, and it's the photo I'm delaying. There are many people who take photos of wolves, but for now I'm keeping it in reserve like a somewhat inaccessible dream." He considers the wolf, like the great white shark, to be both accessible and mythical for everyone.
The book featuring the 100 most beautiful photos from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition will be published on October 15 by Biotope editions, priced at 34 euros. Winners of the competition were announced on October 14, with Tardy's selection representing not just personal achievement but also a poignant commentary on the increasingly complex relationship between human civilization and the natural world.
