6 years ago
© Milo Angelo Ramella, Italy, Entry, Open, Wildlife, 2018 Sony World Photography Awards
Milo Ramella is a wildlife photographer based in Italy. He has been fascinated by fauna and flora since he was a boy and at the age of 20, found photography as his passion. He now travels extensively to find the right shot.
Milo has won the October monthly competition of the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards with his stunning image of a Snowy Owl. Below, we find out a little more about his approach to photography.
Anyone can enter 3 FREE images to be in with a chance to win $5k, a trip to London and worldwide exposure.
Hi Milo. Congratulations on winning the monthly prize for October. Firstly, tell us a little about you and your photography
My passion for photography is mainly on the behavior of birds. I love many different types of mammals, but birds are my main subjects and my focus.
Tell us about the winning shot... how, when and why did this come about?
The shot was taken in Canada, a female Snowy Owl was laid on a field and I was studying it. At one point the presence of another Owl alarmed my bird and she took flight.
‘First Light’ - Brown Bear, Kamchatka, Russia by Milo Angelo Ramella
‘Fox Fight’ - Red Foxes, Ontario, Canada by Milo Angelo Ramella
‘The Game’ - Arctic Fox, Iceland by Milo Angelo Ramella
Why photography? What does the medium mean to you?
Photography is my great passion. I use it to express my love for nature, and my pretext for being alone in the midst of it.
Tell us about your connection to nature and photography in particular
My love for nature was started by my father when I was a child. From the first years of my life, I was going fishing and walking in the mountains. Photography is now the means I use to express my empathy with nature.
‘Evanescence’ - Sooty Terns, Bird Island, Seychelles by Milo Angelo Ramella
‘Ghost Crab’ - Ghost Horned Crab, Bird Island, Seychelles by Milo Angelo Ramella
‘Under The Snow’ - Arctic Fox, Iceland by Milo Angelo Ramella
In your opinion, what makes great nature and wildlife photography?
To create a great photo of nature you need some special components. One may be luck, but that’s not enough. You need to be able to highlight those details which are not captured at first glance.
Tell us about your most memorable shoot - what were some challenges you faced?
Definitely, my photography of the Icelandic fox was tough. There were wind and snowstorms, which made it almost impossible to see the horizon, but at the same time made a surreal atmosphere that created beautiful colors and a great opportunity for interesting compositions.
Do you have a photographic philosophy?
My philosophy is first and foremost the respect for nature and my subjects, and second, to be able to interpret the image personally, in the most original way I can.
