Per the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards’ website, the competition was founded by nature photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks in 2015 when he had the idea to promote some of the goofiest photographs he had in his portfolio from various excursions in East Africa. He decided to launch a competition among the wildlife photography community from his office in northern Tanzania to see who had the best blooper reel. Over the next few years, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards grew into a global phenomenon with shutterbugs from every corner of the world submitting their finest accidental comedy for Joynson-Hicks’ consideration.
Mark Fitzpatrick / Comedywildlifephoto.com
The mission statement for the project reads, “Through the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, we aim to widen understanding and engagement of a sustainable world — and wildlife conservation specifically — for the preservation of biodiversity and the health and enrichment of everyone on Earth.” They believe that they can achieve these admittedly lofty goals by engaging with people’s empathy through humor. After all, who doesn’t love a picture of a monkey getting hit in the nuts?
Ken Jensen / Comedywildlifephoto.com
“A funny animal photo is incredibly effective because there are no barriers to understanding, or taboos that must be negotiated,” their website reads. “It taps into the impulse for anthropomorphism (big word!) which is well-documented as one of the most powerful triggers for human empathy. To really understand animals and the issues that affect them, you need to empathise with them as fellow inhabitants of the same planet.”
With their high ambitions and wholesome humor, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have managed to make some of the most uplifting and accessible comedy content on the internet. This year’s contest is shaping up to be a slugfest — those dropkicking kangaroos don’t look too keen on losing a fight.
Related: Five Things To Know About Comedy 2022, According to Funny or Die
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