Nature’s Best Photography at the Natural History Museum

You would never guess by the images that appear on this blog that I have a bit of background in photography.  Before leaving the full-time professional world to stay at home with my kids, many years of my work were in the editorial and publishing arenas as a photo editor for a travel website and for the Discovery Channel.

There was a time when I carried an SLR with me everywhere and kept my eye out for the shot.  These days, I snap most of my pics with my iPhone and reserve my focus for children who might wander.

Anyway, during my time at the travel website, one of the projects I worked on was a partnership with Nature’s Best Photography Magazine.  The title couldn’t be more apropos — they publish some of the most stunning  wildlife and nature photography I have ever seen. And it’s all about the photography; the images aren’t used to illustrate articles — there is often just background information about the shot and photographer — but they tell fascinating stories on their own.

Every year the magazine holds a competition to recognize the passion and dedication of nature photographers: The Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards.  The winning photos are always phenomenal, capturing moments in nature that are spellbinding, inspiring, heart warming, insightful, and just beautiful to look at.  Lucky for us, we’ll get to do that — up close.

Starting this Saturday, April 16, the winning photographs from the 2010 competition will be on display at the National Museum of Natural History.  The Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2010 exhibit will run through September 25.  You can get a preview of the images online, but what better place to view them than at the museum, where all things nature are celebrated.  Go on Saturday and make it a day at the museum — check out the photos then stay for the Coral Reef Family Festival.

Admission to the  museum, exhibit, and festival are free.