Philippines bags runner-up in regional competition
Filipino photographer Silver Vito Niño Andrada emerged as the first runner-up in the recently conducted wildlife photography competition dubbed “Through the Lens,” spearheaded by Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS).
Runner-up Silver Vito Niño Andrada from the Philippines snapped two squirrel monkeys—submitted in the ‘cute’ category—‘hanging out’ in the forest canopy.
The competition received over 1,700 entries from professional and amateur photographers in five countries across Asia. Representing the Philippines in the regional finals which took place in Singapore, Andrada competed against other finalists from China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Winning photo by Tapan Sheth from India, capturing a calm chameleon at Singapore Zoo’s newest exhibit, RepTopia. His entry received close to one thousand public votes on social media.
WRS Chief Marketing Officer Isabel Cheng said, “We thank all of the talented contestants for their participation and remarkable entries. Their images caught so many beautiful moments and it’s been fascinating to see the different stories captured by each participant through their lens—influenced by natural landscapes from their own country.”
Runner-up Fan Li Fang from China captured two greater flamingoes feeding peacefully in the waters surrounding the Zoo’s Gibbon Island.
The inaugural contest, which was launched this year, aims to encourage photographers to capture the powerful connection between humans, nature, and wildlife through their lens. The entries were categorized into five themes—namely cute, humorous, animals up-close, meaningful, and park icons.
For his entry, Andrada captured two squirrel monkeys hanging out in the forest canopy. The photograph was included in the ‘cute’ category.
Among the winners are Tapan Sheth from India, who held the winning title, and China representative Fan Li Fang, who ranked as one of the runner ups.
Each winner received a squeezable smartphone with a high-end camera—one that’s ideal for nature and wildlife photography.
Written by Gelyka Dumaraos, contributor
