2021 CPoY finalist, Henley Spiers

Finalist Conservation Photographer of the Year

Henley Spiers Scotland

60°08'43.8"N 1°01'10.9"W

A dead gannet hangs from a piece of discarded fishing gear, used to build its nest. “In mating season, seabird colonies outnumber the human population of Shetland many times over,” says photographer Henley Spiers. “Northern gannets arrive in their thousands, with 25,000 nesting pairs turning the black cliffs on the Isle of Noss white. At times the enterprising birds will recycle discarded fishing gear to build nests, but this sometimes ends in tragedy with the gannets becoming fatally ensnared.”

BEHIND THE LENS

Henley Spiers United Kingdom (UK)

ABOUT THE IMAGE

Overcast
Mid-morning
Slight wind
12 degrees Celsius

Henley Spiers is an award-winning underwater photographer, storyteller, and expedition leader, widely recognised as one of the leading voices in contemporary ocean photojournalism. Henley combines technical skill with a storyteller’s eye to create images that reflect both the wonder and vulnerability of the natural world. In recognition of his narrative approach, he was named the first-ever Storyteller in Residence for Oceanographic Magazine. He was named Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year (2024) and awarded the Grand Prize at HIPA (2022). His portfolio also includes major honours from the Nature Photographer of the Year, Environmental Photography Award, European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, as well as the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year. His photography has been widely published, including in National Geographic, The Sunday Times, Der Spiegel, The Economist, BBC Wildlife Magazine, and The Guardian.