White Light Goes Wild for Awards Ceremony at National History Museum, London

	Photo: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015 Awards took place on October 13. Held annually at the iconic Natural History Museum, London, the awards ceremony celebrates the finest wildlife photography from across the globe. Following more than 42,000 entries submitted from 96 countries, the eventual winner was Canadian photographer Don Gutoski with his image "Tale of Two Foxes."

The evening took place in the Hintze Hall, with 220 invited guests in attendance. The museum wanted to implement a particular theme for the occasion. Alice Beer, events and filming manager at the Natural History Museum, comments: "Each year we choose an image from the finalists to establish the theme of the ceremony. For 2015, we chose the image of a pangolin. The colors in this photo provided a warm autumnal feel which is obviously perfect for this time of year. It was important that these hues and textures were reflected in all elements of the event throughout the evening."

Beer adds: 'We wanted the lighting to enhance the architecture of the museum and set the tone for this special event -- something which we knew WL could achieve."

Richard Stirzaker, WL's project manager, oversaw the event. He says: "We have worked on the awards many times in the past and it is a fantastic occasion located within a historic space. Every time we return, we are able to draw on our ever-expanding lighting range to ensure that every ceremony achieves its potential."

WL provided the lighting support across the entire evening, from the moment guests arrived for the drinks reception and canapés all the way through to the after-show party. Stirzaker says: "For the actual presentation of the awards, the client wanted to create a dynamic, celebratory feel. Therefore we used moving lights and spotlights which were projected onto the stage area."

The evening also marked the launch of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year gallery. Featuring more than 100 images from both the finalists and the winners, this amazing collection will be open to the public until April 10, 2016.

Beer adds: "I had another fantastic experience working with WL. Every time I have called on their services, they have always worked within budget, on time, and delivered some amazing results -- with this being no exception."

Stirzaker says: "The great thing about this event was that we were able to bring our own creative solutions to it. The Hintze Hall is a world-renowned space and it was our role to transform this into something which would not only be suitable for an awards ceremony but would ultimately make the evening an unforgettable one."