Portrait of a hare, by Jarek Jõepera, wins Bloodless Hunt  16.10

Jarek Jõepera’s photograph of a hare zooming along in the rain was declared the best shot in this year’s nature photography contest Bloodless Hunt. Photographs of hares having fun and of other animals and birds are on display at the exhibition in RMK’s headquarters at Toompuiestee 24, Tallinn.

Jarek Jõepera recalls the birth of the winning entry: “I had been watching hares along the edge of a field for over two hours, and was feeling that it had been a very long time since my spine had twisted over backwards so well. It had been raining for the past hour, with major carry-on having ended by then and with all the hares, their coats of fur soaked, minding their own business along different stretches of the edge of the field. A bolder one among them now came to have a look at the suspicious presence that had been lying down without moving for quite a while. How often does it come to pass that you get to look down on a human?”

Jarek Jõepera, declared Champion of the Bloodless Hunt, has garnered this title before during the 18-year history of the photography competition, in 2002, and then, too, it was a photograph of a hare that brought him recognition. Jarek Jõepera was awarded the competition’s travelling trophy, a horned Viking hat, and a gift from Overall; his photographs were also declared worthy of two special prizes.

According to Tiit Hunt, chief organiser of the Bloodless Hunt, prey is chosen for the Hunt every year. “This year’s prey was the wild swine, our prey also in 2000.” At that time, Estonia had only half the current population of wild swine, and it was the plight of the photographers not to be able to capture a single photograph of wild swine over those three days,” Tiit Hunt recalled. This year, the photographers were luckier, with ten or so pictures of wild swine submitted for the jury and two of those awarded special prizes.

Recipients of special prizes: 

  • RMK Prize – photograph of a roe-deer nibbling on dandelion by Jarek Jõepera
  • Eesti Jahimees Magazine and Estonian Hunters’ Society Prize – photograph of a group of European hares by Jarek Jõepera
  • Eesti Loodus Magazine Prize – photograph of two graceful roe-deer by Tõnis Haamer
  • Eesti Mets Magazine Prize – photograph of a wild swine by Egert Tavita
  • Jägermeister Prize – photograph of a pensive badger by Olavi Hiiemäe
  • Looduse Omnibuss Prize – photograph of a sly fox by Arne Aderi
  • ilm.ee Prize – photograph of a Eurasian bullfinch by Meelis Suurkaevu
  • NOR-EST WOOD AS Prize – photograph of wild swine with piglets by Olavi Hiiemäe
  • Hotell Pesa Prize – photograph of ducklings by Tõnu Noorits
  • Loodusesõber Magazine Prize – photograph of a black grouse blackcock striking a showy pose by Ingmar Muusikuse
  • Horisont Magazine Prize – photograph of a pair of common cranes in a forest of white birch by Hendrik Relve

The 18th Bloodless Hunt was held from 22 to 24 May 2015, in Simisalu, in North Kõrvemaa. The photo hunt, organised by RMK and Overall, was attended by 41 photographers this year. This is Estonia’s oldest nature photography competition.

The Bloodless Hunt is similar to real hunting, but the weapons are cameras, the ammunition memory cards, and the quarry is lots of photos of animals and nature. No gunshots, only quiet camera clicks. The object of the Bloodless Hunt is to profile the landscapes and denizens of a region through pictures.

An exhibition of the best pictures from the Bloodless Hunt is open in RMK’s headquarters (Toompuiestee 24, Tallinn) from 09.00 to 18.00, Monday to Friday. The exhibition will be open until 11 December 2015. The pictures at the exhibition have been printed by Overall, on a Canon IPF 8400 printer, using Pearl Gloss Super PPG 250 paper by Tecco.

For the attached photograph from the winning entry at the Bloodless Hunt (by Jarek Jõepera) and a gallery of the awarded photographs, click here.

Further information:
Tiit Hunt
Organiser of the Bloodless Hunt
Telephone: 506 7488
E-mail tiithunt@gmail.com