I’m really wild about photo exhibition

And you don’t even need to travel abroad – some of the world’s most exotic animals are currently on your doorstep, thanks to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition that’s visiting Stockwood Discovery Centre at the moment.

The collection arrived in Luton on October 15 and is at the Stockwood until January 1 2012, so there’s plenty of time to get along and see it.

It’s housed in the centre’s Discovery Hall, which means you have to go past the Mossman Collection of carriages to get to it. I personally find these items a bit creepy (I don’t think it helps that one is a hearse), but I’m sure that fans of transport history will find plenty to enjoy.

Anyway, back to the animals. Whether it’s wildlife you’re interested in, or photography, or both, this exhibition really is a cracker, and something we’re very lucky to have in Luton.

When I was there, on a rainy Monday afternoon, there were quite a few people visiting, so it’s good to see that it’s not going unnoticed.

There’s a variety of categories into which the pictures have been grouped, but you can just wander around taking it all in. You wouldn’t know, for instance, that the winner of the young photographer category wasn’t an accomplished adult snapper.

The subject matter ranges from the magical underwater world of whales through to birds in the remotest corners of the Scottish Highlands.

One of my favourite pieces was in the photojournalism section, and was by Kai Fagerstrom. His photo essay, ‘The House in the Woods’, showed how nature had taken over an abandoned house in Finland. He observed a raccoon, owl, squirrel and badgers who had made the house their own, and the pictures are at once enchanting and spooky.

The stories that accompany the images are equally arresting, and make you realise just how far the photographers go to capture that perfect shot. Thomas P Peschak, who took the picture of the aldabra giant tortoise above, reveals how, once he’d snapped the creature, he had to roll out of the way before it crushed him.

Many of the images are aimed at highlighting just how fragile our wildlife can be, showing the effects of deforestation or pollution. One heartbreaking image shows a turtle trapped in netting – I was pleased to read that the photographer set her subject free after getting her shot.

All of nature’s savagery and tenderness is on show here, from lions ripping apart a carcass or a tiny armadillo in the jaws of a caiman, through to the stilt bird that creates a safe haven for its tiny chicks by building a nest from a mound of salt crystals.

The images really are testament to the patience and passion of the photographers, and are definitely worth seeing.

Aside from the exhibition, there’s plenty of other stuff to see and do at Stockwood, with collections covering geology, archaeology, social history and rural crafts, and the beautiful period gardens.

There’s also the well-stocked Garden Cafe, which is probably worth a visit in its own right. Serving everything from teas and coffees to main meals, sandwiches and Sunday lunches (from 12noon until 3pm), it’s an excellent facility and even uses produce grown in the gardens.