Igor Shpilenok began his photographic career when he discovered a wildflower meadow in Western Russia's Bryansk Forest. But by the time he returned with his first camera, the area had been destroyed by logging activity. He later became founder and director of the Bryansky Les Nature Reserve, which he managed for 11 years before turning his attention to professional photography.

Shpilenok now travels across Russia, documenting its relatively unknown system of protected areas. He particularly enjoys working in Kamchatka, a region best known for its high density of volcanoes and associated volcanic phenomena. It is also the breeding ground for Steller's sea eagle, one of the largest eagle species, and boasts an abundance of brown bears, as well as the world's greatest diversity of salmon.

Shpilenok has earned acclaim for his work in Kamchatka's Valley of the Geysers, one of only five places on the planet where boiling water and steam erupt through the Earth's crust. He has spent many seasons documenting its landscape of thermal springs, boiling mud, acidic lakes and volcanoes, with only rubber boots to stop his feet from being cooked! He was also present when the valley suffered a devastating landslide on June 3rd, 2007, from which it is still recovering.

Shpilenok's award-winning images have been featured in National Wildlife, Ranger Rick, Russian Life, National Geographic-Russia, Canadian Wildlife, Geo and BBC Wildlife magazines, among others. He is a fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and a photographer for Wild Wonders of Europe.

His work also appears in The Stork's Nest, a memoir written by his wife, Laura Williams.

Masquer le texte