Wlodzimierz Puchalski

Włodzimierz Puchalski (b. March 6, 1908 in Mostki Wielkie, near Lwów – January 19, 1979) was a Polish photographer and "bloodless hunter".

Puchalski studied at Politechnic of Lwów (Engineer of Argonomy). He was the first man to use the term "Bloodless hunt" to describe hunting with the use of film and a still photo camera. This pioneer of nature photography and nature popular science films authored several dozen albums and over 40 films, winning numerous photographic contests at home and abroad.

He began his photographic adventure began at the Cadet Corps and during college studies, initially photographing waterfowl in Żółkiew fish ponds (from grass-made hideouts), and later carnivorous birds in Sokal. He also immortalized hunting scenes of the Polish nobility.

During the World War II, he worked as a forest ranger in the Sandomierz Forest only to return to his passion after the war. He joined ranks with Wytwórnia Filmów Oświatowych w Łodzi (Educational Film Company) and immortalized nature traveling throughout Poland. The lens of his camera tracked flocks of migratory birds on the Biebrza and Narew rivers, as well as the wisent, elk, wolves, lynx, beavers, deer and smaller animals.

On Spitsbergen, he gathered substantive material about the fauna of this cold corner of the world; in the Polish research station on King George Island in the Antarctic, he photographed penguins, sea lions, whale bones and his beloved birds. He died while filming sea birds – skuy.

The Wlodzimierz Puchalski International Nature Film Festival is held yearly in Lodz.