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60 Stunning Winning Images From Nature Photographer Of The Year 2025

Earth

The winners of the Nature Photographer of the Year 2025 have been announced, celebrating the very best in nature photography from around the world. From breathtaking wildlife moments to stunning landscapes and unique perspectives on plants and fungi, this year’s competition received a record 24,781 entries from photographers in 96 countries.

This year’s overall winner, Åsmund Keilen from Norway, impressed the judges with his photo of a bird flying against the glowing summer sun, creating a magical and dreamlike moment. Alongside him, photographers from across the globe were recognized in categories including mammals, underwater scenes, plants, human and nature, and more. Each winning image invites viewers to pause, reflect, and marvel at the incredible diversity of life on our planet.

More info: naturephotographeroftheyear.com | Instagram | Facebook

#1 Category Animals Portraits | Category Winner: "Shared Wonder" By Mary Schrader, United States Of America

"Beneath the lush canopy of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda, I observed a young female mountain gorilla from the Binyindo family gently nestled against the protective bulk of a silverback. The atmosphere was serene, filled with the soft sounds of the forest, until a sudden burst of delicate color broke through the calm. An unexpected visitor, a vibrant butterfly, appeared out of nowhere, fluttering through the air. Captivated, the young gorilla’s eyes widened, and a beautiful interaction began to unfold. I held my breath, waiting for the butterfly to drift closer, knowing the image would only hold its power if the two were captured together. Patiently, I tracked its graceful movements until, at last, it entered the same frame as the gorilla’s face. In that fleeting alignment, where wild strength met fragile beauty, I pressed the shutter. My heart raced quietly as I realized how rare and precious the moment was, an instant that united them in a shared world of curiosity. As the butterfly circled the gorilla, it seemed to embody the delicate balance and fragile interconnectedness of our natural world. This photograph captures not just the gorilla’s gentle curiosity but also a brief moment where two creatures paused, noticing each other, bound by wonder and discovery."

#2 Category Animals Portraits | Highly Commended: "Lioness Eyes Behind Birds" By Willem Kruger, South Africa

"I have the privilege of visiting the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park several times a year. The park lies in a semi-arid environment and can sometimes be very dry, with only a few thundershowers each year. When this image was taken, it was during a very dry season in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. As a result, we saw several small birds arriving in flocks at the waterhole to drink. We were very fortunate one early morning when a pride of lions approached the waterhole while we were parked nearby. As the lions moved closer, the birds continued to arrive in flocks, landing briefly on the edge of the water before taking off again. In the photograph, a flock of small birds takes flight while one of the lionesses drinks. The lioness kept a watchful eye on the birds, as lions are natural hunters and anything that moves interests them. However, she made no attempt to catch or chase them away. It was fascinating to watch the birds face potential danger while trying to drink, with a lioness so close by in the dry, semi-arid park. As always, the lioness remained alert, ready to react to any movement, as seen in her attentive behaviour towards the flying birds. I was fortunate to have parked my vehicle in just the right spot to capture both the lioness and the birds, as visitors are not allowed to drive off-road in the park."

#3 Category Mammals | Runner-Up: "The Hidden Grail Of Sumatra Island" By Vladimir Cech Jr., Czech Republic

"I will not exaggerate when I say that I have been waiting for this chance not for weeks, not for months, but for years. During the extreme Covid era, I decided to take a risk, overcome all the challenges that accompanied the preparations and the journey itself, and set out for my striped dream in Sumatra. For many years, I had been drawn to the idea of capturing one of the few high-resolution photos of the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), a critically endangered subspecies native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is the smallest of the tigers, with stripes closer together and a darker orange coat that blends seamlessly into the tropical rainforest habitat. I began my work there in May 2021 and returned in March of the following year to collect the remains of my equipment, mostly due to discharged batteries. I decided to leave two camera trap sets in the border zone of Gunung Leuser National Park and move the remaining two to a different area. After 315 days from installation, news came from Sumatra, both good and bad. The good: the tiger had come. The bad: it had approached from the wrong direction. To cut a long story short, it took me more than four years to capture the gaze of one of the most amazing creatures on our planet on the display of one of my homemade camera traps. The biggest challenges were the tiger itself and the island of Sumatra. Organization and complex fieldwork are extremely demanding; you must give your absolute best, and that is only the beginning. Moisture and other natural “traps” of the rainforest can ruin your chances even a few days after installation. Everything must fit together: you need to find a great location, ensure the equipment works long enough, and hope the tiger appears. Above all, you need a huge amount of luck."

#4 Category Landscape | Highly Commended: "Infernal Beauty" By Jason Mirandi, United States Of America

"This image was created in November 2024 in Pennsylvania during the Lehigh Gap Fire. A wildfire that scorched 600 acres of the Blue Mountain near the Lehigh Water Gap in the eastern part of the state. Photography is a passion of mine, and so is firefighting, and when I had the opportunity to both battle this wildfire and document it for the world to see, I took it. The image depicts the aftermath of a backburn, an intentionally set fire used to consume fuel between a firebreak and an oncoming, uncontrolled flame front, stopping its advance. While the raw flames of an active fire are powerful and dramatic, I purposely sought out the right scene and waited until the flame front had passed deeper into the forest to capture this photograph. In doing so, I hoped to reveal an entirely different, mesmerizing mood. The transformative power of fire is on full display in the aftermath of the retreating flame front, as the glowing, ember-covered trunks and gnarled branches create a landscape of haunting beauty that draws the viewer into the scene. This fire occurred during a historic drought, the first month in 153 years of recorded history with zero rainfall in the Philadelphia region and much of the northeastern United States. While extreme fire behavior is often associated with the arid western states, drought conditions can fuel intense wildfires across broader regions, affecting areas not accustomed to or prepared for such explosive events. It’s a sobering reminder of nature’s raw power, and of our shared responsibility to respect and protect it."

#5 Category Nature Art | Category Winner: "Moose In Snow" By Pål Hermansen, Norway

"Over many years, I have set up several cameras with infrared sensors near my home in southern Norway. Usually, these are ordinary cameras placed in waterproof cases, but there are also a few trail cameras among them. One of the benefits of the trail cameras is that they feature an infrared flash, invisible to animals, and especially useful during the wintertime. The cameras are positioned along more or less distinct trails where I expect animals to pass. Most of the time, there is nothing to see, or just false triggers, but once or twice a year, something truly interesting appears. On this January night, a heavy snow blizzard swept through, and believe it or not, a moose passed by in the perfect pose at just that moment. Because of the wide-angle lens and great depth of field, a highly unusual image was captured with the infrared flash. I feel the rough quality of the image suits the mood perfectly."

#6 Category Other Animals | Highly Commended: "Stranded Survivors" By Octavio Campos Salles, Brazil

"This photograph was taken during one of the harshest droughts I have ever experienced in Brazil’s North Pantanal. What is usually a labyrinth of rivers, lagoons, and flooded plains had become a parched landscape, its lifeblood of water nearly gone. The transformation was staggering, with wetlands that should have been bursting with aquatic life reduced to cracked mud and scattered pockets of moisture. Among the species most affected were the caimans. Normally one of the most abundant animals in the region, they now faceda crisis. Unable to disperse as they usually do, thousands were forced into the last remaining pools of mud, competing for space and survival beneath the unforgiving sun. The group in my image had once occupied a thriving wetland stretching for kilometers, now reduced to a shrinking, precarious refuge. Anticipating these extreme conditions, I brought a drone to document the unfolding story from above. From the air, the scale of their struggle was undeniable. Dark silhouettes of caimans packed tightly together, set against a backdrop of fractured earth and drying mud, formed eerie, almost artistic patterns. The photograph captures more than just a congregation of reptiles; it is a stark portrait of resilience and vulnerability, and a reminder of the fragile balance of an ecosystem under pressure."

#7 Category Animal Portraits | Highly Commended: "A Curious Nose" By Laura Dyer, United Kingdom (Country Of Origin South African)

"One of the rarer African finds and a lifelong dream for many is seeing an aardvark. These nocturnal creatures are notoriously difficult to spot and even rarer to photograph, as they emerge under the cover of darkness to search for ants, of which they can eat up to 50,000 in one night. Feeding at night allows them to feel safer, as they are harder to spot by predators, against whom their only defence is a quick retreat into their burrow or a battle with their very sharp claws. Aardvarks, however, are very sensitive to the cold, feeding in bursts and returning to their burrows to both digest and keep warm. On this particular visit to the Makgadikgadi Pans, a sudden cold snap in the central Kalahari meant that night-time temperatures plummeted well below zero, lower than what the aardvark can comfortably handle. This meant its nighttime feeding schedule was not long enough to meet its food requirements. As a result, on this rare occasion, a sunset aardvark existed on Earth. He left the burrow before dark to lengthen the time he had to feed, and you can imagine my joy as I was able to spend time watching this curious-looking creature, digging for termites and using those long ears to listen intently to their underground activity. It was a truly special experience to observe an aardvark out in the open, calmly feeding and completely relaxed in our presence. It was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase this rare species and to see, in such sunlit detail, all that makes up one of Africa’s most remarkable mammals."

#8 Category Mammals | Highly Commended: "In Mothers Arms" By Dvir Barkay, United States Of America

"The image was captured at the La Selva Biological Research Station in Costa Rica. It is part of a series of photographs I took of this mother and her offspring, a three-toed sloth. I spent a week with the pair as they moved from tree to tree, about one tree per day, capturing thousands of images in different weather and circumstances. In this moment, a rain shower had just begun, and the mother covered her baby as it slept, cradled safely in her embrace."

#9 Category Nature Of “De Lage Landen” | Highly Commended: "Winter Wolf" By Noelle Zweers, The Netherlands

"In the autumn of 2023, I heard that a young wolf had been spotted in the Drents-Friese Wold Nature Reserve, not far from my home. The wolf was visible during the day and wasn’t shy at all. After going there a few times, I finally saw the wolf for the first time in my life. We were with about six photographers, and the wolf paid no attention to us at all as it hunted for mice. After about two hours of watching and photographing the wolf, it started snowing. The wolf continued hunting for mice even during the snowfall. At one point, it walked to the edge of the forest and eventually disappeared into the woods. The other photographers called it a day and went home. I thought, “These are such unique circumstances,” and, hoping the wolf would return, I was the only one left. After waiting for quite some time, the snow finally stopped. My patience paid off when the wolf returned and walked across the field, which was covered in a beautiful, fresh layer of snow. What a magical feeling it was to stand there all alone and see the wolf in such a beautiful snowy landscape."

#10 Category Underwater | Runner-Up: "Jellyfish Watercolour" By Alex Varani, Italy

"While diving on the reef off Misool Island, Indonesia, I encountered a mass aggregation of jellyfish from the Pelagiidae family (cf. Pelagia noctiluca or Sanderia malayensis). Thousands of these creatures drifted with the gentle current just a few meters from the reef wall. These dense swarms, known as “blooms,” occur when jellyfish gather near the surface and coastal areas. Blooms are favored by specific environmental conditions and can be accompanied by increased reproduction, resulting in a greater abundance of individuals. The phenomenon is striking, as these jellyfish have a notable sting and can cause panic for those who encounter them. Being naturally very curious, I approached the bloom as closely as possible without disturbing it and managed to capture the photo in one of the areas with the highest concentration. The resulting image resembles a delicate watercolor of jellyfish."

#11 Category Landscape | Highly Commended: "In The Shadow Of The Fire" By Philipp Egger, Italy

"With its towering 3,403 metres, Mount Etna rises as Europe’s mightiest and highest active volcano, a primordial giant whose appearance is ever changing. In winter, it seems to rest peacefully beneath a blanket of snow, a silent guardian watching over Sicily. Yet within, an untamed force seethes, ready to erupt from the depths of the earth at any moment. On this day, the mask of silence fell, and the mountain revealed its true, unbridled face. In the early afternoon, the two of us set out to climb Etna’s slopes. A dense, high fog shrouded the mountain, swallowing the world in endless grey. With every step, the air grew heavier, laced with the sharp scent of sulphur. The wind drove smoke and acrid gases into our faces, as if the volcano itself sought to bar our way. Still, we pressed on, step by step, until by evening we reached nearly 3,000 metres, a place where the raw power of the mountain unfolded in all its might. At the foot of the Southeast Crater, a massive fracture had opened, a gaping wound from which liquid fire burst forth. A torrent of glowing lava rolled relentlessly down the snow-covered slopes, as though the mountain were laying bare its very core. For days, the lava flowed until, at about 1,800 metres, it froze in the icy air, a hardened ribbon of fire testifying to the tireless, hidden energy within Etna. With the first light of the following day, a breathtaking sight was revealed. The sun rose behind the old, long extinct craters, silent witnesses to eruptions more than twenty years past. Its golden rays cast the rising smoke and thick fog into a shimmering play of colours. The landscape itself was divided, like a mirror of the volcano’s contrasts. One side snow white, the other blackened by ashfall and the west winds of recent days, etched with fine dark lines drawn by the storm across its surface. Etna is more than just Europe’s highest active volcano; it is a being in constant transformation, forever reshaping its form. Few places so vividly display the earth’s raw power and the transience of all things. Every eruption is a spectacle of nature that inspires awe, a wonder that never ceases to astonish and remind us to pause in reverence."

#12 Category Underwater | Highly Commended: "Newt Embrace" By Anton Sorokin, United States Of America

"Every spring, California newts (Taricha torosa) return to ponds to breed. Over the years, photographing them has become one of my favorite subjects. From above, this particular pond in the San Francisco Bay region of California doesn’t look like much; it is a muddy pool nestled between gently rolling hills, sometimes used as a latrine and watering hole for local cattle. Yet underwater, it pulses with amphibian activity. Female newts lay eggs, while others attempt to eat them. Male newts pursue potential mates, grabbing onto both females and other males. Males are quickly released, but when a male finds a female, he grips tightly, and for good reason: rival males soon join the fray, attempting to pry him off. It can be difficult to tell where one newt ends and another begins. Eventually, the winning male and female break away and flee the other males. On this occasion, the sun was low, and by adjusting my angle, I was able to include it over the pair of newts in amplexus."

#13 Category Human And Nature | Highly Commended: "The Long Journey" By Joan De La Malla, Spain

"A macaque peers out from its transport box, trying to observe what happens outside during its journey to be reintroduced into the wild. In some cities of Java, Indonesia, there is a practice known locally as Topeng Monyet. It involves the use of trained macaques in street performances. These macaques are often harshly trained and live a frightening, lonely life, deprived of the social bonds that primates deeply depend on. The practice is, in fact, illegal, and many macaques are now being confiscated and rehabilitated. When they arrive at the facilities run by the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, they receive the care and attention they need. After many months of rehabilitation, the macaques are ready to be reintroduced. Their long journey back to freedom takes many days and requires several different forms of transport."

#14 Category Other Animals | Category Winner: "Silent Scream" By Bence Máté, Hungary

"I am grateful for every moment my work allowed me to spend on Bird Island, part of the Seychelles, a tiny island of two kilometres in width made of coral sand. Its wildlife, atmosphere, and overall essence were so vastly different from what I was accustomed to back home that I felt as if I had stepped into a parallel world. The island is privately owned, and thanks to the dedicated efforts of its caretakers, the last rat, introduced by humans, was eradicated in the 1980s. Combined with controlled vegetation management, this has allowed the island to become home to more than seven hundred thousand pairs of sooty terns today. However, I arrived outside their breeding season and saw only a handful of individuals, though other bird species were still nesting, even in November. While waiting to photograph white terns, I suddenly heard a distress call. Not far from me, an adult brown noddy was tormenting a helpless chick of its own species for reasons I could not understand. Within moments, the struggling chick, now lying defenseless on the ground, was swarmed by crabs that began devouring it alive. It was heartbreaking to witness, but I chose not to interfere with the natural order. In no time, nearly ten crabs had surrounded the chick, dragging it into the bushes, one of nature’s rawest moments, a silent scream lost in the vastness of the island."

#15 Category Human And Nature | Highly Commended: "Echolocation" By Lana Tannir, Germany (Country Of Origin Croatia)

"Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are small, elusive cetaceans found in coastal waters across the Northern Hemisphere. They rely on echolocation to navigate, communicate, and hunt. However, populations in many regions are declining due to human impacts such as underwater noise, pollution, overfishing, and bycatch in fishing nets. At 30 years old, Freja is the most well-studied and oldest recorded harbor porpoise in the world. Since 1997, she has lived at Fjord & Bælt, a research facility in Kerteminde, Denmark, after being bycaught in a fisherman’s net and deemed non-releasable. Freja participates in non-invasive behavioral experiments such as this one, in which her eyes are covered with suction cups while she is asked to discriminate between two underwater targets, one made of aluminum and the other of plastic. A DTAG monitoring device on her back records her acoustic responses. Through these studies, scientists aim to understand how harbor porpoises use echolocation to hunt and how underwater noise affects their foraging abilities. Such research helps guide conservation strategies to support the survival of these elusive marine mammals in the wild. This photograph was taken at the research station during one of these data collection sessions and is part of a larger photography project titled Saving the Harbor Porpoise. The project documents the work of scientists and conservationists in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, highlighting their efforts to study, protect, and raise awareness of this vulnerable species."

#16 Category Underwater | Category Winner: "Featherhome" By Luis Arpa Toribio, Spain

"I’ve always been fascinated by the smallest creatures of the reef, those that most divers overlook. For a long time, I had imagined photographing these tiny critters from their own perspective, to show what their miniature world might look like if you were right there with them. In Tulamben, Bali, while exploring feather stars, I came across a crinoid shrimp (Laomenes amboinensis). Perfectly camouflaged in both color and pattern, it clung tightly to its host, spending most of its time motionless and relying on the feather star for protection as well as for food drifting in the current. Normally, such shrimps disappear into their surroundings, but with the help of a “bug-eye” wet lens, I was able to get very close while still keeping most of the crinoid in frame. That unusual perspective gave exactly the feeling I was hoping for, a view that pulls you inside the shrimp’s fragile, hidden world, where beauty and survival depend entirely on blending in."

#17 Category Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award | Winner: "Flowerscapes" By Theo Bosboom, The Netherlands

"What would an ant see if it looked up while walking through a field of flowers? Or a ladybird resting for a moment on the stem of a flower? How fantastic would it be if you could photograph this view! Until recently, you could only dream and imagine it. But some time ago, when a long, narrow, wide-angle macro lens that can rotate 360 degrees came onto the market, photographer Theo Bosboom saw an opportunity to make that dream a reality. Bosboom said, “It was as if I had been given the key to a wonderful secret world — I felt very privileged and excited!” It was the beginning of a personal journey of discovery through numerous flower fields and all kinds of other places where you can encounter flowers, such as roadsides, forests, dunes, and city parks, mostly in his home country, the Netherlands. The ever-surprising perspectives made Bosboom fall under the spell of flowers, and he continued to marvel at their beauty, their strength, and their fragility. The images he made for the project show flowers in a totally new way. Unlike traditional macro photographs of flowers, the emphasis is much more on the life of the flowers and the habitats they are part of. One of the things Bosboom found very alarming while photographing was the small number of insects he encountered. In places where you would expect great insect activity, it was sometimes eerily silent. Both flowers and insects have been in serious decline in Western Europe (and many other countries) in recent decades due to intensive agriculture, urbanization, and ever-expanding infrastructure, among other factors. This is a very serious threat to biodiversity, because there is a complex ecosystem that wildflower meadows support. Fortunately, there have also been positive developments, such as the new mowing and verge management practices adopted by many municipalities in the Netherlands in recent years, with much greater attention to wildflowers and insects. But there is still a lot of work to be done."

#18 Category Nature Art | Runner-Up: "Injured Guillemot" By Knut-Sverre Horn, Norway

"I thought the guillemot was about to die when I found it lying still on the ground, partly covered in blood running from its right eye, on Hornøya, Varanger, Northern Norway. An hour earlier, I had been quite annoyed to realize that my brand-new macro lens was still in the camera bag, as I don’t like to haul around more gear than I’ll actually use. Now, the lens came in handy after all. The drops of blood made a striking contrast against the dark brown and white feathers. I kneeled down and took a few photos with different framings and angles when the bird suddenly took flight. It was apparently able to see me with its left eye. I don’t know what caused the injury, but guillemots may fight fiercely, and I have also seen them collide mid-air when they circle the colony in huge swarms. Hornøya is one of my favourite places, and I take ninety-nine percent of my images close to my home in Varanger."

#19 Category Mammals | Highly Commended: "No Fear, No Mercy" By Tomasz Szpila, Poland

"Some of Africa’s most fascinating animals are not its largest, but its smallest warriors. Among them, the honey badger (Mellivora capensis) has earned a reputation for unmatched courage and determination. Despite its modest size, this fearless predator can fend off much larger adversaries, often attacking with surprising aggression and stamina. Protected by exceptionally tough skin and a natural resistance to bites and stings, honey badgers have the tools to survive encounters that would doom most other animals. Yet, as with all creatures, youth and inexperience can tip the scales, making young individuals especially vulnerable to apex predators such as lions. It was early one morning on the open plains near Lake Ndutu, in the southern Serengeti ecosystem, that I witnessed a dramatic and rare confrontation between these two iconic species. A young lion, full of energy and curiosity, had managed to corner a honey badger. At first glance, the scene appeared almost playful: the lion pawing, circling, and testing its opponent, as if enjoying a game. But for the honey badger, the reality was far from a game. Exhausted, breathing heavily, and with limited options for escape, it summoned all its strength and ferocity in a desperate attempt to resist. Watching the two locked in this uneven battle was a stark reminder of the harsh realities of the natural world. The honey badger’s legendary reputation for fearlessness was on full display; it snapped, lunged, and refused to submit, even in the face of overwhelming odds. The young lion, however, held the advantage in both size and stamina, gradually wearing its opponent down. This time, the outcome was clear: the lion prevailed, asserting dominance over one of Africa’s most resilient fighters. Encounters like this highlight the constant struggle for survival on the savanna, where even the fiercest spirit cannot always overcome sheer strength. In the end, the bravery and tenacity of the honey badger serve as a powerful symbol of wild resilience, but they also remind us that courage alone is not always enough to defeat a much stronger adversary."

#20 Category Birds | Category Winner And Overall Winner: "Sundance" By Åsmund Keilen, Norway

"The photo was taken just outside Oslo on a hot summer day. I was on my way to the store to buy food. I have a habit of leaving my coffee cup on the roof of my car when unlocking our old blue Mercedes, and more than once I’ve forgotten it there and driven away. That day, when I backed out of the driveway, the cup tipped over but somehow stayed on the roof. A little discouraged, I reached to pick it up – and immediately saw what would become this photograph. Small orange birch seeds had fallen onto the blue roof during the night, and the summer sun reflected alongside dancing common swifts in the sky. Freedom seemed to take form in chaos. With the help of in-camera multiple exposure, I was able to recreate what I saw and felt that day: an impression of a reflection – or perhaps a reflection of an impression."

#21 Category Black And White | Highly Commended: "Tails And Paws" By Dvir Barkay, United States Of America

"The image was captured in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. We found the famous tree-dwelling African lions of the Ishasha sector early in the morning and spent a good portion of the day with them. The lions frequently changed positions as they rested in the trees, and at one point, the male turned his back on the female. With their tails and paws hanging lazily below them, I was able to capture this image."

#22 Category Birds | Highly Commended: "The Frigatebird And The Diamond Ring" By Liron Gertsman, Canada

"A few years ago, while dreaming up some wild wildlife photo concepts, I had an idea: what would it take to photograph birds during a total solar eclipse? Obviously, this was going to be difficult. Total solar eclipses occur somewhere on the planet only every 1 to 3 years, and eclipse totality typically lasts just a few minutes. On top of that, it is very hard to predict what birds will do when darkness suddenly envelops the Earth in the middle of the day. After more than a year of research and virtual planning, followed by nearly a week of intensive in-person scouting up and down the coast of Sinaloa, Mexico, everything finally came together on the morning of April 8th, 2024. Just offshore from Mazatlán, eclipse totality lasted almost 4.5 minutes. I enlisted the help of a small boat to position myself near some islets frequented by seabirds during both day and night. As the moon began to uncover the edge of the sun at the end of totality, I captured this image of a Magnificent Frigatebird in front of the spectacular eclipse phase known as the 'diamond ring' – a moment that lasts only a few seconds."

#23 Category Human And Nature | Highly Commended: "Two Giants" By Richard Peters, United Kingdom

"Mara North Conservancy in the greater Maasai Mara offers a wonderful array of wildlife. The reserve is easy to navigate thanks to a central road that runs through the middle, which is periodically resurfaced to smooth out the bumps and ruts that build up over time. During a stay in the reserve, a large digger was left parked in the middle following recent maintenance work. The digger itself became a makeshift landmark for visitors to the park to gain their bearings. The entire time it was there, I thought it would be fun to photograph a giraffe or elephant near the digger as a way of showing how wildlife and humans coexist in this area. One evening, we followed a herd of elephants that were slowly making their way towards the digger. I didn’t expect them to walk past it entirely, but some did indeed climb the small slope it stood on. Most went over the rise and continued on, but one stopped and walked around the back. Combined with the soft glow of a sunset sky, the moment was beautifully captured."

#24 Category Mammals | Highly Commended: "Chamois" By Radomir Jakubowski, Germany

"For more than fifteen years, I have been drawn repeatedly to the Vosges. This French low mountain range is an endless source of inspiration, and the chamois that live there have long been my favorite subject. I also lead regular photography workshops in the region, yet on this particular morning, everything at first seemed to work against a good shot, until the sun broke through. Thick high fog lay over the mountains, the air was damp, and the grasses along the path dripped with dew. The light appeared flat and lacking in contrast—hardly ideal for photography. Yet these very conditions transformed the landscape into a golden dreamscape. When I spotted a young chamois on a rocky outcrop, I deliberately chose to include the foreground. Countless dew-covered stalks stood between me and the animal. Photographed with a wide aperture, they created the soft, warm bokeh circles that define the image. What began as a seemingly dull morning turned into a magical moment: the chamois stands sharply outlined against the backlight while the dew-laden foreground glows with a fairytale shimmer—a reminder that nature photography often finds its greatest power in embracing the unplanned."

#25 Category Landscape | Runner-Up: "Cono De Arita" By Ignacio Palacios, Australia (Country Of Origin Spain)

"Anticrepuscular Rays is an image of the Cono de Arita that I captured with my Mavic 4 Pro in the remote region of La Puna, Argentina. The Cono de Arita is one of those surreal places that feels as if it were dropped straight out of a dream or a sci-fi film. Rising almost 200 metres from the middle of the vast Arizaro Salt Flat in north-western Argentina, this near-perfect cone stands completely alone in the landscape. It looks exactly like a volcano, but surprisingly, it isn’t. It’s made of rock and salt, not lava. Its symmetry and isolation make it visually striking and a bit mysterious. Locals consider it a sacred site. Sunset is the best time to photograph the cone if you’re hoping to capture that iconic long shadow stretching across the salt flat. But weather conditions and cloud cover out here are notoriously unpredictable. I was travelling with a group, leading a photography workshop in the region, and we were all hoping for something special. At first glance, it might seem as though there’s just one obvious shot to take here. But over the years, each visit has revealed something new, from wild cloud formations that made it look as if the cone were erupting, to this year’s once-in-a-lifetime moment with anticrepuscular rays. When I noticed the rays starting to form, I grabbed my tripod and quickly shot from the ground with my Nikon Z9 and a 14–24mm lens at f/8, ISO 64. It was a good frame, but I instantly realised that if I could get the drone in the air quickly and high enough, I could align the rays so they appeared to radiate perfectly from the tip of the cone. The drone shot came together in seconds, just before the light faded. I managed only a couple of frames before the rays disappeared, but it was enough. I love photographing La Puna with a drone. It’s such a remote area that there are no restrictions, and the compositional possibilities are endless. Some photographers didn’t believe the shot was real; they assumed it was a long exposure or a radial blur effect in Photoshop. But it’s a single capture, exactly as it appeared in that unforgettable moment. La Puna remains one of my favourite places on Earth. It never fails to surprise me. Every trip delivers something wild and beautiful. I’ll be heading there again next year and I honestly can’t wait to go back."

#26 Category Nature Art | Highly Commended: "Coup De Grace" By Åsmund Keilen, Norway

"This image was created in Østmarka National Park, Oslo, Norway. I was wandering through the terrain on a cold November day when a frozen pond quickly caught my attention. The low winter sun, combined with delicate ice crystals, cast colorful reflections of light. The ice bird chirped, and I listened. In that silence, the world exhaled. Time slowed down. Light bent. And then it let go. Fragile and temporary. A moment held in ice. The next day, the weather turned warm, and the ice bird flew away."

#27 Category Youth | Highly Commended: "Couple" By Andres Luis Dominguez Blanco, Spain

"This photograph shows a short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) perched on a sunflower at dusk, in the agricultural plains near Valladolid, in the heart of the Spanish plateau. The image was taken during a summer visit, at a time when a noticeable concentration of adult and juvenile owls had gathered in the area after the breeding season. Their presence was linked to a local vole (Microtus arvalis) outbreak, which had resulted in an exceptional availability of prey. During the visit, I observed how the owls became active at sunset. They emerged from the vegetation to preen on the sunflower stems before beginning their hunting flights. The sunflowers offered excellent visibility and natural camouflage within the farmland. The birds showed relatively calm behaviour, especially when observed discreetly from inside a vehicle. To capture this image, I used a friend’s car as a hide and photographed through the rear window. This method allowed me to remain unnoticed and let the owl behave naturally. The vehicle also provided flexibility in composition and a lower perspective without disturbing the birds. The photo highlights the short-eared owl’s ability to adapt to agricultural landscapes and take advantage of temporary ecological conditions. Though usually associated with open natural areas, these owls make effective use of farmland when prey is abundant. Their crepuscular habits make encounters like this possible, where light, environment, and behaviour align."

#28 Category Human And Nature | Category Winner: "Difficult Crossing" By Xingchao Zhu, China

"This image was taken in March last year in Dulan County, Qinghai Province, China. Located on the Tibetan Plateau, the high altitude and harsh weather make everything challenging, including photographing wildlife. Although the Eurasian lynx is not as rare as the Iberian lynx, encountering one still requires great patience and a good deal of luck. Between March and April, their mating season, a Eurasian lynx was seen crossing a wire fence in a pastoral area while searching for a mate. The fragmentation of its territory makes survival increasingly difficult for wild animals."

#29 Category Nature Of “De Lage Landen” | Highly Commended: "Gone" By Jan Smit, The Netherlands

"I’m fortunate to live close to the beautiful Dutch Wadden Island of Texel. From North Holland, it is just a short ferry ride, and I often find myself making the crossing whenever I feel the urge to spend time in nature. One of my favourite traditions is visiting the little tern colony that has, year after year, settled in the Slufter. The little tern is such a graceful bird, yet its life on the beach is far from easy. High tides, shifting sand, dogs off the leash, and hungry gulls are constant threats. No wonder the species is listed as Vulnerable on the Dutch Red List of breeding birds. On this visit, I simply wanted to enjoy their presence and perhaps capture a few flight shots. For the flight shot, I used my Nikon super light 600 mm f/6.3 lens, not on a tripod but handheld, to be able to follow the moving terns. The adults flew tirelessly back and forth with tiny fish, feeding their chicks hidden in the vegetation. Whenever food arrived, the chicks would dash onto the open sand to receive their meal, a heart-warming scene that always makes me smile. But nature can turn quickly. Out of nowhere, a herring gull swooped in and snatched a chick. Suddenly, more gulls appeared, and in less than an hour, much of the colony was ravaged. The little terns fought bravely, but it was a David-versus-Goliath struggle they could not win. It was heartbreaking to watch, yet it is part of the natural balance. Moments like this remind me that nature is not only beautiful, it can also be raw, unforgiving, and real."

#30 Category Plants And Fungi | Runner-Up: "In The Flow Of Time" By Balázs Ravasz, Hungary

"One summer evening, I was photographing water knotweed (Polygonum amphibium) at Lake Külső in Tihany, Hungary, when I noticed that the pollen on the water’s surface was drifting with the increasing wind. I captured this delicate scene using a long shutter speed."

#31 Category Plants And Fungi | Category Winner: "Inferno" By Tobias Richter, Germany

"Blazing flames, glowing tree trunks, and illuminated plumes of smoke. In July 2022, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains experienced their largest documented forest fire. A natural disaster of this magnitude in the core area of my daily photographic work was hard to imagine, despite the known circumstances. The dry, hot summers of recent years had allowed bark beetles to proliferate, and a significant portion of the spruce stands had fallen victim. High visitor pressure in the national park, along with the associated risk of fires, is unfortunately common in many areas. The landscape so familiar to me was about to change in ways I could not yet comprehend. I resolved to document this transformation continuously, capturing both the fire and its recovery over the following years."

#32 Category Birds | Runner-Up: "King Penguins By The Pond" By Renato Granieri, United Kingdom (Country Of Origin Italy)

"I feel very fortunate to work as a photographer guide on small expedition ships. My lifestyle takes me to some of the most remote destinations, where I feel truly connected with nature. I have visited South Georgia, a sub-Antarctic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, on several occasions and spent considerable time photographing king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) from land. Their charm keeps me returning again and again. Molting penguins are a common sight in South Georgia. When king penguins undergo a molt, they shed and replace all their feathers at once over approximately four weeks. This process requires them to remain on land, as their old feathers are no longer waterproof, preventing them from hunting. During this time, they live off stored fat until their new, waterproof plumage is fully grown. To stay hydrated, they gather by freshwater ponds and molt nearby. In this image, you can clearly spot a number of chicks that have yet to develop waterproof feathers; chicks are covered in fluffy brown down. During a landing, I spotted a pond surrounded by numerous adult and chick king penguins. I always look for patterns, and when I saw the pond’s vibrant pink color with all the penguins around it, I knew it would make a powerful image. I had to wait two years for the weather conditions to be just right to lift my drone and capture an aerial view. As an expedition photographer, I had the privilege of obtaining a permit through the operator Abercrombie & Kent. The flight was conducted in full accordance with the guidelines provided by the South Georgia authorities. The moment I saw the pond and the king penguins bathed in warm afternoon light, I knew I had the shot I wanted."

#33 Category Youth | Runner-Up: "On Gulliver's Back" By Merennege Chamathki Induwara Fernando, Sri Lanka

"I was deep inside Kumana National Park on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka one quiet evening, patiently waiting by a waterhole after hearing a sudden alarm call, a likely sign that a leopard was nearby. My camera was ready, heart racing, eyes scanning the fading light for any movement in the bush. But just as the sun dipped low and bathed the landscape in golden light, something entirely unexpected drew my focus away from the shadows: a cluster of tiny frogs, glistening like bronze beads, perched on the back of a water buffalo. The sight was surreal, a dozen small and agile paddy field frogs calmly resting on the broad, bristled back of a half-submerged buffalo. It was as if I had stumbled into a scene from a fable. In that instant, the story of predator and prey dissolved, and another tale emerged, one that reminded me of Gulliver’s Travels. These frogs, like Lilliputians, had found refuge on their own living giant, drifting gently through the swamp as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I quickly shifted focus, framed the composition, and captured a rare moment of peaceful coexistence. What struck me most was how quietly this scene played out in the heart of leopard territory, a subtle, almost comical partnership between two wildly different species. Perhaps the frogs were seeking warmth, avoiding the dangers of the water, or simply enjoying an elevated view. Whatever the reason, they had transformed the buffalo into a floating island and, in doing so, gifted me a story I never expected to tell, a quiet moment of wonder, perfectly titled On Gulliver’s Back."

#34 Category Youth | Category Winner: "Panning Bobcat" By Leo Dale, United States Of America

"I am very lucky to have spent dozens of hours in the field with bobcats along the California coast. As with every subject, there are certain highly improbable shots that you may dream of but never succeed in capturing. This picture, a sharp panning shot of a bobcat with prey, was one of those dreams. Unless stressed, bobcats typically do not move anywhere with much speed, making it difficult to capture panning images. They also do not often display their prey across large, open areas. Additionally, for a clear panning image, the bobcat must be moving almost directly perpendicular to my camera lens, and I must track the cat’s gait perfectly. So, on this cloudy evening, when I managed to get myself into position with this bobcat and all the details above went according to plan, I was thrilled."

#35 Category Underwater | Highly Commended: "Whoosh" By Geo Cloete, South Africa

"I live in a part of the world where exploration is limited only by imagination, the willingness to face challenges, and the knowledge of how to navigate them. South African waters are home to sixty-three recognised species of sea anemones, among them the Sandy Anemone (Aulactinia reynaudi). These remarkable creatures have adapted to thrive in the turbulent intertidal zones and shallow waters along much of our shoreline, regions shaped by powerful swells and relentless wave action. Their ability to flourish in such extreme conditions has always fascinated me. This image offers a glimpse into their world, a place of movement and stillness, vulnerability and strength, capturing the fleeting moment when the white water of a breaking wave rushes in and transforms their environment into something almost surreal. Years of surfing and diving have taught me to read the moods of the sea — when it welcomes, and when it warns. That knowledge, combined with a vacuum sealed camera housing, allows me to safely enter their realm and witness this brief, mesmerising encounter between water, light, and life. Although Sandy Anemones are capable of movement, they typically remain rooted in one spot for most of their lives, relying on the rhythm of the sea, the waves and tides, to deliver nourishment. Their quiet resilience mirrors the ocean itself: powerful, patient, and endlessly renewing."

#36 Category Underwater | Highly Commended: "Wobbegong Shark" By Nicolas Remy, Australia (Country Of Origin France)

"The gulf wobbegong (Orectolobus halei) is one of the largest carpet sharks, reaching nearly 3 meters in length. An ambush predator, this animal spends most of its time motionless, waiting for suitable prey to come close enough for a rapid strike. This large individual was surrounded by a myriad of glassfish, a cohabitation I had witnessed before in the waters of Fish Rock Island (South West Rocks, NSW, Australia). That particular day, however, the ocean surge could be felt at the 27-meter depth where the shark was located, causing the fish to swim together against the moving water every few seconds, all facing the same direction. The blue-green water also complemented the pink rocks, whose coloration comes from algae covering rocky seabeds in South-East Australia. I decided this was a photographic opportunity worth pursuing and stayed for several minutes, timing my shot precisely when all the fish faced the camera. This angle also allowed me to photograph the “glass” fish without overexposing their reflective scales with my underwater flash lights. It took several long minutes to get the timing right, but the result was worth it."

#37 Category Youth | Highly Commended: "A Unique Home" By Vidyun Hebbar, India

"My father and I often look for wildlife in unique urban places, such as abandoned cars and scooters near our house in Bangalore, India. In one such vehicle—an old scooter—I found a Moorish Wall Gecko hiding inside the broken handlebar. When I returned a few days later, I discovered a second gecko in the same spot. I was fascinated by how these geckos managed to thrive in the middle of such an urban environment. To capture all their details, I used a head torch to illuminate the scene."

#38 Category Other Animals | Highly Commended: "Above The Parapet" By Phil Hall, United Arab Emirates (Country Of Origin UK)

"Everyone has an opinion about Dubai. Most people see only one side, the glossy version popularised on social media. Yet behind that façade lies a rich and diverse ecosystem. Conservation efforts and habitat protection have created an environment that supports an astonishing range of wildlife. Still, the desert remains fiercely inhospitable, rivalled perhaps only by polar landscapes. Any animal that calls the dunes home commands respect. The Sandfish Skink is one such desert specialist, its name reflecting its uncanny ability to swim through the sand. This talent helps it regulate body temperature and escape the extreme desert heat, which can soar well beyond 50°C in summer. For this hot June shoot, my intended subject was the Arabian Oryx. I perched high on the crest of a dune, with a wide desert vista stretching out before me. The heat was relentless, and prevailing north-westerly winds blasted a constant stream of sand, making conditions even more hostile. I had been waiting patiently as a group of Oryx slowly traversed the dunes when, just a few metres away, I noticed a tiny Sandfish cautiously climbing the vast slope toward me. I adjusted my settings and shifted my position, careful not to startle it, encouraging its slow ascent. My face and camera were fully exposed to the stinging winds as I waited. The Sandfish climbed slowly, higher and higher, until it reached the peak of the dune. My finger pressed firmly on the autofocus button, ready. Then, at last, its head lifted above the crest. For a brief moment, it paused, taking in a rare respite, and I pressed the shutter. This image is one I am immensely proud of. It captures not only the hostility of the desert but also the hidden small-scale dramas that unfold daily beyond our view, moments that reveal a side of Dubai few ever see."

#39 Category Other Animals | Highly Commended: "Air Bubbles" By Lars Beygang, Germany

"With the arrival of the first warm days of spring, the spawning season of common frogs begins. Frogs gather in ponds, lakes, and other waters to find a mate and lay their clumps of eggs, which float on the surface. After about two to three weeks, the tadpoles hatch, and the cycle of transformation begins. In their first days, they cluster near the surface, feeding on the remnants of their eggs, which creates an ideal moment for observation and photography. One sunny day, I returned to my local pond, where I had found many clumps of eggs weeks earlier. The tadpoles had just hatched, and small air bubbles shimmered on the surface. I set up my tripod above the water, hoping to capture both elements in a single composition. Eventually, I found a section where one half of the frame held a cluster of bubbles and the other half a gathering of tadpoles. To soften the contrast, I used my hand to shade the sunlight and create more even lighting. With this photograph, I hope to draw attention to the declining spawning grounds of frogs and toads. In the weeks that followed, very little rain fell, and the water level in this pond dropped dramatically, threatening the survival of the tadpoles. Unable to watch them dry out, I carefully relocated them to a nearby pond, hoping to give them a better chance to continue their journey."

#40 Category Animals Portraits | Runner-Up: "Beast In Black" By Daniela Graf, Germany

"The alpine longhorn beetle (Rosalia alpina) is one of my favourite animals to photograph. I’m completely in love with these very impressive blue beetles, especially their long antennae. On this day, a female beetle with beautifully curved antennae sat on a log in the shadows. I decided to underexpose the picture to emphasise the blue colour against a black background. The title of the image refers to a Finnish metal band. I’m glad that there is a population of alpine longhorn beetles on the Swabian Alb. As a relic of the last Ice Age, it represents the only autochthonous population in Germany outside the Alps. To reproduce, they need the dead wood of European beeches. After mating, the females lay their eggs within the cracks of the timber. The larvae remain inside the wood and also pupate there. It takes about three or four years before the adult beetles emerge from the wood. These adults live only for about three weeks, as their only purpose is to ensure the continuation of the species. There are several projects to protect the beetles. Due to their life cycle, dead wood has to remain in the forest for years. Unfortunately, the beetles also deposit their eggs in dead wood that is used as firewood; as a result, those beetles have no chance to develop."

#41 Category Nature Of “De Lage Landen” | Category Winner: "Bike Tides" By Sam Mannaerts, Belgium

"This image was taken last winter during one of the only two snow days in Belgium. I live in Steendorp, about 100 metres from a river inlet (the Scheldt), where you can easily observe the tides. When I saw the low tide and the snow-covered patterns in the sludge, I decided to briefly fly the drone. The snow was coming down quite heavily, and I didn’t want my drone to fall into the mud. So, for about two minutes, I flew over the inlet and took some photos. That’s when I noticed the bike in the mud. I loved the outlines the snow had created on the bike and the surrounding mud patterns, two things the Lowlands are known for, captured in one picture. It also serves as an indictment of a society where illegal dumping seems to have become more the rule than the exception."

#42 Category Other Animals | Runner-Up: "Blue Army" By Imre Potyó, Hungary

"After several decades of absence, the spectacular and endangered Danube mayfly (Ephoron virgo) returned to the River Danube in 2012, likely due to improving water quality. This species had disappeared from Central European rivers for decades as a result of water pollution. The summer of 2024 will undoubtedly be remembered by enthusiasts, as this year’s season, likely prolonged by dry, hot weather and persistently low water levels, lasted nearly a month. On 25 occasions, we waded deep into the strong currents, surrounded and overwhelmed by the swarms. One massive swarm of Danube mayflies approached the illuminated city of Szentendre, Hungary. Drawn by the city lights through their strong positive phototaxis, millions of insects swarmed toward the brightly lit promenade. Last summer, streetlamps along the Danube promenade in Szentendre were overwhelmed on multiple evenings. During the late-August festival, dense clouds of mayflies engulfed restaurants, vendors, wine bars, and concerts, creating both an unmissable and alarming spectacle. The insects circled the lights for hours, unable to escape, before falling to the asphalt, where they perished. Such evenings can cause ecological damage worth billions, as countless mayflies die along with the egg clusters that would have ensured the next generation."

#43 Category Human And Nature | Runner-Up: "Climate Protection Measurements" By Tobias Buettel, Germany

"For my photo project Melting Giants, I visited the Rhône Glacier in Switzerland in 2023. The glacier is known for its lower section being covered with geotextiles, intended to delay the melting of the ice and preserve the man-made ice cave that is carved into the glacier each year. Every year, thousands of tourists pay an entrance fee to visit the cave and marvel at the glacier’s beauty. To me, however, this place symbolised the inadequacy of our climate protection measures. The geotextile sheets on the glacier appear as though they have been half-heartedly thrown over it. While some of the ice is covered, much remains exposed to the sun and continues to melt. Furthermore, the geotextiles cannot stop the melting, only delay it. This situation mirrors the inadequacy of climate protection measures worldwide. It is like a patchwork quilt with large gaps and insufficient action. Such efforts are not enough to effectively combat climate change or make a meaningful difference. We can only hope this will change in the coming years. Unfortunately, it will probably be too late for the Rhône Glacier and many others in the Alps. The ice is melting rapidly, and according to the latest studies, most glaciers in the Alps could largely disappear by 2100, including the one in this photograph. However, it is not only the glaciers of the Alps that are under threat from climate change. The situation for ice giants worldwide is dire. The consequences include rising sea levels, which endanger millions of people and countless animal species across the globe. Ultimately, the melting of ice masses is just one of many consequences of climate change that threaten humans, animals, and plants alike. When I returned to the Rhône Glacier in 2025 to document its retreat, I was shocked. It was devastating to see how much ice had melted in just two years. It is time to take immediate action to combat climate change and do everything we can to reduce its impact."

#44 Category Plants And Fungi | Highly Commended: "Fallen Beauty" By Simon Booth, United Kingdom

"The photograph was taken while visiting family in Suffolk, not far from the village of Blythburgh. On that particular morning, I was out searching for subjects that might form the basis of a new video for my YouTube channel. For this reason, I filmed the entire process, from the moment I discovered the subject to capturing the final frame. You can watch the whole event unfold on my channel. Whenever I head out with my camera, I usually aim to return with three images to feature in my videos, which are mostly centred on the genre of Intimate Landscapes. In these films, I often remind viewers that truly memorable photographs are rare. It is this very unpredictability that keeps me returning day after day, searching for those fleeting moments when nature unexpectedly reveals her most prized compositions. For me, it feels a lot like treasure hunting, and on this occasion, I even hinted that the scene I had found might be one of those special discoveries. As it turned out, this was the final image I captured that morning, discovered just 100 yards from my campervan as I was about to call it a day. The subject was a fallen section of Scots pine, lying exposed in an open area long enough for its branches and cones to have been bleached pale by the sun. The moment I saw it, I sensed there was something compelling about it. It reminded me of frost, yet it was early summer. Choosing the composition did not take long, as this was the one part of the tree where the branches created the most pleasing pattern across the frame, with minimal gaps in the foliage. The irregular scattering of cones only added to its charm, almost inviting the viewer to count them; there are more than you might first expect."

#45 Category Nature Of “De Lage Landen” | Highly Commended: "Fantasy Tree" By Mathijs Frenken, The Netherlands

"My goal for this image, Fantasy Tree, was to capture the mood of a fresh autumn morning, my favourite time of year. I used a multiple exposure technique, taking several shots on a chilly morning to create a sense of ethereal beauty. By combining the images, I layered the tree’s branches to create a dense, intricate pattern. The soft, watery sun breaking through the branches adds a single point of light, giving the otherwise cool scene a subtle glow and making the tree feel almost dreamlike."

#46 Category Birds | Highly Commended: "Flock Of Gold" By Alex Pansier, The Netherlands

"At sunrise in September 2024, tens of thousands of Red Knots (Calidris canutus) gathered at Snettisham, Norfolk, England. The flock formed a dense golden cloud – a natural survival strategy during high tide that helps protect them from predators while conserving energy. I positioned myself behind a sandbank so the birds would not notice me, with only my lens protruding above the ridge. Using my iPhone, I could remotely monitor what my camera was capturing. This careful approach allowed me to remain invisible while photographing their natural behavior. Amid this fluid mass, one bird briefly broke away from the group. Its wings caught the first light of day, creating a striking contrast between individuality and the collective. This fleeting moment became the essence of the photograph. No baiting or attraction was used; the image reflects the birds’ natural behavior in their roosting grounds. Red Knots are remarkably long-distance migrants, traveling up to 15,000 km each year between Arctic breeding grounds and wintering areas. Sites like Snettisham provide essential resting and feeding habitats along their journey. Observing their coordination and resilience in such numbers was both humbling and inspiring."

#47 Category Nature Art | Highly Commended: "Ice Channels" By Susanne Barkmann, Germany

"As a hydrobiologist, I am interested in all forms of water, and ice in particular fascinates me. It forms over long periods of time and can tell many stories. When I visited Svinafellsjökull in Iceland in April 2024, I was naturally overwhelmed by the glacier’s enormous size. Yet the smallest structures within the ice also captivated me. A completely new world opened up, with tiny details, bubbles, air channels, and minute inclusions inviting me on a journey of discovery. How might all this have developed? Using a 35 mm macro lens with an aperture of f/9, I achieved the necessary depth of field."

#48 Category Nature Of “De Lage Landen” | Runner-Up: "Jackdaws At Dusk" By Mathijs Frenken, The Netherlands

"To capture the feeling of dusk, I combined two different techniques in a multiple exposure. First, I used a long exposure with intentional camera movement (ICM) to blur the background trees into soft, painterly streaks of colour, creating an abstract, dreamy atmosphere. Then, I took a second, shorter exposure of the jackdaws in the trees. By layering these two images, the sharp silhouettes of the birds contrast beautifully with the hazy backdrop. The result is a moody and serene image that captures the quiet moment when the birds settle down for the night."

#49 Category Black And White | Highly Commended: "Life In A Box" By Sarthak Agrawal, India

"The owl roost is located beside a flyover in the bustling city of Aurangabad, nestled within a residential apartment complex. I have been observing and documenting this barn owl roost for six to seven years. Despite its open location, the roost remains hidden from public view, offering a safe haven for the owls amidst the city’s ceaseless activity. Initially, my focus was on close-up portraits and action shots, but over time, I shifted towards capturing the wider context of its urban environment. This image holds a special place in my heart due to its unique composition. The juxtaposition of the owl’s small, dark roost against the stark black-and-white geometric pattern of the building creates a striking visual contrast and an almost claustrophobic atmosphere. Yet, the owl’s calm, relaxed demeanour amidst this urban chaos is a testament to its adaptability. A closer look reveals a second owl quietly tucked away in the shadows of the roost. Barn owls in my region are strictly nocturnal, making daytime sightings very rare. This shot was only possible during the breeding season, when the roost is full of chicks and the parents are forced to guard from the edge during daylight hours. I didn’t use bait. Through this image, I aim to challenge the misconceptions surrounding barn owls in India. They are often misunderstood and feared due to superstitions associating them with bad luck, messengers of death, or black magic, which leads many to shun, harm, or kill these creatures. By highlighting their quiet resilience and natural charm, I hope to foster a sense of admiration and understanding for these fascinating birds."

#50 Category Black And White | Runner-Up: "Night Swan Lake" By Mateusz Matysiak, Poland

"The fish ponds of the Barycz Valley, where I grew up, have always been one of the main breeding grounds for Mute Swans in Poland. During my school years, I spent most of my time in my valley counting water birds, especially swans, geese, and ducks. For my master’s thesis, I naturally chose anseriformes, with swans at the forefront, the same species I had been studying throughout my youth on my ponds. I still have a great fondness for swans to this day. Nowadays, although I spend much of my time in the mountains and forests, I visit ponds with binoculars and a camera whenever I have the opportunity. This was also the case one September evening when I went for a walk to the ponds in the Pisia Gągolina Valley in Mazovia. At one of the forest ponds, where a White-tailed Eagle had been hunting, I noticed a commotion among the birds. The startled ducks flew away, but the swans remained, swiftly swimming in unison to the safety of the pond. Dusk was falling, and the light was fading fast, especially as the pond lay on the edge of a dark forest. Yet the forest still shimmered faintly with the pale trunks of birch trees. The water was calm and perfectly smooth. I love minimalist shots, which I try to capture in the last remnants of daylight, especially in low-key photography. The strong contrast between the white birds, the dark surface of the water, and the forest wall created an opportunity to take new, intriguing shots, all the more so because the birch trunks were reflected in the smooth water as if in a mirror. In the camera’s viewfinder, I saw a brilliant composition. I sensed that this was a chance to capture a unique photo of swans swimming through a dark corridor created by the bright streaks of trees and their reflections in the water. I did not have a tripod with me, so I had to shoot handheld, holding my breath as I smoothly followed the birds’ steady movement. One of the few long-exposure shots I took turned out perfectly. The result was a clean and harmonious composition. Once again, challenging lighting conditions helped me achieve one of my favourite photographs, and fittingly, it featured my beloved swans."

#51 Category Black And White | Highly Commended: "Peekaboo" By Paul Eijkemans, The Netherlands

"The photograph was taken in Marsa Shagra, a place in Egypt that I regularly visit. It is a well-protected bay with great opportunities for macro photography. I spotted the Starry Puffer on an early afternoon dive. It was an unusually large puffer. When I approached it, I saw that it was being cleaned by a cleaning wrasse. I came as close as I could without startling the wrasse and began taking pictures. This picture came out best. I like it because, although the picture was shot in colour, it looks like a black-and-white image. At first, you only see the wrasse, but then you realise that it is emerging from the gills of a fish."

#52 Category Animals Portraits | Highly Commended: "Picasso's Elephant" By Ilse Koks, The Netherlands

"As a KLM flight attendant, I travel the world and always bring my camera with me. During a 48-hour layover in Johannesburg, I made a short trip to Madikwe Game Reserve, with just enough time for one afternoon and one morning game drive. I had planned in advance to focus on long-exposure photography to create more artistic wildlife images. However, due to recent flooding, many roads were closed, and we saw very few animals. After both drives, my safari had come to an end with hardly any photographs taken. On the way back to Johannesburg, just before leaving Madikwe Game Reserve, we suddenly came across a herd of elephants, not in a safari vehicle but in a regular car. It felt like a gift, one last chance to put my long-exposure plan into practice. Sitting on the back seat with far less room to move than in an open safari vehicle, I rolled down the window to photograph. Determined to make use of a slow shutter speed, I moved my camera in sync with the curves of the tusks, which I have always found so iconic, to emphasise them even more. When I saw the result, I was immediately thrilled. The slow shutter broke the elephant’s shape into angular, fragmented forms, making it look like a Cubist painting. It instantly reminded me of Picasso, and the title Picasso’s Elephant came to me at once."

#53 Category Plants And Fungi | Highly Commended: "Quetzalcóatl" By Miguel José Ávalos González, Spain

"Oromediterranean forests are in decline. One of the remaining relics survives on the steep slopes of Santa Barbara, at 2,269 meters above sea level, the summit of Sierra de Baza Natural Park, Spain. In this harsh limestone soil stand extraordinary black pines (Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii), their twisted forms reminiscent of snakes. These unique trees have developed remarkable ecological adaptations: their reduced size, contorted silhouettes, and the strength and elasticity of their wood allow them to withstand wind, snow, and scarcity. For years, I have been creating work like this, seeking trees under extreme winter conditions with cold nights, snowstorms, and fierce winds. I am drawn to the way nature expresses itself freely, revealing its wild beauty and painting these scenes with its own brush. My role as a photographer is to be present, flow with the ecosystem, and act as a conduit to convey their empowering message. Photographing trees in such conditions also serves an ethical and conservation purpose: to help finance the planting of new trees around the world, closing a circle of respect and regeneration with our planet."

#54 Category Youth | Highly Commended: "Shadow And Light" By Harry Sedin, Canada

"At Skógafoss, the famous waterfall on the Skógá River in southern Iceland, most people visit to see the wall of water in person, yet I couldn’t help but notice something else, the Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) nesting on the cliffs around it. Long before I arrived, I had a picture in my head of a single fulmar flying across the cascade, its small body almost lost against the tonnes of water. That image became my goal. When I finally got there, my odds were looking grim. The birds mostly stayed high, circling far above, and every shot I took looked flat, just wings and shadows against the blue sky. I started to wonder if the whole idea was impossible, if my inspiration had deceived me. But I stayed put, watching their patterns. Every so often, one or two would dip lower, gliding through the mist before climbing back to the cliffs. That would be my only chance. I waited. Ten minutes. Twenty. Tour buses pulled in and out of the parking lot. Shoulders on fire, I kept my camera ready. Then, finally, one fulmar cut straight across the center of the falls. To me, the small silhouette against the roaring cascade feels surreal, cinematic, like a scene pulled from a Denis Villeneuve movie."

#55 Category Birds | Highly Commended: "Stern Gaze" By Tibor Litauszki, Hungary (Country Of Origin Germany)

"A Pygmy Owl peers sternly from its nest hole. To capture the envisioned image, I waited a long time near the owl’s nest. When it finally looked out, I took the first photo with a telephoto lens, then switched lenses to capture a second shot of the blue twilight using in-camera multiple exposure and a long shutter speed."

#56 Category Landscape | Highly Commended: "The Swan Lake" By Terje Kolaas, Norway

"Low temperatures cause most lakes and rivers around my home in Levanger, Norway, to freeze during winter, but one specific river usually stays open longer than the others. Here, a group of Whooper Swans often resides through the season. On this particularly cold day in February, fresh snowfall had transformed the ice and forest along the riverbanks into a pristine white landscape, conditions I absolutely love for photography. During a drone flyover, I spotted a narrow passage in the river and decided to wait for the birds to swim through it. After a few hours, my patience paid off, and with the drone hovering high and unobtrusive above the swans, this image was captured. I wanted to retain some of the motion in the falling snow, so I used a long shutter speed to render the snowflakes as delicate streaks rather than spots. Another important goal was to keep the birds visually separated. In this photograph, none of the swans overlap, which, in my opinion, makes a huge difference."

#57 Category Plants And Fungi | Highly Commended: "The Underside Of Wonder" By Julius Kramer, Germany

"It was a grey, rainy spring day when I decided to head out with my camera. The forest was quiet, wrapped in mist and the steady rhythm of raindrops on leaves. I had no particular goal in mind, just the curiosity to see whether the first mushrooms of the season had appeared. Not far from the road, I spotted a strikingly large Dryad’s saddle (Cerioporus squamosus) clinging to a tree trunk. Its patterned surface stood out vividly against the bark, almost glowing in the diffuse light of the rain. For the next two hours, I explored every angle, experimenting with perspectives, light, and composition. Drops of water gathered on the cap, tiny mirrors reflecting the world around them, and I tried to capture each fleeting detail. Time seemed to disappear in the process, just me, the mushroom, and the camera. By the time I finally packed up, both my gear and I were completely drenched. Yet I felt a deep sense of exhilaration. What had started as a simple walk in the rain had turned into an intimate photographic study, a reminder that even the most ordinary subjects, when given time and attention, can reveal extraordinary beauty."

#58 Category Black And White | Category Winner: "The Way Of The Ridge" By Sebastiaan Van Der Greef

"The fox walks where stone meets sky; in stillness, all paths unfold. This image was captured during a journey with my father and brother, as we travelled by boat through the Arctic waters surrounding Svalbard. On the final days of our voyage, we set foot on land in search of the elusive Arctic fox. One afternoon, we spotted a lone figure moving steadily toward the mountains. As it climbed a shallow ridge, the landscape seemed to arrange itself for a single fleeting moment, the sharp line of stone leading upward, the vast wall of shadow, and the fox, a solitary brushstroke of white against the dark."

#59 Category Nature Art | Highly Commended: "Third Eye" By Marcin Giba, Poland

"This photo was taken from a bird’s-eye view using a drone and shows a frozen lake in my hometown of Rybnik. I have been photographing this motif for several years, always awaiting with fascination the moment when nature creates unique forms, and it never fails to surprise me. This time, I noticed something reminiscent of a third eye. I often trust my intuition and begin taking photos in places where it leads me. This occasion was no different, as I could not predict what I would see when I lifted the drone into the air. I am aware that nature will likely never again create such a form from snow and ice. This photo is part of the series Last Winter, which I created earlier this year. I know that the winters I remember from childhood, frosty and white, are becoming less and less frequent. Snow in the city is now a fleeting, almost ephemeral phenomenon. So when the right conditions finally arrive and I go out flying, I feel as though I am documenting a vanishing beauty."

#60 Category Landscape | Category Winner: "Time For A Drop" By Alexander Hormann, Germany

"Like sand trickling through an hourglass, the water drips down from an ice-framed viewing window into a dwindling, crystal-blue world. In the summer of 2023, my girlfriend Lisa and I went on a three-week hiking trip through northern Norway, mainly to cross the Lofoten Islands on foot. After enjoying two weeks of wonderful views of mountains, beaches, and the Atlantic Ocean, my girlfriend expressed the desire to visit a glacier, as she had never done so before. One ferry, one train, and one ride-share later, we found ourselves at the Svarisvatnet campsite, from where a hiking trail led us to an outlier of Svartisen, Norway’s second-largest glacier. As we cautiously walked along the edge of the glacier, we discovered an entrance the size of a giant barn door. Drawn to the surreal blue hues of the ice like moths to a flame, we were about to enter the cave when falling chunks of frozen rock reminded us that it was not a good idea to challenge the melting giant. Nevertheless, I wanted to capture the scene with my camera. Since I was denied access to the interior of the glacier, I had to photograph it from the outside. While searching for the right perspective, I noticed a small hole in the left wall of the cave entrance that served as the perfect frame and found a hollow right in front of it where I could sit down. The remarkable thing about the melon-sized opening in the ice wall was that a drop continuously fell from its upper left edge. At first, I tried to capture the drop mid-air. Later, I came to the conclusion that it was more interesting to capture the moment just before the fall, as this created the illusion of a frozen drop. The mountain-like shapes of the ice and the transition from light to almost black shades of blue added additional interest and visual flow to the overall image. I hope that my image not only awakens in the viewer the same curiosity and fascination for glaciers that my girlfriend and I felt when we visited Svartisen, but also inspires people to preserve our world’s dwindling water reserves."

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