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The reFocus Awards Showcase 74 Breathtaking Animal Moments

Diversity

The reFocus Awards celebrate photography from around the world. Among the many stunning images they share, we’ve chosen to highlight their animal photos, which show the beauty and diversity of life. From playful pets to wild animals, each photo captures a special moment in nature.

These images make us smile and admire animals. We feature them to celebrate both the photographers who took them and the animals they captured.

More info: Instagram | refocus-awards.com | Facebook

#1 “Portrait Of A Sheep”⁠ By Jens Winkler⁠

“This sheep lady approached me on my way to a beach on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. It seemed that she really wanted to pose for this photo.”⁠

#2 “Hang Loose”⁠ By Christian Hargasser⁠

#3 “The Last Two”⁠ By Matjaz Krivic⁠

“Northern white rhino is all but extinct. The last two males died years ago. Two females are still with us, too feeble to bear babies. In a lab, their eggs are now artificially fertilised in hopes that surrogate rhinos from another subspecies can carry the northern white back.”⁠

#4 "Sage Of The Forest"⁠ By Donal Boyd⁠

"In the way he stood and stared, we actually expected him to say something. To speak on behalf of the forest. To bestow his wisdom. To convince the world that this forest, his home, is not worth the destruction, the fires, and the tragedy. Yet, words were not needed. Tanjung Puting NP, Borneo, 2019."⁠

#5 “Pipistrello Del Nettare N1”⁠ By Gianni Maitan⁠

#6 “Baby Giraffe”⁠ By Gianni Maitan

#7 “Divine Beauty Of An Arctic Fox”⁠ By Marcello Galleano

“In one of the most inhospitable climates on earth, the beautiful arctic fox enjoys a moment of relaxation ⁠ and dozes in the snow of the Svalbard Islands, between Norway and the North Pole.”⁠

#8 “The World Is Going Upside Down”⁠ By Thomas Vijayan⁠

“I wanted to capture all 4 elements in one frame: the sky, the water, the amazing habitat they live in, and the subject facing me. I knew the only way I could combine these elements was to be above the orangutan and position the camera downwards, staying calm over the tree was most challenging.”⁠

#9 “Snow Fox”⁠ By Larry Taylor⁠

“A fox pauses in the falling snow.”⁠

#10 "Reflections In The Night 2" By Marcello Galleano⁠

"In the darkness of the Kenyan forest, the reflections of the moonlight reveal the spotted fur of a leopard drinking from a tranquil pond. A distant sound makes it look up while nature seems to hold its breath: the leopard is a symbol of grace and power."

#11 “Double Trouble Cheetah Cubs”⁠ By Monique Beukes⁠

#12 “A Mother's Love”⁠ By @woetgallery

#13 "Half Brothers" By Kyriakos Kaziras

"In 22 years of photographing in Africa, this was the first time I’d been able to take a portrait like that."

#14 “Eye To Eye”⁠ By Wolfgang Autexier⁠

“It is a large predator. A large cat with a tabby coat. A legend. Do you dare? Do you dare to meet his gaze?”⁠

#15 “A Mother's Gentle Grasp”⁠ By Karen Bilgrai Cohen⁠

“In the Mara North Conservancy, a mother lioness decides to move her two young cubs. She carries the cub in her mouth as he resolutely walks to the new den.”⁠

#16 “Orangutan: The Person Of The Forest”⁠ By Venkatesh Kittur⁠

“Here, I am presenting a portrait of an Orangutan with deep, soulful eyes, reflecting both intelligence and sorrow. Their gaze speaks of a quiet plea for survival, haunted by the encroachment of deforestation and habitat loss, a silent struggle for existence and survival in a rapidly changing world.”⁠

#17 “Walk This Way”⁠ By Tracey Dyer⁠

“After spotting Lynx tracks leading to a boreal forest clearing, I waited in the snow, hoping for a lynx to appear, even though it was a long shot. After a short while, I was thrilled to see a Canada Lynx tracking snowshoe hare tracks across the clearing. In a few seconds, it was gone again.”⁠

#18 “Incoming”⁠ By Maddison Woollard⁠

“This is my only capture of this adult Australian fur seal. The pups were curious and playful. This fella would float in the distance, ignoring us. A younger seal was chasing and nibbling him, and that interaction sent him charging in my direction. Unveiling this remarkable, dynamic encounter.”⁠

#19 “mirror Of The Soul”⁠ By Juan David Cortes Echeverria⁠

"As a metaphoric 'mirror of the soul,' the eye of this Carrion Crow (photographed at Stonehenge) hints at the intelligence of crows and acts as a window to their environment and the humans that inhabit it. (As I hope you can see, my mother, my brother, and I are featured inside the eye’s reflection)." ⁠

#20 “Snowy Owl”⁠ By Maria Ciampini⁠

“The snowy owl flies through the wintry sky against the backdrop of softly falling snowflakes. Its striking white feathers, speckled with hints of dark brown, blend seamlessly with the snowy scenery. The owl's piercing yellow eyes scan the ground below, searching for prey.”⁠

#21 “Grevy's Zebra Optical Illusion”⁠ By Alessandro Marena⁠

#22 “Black Bear On Black”⁠ By Simona Gerp

#23 “Warm Moment”⁠ By Rebecca Stone⁠

#24 “Gaze”⁠ By Robert Bogacz⁠

“Brown bear in a dark forest by the setting sun. The rays illuminate its left side. I took this photo while waiting in the hide.”⁠

#25 “Like Mother Like Daughter”⁠ By Mark Sorenson⁠

“A Mother chipmunk looks outside while the baby lies on the mother's back, and both look at the camera.”⁠

#26 “Playtime On The Ice”⁠ By Rachel Spencer⁠

#27 “Endless Search”⁠ By Saul Rivkind⁠

#28 “Candyfloss Sky Predator”⁠ By Cheri Marks⁠

“Wild habituated Karoo tiger resting on a rock at the perfect sunset time.”⁠

#29 “Sparring Grevy's”⁠ By Elissa Title⁠

“These Grevy's zebras were first on the left side of our vehicle in Kenya, bucking and biting, before crossing the road, where they walked further into the haze. We later found out that the haze was actually dust from a dust storm in Lake Turkana.”⁠

#30 "Siberian Fight"⁠ By Pedro Jarque Krebs⁠

"Siberian tigers training in game fighting."⁠

#31 "Midnight Thirst - Young Lion Male"⁠ By Monique Beukes⁠

#32 “Holding Onto The Forest”⁠ By Tina Götz⁠

“In times of climate change, deforestation, and other human threats, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is still a place that provides a safe and rich habitat for mountain gorillas. This hand belongs to a baby of the Rushegura family exploring the beauty of nature. It's in our hands to conserve this habitat.”⁠

#33 “To The Sun”⁠ By Cindy Cone⁠

"African lion stretches and gazes upward."

#34 “Frozen Feathers”⁠ By Mohammad Mirza⁠

“Winter photography of the European shag bird offers a unique opportunity to capture the resilience and beauty of this remarkable seabird in its natural habitat. The European shag is a medium-sized seabird that belongs to the cormorant.”⁠

#35 “Crowned Beauty”⁠ By Sushil Chauhan⁠

“Grey Crowned Cranes are majestic birds and the national bird of Uganda.”⁠

#36 “Three Kings”⁠ By Jules Oldroyd⁠

#37 “Manta”⁠ By Francis Pérez

“This beautiful manta flies through the clear coastal waters off Tenerife, as the light shines through from above. It filters small planktonic prey as it swims. As it goes, it provides shelter for a school of small fish that are forever seeking protection from predators.”⁠

#38 “I Dare You”⁠ By Cheri Marks⁠

“Sub-adult female tiger protectively stepping over her brother with pure intention in her eyes.”⁠

#39 Photo By Geran De Klerk

#40 “Spring Feeling”⁠ By Laurence Lambert⁠

#41 “Double Chin”⁠ By Bernard Sim

“Lift your head to hide the double chin.”⁠

#42 “Silence”⁠ By Mohammad Mirza⁠

“The cold weather likely added a crispness to the air, a tranquil mood, which complements the bird's dark feathers and highlights its intricate details. The way the background blurs and fades into a soft gradient enhances the focus on the bird and creates a serene.”⁠

#43 “Blending In”⁠ By Gillian Shark⁠

“A beautiful female Caribbean reef shark passed by a big school of fish, which resulted in this interesting photo composition. Although the shark was swimming on a different level than the school of fish, the colours and its movement somehow gave the illusion of it blending in.”⁠

#44 “Bewitched”⁠ By Pepe Arespacochaga⁠

“Appearing from the shadows of the dense forest of Kibale (Uganda), a chimpanzee stares at the visitor with an expression of curiosity.”⁠

#45 “Young, Wild, And Free”⁠ By Sarah Berger

#46 “The Reading List”⁠ By Jennifer Talley⁠

#47 “The Last Breath”⁠ By Alexandra Surkova⁠

“A little owl catches a mouse to bring it to its newly hatched chicks.”⁠

#48 “Anna's Wit Droplets”⁠ By Karen Bilgrai Cohen⁠

“Anna's hummingbird hovers above a hose."

#49 “Dinner Is Ready”⁠ By Natalia Grebesheva⁠

#50 “Touching A Love”⁠ By Leka Huie⁠

“A Couple of Jellyfish love each other in underwater space.”⁠

#51 “How Beautiful You Are”⁠ By Aga Karmol⁠

“A Welsh Pony stallion admiring his own reflection in the mirror.”⁠

#52 “Hyde, Out To Pasture”⁠ By Dusty Cooper

#53 “Mochi The Puppy”⁠ By Bernard Sim

#54 “The Icy Colors Of Iceland”⁠ By Veronika Shandor⁠

“A series of photographs of dogs from various places in Iceland.”⁠

#55 “Frozen Waterfall With Soaring Bald Eagle”⁠ By Kathy Sergio⁠

#56 “Giant On The Reef”⁠ By Brooke Pyke⁠

“A giant whale shark cruises over the outer reef on the Ningaloo in Western Australia.”⁠

#57 “Among The Flowers”⁠ By Robert Bogacz⁠

“The photo was taken on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Blue tit landed in a place where it is surrounded by white flowers.”⁠

#58 "The Endless Journey"⁠ By James Lewin⁠

#59 "The Hypnotic Red-Eyed Leaf Frog" By Pablo Trilles Farrington

#60 "Naval Line" By Wolfgang Autexier

#61 “The Guinea Fowl”⁠ By Ngar Shun Victor Wong

#62 “Desert Perch”⁠ By Patrice Gagnon⁠

“A small weaver perches delicately amidst the dry branches of the desert, surrounded by soft, muted tones. This image captures the peaceful stillness of nature, highlighting the bird’s quiet moment of rest in its rugged environment.”⁠

#63 “Red Palm Weevil”⁠ By Javier Ruperez⁠

“This is a close-up view of the famous red palm weevil, a terrible invasive pest for palm trees around the world, although the larvae of these insects are appreciated gastronomically, becoming the most consumed beetle in sub-Saharan Africa, where the larvae are collected by hearing the burrows being dug."

#64 “Just Green”⁠ By Anja Pires⁠

“Just very green is this fascinating Oriental Whip Snake. Pic taken in Singapore 2021.”⁠

#65 “Giraffe At Blue Hour”⁠ By Monique Beukes⁠

#66 “Unwavering Eye”⁠ By Jason Marino⁠

“An eagle sets its gaze on prey far off in the distance in Jasper National Park, Alberta.”⁠

#67 “Misty Morning”⁠ By Michael Lorentz⁠

“Setting out very early one morning in the Chyulu Hills, Kenya, I came across this male Grant's Gazelle quietly looking out through the misty light caused by the first rays of dawn. Although at first glance it's quite monotone, looking closely, there are many different hues in this image.”⁠

#68 “Sharks & Birds”⁠ By Borut Furlan⁠

#69 “Whaleshark Feeding Under Lights Of The Boat” By Simon Lorenz

#70 “Eagle Blink”⁠ By Charly Savely⁠

#71 “Elegance”⁠⁠⁠ By Inés Godinez⁠

“Pink flamingo.”⁠

#72 “Who Are You, Looking At Me?”⁠ By Muriel Pénicaud⁠

“Of all my photos, it is so far the one on which the viewers project the most different stories: the angel, the good and the evil, the prophet, the solitude of the power, a Ming vase, the eagle of the American flag, and the heart. The spectator becomes a narrator of his own story, and this delights me deeply.”⁠

#73 “Hanging Divers”⁠ By Jesper Bjarke Andersen⁠

“My approach to UV photography was the same as on land: using a small camera, without lights or flash, and shooting exclusively in black and white (Leica Q2 mono)⁠. This photo was taken purely on instinct—framed in the moment, with no need for adjustment afterwards.”⁠

#74 “Contact”⁠ By Korostelev Mike⁠

“Sperm whale and pregnant woman.”⁠

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