Stunning images from the Siena International Photo Awards have shown the brutal and beautiful aspects of nature, including warring tigers, swimmers interacting with whales, a shark attacking a diver's cage and an elephant attempting to tip a safari vehicle.
The yearly photography competition is for professional, amateur and student snappers from around the world and is judged by an international panel of experts that includes renowned photographers, editors and photography collectors.
The Italian-based festival recently announced its award-winners having carefully collated the photos into 11 different categories.
Rahul Sachdev’s remarkable snap of two tigers fighting in India’s Ranthambore National Park won in the Animals in the Environment category.
He told Triangle News: “Two tigers roaring and fighting at around 15 feet from a vehicle. Not something that is for the faint-hearted.
“I was just lucky that I could manage to keep them in the frame.
“This image almost makes it seem as if a single tiger has four forearms.”
Journeys and Adventures category winner took a photograph of the terrifying moment a wild elephant at Yala National Park, Sri Lanka, almost tips a vehicle full of people.
Sergey said: “The idea behind the image is that we should respect nature and care more about it, but should also avoid taking unnecessary and reckless risks.”
After accidentally smashing through a shark cage with three people inside, a great white shark was safely released, but not before an incredible - if not terrifying picture - was taken. Everyone inside was fine
But it is not all brutal and beautiful nature at the Siena Awards, as proved by Juan Mayer who captured a disabled skydiver hurtling towards the ground above the pyramids in Cairo, Egypt.
Juan, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, said: “I took this photo of this skydiver free-falling over the Pyramids while I was also free-falling following him.
“He is a professional skydiver, but it was his first time skydiving over the Pyramids.
“We jumped from 15,000ft and I took this photo at about 10,000ft.
“It's also a highlight that the skydiver in this photo is paraplegic, so ground staff were waiting for him with his wheelchair just a few metres from one of the pyramids, where we landed.”
