Gallery: Powerful images from the Nature Photography Competition

The best pictures of the Nature Photo Contest have been decided, and we don’t think it was an easy task for the judges – as choosing some, but not all, of them to show here was quite a challenge. The competition is extensive, covering categories including birds, funny wildlife, underwater, landscapes and many more.

The overall picture of the year went to Thomas Vijayan, for his compelling picture of an orangutan, which he called “Please save our home.”

“Our changing world is a great threat to many living creatures around us, one of them is the largest living ape on Earth,” the photographer noted, citing the massive deforestation of the area where the species live that could wipe out these animals from the wild.

“We humans can easily find an alternative to this palm oil and we should have thought twice before running an ax on these mature trees and before we took away the habitat of this great ape. In the picture, you can see a sad orangutan growing in the middle of his disappearing habitat asking us not to destroy his home. This orangutan is sometimes always there for food.”

The competition has also announced the winners of its categories, which we have detailed below.

“Earth’s Eye” – Pawel Zygmunt (Nature Source)

“An aerial view of the Hveravellir geothermal area in Iceland shows a natural formation that looks like an animal’s eye,” the photographer wrote. “The dark, deep blue pool is located in the middle, surrounded by rough soil, made of many shades of brown. The minerals create a textured effect, adding to the eye-like appearance. The surrounding stone area is empty, which makes the structure stand out even more. The whole area has a green beauty, the natural feel is almost alive.”

“Next” – Janet Gustin (wildlife author)

Gustin said: “A little brown bear follows the confident path of a little seabird across the waves as nature paints the world in pastels of gold.” “The bear’s gentle, humble posture as it trusts in this little guidance speaks to a profound truth – sometimes the greatest strength is found in quietly surrendering to a simple guidance. In this rare moment, we are reminded that wisdom often comes in small whispers, and true courage lies in following where we are led with childlike hope.”

“Sporing Party” – Indranil Basu Mallick (Macrophotography Winner)

“An amazing view captured at night,” said the description. “Two glass beetles actively feed on the rotting cover of a Termitomyces fungi. The drama is enhanced by LED backlighting, which illuminates the fine details and creates an impressive silhouette. A long exposure was necessary here, to facilitate the formation of a mysterious pattern of airborne spores, adding a surreal, ethereal quality to this natural cycle of decomposition. The difference in light with the spores actually changes the situation. ”

“Whale Dreams” – Remuna Beca (underwater source)

“A playful whale calf stands majestically above the deep blue waters of the South Pacific Ocean,” Beca explained. “A dreamlike scene, which I hope will spark a greater interest in the wonders of our amazing ocean and the dream of finding and protecting it.”

“Before the Storm” – James Welch (The Birds)

“A group of king penguins look out to sea as the blue sky signals an impending storm,” noted the photographer, of the self-explanatory image, with the oncoming clouds hovering almost as high as the penguins’ backs and wings.

“My Jeffrey Pine, Sierra de Baza” – Miguel José Ávalos González (Source of Plant Life)

“Every year I climb in the cold winter of my nearby mountain,” the snapper wrote. “There, far from my comfort zone and plunged into the bitter cold, right at the upper edge of the tree line, I find myself alone among the ancient conifers, battered by the wind. Their ability to adapt to any climate is amazing.

“Photographers like Carleton Watkins and Ansel Adams have created the world-famous Jeffrey pine tree on Sentinel Dome. In keeping with that legacy, I humbly present my tree here: a Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii from Sierra de Baza – a true wild, flying titan, also crooked and ambiguous, but very powerful.”

“Creation” – Peter Hergesheimer (Night World Winner)

“The Eagle nebula with the image of the Pillars of Creation is taken from this narrow starless image,” the photographer explained. “The filter used in narrowband astrophotography allows the camera to capture only the specific wavelengths of light produced by ionized gases, in this case hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen. The stars were deliberately removed during the process.”

And it is important to note that the total exposure time was more than 30 hours. Interesting things.

“First Need” – Wiktoria West (Environmental Influencer)

“The cheetah opens its eyes for the first time after being groped, where it underwent X-rays, laser therapy, and various other veterinary procedures,” the photographer explained. “This cheetah was the victim of a trap. Traps, which are often set by poor communities to catch small animals for food, are indiscriminate and can trap any animal. Fortunately, thanks to the NGO’s daily care team, we were able to intervene quickly and bring him for treatment to repair the broken ligaments.

“In this picture, he is preparing to be repatriated after a few weeks to rehabilitation. I have been lucky enough to take cheetahs across South Africa for several years, looking at their weaknesses, conflicts, challenges, and promising solutions. The particular problem was to catch the expression of the cheetah, just the first moment when he opened his car for exercise time. always), keeping my eyes focused on his eyes closed I needed to make sure I focused on his eyes and not on the fields in front of him.

“Beekeepers of the Sundarbans” – Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman (Sharing Planet winner)

“In the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, honey collectors collect wild honey using traditional methods that have been used for generations,” said the photographer. “This careful and respectful approach reflects the long-term relationship between local communities and forests, where people depend on their resources while recognizing the presence and power of wild animals such as the royal Bengal tiger. Rising water levels and increasing salinity now threaten mangroves and this cultural heritage, reminding us how deeply our well-being is connected to the health of the environment we share.”

“Into the Gape: Dalmatian Pelican at Dawn” – Panagiotis Xaxiris (Creator of Funny Nature)

“The eye level, the natural light, Lake Kerkini,” Xaxiris said of the image captured in Greece. “The Dalmatian pelican opens its bill wide in front of the camera as the group emerges in the soft morning mist – a close, intimate moment that shows the nature and presence of this type of image.”

And finally, the Photographer of the Year 2025 Award went to Angela J Sanchez “for her extraordinary talent in capturing the wonder of the natural world.” Her prize includes choosing a site where up to 500 trees will be planted – one for each finalist in the competition.

Here is an example of his work, titled “Mobula Rocket,” which earned him the coveted award.

For more amazing pictures, check out our gallery here. We also recommend going to the Nature Photography website to see the entire collection, as there are some amazing works that we didn’t have room to include.

Source: Nature Photography Contest