Winner, International Landscape Photograph of the Year. Blake Randall (Canada)

Winner, International Landscape Photographer of the Year. Tony Hewitt (Australia)

Winner, International Landscape Photographer of the Year. Tony Hewitt (Australia)

3rd Place, International Landscape Photographer of the Year. Matt Meisenheimer (United States)

Runner-Up, International Landscape Photograph of the Year. Peter Meyer (Australia)

3rd Place, International Landscape Photographer of the Year. Matt Meisenheimer (United States)

Runner-Up, International Landscape Photographer of the Year. Andrew Mielzynski (Canada)

3rd Place, International Landscape Photograph of the Year. Isabella Tabacchi (Italy)

Runner-Up, International Landscape Photographer of the Year. Andrew Mielzynski (Canada)

Winner, Black and White. Jim Guerard (United States)

Winner, Snow & Ice. Thomas Vijayan (Canada)

Winner, Desert. John Seager (United Kingdom)

Winner, Aerial. Casey McCallister (United States)

Winner, Seascapes. Ciaran Willmore (Ireland)

Top 100 Photo. Carolyn Cheng (Canada)

Top 100 Photo. Froydis Dalheim (Norway)

Top 100 Photo. Shirley Wung (Taiwan)

Top 100 Photo. Marcin Zajac (Poland)

Top 100 Photo. Peter Adam Hoszang (Hungary)

Top 100 Photo. Kévin Pagès (Iceland)

Top 100 Photo. Hans Gunnar Aslaksen (Norway)

“Watery Shapes” by Phillip Glombik. First Place.

“Fringes of Abernethy” by Ed Smith. Second Place.

“Morning Freeze” by Remi Bergougnoux. Third Place.

“Mystical Driftwood Drift” by Jacqueline Anders. Finalist.

“Misty-rious Hill” by Ian Asprey. Finalist.

“Offshore” by Michael Jurek. Finalist.

“Frozen Migration” by Nicolas Castermans. Finalist.

“Into the Mist” by Brandon Yoshizawa. Finalist.

“Inversion” by Kyle Barden. Finalist.

“Untitled” by William Holderfield. Finalist.

“Black Soldier Fly Farming (I)” by Maurizio di Pietro. Winner, Environmental Photographer of the Year.
“An innovative insect food experiment at the University of Turin assesses the potential of Black Soldier Flies as a source of nutrition for tomorrow’s world.”

“Flood-Affected Area” by Solayman Hossain. Winner, Nikon's Young Environmental Photographer of the Year.
“A farmer and his cows are forced to wade through floodwater to find food, after the road became submerged in water during monsoon season.”

“Survival Of Buffaloes In Drought” by Md Shafiul Islam. Winner, Keeping 1.5 Alive.
“Buffaloes scour parched grasslands for food during a drought.”

“Corals At Night” Nicolas Marin Benitez. Winner, Recovering Nature.
“A nocturnal coral reef comes to life during a night dive in Aruba. Bioluminescence is a fascinating natural phenomenon illustrating the health of the oceans.”

“Intruder” by Anirban Dutta. Winner, Adapting for Tomorrow.
“A cunning drongo bird uses light from an urban petrol pump to catch termites during monsoon season, suggesting waning food sources in the wild. The camera uses its built-in functions of multiple exposures and long exposure to create an image combining three photos.”

“Walk Through Trash” by Jahid Apu. Winner, MPB Vision of the Future.
“This drone shot shows a bridge surrounded by plastic waste in Dhaka, Bangladesh, one of the most plastic-polluted countries in the world.”

“Price Of An Elephant” by Saurav Kumar Boruah. Shortlist, Keeping 1.5 Alive.
“Three wild elephants died in a village on the edge of a forest, due to electrocution. They used to come to villages during the night-time looking for food; their usual sources have grown scarce due to deforestation. The local villagers paid tribute to the elephants by offering prayers with flowers, incense sticks and coins.”

“Red Dog Mine” by Mustafah Abdulaziz. Runner Up, MPB Vision of the Future.
“The Red Dog Mine is a lead and zinc mine in the Arctic Circle, located near Kotzebue in Alaska, USA.”

Salinas De Maras (Maras Salt Flats) by Marina Abello. Shortlist, Adapting for Tomorrow.
“The ponds in Salinas de Maras have been used for salt extraction since the pre-Inca period, and have been in continuous operation since then. Located in the Sacred Valley, the Salinas consist of approximately 4,500 salt pans, set in stepped terraces of irregular stone walls that follow the Qaqahuiñay hill. These traditional salt mining practices have a lower environmental impact than industrial methods, such as mining and evaporation from brine ponds.”

“Devastated Shepherd” by Frederick Dharshie Wissah. Shortlist, Keeping 1.5 Alive.
“Mr. Loonkishu Lemerketo of the Samburu sobs as he points to his three dead goat kids. They died because their dehydrated mother was unable to produce milk. The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd cattle and keep goats, sheep and camels. They have been among the people worst impacted by the climate change-related severe drought in Kenya.
At the time of this photo (October 2022), Kenya had been contending with 5 back-to-back failed rainy seasons and the worst drought in 40 years. This drought has robbed the Samburu of their livelihoods and their food security.”

“Guaranteeing Bali's Reef A Future” by Giacomo D'Orlando. Shortlist, Recovering Nature.
“Two local divers install concrete structures in a new coral restoration site. The local NGO Perkumpulan Pemandu Penyelam Amed (P3A) works together with Dutch NGO Coral Reef Care (CRC) to restore the marine ecosystem damaged by unsustainable fishing by building artificial reefs on damaged reef areas. Natural recovery of the coral reef is unlikely without this additional support. Coral recruits are transplanted onto these artificial structures, which vary in materials and dimensions to maximize the refuge area for different fauna.”

“Quick Assistance” by Adrián Irago. Shortlist, Keeping 1.5 Alive.
“A helicopter from the San Xoan Forest Fire Reinforcement Brigade (BRIF) performs an unloading manoeuvre in the town of Moreiras in the province of Ourense. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Galicia, and especially the province of Ourense, suffer forest fires every year that destroy natural heritage and endanger people. In 2022, more than 51,000 hectares were burned in Galicia, representing 19% of the total hectares burned in Spain, according to Government data. The rural environment of Galicia is especially vulnerable due to depopulation and an aging demographic: there are not enough resources to prevent or manage the mountainside fires.”

“Crossing The Riverbed” by Ahsanul Haque Nayem. Shortlist, MPB Vision of the Future.
“The Jamuna river in the Bogura district dries up completely every year, but during the rainy season, it is flooded again. When the river is dry, horse carts are the only means of transportation for the people of the Char.”

“Mikaël Kingsbury, Olympic Freestyle skier” by Finn O'Hara. Professional Winner, Sports.

“The End of the Dream” by Thomas Broening. Professional Winner, Advertising.

“Pets Meets Vintage” by Horst Kistner. Professional Winner, Special.

“Narrow Escape” by Tony Law. Professional Winner, Sports.

“Songkran” by Thamarong Wanarithikul. Non-Professional Winner, Event.

“Must resist” by Or Adar. Non-Professional Winner, Editorial / Press.

“Old Father Thames” by Julia Fullerton-Batten. Professional Winner, Fine Art.

“Ice Fantasy” by Barbara and Maciej Noskowski. Professional Winner, Nature.

“power station (storm)” Steffen Reichardt. Non-Professional Winner, Architecture.

“Bakkarwals of Jammu and Kashmir 1” by Carlo Marrazza. Non-Professional Winner, People.

“Anemone Purity” by Claudia Gaupp. Non-Professional, Nature.

“Ukraine's War” by Wolfgang Schwan. Professional Winner, Editorial / Press

“NYC Women’s March 2017” by Nabil West. Professional Winner, Event.

“Polychromo” by Bevil Templeton-Smith. Non-Professional Winner, Fine Art.

“Spaghetti Stylist” by Yuliy Vasilev. Non-Professional Winner, Advertising.

“Ships on Land” by Professional Gang Wang. Winner, Architecture.

“Our War” by Edgar Martins. Professional Winner, Analog / Film.

“Ukraine: A War Crime” by FotoEvidence. Professional Winner, Book.

“Freedom to Fly” by Allison Hunter. Professional Winner, People.

“Where does the tree end and the rest of the world begin?” by Daniela Balestrin. Non-Professional Winner, Analog / Film.

“.raw” by Daniil Kobizskiy. Non-Professional Winner, Special.

“The Promise [of safe, clean and unlimited energy]” by Jan Schölzel. Non-Professional Winner, Book.

“Waning Sun” by Alex Wides. Location: Senja Island, Norway
“A 300° panorama captured on Senja Island (Norway) featuring the setting sun and an intense kp7 Northern Lights display.
Embarking on a three-month journey from Italy to the Great North, you anticipate witnessing incredible sights, but this trip surpassed all my expectations. Arriving at Senja Island, my personal favorite among the places I’ve been fortunate enough to visit, we encountered the most powerful Northern Lights of the year, exactly as predicted.
The horizon is glowing with the light of the setting sun; in September, it sets at 11:00 PM, painting the sky in vibrant shades of green, purple, and red. This shot encapsulates the essence of the journey, capturing the beauty of an extraordinary adventure on one unforgettable evening with my family and two dogs, witnessing an awe-inspiring spectacle.”

“Island of Aurora” by Kat Lawman. Location: Wales, United Kingdom
“I was fortunate enough to capture the Northern Lights from Northern Sweden back in March, with beautiful visible green waves overhead. However, I never expected to capture an incredible Aurora like this just a 15-minute drive from my door.
Upon reaching the location, the aurora was exceptionally powerful. I worried that by the time I had sorted all my equipment and scouted my composition, I might miss the main show. Nevertheless, I set up my tripod next to a small pool of seawater, focusing on capturing reflections. At this point, the aurora had slightly diminished, and I had to endure a few rain showers. However, my efforts and perseverance paid off around 9:30 pm when huge green and pink light pillars shot out of the sky—completely mesmerizing!”

“Red Alert” by William Preite. Location: Dolomites, Italy
“I was in the right place and at the right time, during my usual autumn tour in Italy’s Dolomites.
That Sunday, I never thought I would witness such a rare spectacle. There was a strong magnetic storm in the north, which partly spread to Southern Europe. Scientists call this event SAR (Stable Auroral Red arcs) which is even more rare than the Aurora itself.”

“Goleuadau’r Gogledd” by Mathew Browne. Location: Wales, United Kingdom
“The title of this image, “Goleuadau’r Gogledd,” translates to ‘Northern Lights’ in Welsh. Finding the accurate translation proved challenging, as this phrase isn’t commonly used in everyday conversations here in South Wales.
Witnessing the aurora borealis this far south is a rare occurrence, and capturing it at an iconic location like Paxton’s Tower adds to its uniqueness. Paxton’s Tower, a hilltop folly with a history spanning over 200 years, overlooks the picturesque Carmarthenshire countryside.
For over an hour, the horizon beyond the clouds emitted hues of green and pink. However, for a brief yet magical moment, the sky came alive with impressive pink pillars, visible to the naked eye.”

“Circle of Life” by Frøydis Dalheim. Location: Lappland, Finland
“This is a magical place in the forests of the Finnish Lapland that I was fortunate to capture during an evening in late March.
A pair of swans were further down the river, and occasionally I could hear them singing. Even though it was freezing cold, at almost -30° Celsius, I enjoyed being embraced by the peace and harmony of this beautiful night!”

“Bakers Oven Aurora Australis” by Josh Beames. Location: Bakers Oven, Australia
“I just recently noticed that the sun had emitted a massive solar flare which looked to be heading in Earth’s direction.
I kept an eye on the charts and was excited to see that it would be a direct hit, granting a great opportunity to capture the elusive Southern Lights!
As I checked the weather forecast, I saw we were going to have the perfect conditions, combined with the possibility of capturing a strong Aurora Australis. We made our way along the Great Ocean Road, to Bakers Oven, where were treated to an absolute show after sunset.”

“Infinity” by Giulio Cobianchi. Location: Lofoten Islands, Norway
“In the last few years in Lofoten, I’ve captured several “double arc” panoramas, but each time is a complex endeavor as many factors must align, and in the Arctic, it’s no easy feat. The aurora needs to be visible only to the north; it has to be a moonless night, and clear skies are essential. Additionally, the conditions must allow you to reach the peaks without excessive risk.
Picture yourself at the summit of a mountain, positioned between the Northern Lights and the Milky Way, aware that this ephemeral moment may last only seconds or minutes.
Being focused on such a situation, and not wasting the moment, is challenging. The planning involved in capturing this type of photo brings immense satisfaction, watching the elements of this intricate puzzle slowly converge. This photography style has become one of my favorites.”

“The Red Flame” by Laura Oppelt. Location: Wadden Sea National Parks, Germany
“What a crazy night it was in Northern Germany on September 25th! It’s still hard to believe that I witnessed such a strong aurora show this far South from the polar circle. It began with a faint glow on the horizon around 10 PM and intensified over time. The live view of my camera displayed the greens quite well, though they weren’t visible to the naked eye.
Later, as the reds and pinkish/purple tones emerged, the colors became clearly visible to the human eye. At a certain point, everything in the sky seemed to explode, and I couldn’t help but scream out loudly on the beach in pure excitement and disbelief!
Experiencing such an intense show in Germany was truly awesome. I’m still astonished while writing down these words, and I’m grateful to have witnessed this special event in my home country on a small island in the North Sea. The photograph’s composition might not be original, and the horizon is illuminated by lots of ships anchoring nearby overnight, but the clearly visible aurora makes this image special and meaningful to me.”

“Storm Over Sukakpak” by Nickolas Warner. Location: Alaska, USA
“Located approximately 70 miles North of the Arctic Circle, Sukakpak Mountain is one of the most beautiful peaks in the Brooks Mountain Range. While I have photographed the Northern Lights in this area on numerous occasions, the most photogenic angle typically faces south, making it a bit challenging for auroras to align with the mountain.
That night, there was an expectation of an X-Class flare hitting, so I knew we needed to head somewhere great. We took our chances and decided to drive an hour north from our accommodation to capture Sukakpak Mountain in all its glory.
It’s very tempting to pull over and shoot where you are standing when the aurora is blazing above your head. When we got there, the sky exploded with more energy than I’ve seen in more than a decade of photographing the Aurora. Attempts to capture Northern Lights that intense resulted in a blurry mess. Instead, we ignored the cameras and stared up in awe as to not miss the light show. It was only once things slowed down that I captured this panorama.”

“Green Snakes” by Filip Hrebenda. Location: Vikten, Norway
“This photo was taken at one of the lesser-known beaches in Lofoten, Norway, called “Vikten.” As with my other shots, I aimed to capture something new and different. During low tide at Vikten Beach, numerous small pools emerge in the rocky paths carved by the ocean. So the first crucial step was to wait for the low tide.
Then, I sought the ideal composition with a foreground pool to create a leading-line effect. After a few minutes of searching, I found it! The next challenge was achieving sharpness, which can be challenging in low light conditions. To address this, I needed to focus stack the foreground. I used six individual shots for focus stacking the foreground to ensure everything was sharp.
Following that, I had to wait for the ideal aurora shape to improve my composition. I captured several photos and selected the one in which it formed the ideal shape for my composition. This allowed the aurora itself to become a part of the leading lines, resembling “green snakes”.”

“The Platform” by Virgil Reglioni. Location: Otertinden, Norway
“That day, March 23, 2023, Earth experienced the strongest geomagnetic storm in six years, and I was out executing my unique aurora shot of the year, “The Platform.” Both Maria and I had significant doubts about this climb. While we unintentionally chose one of the best aurora night displays in years for this mission, this accounted for only 10% of the work for “The Platform” image to come to fruition.
We started the ascent of this 47° steep snowy slope during the blue hour, enduring -21°C temperatures, while the Northern Lights lit up the Southern sky.
After overcoming the steepest part, Maria, ahead of me, spotted the tip of the cliff and exclaimed, “I see the cliff! I see the cliff!” I’ll remember the adrenaline kick it gave me for a while. All I could think was, “No way, we made it… now, how is the sky?” Facing the cliff on the platform, the Aurora Borealis danced above us — jackpot.”

“The Arctic Dance” by Vincent Beudez. Location: Tromso, Norway
“As Northern Lights photographers, this is the moment we live for, the strongest solar storm of the year. That particular night, the Northern Lights were so strong that they were even visible from France, my home country.
At that time, I was in Northern Norway, which meant I could see an incredible show even facing south. I was able to see the most colorful Northern Lights I’ve ever witnessed. Being a night photographer as well, I’m not only looking for the Northern Lights, but I chase shapes within a perfect environment, to create the perfect composition. It’s hard to put into words the feeling when I saw this red curtain surrounded by dancing lights.”

“Lady in Pink” by Kenneth LeRose. Location: Death Valley, USA
“I really didn’t believe I’d see the aurora at the lowest altitude point in the US. When I saw the aurora forecast, I was in Vegas. The decision to drive to Badwater Basin was a last-minute one.
When I arrived, I started to second-guess myself once I saw all the atmospheric particles sinking into the basin. I kept thinking about changing locations because it wasn’t looking promising.
I parked just before blue hour and gathered a tripod and camera. I didn’t even take my camera bag out. I thought there would be no need to carry my second camera and tripod, but as I got halfway to my destination, I started seeing some faint lights in the sky. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I stopped and took a test shot and there it was! Pink pillars in the sky! I started running to find a composition to set up a timelapse. I ran back to my airstream a mile behind me to get the rest of my gear. I started snapping stills and set up another timelapse. This was my favorite still frame taken from this memorable night.”

”Lost Who I Want To Be” by Jordan McInally. Location: Moke Lake, New Zealand
“I was pretty lucky this night to have a few friends message me a heads up that a big Aurora Australis was forecast, so I had just enough time to rush to this local spot with a painfully steep ascent, watching beams start to dance across the horizon as the sunlight was fading!
I spent around 5 hours up here and had this whole ridge to myself, shooting over 300 frames of all manner of beams and colors as the show was constantly changing!”

“Gatklettur Northen Lights” by Stefano Pellegrini. Location: Gatklettur, Iceland
“I spent a week in Iceland, chasing the Northern Lights. Opting for total freedom of movement to track clear skies each night, I lived in a car, planning my itinerary day by day instead of booking hotels in advance. The strategy paid off, and I captured the aurora on four out of seven nights. This photo is from the first night.
Arriving at the location after dark, I parked the car and prepared my sleeping bag. Despite being up since 4 AM, I set my alarm clock to wake me every hour in anticipation of a KP5 forecast for the night. I woke up at 2:30 am on my own and spotted green hues from the car window. I hurried out, shooting frantically to seize the opportunity. The final image is my second attempt. Initially, I framed the arch from the front down on the rocky shore but I wasn’t satisfied with the result. After a night of running around various locations, at 5 AM in the morning, I returned to the beach for another composition.”

Overall Winner & Winner, Innovation by MPB, Photographer: © Krystle Wright / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Angela VanWiemeersch, Location: Long Canyon, UT, United States
“Turns out by slowing down life and embracing boredom again into my life, my dreams have come back that ignite new passion projects. One day as I was driving to my local crag, an idea hit me like a lightning bolt where I conjured the concept of illuminating a crack from within on an iconic trad climb. After all, the crack is the feature of trad climbing and I wanted to search out the perfect fissure. Moab UT has always brought me back time and time again and teaming up with Angela VanWiemeersch, we found ‘Seventh Serpent' in Long Canyon. As per usual, my timing is atrocious and a heat wave had descended onto Moab which meant we only had a few precious shaded hours in the afternoon to rig the lights into the crack. I'll always be a nervous wreck in these situations but when I raced back across the canyon to set up my position to capture, what a spectacular feeling it was to witness the crack come alive as the darkness enveloped around us.”

Winner, Masterpiece by Sölden, Photographer: © Lorenz Holder / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Senad Grosic, Location: La Muralla Roja, Calp, Spain
“La Muralla Roja is a huge apartment complex in the Spanish town Calp and was built by Ricardo Bofill in 1969. This building is just a miracle itself – there are stairs, small corridors, platforms, and concrete walls everywhere, and it’s very easy to lose orientation. The building is divided into different zones that are all colored differently in pastel tones, but work together beautifully. Just walking through this masterpiece is breathtaking, and you feel instantly transferred into a different world.
For Senad and I, this was just a playground with almost unlimited spots and opportunities, where we both could live out our creativity.
For this shot, I wanted to show the variety of pastel colors and different structures and compose this with an BMX-trick of Senad with the right balance of architecture and action sports. We had to wait a little bit, till the sun was at the right place, to illuminate all the scene pretty equally, so the colors of the building would show its full potential without having shadows within the image.”

Winner, Energy, Photographer: © Ted Grambeau / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: James ‘Jimmy' McKean, Location: Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania, Australia
“One of the most extreme days at the incredibly challenging Shipstern Bluff on a remote stretch of coast in Tasmania Australia. The irregular bathymetry creates steps in the wave that adds to the unpredictably and creates a spectacular platform at the base of passive imposing sea cliffs. Local legend Jimmy McKean navigates a series of irregular steps in the face of a giant southern ocean swell. The steps are somewhat unpredictable and add to the precarious nature of one of the world’s most spectacular and dangerous waves.”

Winner, Emerging with Canon, Videographer: © Gonzalo Robert Parraguez / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Kilian Ivelic Astorga, Location: Maipo, Chile
“I think this is one of my favorite photos as it included a bit of everything. To get to the waterfall you had to drive two hours, walk ten minutes and then to take this photo I had to do a 15 meter rappel as the waterfall is in a deep canyon. To get in the position I wanted, the only way to get there was to rappel in. With Kilian, we have been filming and looking for places for a couple of years now and continuing to do these missions with him is one of my favorite things to do.”

Winner, Creative, Photographer: © Delphin Montessuit / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Virgile Devin, Location: L'Usine, Voreppe, France
“L’Usine is a dry-tooling cave situated over an old factory. On a Sunday after fun-filled night out with Virgile Devin and friends in Grenoble we decided to go for a climb at this spot. That's when I got to shoot Virgile hooked to the roof of the cave, the bright light coming from the outside of the cave on the original shot gave me the idea of a high contrast minimalist collage. To create this image, I decided to push the boundaries of my creativity by merging my photography editing skills with modern technological advancements.
I designed the scene using a digitally generated block of ice. By choosing black and white, I was able to express my love for simplicity and contrast, while recalling the greatness of the mountain with an oversized ice element. This image is the result of many inspirations that have shaped my journey as a photographer: the mountains, the power of extreme sports, the exploration of new ways to create, all shared with some good friends.”

Winner, RAW, Photographer: © Léo Grosgurin / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Arthur Deblonde, Location: Briançon, France
“This was for me one of the most difficult shots to take. In a windy week, a lot of larch in the valley were losing their thorns. So we were looking for the most beautiful larch around Briançon in France, and fortunately came across this magnificent tree with the waterfalls as a backdrop. Everything was perfect.
We came in the morning to create a jump, then had to find a yellow sweater for Arthur that would perfectly match the tree!
I hooked a flash on a drone and had it flown over the jump and the tree, the drone fell several times due to the wind and the flash weight. Our shot window was very short, I absolutely wanted to have the waterfalls in the background while having the tree and Arthur well lit by the flash. A single test allowed us to have all the conditions united in a single perfect shot.”

Winner, Playground by Radiant Photo, Photographer: © Jb Liautard / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Kilian Bron, Location: Nazca, Peru
“We were shooting for a week around Cusco with the whole video team but when they left, we changed my flight to come to this place, I had to wait a couple more days at the hotel as Kilian had a race at the end of the week. The minute after he crossed the finish line, we took a car and drove 12 hours on mountain roads from 6PM to 6AM. We arrived at the hotel in the morning and after a quick nap, we were headed to the highest dune in the world.
We only had one evening and one morning there as our plane was leaving from Lima the next day. We had to have good weather and all conditions come together. I was suffering from a knee injury and had to climb up the 500m high dune with almost just one leg. I flew my drone once up there and the view was absolutely breathtaking. The wind just shaped that huge dune with a perfect pattern, the same pattern we can see on a way smaller scale. It was so perfect it almost looked fake.
Once I decided which line I wanted Kilian to ride, it was go time and we were lucky enough that he made a turn at the perfect moment to lift up some sand. It was that one shot this whole part of the trip was all about.”

Winner, Photos of Instagram, Photographer: © Yhabril / Red Bull Illume, Athlete: Alejandro Arellano, Location: Punta Malacara, Spain
“After enjoying the recent snowfall in the resort, we usually look for places outside to build kickers and take advantage of the best moments of light for the shoots. The weather this day was very bad and it seemed that we were not going to be able to do anything, but after midday the clouds began to move and the friends' chat began to heat up, so we decided to go up and build. We arrived a little late and the sky closed again so we decided to do the job and leave it done for the next day, with the landing untouched.
We were in darkness with everything almost finished when an evening glow began to enter in the distance. Alejan was working on the speed check and I was doing light tests with the flashes. It was an all or nothing bet to one try. Alejan is a motivated and qualified rider, capable of landing a huge first try backflip, so we went for it and we did it, that was the only jump that day, in the next moment the sky was dark again. In addition, the colors are a fundamental part of this photo, everything fits together, the blue tones are complementary to the orange and yellow ones, and there are times when this issue becomes crucial, that's why this photo is titled Psychology of Color.”

Winner, Lifestyle by COOPH, Photographer: © Ross Taylor / Red Bull Illume , Athletes: Jonathan Sapir & Jorden Brunshteen, Location: Anchor Point, Taghazout, Morocco
“I was out in Morocco on a surfing holiday with friends, which luckily happened to coincide with the first really good swell of the season slamming into the coast. The night before there was a real buzz of anticipation around the town, with everyone excitedly discussing if the swell was going to live up to expectation. The next morning, I eagerly pitched up to the carpark before sunrise and, through the twilight and mist, saw perfect peeling faces thundering down the point. A crowd of eager challengers quickly gathered readying themselves to do battle with what Mother Ocean was going to throw at them that day. When this retro ride overladen with all manner of surf craft pulled up I knew it was a composition too good to pass up. I hope this image bottles up just a little of the vibe which all us surfers know well; the excitement, anticipation and pure stoke of turning up to a spot to find the waves are even better than forecasted and it’s going to be a special day for all in attendance.”

Overall winner and Single Capture Winner, Tara Lilly – Tara Lilly Photography
“Mikaela + Mitch held an intimate mountaintop wedding in Whistler, Canada, on the unceded territory of Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh & L̓il̓wat7úl First Nations⁣⁣⁣. We took 4×4 jeeps up to an alpine meadow, home to a number of animals, including whiskey jacks. (If you’ve visited Whistler in the winter, you may have seen these small birds entertain skiers waiting in the lift line by landing on their ski poles held in the air.) Just as Mitch began his vows, a curious whiskey jack swooped in and landed directly on top of Mikaela’s head. Mikaela’s shock, surprise, and laughter were not enough to dissuade this bird from his perch. “I’m Snow White!” Mikaela laughed.”

Overall Runner-up and Winner, Dance Floor, Carmelo Ucchino
“Such a sweet and in love couple that involved me passionately. The simplicity of a refined wedding in Sicily with many facets, from the very romantic one between the two spouses to the very exuberant one in the post-prom party. In this photo, water actually falls from the roof in an almost surreal context, it is a dance floor where the bride and groom do their first dance together. I remember with amusement the slippery floor after prom. A few slips and lots of laughter to liven up the story of this wedding even more.”

Winner, The “I Do” Crew / Group Shot, Jeff Tisman
“The funny thing about this photo is that I did it once before with another couple at this particular venue. The first time the photo had eight people. This couple wanted the same shot and said Jeff do you think you could fit all 16 of us?
I said there is only one way to find out. “You all get in and we’ll find out”. And in they went!”

Winner, Epic Location, Aimée Flynn
“Being huge climbers, it was super important for these two to climb in celebration of their elopement. In this moment I was turning around to find a new vantage point for photos when I heard, “Oh, Spiderman style!” from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw, well, this, and then frantically started taking photos. It’s wild to think I had very little to do with the set up of this photo and that this was genuinely just the two of them having fun.”

Winner, From Above, Ben Lane – Tinted Photography
“
We started our day super early with Marianne and Jeremy to catch the sun rising across Lago Di Braies. Later, they would say their vows to each other, surrounded by the indescribable peaks of the Italian Dolomites. But in between was this moment. We had the jetty to ourselves; the lake was dead calm, the row boats still in their moorings. It was a perfect time for these two to take a moment and just relax with each other.”

Winner, Break the Rules, Traci Edwards
“When planning with Gillian + Josh it was clear how much climbing was a part of their relationship. Their first date was on a multi pitch trad route and they got engaged on an epic sport route in Moab. The main things they wanted to be a part of their day: warmth, time to enjoy, climbing, beer and star gazing.
Immediately, I started thinking about how can we create epic star photos that could also embody more of who they are and what they want out of their elopement experience. I pitched the idea to them for a night time hanging rappel down the middle of an arch for star gazing. They loved it!
Logistically, photography wise, this wasn’t going to be easy. Hanging rappels, no matter how hard you try, there is lots of subtle movement. With practice, holding our breathes and some help from passing cars we pulled it off – a night time hanging rappel under the stars – captured for years to look back on and remember the moment, the stars, the hanging in the air with each other before becoming married.”

Winner, Couple Portrait, Aimée Flynn
“When you get a little bit of weather and combine it with off the charts stoke, magic can happen. Not 40 minutes before this photo was taken we were all being pelted with rain, sleet, and snow. The nice thing is that in places as wide open as the desert, you can see often see weather approaching… *and* you can see when that weather will clear, making for the prettiest and moodiest sunset ever. There was so much joyful shrieking as this couple scrambled over the rocks, wind whipping their hair and clothes. It was chilly and windy, but these two had the time of their lives embracing their (very epic) wedding day.”

Winner, Black & White, Fabio Mirulla
“I remember very well that day, it was a very hot summer day and the couple was walking in Siena (Tuscany), in one of the most interesting streets, with ancient buildings and narrow streets that lead to Piazza del Campo, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful squares in the world. We were talking just right before starting the photo session when I turned around and saw that there was a cone of light projecting this very strong shadow against Palazzo del Rettorato. I immediately took the chance to play with frames to create something different, a strong geometry totally in contrast and discontinuous with the usual aspect of the city which is a purely medieval town with its typical bricks. The success of a photo sometimes is being in the right place at the right time and this was definitely the case.”

Winner, LIT, Van Middleton
“I was fortunate for this image in that a lot of things aligned. There was a full moon that was tracing a line right between two beautiful big old trees near the wedding venue, I had a couple that was super excited to be involved in a few outdoors night-time creative photos (while their friends were partying hard inside!) and I was also sharing the day with a videographer James Alexander, who was running with a large LED spotlight that I begged and borrowed. I didn’t think my speed lights would be quite right for this type of shot, because I needed something steady and more controlled that I could also light up the trees a bit with. This shot was taken at Worrowing Estate, an amazing venue with beautiful forests all around, which was another stroke of fortune!”

Winner, Solo Portrait, Shankhesh Jariwala.
“There is a very interesting story behind this picture.
So while capturing bride solo portrait I saw this painting on the wall which was hanging little higher I instantly created the story in my mind about the painting.
I asked bride if she can stand on the little table with those high heels on and she trusted my vision and agreed to do for her perfect bridal portrait Heads off to her That’s how we captured this beautiful portrait of her.”

Winner, Engagement / Non Wedding, Julian Zeman
“Steph and Matt are both marine biologists’ and got married in the Cook Islands. It was only fitting they merge their passion for the ocean and their love for each other with an underwater photoshoot. On the day of the shoot, we were greeted with a bit of wind, which made the waters a tad choppy. Determined to get the perfect shots, we decided to venture further out than usual. My mate John, who owns the fishing boat we went out on, took us to one of the fishing fads – a spot with crystal-clear waters, perfect for our shoot but definitely not a spot for anyone scared of deep water. There’s always a bit of a current, and naturally, on a windy day, we’re dealing with it being choppy, but Steph and Matt were incredibly graceful.”

“Fingertips” by Kate Burgess. Winner, Birds in Flight.
“Being able to capture both the ‘fingertips' of the feathers in flight and the cockatoo's head and feet in the background makes this a magical image for me. Shooting in burst mode enabled me to capture just the right composition.”

“Song of the Superb” by Nikki Kenwrick. Winner, Backyard Birds.
“There are several families of Superb Blue Wrens living at my mother's place, and I often sit and watch them popping around her garden. They are such happy little birds.”

“Wings spread” by Tai M. Winner, Youth.
“During a walk along the Victoria Quay I was shooting some photos of the seagulls flying around me, I noticed there were moments where they would fly directly above me. I tried for a shot like this one a few times but failed until I eventually captured one of the birds scratching itself mid flight.”

“Where there is smoke there is fire” by Martin Anderson. Winner, Portfolio.
“The portfolio consists of a sequence of images that I was lucky to capture of a Brown Falcon trying to steal a free meal from a Spotted Harrier. The Spotted Harrier (Smoke Hawk) had just captured a Golden-headed Cisticola, and this did not go unnoticed by the Brown Falcon perched in a nearby tree. The Spotted Harrier was doing its best to hide the kill in its plumage as it flew gracefully across the field, when the Brown Falcon (one of Australia's Fire Hawks) flew in to steal the prize. An interesting battle ensued and the prize fell to the ground unclaimed, the Harrier asserted dominance and the Brown Falcon left in defeat.”

“Morning! Time to get moving” by Veronica McPhail. Winner, Birds in the Landscape.
“Early morning movement from all residents along the south Perth foreshore. The swans awake and swim across the lake, looking for food.”

“Leapfrog” by Jason Moore. Shortlight, Birds in Flight.
“The classical flight shot of the Rainbow Bee-eater is the front on, wings spread “portrait”. I thought this side on perspective offered the viewer something a little unusual. I'm fond of the lighting in this image. The subject and perch are shrouded in shadow, but the distant background is being lit by sunlight, which has created a contrast between cool and warm colors which I find quite attractive.”

“Water trails” by Rebecca Harrison. Shortlist, Special Theme.
“A Little Egret takes off gracefully, leaving a sparkle of water droplets in its wake.”

“Anguish” by Kim Wormald. Shortlist, Human Impact.
“This was such a heart-wrenching situation, not only the adult's anguish at being entangled in nylon filament but also the juvenile's desperation as it tries to free its parent. I called a specialist rescue service that was unable to save this bird.”

“Casso-unwary” by Gail Yager. Shortlist, Bird Portrait.
“We were driving in Tully Gorge NP and pulled off the road. To our surprise, this young Southern Cassowary was standing there. He was as curious about us as we were about him—whilst maintaining a safe distance! I love the tilt of his head and the way his casque looks like a cap, which I have emphasized with the way I have cropped the photo.”

“Urban sentinel” by Stephen Spence. Shortlist, Backyard Birds.
“A White-faced Heron stands on the roof gutter of a house near the beach, its presence capturing the essence of the coastal surroundings. The black and white contrast adds depth to this urban encounter with nature. The image also captures the Heron's elegant presence, symbolizing an urban sentinel amid the coastal landscape.”

“Piercing” by Colin Driscoll. Winner, Bird Portrait.
“Just on sunset a female Australasian Darter looks up from preening after her final successful fishing session for the day. These birds are so angular it is difficult to get an interesting composition. This shot captures what these birds do under water. One can imagine this is the last thing a fish sees as the long neck launches that bill piercing it like a spear fisher would.”

“Two's company” by D'Artagnan Sprengel. Shortlist, Youth.
“Walking back to the car along the Coodanup Foreshore, I came across a large flock of what I believe were Little Corellas. They were feeding on the ground around the carpark. I saw these two perched together on an open branch and thought it would make a cute photo. I composed the image in portrait orientation and chose to overexpose the image to get a nice, clean, white background.”

A leucistic Australian Pied Oystercatcher catches the last light as it retreats to the mangroves. Cairns, Queensland, Australia

“Have you heard the one about…” by Franciscus Scheelings. Shortlist, Bird Behavior.
“While doing a bit of birding at the La Trobe University wetlands I noticed a large flock of Little Corellas on one of the ovals with several pairs rolling around in the grass. I got down as low as I could to fire off some shots and managed to get this photo of what looks like a couple of old friends sharing an hilarious joke.”

“Pollen Shower” by Guy Draper. Winner, Bird Behavior.
“I had spent several weeks returning to the same area of the park, watching and photographing a wide variety of native birds feeding on the Grass Trees. After taking a lot of front-lit shots, I set myself the challenge of getting some “last light” backlit shots, capturing some behavior with warmer light. I knew the instant I checked the back of the camera with this image that I'd captured a special moment, as the Yellow-faced Honeyeater showered itself in pollen as it plucked the flower from the stem!”

“Jambalaya on the Bayou” by Jason Moore. Winner, Special Theme.
“The somewhat messy, but beautifully coloured background inspired the title of this image. For those of you that don't know, The Carpenters released a hit song in the 70's called Jambalaya on the Bayou. It was a happy song with a tuneful beat, and it spoke of life on the Bayou… my thoughts of a Bayou include water everywhere, flooded cypress trees with Spanish Moss hanging from their branches, and swampland with wading birds…”

“Curlew construction consideration” by Gregory Abbott. Winner, Human Impact.
“One night in April, I went down to pick up a passenger off the late ferry. The Macleay Island jetty (then still under major reconstruction) was deserted except for myself and this attentive Bush Stone-Curlew. Both of us waiting. The Curlew just stood there as if the construction, signs, lights, and dead machinery had stumped it. I slowly walked to within a few meters and took the shot with my phone, then retreated a little. I too was somewhat stunned at the implications for wildlife of the multi-million dollar upgrade to jetty and the extended parking areas. I stood with the Curlew for a while. Then quietly I retreated to take a fenced in, man-made detour to the jetty proper. The concrete concentrations. Mine. The curlew's… where will it go?”

“Ice Bed” by Nima Sarikhani, UK. Location: Off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, Norway.
“A polar bear carves out a bed from a small iceberg before drifting off to sleep in the far north, off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago.
Having spent three days desperately searching for polar bears through thick fog in the far north off Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, the expedition vessel Nima was on decided to change course. It turned and headed to the southeast, where there was still some sea ice.
Here, they encountered a younger and an older male and watched the pair over the following eight hours. Just before midnight, the young male clambered onto a small iceberg and, using his strong paws, clawed away at it to carve out a bed for himself before drifting off to sleep.”

“Tough Negotiation” by Ayala Fishaimer, Israel. Location: Judean Foothills, Israel
“Standing on a rock in the Judean Foothills of Israel, a red fox cub locks eyes with the shrew it had thrown up in the air moments earlier.
After the first Covid-19 lockdown, Ayala was in need of nature, and so headed out early one spring morning to the Judean Foothills in Israel. After an hour of driving, she arrived at the red fox den and, parking a safe distance away, waited. It wasn’t long before four cubs appeared and started to play.
This cub lost interest in its siblings and started sniffing around. Moments later, it pulled a shrew out of the sand and started knocking it around like a ball. Then, standing on a rock, the cub threw the shrew in the air. As it landed, Ayala caught the moment the hapless shrew and the fox locked eyes.”

“Curiosity” by Gerald Hinde, South Africa. Location: Greater National Park, South Africa
“Under the watchful eye of its mother in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park, a curious lion cub walks towards the photographer, who was watching from a vehicle.
Lion cubs are vulnerable to other predators, such as leopards and hyenas, but often, the main threat is from invading male lions. For the first six weeks, they’re kept hidden away; after this, they’re introduced to the pride and protection provided by all the members.
Gerald had parked his vehicle in the riverbed in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park. This was the first cub to come and investigate his arrival. Holding his camera out of the vehicle, close to the ground, he managed to get a low photographic angle of the cub’s activities.”

“Snowshoes” by Deena Sveinsson, USA. Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, USA.
“A snowshoe hare pulls its feet to its head to make the next big hop across the soft, deep snow in the forests of the Rocky Mountain National Park, USA.
It was a late spring morning, and Deena was snowshoeing deep in the forests of the Rocky Mountain National Park, USA when she noticed this snowshoe hare sleeping on a small snow mound. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she positioned herself in front of it.
Hours later, the hare woke and hopped off the snow mound in Deena’s direction. Using a high frame rate, she captured the exact moment in its hop where the hare pulled its large back feet up next to its head. Its large feet prevent the hare from sinking into the deep, soft snow, acting like snowshoes, hence its name the snowshoe hare.”

“Looking At Me, Looking At You” by John E. Marriott, Canada. Location: Chilko River, British Columbia, Canada
“A grizzly bear rises up on its hind legs and glances towards the photographer before returning to fish for salmon in the Chilko River in British Columbia, Canada.
John was leading a grizzly bear photography tour on the Chilko River when the group came across this bear salmon fishing. Allowing the current to take their small boat slowly past the bear, they watched it rise up on its hind legs as if to get a better perspective on the salmon in the shallow water.
As the bear was standing there, it momentarily glanced in the boat’s direction with a quizzical expression before returning to its salmon-fishing endeavors.”

“Missed Sip of Milk” by Karim Iliya, USA/Lebanon. Location: Off the coast of Rurutu, French Polynesia
“A humpback whale calf misses some of its mother’s milk, which drifts and swirls in the currents off the coast of Rurutu, French Polynesia.
In the seven years and hundreds of hours Karim’s been documenting humpback whales, he’s only seen whale milk floating in the water twice. Both times were on a diving trip off the coast of Rurutu, French Polynesia, with the same whale and her calf.
Humpback whales don’t have lips, so the calves can be clumsy and, on very rare occasions, miss some of the milk. Just as Karim was preparing to go back up to the surface, he saw the calf rising in the background and captured these strands of milk drifting and swirling in the current.”

“The Grassland Geladas” by Marco Gaiotti, Italy. Location: The Simien Mountains of Ethiopia, Ethiopia.
“A gelada suckles its baby alongside a companion at the edge of a plateau in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.
Taken during the August rainy season, with looming clouds threatening a downpour, a gelada mother suckles her baby alongside a female companion. The gelada family unit, known as a harem, usually consists of one male and a small number of related females and their young.
Gelada monkeys live only in the high mountain meadows of Ethiopia, where they spend most of their time on the ground grazing. However, with the number of domestic livestock increasing, their grazing grasslands are now diminishing, pushing them into restricted areas. A gelada suckles its baby alongside a companion at the edge of a plateau in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.”

“Shared Parenting” by Mark Boyd, Kenya. Location: Maasai Mara, Kenya
“A pair of lionesses devotedly groom one of the pride’s five cubs in Kenya’s Maasai Mara.
Early in the morning, Mark watched as these lionesses groomed one of their five cubs in their territory in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The evening before, they’d set off to hunt, leaving the cubs hidden overnight in dense bushes. Returning from their unsuccessful mission, they’d called the cubs out onto the open grassland.
Females raise each other’s cubs as their own, sharing parenting duties. Here the youngster was clearly enjoying the moment of affection and attention.”

“Opportunity Fox” by Matt Maran, UK. Location: London, UK
“A young red fox takes advantage of a bin stacked high with rubbish before collection day on a street in London, UK.
Over a two-month period, Matt watched a young male red fox learn the best time to climb into this street bin in London. It figured out it was Monday evenings, shortly before the weekly collection, when the rubbish was piled high, and any discarded food that rested on top was easy to get at.
Contrary to what most people think, an urban fox’s diet is made up of more than 50% natural food, such as earthworms, wild birds, seeds, and fruits. As a result, these animals play an important role in the urban ecosystem.”

“Neighborhood Dispute” by Ofer Levy, Australia. Location: Roebuck Bay, Australia.
“A mudskipper fiercely defends its territory from a trespassing crab in Roebuck Bay, Australia.
Mudskippers can live both in and out of the water as long as they remain wet. They thrive along the intertidal mudflats and mangroves of Western Australia. These amphibious fish are fiercely territorial, often building mud walls around their territories where they feed and breed.
This crab is evidently trespassing, and by opening its mouth and raising its dorsal fin, the mudskipper is challenging the intruder, attempting to scare it off with a threatening display. Ofer watched the two continually confront each other out on the mud flat—the mudskipper always initiating the clash.”

“Hope” by Roberto García-Roa, Spain. Location: Chimpanzee Conservation Center in the Republic of Guinea
“A rescued chimpanzee looks on from its enclosure at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in the Republic of Guinea.
While photographing rescued chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in the Republic of Guinea, Roberto captured this pensive portrait. Located in the National Park of Upper Niger, the center houses orphaned chimpanzees that have been rescued from being sold as pets after their mothers were killed for bushmeat.
Once abundant in Guinea, the western chimpanzee population is declining, and the species is now classified as Critically Endangered. The center rehabilitates the chimpanzees with the aim of releasing them back into the national park. It also works with local communities to show them why it’s important to protect the rainforest and its inhabitants.”

“Troublemaker” by Stefan Christmann, Germany. Location: Atka Bay, Antarctica
“An Adélie penguin approaches an emperor penguin and its chick during feeding time in Antarctica’s Atka Bay.
Stefan watched intently to see how the interactions between these three penguins would play out. Adélie penguins only appear in Antarctica’s Atka Bay for a short period during the southern hemisphere summer.
They’re opportunists and can be a nuisance for emperor penguins and their chicks. If the chance arises, Adélie penguins will try to cause the adult or the chick to drop its food while the chick is being fed, snatching any that falls to the ground.”

“The Happy Turtle” by Tzahi Finkelstein, Israel. Location: Jezreel Valley, Israel
“A Balkan pond turtle shares a moment of peaceful coexistence with a northern banded groundling dragonfly in Israel’s Jezreel Valley.
Tzahi was positioned in his hide in Israel’s Jezreel Valley, photographing shore birds, when he spotted a Balkan pond turtle walking in the shallow water. At first, he wasn’t interested in it and carried on watching the birds. It wasn’t until a northern banded groundling dragonfly flew past his lens in the direction of the turtle that his focus changed.
The dragonfly unexpectedly landed on the turtle’s nose, but instead of snapping up the insect, the turtle appeared to be experiencing pleasure from the interaction as they shared a moment of peaceful coexistence in the midst of the swamp’s murky waters.”

“Tender Touch” by Andy Parkinson, UK. Location: The Monadhliath Mountains, Scotland, UK.
“Two courting mountain hares come together to touch noses in the Monadhliath Mountains in Scotland, UK.
For 15 years, Andy’s been photographing the hares of Scotland’s Monadhliath Mountains, but in all that time, he’s never witnessed a moment like this. He was expecting the female to repel the male’s advances with the usual explosive boxing behavior, so included lots of space around them.
Unexpectedly, the two courting hares came together and touched noses. Acting quickly, Andy caught their special moment on camera. For him, this was yet more evidence of the highly complex social relationships that animals have with one another.”

“Starling Murmuration” by Daniel Dencescu, Germany/Romania. Location: Rome, Italy
“A mesmerizing mass of starlings swirl into the shape of a giant bird on their way to communal roosts above the city of Rome, Italy.
Daniel was mesmerized by the movements of the starlings as they formed colossal organic shapes in the sky. Each day, as they returned from foraging, they would gather in large numbers and perform spellbinding aerial shows, known as murmurations, on their flight home to their communal roosts.
In a bid to locate the best roosting sites at which to capture the spectacle, Daniel spent hours following the starlings around the city and suburbs of Rome. Finally, on this cloudless winter’s day, the flock didn’t disappoint, swirling into the shape of a giant bird.”

“Incoming Cuckoo Wasp” by Frank Deschandol, France. Location: Near Montpellier, France
“Near Montpellier, France, a cuckoo wasp is captured mid-air trying to enter a mason bee’s clay burrow as a smaller cuckoo wasp cleans its wings below.
Frank set up near the mason bee’s clay burrow, but it wasn’t this species he wanted to capture. Instead, he was hoping to photograph the rare cuckoo wasp that parasitizes these bees. He was in luck when not one but two cuckoo wasps appeared. The larger one tried to get into the sealed burrow containing the bee’s eggs, while the smaller one cleaned its wings below.
While Frank was taking some shots, the larger cuckoo wasp flew off, returning seconds later with a drop of water at its mouth. The wasp uses water and saliva to soften the clay so it can dig into the bee’s sealed-up burrow. Once inside it lays its own egg, then closes the burrow up again. When the cuckoo wasp’s egg hatches, it feeds on mason bee larvae inside the burrow.”

“Homecoming” by Dvir Barkay, USA/Israel. Location: The lowland forests of Costa Rica
“A pygmy round-eared bat returns to its termite-nest home as two well-camouflaged family members look out from the entrance in the lowland forests of Costa Rica.
Dvir spent more than two months attempting to get images of the rarely photographed pygmy round-eared bat in the lowland rainforests of Costa Rica. The bats exhibit a unique roosting behavior, resting in hollows that they carve out with their teeth inside the nests of termite colonies.
Using a nearby branch to support his camera, Dvir set up an infrared trigger near the entrance of the roost, together with three diffused flashes. This image shows one of the bats returning home as two well-camouflaged family members peer out from the entrance.”

“Rubbish Drinks” by Claire Waring, UK. Location: Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Indonesia
“A Celebes crested macaque investigates the contents of a plastic bottle from a pile ready for recycling on a beach at the edge of Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Indonesia.
On a beach at the edge of the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, rangers had collected piles of plastic bottles for recycling. Most of them had washed up from the sea, and despite the sizeable pile, more would soon be added.
The Celebes crested macaques have learned that these bottles contain liquid and are often seen chewing off the caps to reach the contents. They’ve also worked out that the colored bottles are more likely to contain sweet liquid and so pick these. Some even carried bottles away into the forest, frustrating the rangers’ efforts.”

“Fashion Victims by Britta Jaschinski, Germany/UK. Location: Hamburg’s Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Germany
“These coats, made from the skins of some of the most endangered big cats, were confiscated by European customs officers and held for forensic tests before being used for educational events.
A rack of coats made from the skins of some of the most endangered big cats on Earth, including snow leopard, jaguar and ocelot, is displayed. Confiscated by customs officers across Europe, the coats were held in Hamburg’s Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change for forensic tests before being used at educational events to ensure they never return to the black market.
During the photoshoot, Britta learned that, on average, the fur industry uses 12 animals to make one coat. Together with a biologist, she tried to identify how many cats were killed to produce the fashion items in this image, but they stopped counting, as it was just too shocking.”

“Aurora Jellies” by Audun Rikardsen, Norway. Location: Tromsø, Northern Norway
“Moon jellyfish swarm in the cool autumnal waters of a fjord outside Tromsø in northern Norway illuminated by the aurora borealis.
It’s common for this species to gather in their hundreds under the aurora borealis. Sheltering his equipment in a self-made waterproof housing, Audun used a single exposure as well as his own system for adjusting the focus and aperture during the exposure. This enabled him to capture the reflection of the sky’s colors on the surface of the water and, at the same time, light up the jellyfish with flashes.
Moon jellyfish are common in all oceans and are easily recognized by their four rings, which are, in fact their genitals.”

“A Rare Sight” by Axel Gomille, Germany. Location: The Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia.
“The rarest species of wild dog in the world, the Ethiopian wolf, takes a rest among the highland vegetation of Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park.
The summer greens and blues provide the perfect backdrop for the chestnut tones of the Ethiopian wolf’s coat in this serene image. The rarest species of wild dog in the world, there are only a few hundred left, surviving in the low-growing, Afro-alpine shrubland of the highlands of Ethiopia.
The Bale Mountains National Park, where this image was taken, supports the largest population of Ethiopian wolves. They’re threatened by habitat loss and diseases, such as rabies and canine distemper, which they catch from domestic dogs.”

“Bull In A Garbage Dump” by Brent Stirton, South Africa. Location: Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka
“A bull elephant kicks over garbage as it scavenges for rotten vegetables and fruit at a dump in Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka.
A number of male elephants are attracted to this location not only by the rubbish but also by nearby crops. The scar from a gunshot wound on the upper part of this elephant’s left front leg and another wound high on its back indicate he’s an insistent crop raider.
Human-elephant conflict often escalates from shouting and fireworks to frighten the elephants away from crops and people to shooting. The shots are seldom fatal and deter the elephants for a couple of months.”

“Autumn Glow” by Uge Fuertes Sanz, Spain. Location: The Cabriel River in the Sierra de Albarracín Mountains, Spain
“A painting-like composition of bulrushes and quaking aspens is framed in a small corner of the Cabriel River in the Sierra de Albarracín Mountains, Spain.
To Uge, this small corner of the river, among the bulrushes and quaking aspens, seemed as if it had been painted. The light and the composition of the plants between the trunks, together with the shapes and colors of the autumn leaves, created texture and balance.
He took more than a hundred images while on the banks of the River Cabriel in the Sierra de Albarracin Mountains, Spain, waiting patiently for a cloud to pass overhead so a soft light would wash over everything.”

“Duckling Huddle” by Charles Davis, Australia. Location: Smiggin Holes, New South Wales, Australia
“A wood duck and its brood are caught in a late spring snowstorm in Smiggin Holes, New South Wales, Australia.
It would normally be warm and sunny when these ducklings hatch from their nest high up in a tree hollow, but thanks to the La Niña effect things were a bit different this year. Warmer waters in the western Pacific meant more precipitation, resulting in more rain than normal in eastern Australia and cooler and wetter springs and summers.
Despite the conditions, the ducklings chose to exit their nest, dropping down into a frozen world. Upon landing, they quickly became lost in a snowstorm as their mother frantically tried to lead them to open water.”

“Untitled” by Blake Randall. Photographer of the Year, Winner.

“Untitled” by Tiago Mateus. Project of the Year, Winner.

“A storm in crayon” by Björn Nehrhoff von Holderberg. Grand Scenic, Winner.

“Lake Frome / Munda, South Australia” by Peter Eastway. Aerial, Winner.

“Gogh With The Flow” by Matt Redfern. Abstract and Details, Runner Up.

“Untitled” by Blake Randall. Photographer of the Year, Winner.

“Arctic Tenacity” by Gabriel Stankiewicz. Photograph of the Year, Winner.

“Untitled” by Benjamin Maze. Photographer of the Year, Runner Up.

“Untitled” by Xavier Lequarre. Grand Scenic, Runner Up.

“Eyeing the stars” by Prajit Ravindran. Night, Runner Up.

“Disturbed” by Peter Coskun. Black and White, Runner Up.

“Ice calligraphy” by Pål Hermansen. Aerial,Runner Up.

“Little Leaves” by Mieke Boynton. Common Places,Runner Up.

“Empty” by Jay Tayag. Environmental,Runner Up.

“Tempest – Crawford Notch NH” by Harry Lichtman. Black and White, Winner.

“Early Morning at Piemans Falls” by James Hider. Water, Winner.

“Winter Story” by Takahashi Hiroto. Intimate Landscape, Winner.

“Lightpainting” by Barbara Seiberl-Stark. Water,Runner Up.

“Solstice Marker & Star Trails” by David Hunter. Night, Winner.

“Ephemeral distortion” by Alexandre Deschaumes. Mountains, Winner.

“Winter Light – Mt Geryon – Du Cane Range” by Grant Dixon. Mountains,Runner Up.

“Untitled” by Eric Bennett. Abstract and Details, Winner.

“A little piece of autumn” by César Llaneza. Intimate Landscape, Runner Up.

“Once Upon a Time” by Matt Redfern. Common Places, Winner.

“Fuse” by Martin Bürner. Environmental, Winner.