PICTURES: Nature photography at its best

2026-03-27 - 08:50

With close to 500 participants in this latest edition of The Nature Photography Contest, the competition continues to grow as a global platform where art and environmental awareness come together. Here we bring you a selection of some of the recently released award winning images. The prestigious Photography of the Year 2025 award has been awarded to Thomas Vijayan from Oakville, Canada, for his deeply moving photograph “Please Spare Our Home”. In this striking image, a mature orangutan sits surrounded by the remnants of its devastated habitat, with uprooted vegetation, broken trunks and exposed earth defining the scene. Picture: Thomas Vijayan/The Nature Photography Contest The title of Photographer of the Year 2025 has been awarded to Angela J Sanchez from Lilburn, Georgia, in the United States, whose body of work stood out for its versatility, sensitivity and strong visual coherence. Rather than a single image, this recognition highlights a collection that explores different aspects of the natural world, from underwater encounters to intimate wildlife scenes on land. The featured image “Mobula Rocket” reflects this approach, capturing a fleeting natural moment with clarity and precision. Picture: Angela J Sanchez/The Nature Photography Contest Underwater category finalist, titled Sky Shark. Gliding between worlds, this blacktip reef shark is suspended in the blue where the sky and ocean meet. This was taken in the Maldives. Picture: Jono Allen/The Nature Photography Contest Natural Landscape category Winner, titled The Earth’s eye. An aerial view of the Hveravellir geothermal area in Iceland shows a natural formation that looks like an animal’s eye. Picture: Pawel Zygmunt/The Nature Photography Contest Underwater category finalist, titled Playtime amid the school. A pair of playful sea lions frolic amid a large school of fish in Los Islotes, Mexico. Picture: Glenn Ostle/The Nature Photography Contest Environmental Impact category Winner, titled First Gaze. A cheetah opens its eyes for the first time after sedation, during which it underwent X-rays, laser treatments, and various other veterinary procedures. This cheetah was a victim of snaring. Picture: Wiktoria West/The Nature Photography Contest Wildlife category finalist, title Snuggle. As the sun sets, the scene of the mother giraffe and her baby giraffe. Picture: Min Li/The Nature Photography Contest Wildlife category finalist, titled She’s Mine, Back Off. In the Khutzymateen of British Columbia (just south of Alaska) 2 male grizzly bears fought with each other to decide who would mate with a young female who was contentedly eating grass as this took place. The interaction was observed from a small zodiac boat drifting in a channel of the estuary. Picture: Jill Hill/The Nature Photography Contest Wildlife category finalist, titled Amplified Intimidation. A large Saltwater Crocodile floats on the flat surface in Ngurrungurrudjba (Yellow Water Billabong) at Kakadu National park, producing a reflection that amplifies its already impressive denticulation. Picture: Tom Hendrickson/The Nature Photography Contest Birds category finalist, titled Good To The Last Drop. A Rufous Hummingbird pierces a water droplet with its bill so it can drink on the wing. Photo taken on an autumn morning in Fremont, California. Picture: Lee Greengrass/The Nature Photography Contest Birds category finalist, titled Defiance of the Small. Despite the vast difference in size, a crow bravely strikes at a perched Griffon Vulture. Picture: Panagiotis Xaxiris/The Nature Photography Contest To view more images visit thenaturephotocontest.com.