“Deadly Bite” © Ian Ford, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Mammals
“Ian Ford documents the moment a jaguar delivers a fatal bite to a caiman in the Pantanal. A call over the radio alerted Ian that a jaguar had been spotted prowling the banks of a São Lourenço River tributary. Kneeling in the boat, he was perfectly placed when the cat delivered the skull-crushing bite to the unsuspecting yacare caiman. The South American Pantanal wetland supports the highest density of jaguars anywhere in the world. With prey being so abundant, there is no need to compete for food, and the usually solitary big cats have been seen fishing, traveling, and playing together.” Location: Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil Technical details: Sony α1 + 400mm f2.8 lens; 1/800 at f4 (-1 e/v); ISO 400

“Ziggy Spider” © Lam Soon Tak, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behaviour: Invertebrates
“Lam Soon Tak spots a vibrantly colored David Bowie spider carrying an egg sac. Lam was exploring the highlands of Malaysia when he came across this spider. Perched on broken branches beside a river, the bright white disc of eggs in the spider’s jaws and its orange body stood out against the lush green moss.
Found in Malaysia, Singapore and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, this spider was named in 2008 by arachnologist and Bowie fan Dr Peter Jäger. He thought the striking markings up to the spider’s head region resembled the make-up worn by the singer during the 1970s.”
Location: Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia
Technical details: Nikon Z 8 + 105mm f2.8 lens; 1/125 at f20; ISO 250; multiple flashes + DIY diffusers

“Stormy Scene” © William Fortescue, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Mammals
“William Fortescue uses a backdrop of storm clouds lit by the setting sun to show mating lions. It was the rainy season when William visited the Serengeti National Park. He watched the lions mate several times before the female broke it off. It wasn’t until William viewed an enlarged image that he noticed the saliva trails and the explosion of insects from the male’s mane. Lions can mate throughout the year, but synchronizing the births of cubs increases the reproductive success of a pride. Female pride members display cooperative behaviors, including raising cubs together to ensure their survival into adulthood.”
Location: Namiri Plains, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Technical details: Nikon Z 9 + 70–200mm f2.8 lens; 1/1000 at f5; ISO 320

“Hooked” © Tommy Trenchard, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Oceans: The Bigger Picture
“Tommy Trenchard documents the bycatch of a requiem shark; its body arched in a final act of resistance. Tommy was traveling on the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise. The ship’s research expedition aimed to document the bycatch or accidental capture of sharks by fishing boats targeting tuna and swordfish, and to highlight the lack of effective regulation of industrial-scale fishing in international waters. Approximately 80 million sharks are taken from the world’s oceans every year. Because of fishing, numbers of sharks worldwide have dropped since 1970. Three-quarters of all shark species are now at risk of extinction.”
Location: International waters, South Atlantic Ocean
Technical details: Fujifilm X-T2 + 50–230mm f4.5–6.7 lens; 1/550 at f5.2; ISO 500

“The Last Resting Place” © Randy Robbins, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Natural Artistry
“Randy Robbins is struck by the unusual beauty of the frosted form of this deer on the forest floor. On an early winter morning, Randy was checking the trail cameras near his home when he found the body of this deer. He photographed this poignant moment using his smartphone before the ice could melt.”
Location: Near Susanville, California, USA
Technical details: Apple iPhone XR; 4.25mm built-in lens; 1/121 at f1.8

“Twist and Jump” © Jose Manuel Grandío , Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Mammals
“Jose Manuel Grandío braves below-zero temperatures to witness a stoat jumping high into the air above the snow. Winter is Jose’s favorite season for photography. When he spotted this stoat jumping mid-air on the last day of his trip, he saw this performance as an ‘expression of exuberance’ as the small mammal hurled itself about in a fresh fall of snow. Scientists refer to this behavior as dancing, although opinions are divided about what motivates it, from an attempt to confuse prey through to a parasitic infection. Stoats are usually active at night and prey on small mammals and birds.”
Location: Athose, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
Technical details: Nikon D500 + 500mm f4 lens; 1/6000 at f4; ISO 800

“Moonlight Hunter” © Xingchao Zhu, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Mammals
“Xingchao Zhu comes face to face with a Pallas’s cat as the moon sets. Xingchao tracked a group of Pallas’s cats on the freezing plateau of Inner Mongolia for several days during the Chinese New Year in February 2023. Shortly before dawn, Xingchao managed to make eye contact with this cat, just as it had caught a small bird. The thick winter coats of Pallas’s cats help them survive at altitudes up to 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). They avoid larger predators by stealth, and it’s thought that their low, rounded ears allow them to peer over obstacles while remaining hidden.”
Location: Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia, China
Technical details: Nikon Z 9 + 800mm f6.3 lens; 1/160 at f6.3; ISO 1400

“In the Spotlight” © Shreyovi Mehta, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Runner-Up, 10 Years and Under
“Shreyovi Mehta finds two Indian peafowl ‘looking perfect for a picture’. Shreyovi was walking in the forest with her parents when she spotted this scene. She ran back to her dad, who was carrying the cameras, then got down on the ground to take her photograph from a low angle. Renowned for its birdlife, Keoladeo attracts large numbers of water birds in winter. Peafowl are year-round residents that roost in large trees. They rest in the shade during the day and are more active in open areas at dawn and dusk.”
Location: Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, India
Technical details: Canon EOS R5 + 100–500mm f4.5–7.1 lens; 1/800 at f10; ISO 1600

“The Disappearing Ice Cap” © Thomas Vijayan, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Oceans: The Bigger Picture
“Thomas Vijayan utilizes his drone to show the epic scale of the Bråsvellbreen glacier. Encapsulating the magnificence of the Austfonna ice cap required meticulous planning and favorable weather conditions. Thomas’s image, a stitched panorama of 26 individual frames, provides a spectacular summer view of meltwater plunging over the edge of the Bråsvellbreen glacier. The Bråsvellbreen glacier is part of Austfonna, Europe’s third largest ice cap. This dome of ice is one of several that covers the land area of the Svalbard archipelago. Some scientific models suggest that Svalbard’s glaciers could disappear completely within 400 years due to climate change.”
Location: Svalbard, Norway
Technical details: DJI Mavic Mini 2 + 24mm f2.8 lens; 26 individual exposures

“Strength in Numbers” © Theo Bosboom, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Animals in their Environment
“Theo Bosboom shows how mussels bind together to avoid being washed away from the shoreline. Theo likes to take images of species that aren’t usually considered beautiful or important, to highlight their unappreciated significance. He took this image from above with a probe lens – a long, thin, macro wide-angle lens. Mussels play an important role in creating dynamic ecosystems for other marine invertebrates such as crustaceans, worms and even small fish. They improve the water quality by filter-feeding, extracting plankton as well as bacteria and toxins, which prevents them from building up to dangerous levels.”
Location: Praia da Ursa, Sintra, Portugal
Technical details: Canon EOS R5 + Laowa 24mm Periprobe lens; 0.6 sec at f32; ISO 200; focus stack of 9 images

“Going with the Floe” © Tamara Stubbs and Atlantic Productions, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Animals in their Environment.
“Tamara Stubbs spots these crabeater seals taking a nap among the sea ice. In a standout moment on her nine-week expedition in the Weddell Sea, Tamara noticed that seals had fallen asleep alongside the ship, with the tips of their nostrils at the water’s surface. These two had bobbed up so they could take a deeper breath. There are around four million crabeater seals in the Antarctic. Although they are not considered endangered or under threat, the seals are protected by international conservation agreements. More research is needed to understand the impact of climate change and tourism on their populations.”
Location: Weddell Sea, Antarctica
Technical details: Sony α7R II + Canon 24–70mm f2.8 lens at 70mm; 1/320 at f7.1; ISO 100; polarizing filter

“Precious Rocks” © Samual Stone, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Birds.
“Samual Stone watches as a jackdaw brings stones to its nest. Samual had been keeping an eye on the hole in the trunk of a half-fallen willow tree in London’s Bushy Park – he’d seen a pair of jackdaws visiting with their beaks full of hair taken from the coats of local deer. Jackdaws are highly intelligent and adaptable. They build new nests each year from all sorts of materials: twigs, branches, feathers, wool, moss, mud, and animal dung. This pair kept adding rocks to theirs.”
Location: Bushy Park, London, England, UK
Technical details: Nikon D5500 + Sigma 150–600mm f5-6.3 lens; 1/500 at f6.3; ISO 800

“Leaving the Nest” © Sasha Jumanca, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, 10 Years and Under
“Sasha Jumanca finds two tawny owlets curiously watching people walking by. Sasha had been watching these tawny owlets for several days in a park near his home. He had seen tawny owls in the neighborhood before but was surprised to discover these so close to the heart of the city. Owlets leave the nest before they can fly, in a phase known as ‘branching’. They will jump, flutter and climb around branches of nearby trees for several weeks while begging for food from their parents, before they eventually fledge and fly away.”
Location: Maximiliansanlagen, Munich, Germany
Technical details: Nikon D7200 + 200–500mm f5.6 lens at 270mm; 1/500 at f6.3; ISO 2200

“Center of Attention” © Georgina Steytler, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Highly Commended, Behavior: Invertebrates
“Georgina Steytler observes a ball of male Dawson’s burrowing bees vying for access to a female. Georgina has been studying these bees for a few years and knew she had to keep her distance. Lying on the hot, rocky, sun-baked ground with sand blowing in her face, her long lens enabled her to get the perfect image. When female Dawson’s burrowing bees emerge in spring, they are surrounded by males competing to mate with them. After mating, the female bee will dig a new burrow filled with pollen and eggs, from which the hatched bees will emerge in spring.”
Location: Near Carnarvon, Western Australia, Australia
Technical details: Nikon Z 8 + 800mm f6.3 lens + 1.4x teleconverter; 1/5000 at f11; ISO 640

“Living with War” by Mouneb Taim. Best New Talent of the Year 2024. Non-professional Press Photographer of the Year.
“While the sounds of clashes and shelling were audible and warplanes in the sky, the peace player would play the bar to make the children feel safe. It was a scene mixed between pain and hope. It was the determination of people to live. Maybe the scene seems natural and routine to them because they are used to After more than 13 years of ongoing conflict in Syria.”

“He Gets Us” by Julia Fullerton-Batten. Photographer of the Year 2024. Advertising Photographer of the Year.
“The act of washing one another’s feet is a beautiful human expression. It evokes reconciliation and peace. It’s submissive, permissive and inclusionary. The photographs capture the humility, respect and dignity we, as humans, could show each other – even to those we may not agree with.”

“A Day's Work” by Michael Knapstein. Portraiture Photographer of the Year.
“A series documenting the hardworking people who have helped build the American Midwest.”

“Wild Flowers” by Anne Mason-Hoerter. Nature Photographer of the Year.
“The environmental impact of climate change on the plant community is profound. As temperatures rise and weather patterns become more erratic, flowers face challenges in their lifecycle, from altered flowering times to habitat loss. This disruption affects the crucial role wildflowers play in ecosystems as primary sources of nectar and pollen for pollinators like bees and butterflies, essential for plant reproduction and biodiversity. This is a long term project to reconstruct plants affected by climate change based on my childhood memories of these plants.”

“Impact of War” by Patryk Jaracz. Press Photographer of the Year.
“The project is an examination of consequences of war in Ukraine through visual documentation of its impact. On the frontline war takes a direct shape of explosions and destruction resulting in hundreds of thousands of lost lives and once peaceful villages and cities turned into a rubble. Millions of people were forced to flee their homes while millions are living under constant threat without access to water, gas or electricity. While the smoke in the aftermath of explosion can be seen in the moment, pain and trauma may last for years or lifetimes to come.”

“The Descendants of Black Civil War Combatants” by Drew Gardner. Fine Art Photographer of the Year.
“The culmination of 3 years of painstaking research of family trees and archives to identify photos of Black Civil War combatants then to trace and contact their descendants and persuade them to be the sitter in the recreation the photograph of their forebear (with the descendant). The series was made possible by bringing the descendants together from all over the USA and carrying out the shoot in a daylight studio in New York, utilizing a tintype camera.”

“Beach Life” by Simon Heather. Non-professional Fine Art Photographer of the Year.
“Welcome to an aerial series that captures the fun and fulfillment of beach life – from relaxing days in Italian beach clubs, and the surprising turquoise of British waters, to surf escapades in Hawaii, and the bustling scenes of Portugal – each photo captures the essence of people reveling in local beach experiences in different parts of the world.”

“Nevermore” by Eva Chupikova. Non-professional Portraiture Photographer of the Year.
“Nevermore, a single word that encapsulates a profound sense of loss and finality. It echoes in the soul, reminding us of all that we once held, but can never have again. It speaks of the fleeting nature of our existence, of the relations and bonds which come and go, of the illusions and dreams unfulfilled. The weight of nevermore hangs heavy on the heart, a constant reminder of irrevocable endings, of who we once were and what we have lost. Time is a cruel thief, yet it is within this simple truth that life truly finds its meaning.”

“Weaknesses of the oceans” by António Coelho. Non-Professional Advertising Photographer of the Year.
“The oceans represent the element responsible for producing 50% of the oxygen we breath. Today, they are polluted, with changes in pH associated with the increase in global temperature, and there are floating islands of plastic. Microplastics are disseminated throughout the fish food chain. This series is exclusively aimed at this situation, the ocean, plastic, pollution and species extinction.”

“The Network” by Katherine Young. Non-professional Architecture Photographer of the Year.
“Part of a larger series of colorful building facades. In this group of images, I focus on more than one facade showing various textures, materials and colors complementing one another.”

“Underwater Kaleidoscope” by Iryna Vozniak. Non-professional Nature Photographer of the Year.
“These photos capture the essence of an underwater kaleidoscope, where nature's own palette is on full display. “Underwater Kaleidoscope” invites you to immerse yourself in the beauty of the deep, where these radiant creatures perform their silent, yet captivating, aquatic ballet.”

“Freedom Tower” by Louis Philippe Provost. Architecture Photographer of the Year.
“Last light of the day striking the Freedom Tower in Manhattan.”

“Two Windows” by Sara Goli. Special Photographer of the Year.
“As you see , there is two windows, one shadow and one real window .”

“Black and White Evanescence” by Gianluca Federighi. Special Photographer of the Year.
“Often in my abstract emotion reality takes on an imaginary vision and throws every geometry into crisis. My dusty thought pushes me to believe that life is something else looking for its soul in matter.”

“A Silent Witness To Beauty” by Robert David Atkinson. Book Photographer of the Year.
“A Silent Witness to Beauty is a captivating journey through the lens and the imagination of photographer and author Robert David Atkinson. This unique collection combines black-and-white photographs with fictional narratives to offer a truly immersive experience. Through the intimate portraits of birds and other wildlife, each photograph and story invites you to pause and contemplate the beauty of nature in its rawest form.”

“Destroy Together” by Haikun Liang. Overall Winner.

“Spiral to the Tower” by László Tóth. Winner, Sandisk Special Awards for Creativity

“Architectural Playground” by Florian Kriechbaumer. Winner, Architecture

“The Dune” by Matteo Strassera. Winner, Landscape

“Baker Street Station 3” by Zhenhuan Zhou. Winner, Street.

“The image of fear” by Francisco Negroni. Second Winner, Landscape

“Pottery Village Girl” by Van Dong Nguyen. Winner, Portrait

“Explosion” by Anup Shah. Winner, Flora and Fauna

“Black Hole” by Dorota Yamadag. Second Winner, Architecture

“The Fellowship” by Sina Ritter. Golden Mention, Flora and Fauna

“Hold on the Earth” by Jenq-Horng Liang. Gold Mention, Portrait

“Greatness” by Dhir Jakharia. Second Winner, Flora and Fauna

“Kim City 07” by Alain Schroeder. Second Winner, Street

“Rainbow Mountain” by Piotr Grochala. Bronze Mention, Landscape

“Scary” by Abhishek Basak. Second Winner, Portrait

Filippo Borghi. Finalist, Portfolio.
“One of the Southern Ocean’s most formidable predators, the leopard seal.”

Jake Wilton. Finalist, Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
“In Papua New Guinea's Conflict Islands, conservation efforts have transformed former poachers into protectors, boosting turtle hatchling numbers. Amid this success, a rare leucistic green sea turtle was found amongst the nests.”

Byron Conroy. Finalist, Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year.
“A scuba diver explores the Silfra fissure in Iceland, the tectonic boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates.”

Katherine Lu. Finalist, Portfolio.
“A nurse shark swims through a large school of jackfish.”

Giacomo d'Orlando. Finalist, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Hope).
“Juvenile common clownfish in a hatchery. The common clownfish population off the Jakarta coastline has decreased significantly as a result of overfishing and the ornamental fish trade. To counteract this movement, the government has created a hatchery in 2018 to revive the local clownfish population.”

Shane Gross. Finalist, Portfolio.
“A crested sculpin hides in the stinging tentacles of a lion’s mane jellyfish.”

Zhang Xiang. Finalist, The Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean.
“Fishermen in coastal Fujian dry their nets in intricate fashion. As they are woven with hemp fibres, they swell easily after being immersed in the water.”

João Pontes. Finalist, Young Ocean Photographer of the Year.
“A perfectly camouflaged lizardfish with prey in its mouth.”

Enric Adrian Gener. Finalist, Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year.
“A seagull rests on top of a sea turtle shortly before they both continue their own paths.”

Henley Spiers. Finalist, Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year.
“Juvenile Munk’s devil rays are attracted by a green light, seemingly flying through the water.”

Florian Ledoux. Finalist, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Hope).
“A male and female polar bear rest after mating high in the mountains.”

Clayton Harris. Finalist, Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
“A breaching humpback whale on its migration path along the Australian coastline.”

Frederik Brogaard. Finalist, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Impact).
“The second biggest whale, the fin whale, lies waiting for its turn to be butchered at a whaling plant in Iceland before getting sent to Japan.”

Scott Portelli. Finalist, Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Impact).
“A melting ice shelf in the Arctic creates numerous waterfalls.”

Laura Leusko. Finalist, Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
“A fever of mobula rays from above. When the photographer’s drone inched closer, some rays started to jump out of the water.”

Seán O'Callaghan. Finalist, The Human Connection Award: People and Planet Ocean.
“A whale watching trip boat encounters a dead sperm whale. Its demise allowed researchers on the boat to gather data and opportunistic samples to learn from its death.”

“Boy Meets Sharks” by Erin Brooks (USA). Grand Prize Winner. Shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max.

“Lifeguard Camp” by Glen Wilbert (USA). First Place, Photographer of the Year. Shot on iPhone 11 Pro Max.

“Pupils” by Anthony Maureal. Second Place, Photographer of the Year. Shot on iPhone 15 Pro.

Untitled by Wenlong Jiang (China). Third Place, Photographer of the Year. Shot on iPhone 14.

“Entrance to the Fancy Land” by Leping Cheng (China). First Place, Architecture. Shot on iPhone 12 Pro Max.

“Sweet Summer” by Dai Fushun. First Place, Still Life. Shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max.

“On the Swing of Childhood” by Daniel de Cerqueira (Brazil). First Place, Children. Shot on iPhone 11.

“Grace” by Artem-Koleganov (Germany). First Place, Portrait. Shot on iPhone X.

“Oompa Loompa” by Brooke Wilen (USA). First Place, People. Shot on iPhone 6S.

“Huntsman, Horse & Hounds” by Colin Hoskins (UK). First Place, Animals. Shot on iPhone 7 Plus.

“Stream” by Shinya Itahana (Japan). First Place, Nature. Shot on iPhone 15 Pro.

“Sahara Surfing” by Khalid Mahmood (Sweden). First Place, Travel. Shot on iPhone 13 Pro.

“Night Sky in Lake Tekapo” by Paddy Chao (Taiwan). First Place, Landscape. Shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max.

“Jumping Into Dreams” by Xingping Zhou (China). First Place, Series. Shot on iPhone 13.

“Paradise” by Yanzhou Chen (China). First Place, Cityscape. Shot on iPhone 15 Pro Max.

“Pita Pinta” by Jose Manuel Garcia Gonzalez (Spain). First Place, Abstract. Shot on iPhone 14 Pro Max.

“Lifeguard Camp, SoCal” by Glen Wilbert (USA). First Place, Lifestyle. Shot on iPhone 11 Pro Max.

“What’s on your mind?” Jun Hu (China). First Place, Other. Shot on iPhone 7.

“Horses in action” by Sarah Zentjens (Netherlands). Non-professional Nature Photographer of the Year.

“Imperium: Ukrainians Endure” by Michael Robinson Chavez (USA). PX3 Photographer of the Year 2023. Professional Press Photographer of the Year.

“Anna” by Anna Ligus (Georgia). PX3 Best New Talent. Non-professional Portraiture Photographer of the Year.

“The Hidden World” by Alexej Sachov (Ukraine). Professional Nature Photographer of the Year.

“Pen and Alejo” by Emily Neville Fisher (USA). Professional Portraiture Photographer of the Year

“synergy of beauty” by Iryna Domashenko (Ukraine). Advertising Photographer of the Year.

“ARGANZUELA BRIDGE” by Damaso Avila (Spain). Non-professional Architecture Photographer of the Year.

“Mort au Roi” by Alfonso Pinto (France). Non-professional Press Photographer of the Year.

“Hopper Essence” by Andrés Gallego Bellido (Spain). Non-professional Fine Art Photographer of the Year.

“Exploration” by You-Lin Lee (Taiwan). Non-professional Special Photographer of the Year.

“Sala Mayor” by Siobhan Doran (UK). Professional Architecture Photographer of the Year.

“William Hill” by Peter Muller. Professional Advertising Photographer of the Year (UK).

“In Between the Shadows” by Sander Vos (UK). Professional Fine Art Photographer of the Year.

“Postcards from New York City” by Bahar Kural (USA). Bronze, Professional Bronze Special/Night Photography

“A Faint Resemblance – Antarctica” by Jan Erik Waider (Germany). Silver, Professional Fine Art/Landscape

“Indigenous and Exotic” by Glen Perotte (UK). Bronze, Professional Fine Art/Collage

“Theyyam – The other God” by Arun R Hegden (India). Silver, Professional Press/Performing Arts

“Forgotten Heroes” by Ezra Bohm (Netherlands). Silver, Professional Portraiture/Culture

“Desert Rose” by Ahmed Thabet (Egypt). 2nd Place, Professional Architecture.

“Gulf Tiger” by Peter Jesche (Germany). Gold, Non-professional Architecture/Cityscape

“Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring” by Guohui Li (USA). Gold, Non-professional Fine Art/Landscape

“The Blue Fig” by Mohammad Rakibul Hasan (Bangladesh). Gold, Non-professional Press/Nature/Environmental.

“Eyes of Nature” by Amandine David (France). Gold, NOn-professional Fine Art/Digitally Enhanced.

“Jumping Rope” by Leo Huang (Taiwan). Silver, Non-professional Press/Sports.

“Perfectly Framed” by Ivan Ferrer (Israel). Gold, Non-professional Portraiture/Culture.

“Alfa Romeo Car Gathering in Taiwan” by Po-Yi Li (Taiwan). Silver, Non-professional Advertising/Automotive

“Take Me Home” by FAREWELL (France). Professional Special Photographer of the Year.

“Sinking Sundarbans” by Supratim Bhattacharjee (India). Mangrove Photographer of the Year.
“Supratim Bhattacharjee witnesses a girl, standing before her tea shop, which is completely ruined by sea water in Frazerganj, Sundarbans.
Nestled in the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world – and one of the most vulnerable. Once lauded as nature's custodians, these mangroves now endure relentless threats driven by human development and the climate crisis.”

“Nature's Ribbon” by Ammar Alsayed Ahmed (United Arab Emirates). Mangroves & Landscape Winner.
“In nature's embrace, a sinuous water channel meanders gracefully, flanked by a verdant gallery of mangrove trees lining its edges, in Al Dhafra Region, Abu Dhabi.”

“Mud Bath Ritual” by Johannes Panji Christo (Indonesia). Mangroves & People Winner.
“Johannes Panji Christo watches as a local Balinese man is covered in mud during a bathing tradition, locally known as Mebuug Buugan.
Mebuug Buugan was recently revived after a 60-year hiatus. Hosted the day after the annual “Day of Silence Festival”, in which people stay home and self-reflect, the ritual sees people pray for gratitude and earth’s fertility.”

“Mangrove at Night” by Nicholas Alexander Hess (Australia). Young Mangrove Photographer of the Year.
“An in-camera multiple exposure image of elements of the mangrove captured in the dark.”

“Symbiosis” by Giacomo d'Orlando (Indonesia). Mangrove Storytelling Winner.
“In Demak Regency, a combination of human induced activities and the increasing pressure brought by climate change are threatening coastal communities. The coastline has been severely eroded, and mangroves that once protected the coast have been cut down and replaced by aquaculture ponds. As a result, the sea is literally swallowing people’s homes. Despite the difficult living conditions, most of Demak's residents don't want to move because their income potential is tied to their location near the sea. Over time, though, they have realized that the only solution is to restore the ecosystem by replanting the mangroves that had been cut down.”

“Symbiosis” by Giacomo d'Orlando (Indonesia). Mangrove Storytelling Winner.

“Guardians of the Gulf” by Nick Conzone (USA). Mangroves & Underwater Runner Up.
“Nick Conzone captures the moment a Diamondback terrapin emerges from its underground burrow in the Gulf Coast of Florida's mangrove islands.”

“Mangrove Walls Broken” by Dipayan Bose (India). Mangroves & Threats Winner.
“Dipayan Bose frames a villager standing inside his half-submerged home during a flood. Due to repeated tropical cyclones and sea level rise in the Bay of Bengal, river embankments have become broken by high tides in coastal villages across the Sundarbans, West Bengal. As a result, homes and farms have flooded, fisheries have become destroyed by seawater, and people have been forced to migrate, victims of climate change.”

“Mud-Ring Feeding” by Mark Ian Cook (USA). Mangroves & Wildlife Winner.
“Restoration scientist and photographer Mark Cook witnesses a bottlenose dolphin grabbing a mullet from the air during ‘mud-ring feeding’.”

“Sian Kaan’s Orange Carpet” by Santiago Gibert Isern (Mexico). Mangroves & Landscape Runner Up.
“Santiago Gibert Isern captures the unique patterns of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Quintana Roo in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
During a series of flights to document the reserve’s conservation status at the beginning of the rainy season, the conservation photographer and storyteller noticed the intense colors below.”

“Nature & Space” by Jeff Thamert (USA). Mangroves & Threats Runner Up.
“Jeff Thamert records a rocket launch above Florida’s mangroves.”

“Guardians of the Mangroves” by Olivier Clement (Bahamas). Mangroves & Underwater Winner.
“Olivier Clement offers a glimpse into the intricate world of mangrove roots in the Bahamas.”

“Satellite-tagged Rewilding Hope” by Upamanyu Chakraborty (India). Mangroves & People Runner Up.
“Upamanyu Chakraborty captures a Northern River terrapin (Batagur baska) before release as part of a conservation breeding program and rewilding in the Sundarbans.”

“Mudskipper in Aurora” by Jayanta Guha (India). Mangroves & Wildlife Runner Up.
“Mudskippers are actually a species of fish found in mangroves and mudflats. Spending most of their time out of the water, they’re adapted to remain on land even after the tide has gone out. They mostly breathe by holding water in their mouth and gill chamber, though staying damp also allows them to breathe through their skin. Their large eyes make them excellent predators while their pectoral fins act as legs, allowing them to crawl over mud and trees along the mangrove floor.”

“Space link” by Kirill Uyutnov (Russia). Nominee, Nature & Landscape

“A tranquil moment” by Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasantha Vinod (Sri Lanka). Nominee, Animals/Pets

“Neimeyer” by Rafael Garcia Luna (Spain). Nominee, Architecture

“Real and Sham” by Chulin Zhang (China). Nominee, People

“Over The Top” by Hardijanto Budiman (Indonesia). Nominee, Open Theme

“Dreaming Above the Universe” by Lurdes Santander (Spain). Nominee, Animals/Pets

“To Just Let Go In Peace” by Mo Sharaf (Egypt). Nominee, Nature & Landscape

“Legacy For Children Of The Future” by Hardijanto Budiman (Indonesia). Nominee, Fine Art

“Come, play with me….” by Eberhard Ehmke (Germany). Nominee, Animals/Pets

“Waves” by Ursula Reinke (Germany). Nominee, Architecture

“Poppyseed Dancer II _08” by Irina Jomir (Moldova). Nominee, People

“Stellar Symphony” by Taranjot Singh (Australia). Nominee, Nature & Landscape

“Blue Plate Special” by Tonya Wilhelm (USA). Nominee, Open Theme

“Urban Serendipity” by Sohel Ahmed (Bangladesh). Nominee, Open Theme

“fitting in” by Agnieszka Ostrowska (Poland). Nominee, People

“King of Mordor ” by Denisa Zbranková Albaniová (Czech Republic). Nominee, Animals/Pets

“Stolen Spring” by Alenа Grom (Ukraine).Nominee, Fine Art

“Storm on the Elbe” by Anna Wacker (Greece). Nominee, Architecture

“Rhinoceros Unicornis” by Himadri Bhuyan (India). Nominee, Nature & Landscape

“Braving The Strings To Destiny” by Cheraine Collette (The Netherlands). Nominee, Animals/Pets

Andy Cheung, Digital Photographer of the Year and Winner, Single Capture, Life Events

Frances Suter, Print Photographer of the Year and Winner, Print, Places

Belinda Richards, Winner, Pet and Animal

Forough Yavari, Winner, Print, Illustrative

Benjamin Maze, Digital, Single Capture, Nature

Brian Ellwood, Winner, Professional Division and Winner, Digital, Aerial

Cheryl Eagers, Winner, Digital Creative

Natalie Arber, Winner, Australian Digital Creative – Portrait

Sarah Jackson, Winner, Digital, Professinal, Commercial

Naomi Reiter, Winner, Digital, Professional, Family

Forough Yavari, Winner, EIZO Digital Artist

Afshin Jafari, Winner, Steve Scalone Urban Architecture Award

Amanda Waschevski, Winner, Print, People

Federico Rekowski, Winner, Packers Prize

David Bignell, Winner, Visionary

Scott Portelli, Winner, Digital, Single Capture, Wildlife

Craig McGowan, Winner, Digital Professional, Landscape

“Arctic Dragon” © Carina Letelier Baeza (Chile). Location: Raufarhöfn, Iceland
“This impressive aurora, which seemingly takes the form of a dragon, was the result of a geomagnetic storm (level G2) generated by a coronal mass ejection. The photo was captured at the Arctic Henge, which was one of the only places in Iceland with clear skies that night.”

“A Whale Sailing the Sun” © Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau (Argentina). Location: Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
“This image shows the details of the Sun’s surface. The photographer views the shape of the filament to the left of the disc as an immense plasma whale traversing the solar surface. Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau captured this photo by recording two videos (one for the disc and another for the prominences), each consisting of 850 frames.”

“Abandoned House” © Stefan Liebermann (Germany). Location: Garub, Namibia
“This image shows an abandoned house in the middle of the Namib Desert with the Milky Way rising above it. The sky was captured with a star tracker to lower the ISO. The veil of clouds and halos around the stars create a dreamlike effect.”

“A Night with the Valkyries” © Jose Miguel Picon Chimelis (Spain). Location: Hvalnesviti, Iceland
“A view of the Eystrahorn Mountain on the night of a KP7 storm (a strong geomagnetic storm that can cause aurorae and upset electrical power systems). The intensity of the storm resulted in the impressive range of colors in the sky.”

“Total Solar Eclipse” © Gwenaël Blanck (France). Location: Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia
“Gwenaël Blanck travelled to Australia in April 2023 to see the 62-second long total solar eclipse. In this collage he shows the corona and the pink chromosphere, the prominences and Baily’s beads, chinks of sunlight that shine through due to the Moon’s rugged landscape. The image is made of seven superimposed pictures, one overexposed for the background and six others for the chromosphere and prominences.”

“Serpentine” © Paul Haworth (UK). Location: Snettisham Beach, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, UK
“This image was taken at Snettisham Beach, famous for its vast tidal mudflats that attract migrating birds in staggering numbers. The foreground subject is a dilapidated jetty, which was built in the Second World War to allow gravel extracted from the nearby pits to be moved by boat. The curved channel in the mudflat mirrors the trailing stars.”

“The Galaxy Devourer” © ShaRa. Location: El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile
“CG4 (Cometary Globule 4) is a complex of nebulosity and dust with a very peculiar shape, located in the southern constellation of Puppis. The ‘head’ of the galactic worm has dimensions of about 1.5 light years. This image is the result of the work of a team of astrophotographers: they joined forces to rent the powerful Newtonian 500-mm telescope from Chilescope service, processing the raw files and then voted for the best images.”

“The Fire-Spitting Dragon” © Moritz Telser (Jersey). Location: Uttakleiv Beach, Lofoten, Norway
“The photographer was able to capture the aurora in motion when it turned into something resembling a dragon’s head on a clear night. Telser chose to use black and white to emphasise the contrast of the aurora against the dark sky.”

“M81, a Grand Design Spiral Galaxy” © Holden Aimar (USA), aged 14. Location: Brownstown, Michigan, USA
“M81, also known as Bode’s Galaxy, is about 11.75 million light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. It is one of the brighter galaxies in the night sky. In the image’s background, some Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN) can be seen. IFN is dust outside the Milky Way’s galactic plane that is illuminated only by the stars in the Milky Way.”

“Hunter’s Moon and the ISS” © Tom Glenn (USA). Location: San Diego, California, USA
“This image captures the International Space Station (ISS) in transit across October’s Full Moon, the Hunter’s Moon, approximately 12 hours after a partial lunar eclipse. The striking beauty of the Full Moon is on display, with its mix of rugged highlands, bright crater rays and darker maria.”

“The International Space Station Daytime Moon Transit” © Kelvin Hennessy (Australia). Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
“This image shows the International Space Station (ISS) transiting the 51 percent illuminated Moon. The photographer initially struggled to find a suitable shooting location with clear skies along the very narrow transit corridor.”

“The Palette of the Himalayas” © Geshuang Chen (China). Location: Shigatse City, Xizang Province, China
“During the Spring Festival, the Sun and altostratus clouds acted together to create this huge corona, soaring above the Himalayas. The result is an enormous color palette above the snowy peaks.”

“A Milky Way Mimic” © Kevin Morefield (USA). Location: El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile
“NGC 6744 is thought to resemble our own Milky Way as it would be seen from 30 million light years away. The colours of this galaxy are those of the classic spirals: magentas of the emission nebulae, blues of the large young stars, yellows of the older stars and yellow-browns from the dust spiralling into the core. From Earth, NGC 6744 appears about two-thirds the size of the Full Moon.”

“Earth and Milky Way Galaxy Show” © Yoshiki Abe (Japan). Location: Aso City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
“Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture is the collective name for the five peaks often called the ‘Five Mountains of Aso’. One of the peaks, Nakadake, has a volcanic crater that is still active. Abe wanted this image to show how the Milky Way has watched over activity on Earth since prehistoric times. This is a composite photograph with the foreground and sky photographed separately but without moving the tripod.”

“The Scream of a Dying Star” © Yann Sainty (France). Location: Oukaïmeden, Atlas Mountains, Morocco
“The Cygnus supernova afterglow is a popular object with astrophotographers, but the idea here was to take advantage of the high quality of the sky and the long exposure time to highlight details that are rarely seen, such as the outer envelope of the supernova remnant. The image’s name is a nod to The Scream, the famous painting by Edvard Munch, symbolizing the scream that continues to echo through space after the star’s death.”

“Observations at Night” © Jakob Sahner (Germany). Location: Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
“This image captures the Isaac Newton Telescope at the edge of the telescope facility on La Palma, in the Canary Islands. Moving the focus away from the centre of the Milky Way, Sahner explores other interesting areas of the galaxy such as the Cygnus region, seen in the top right of the image with its bright and vibrant star-forming regions. This photograph is a panorama created with a 135-mm lens which brings extreme depth to the shot.”