A category to celebrate and showcase the beauty of the natural world and thus the need to protect it. Images submitted can showcase wildlife and wild places from anywhere on earth, and depict exciting new perspectives on our complex ecosystems. It is through these images, that we can raise awareness and advocate for the conservation of our precious biodiversity! Images may be landscape or portrait orientated.

The Natural World – Winning Image:

Winner: Ponlawat Thaipinnarong

‘Beak to Beak’

In the breeding season, sarus cranes made a nest in some rice paddies. I would lie down for several hours a day a comfortable distance away, so they got used to my presence and allowed me to capture this photo illustrating the intimate relationship between the parents and chicks.

Location: Huai Chorake Mak Reservoir, Buriram, Thailand
Camera/Lens: Sony Alpha 1, 400 mm GM lens with teleconverter

Highly Commended: Jamie Smart

‘Red Reflections’

Red Squirrels are a rare sight these days in the United Kingdom. I was so lucky to get to find and photograph some in spring this year. This one is enjoying a nut cache at the edge of the water next to some beautiful pink heather.

Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Camera/Lens: Nikon Z9, 135mm lens

Finalist: Michael Stavrakakis

‘Arctic Bond’

The bond between a mother polar bear and her cub is like nothing else. Over the next 2-3 years, this young cub will be inseparable from his mother, relying on her and mimicking her every move until he is ready to live a solitary life of his own.

Location: High arctic pack-ice, north of Svalbard
Camera/Lens: Sony A7 IV, 200-600mm lens

Finalist: Pierina Di Stella

‘You’re Coming With Me!’

Each winter, hundreds of whooper swans gather along the shores of Lake Kussharo in Hokkaido. Watching these majestic birds interact against the backdrop of a stunning icy landscape is truly a delight. This photo is one of several capturing the lively behavior of this pair in action.

Location: Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido, Japan
Camera/Lens: Canon R5, RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L lens

Finalist: Evan Watts

‘Montana, United States’

When the tides recede and the ocean floor is uncovered, coastal brown bears walk out onto the newly-revealed mudflats to dig up and feed upon razor clams. Here, a bear walks across a glassy pool of seawater on the hunt, the overcast skies creating a beautiful, minimalistic environment for images.

Location: Cook Inlet, Alaska
Camera/Lens: Canon EOS R5, EF f/4 500mm lens