Expressions is a publication of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA®), an organization that helps North America-based nature photographers at all levels of experience grow as artists, citizen scientists, and entrepreneurs through education, networking, and advocacy.
Together with our members, we advance conservation and foster ethical field practices for the long-term benefit of all.
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means–electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise–without written permission of the publisher and copyright holder.
Joe and Mary Ann McDonald are a professional wildlife photography husband and wife team who have been teaching photo workshops and leading photo tours for the past 35 years. Their images have appeared in every major natural history magazine and calendar throughout the years. Joe McDonald has written eight how-to books about photography, nine how-to e-books, is the author of numerous natural history books, and is a columnist in two photography magazines. He has produced several photography teaching videos and together they have created a YouTube channel to profile their work.
Mary Ann McDonald has written 29 natural history children’s books, published Hoot Hollow Cookbook and wrote a coffee table book about the Amish. They have photographed the seven big cats of the world in four different years, have completed 111 treks for mountain gorillas in Rwanda and have both named a baby gorilla in the Kwita Izina Naming Ceremony. They have both won awards in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and were awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the North American Nature Photography Association in 2021.
2024 Judging Panel / General
Ellen Anon
Ellen Anon is a professional photographer, writer, speaker, and educator specializing in nature and fine art photography. Her images, based on nature, are sometimes realistic and sometimes abstract but always designed to elicit emotional reactions from the viewer.
Anon’s goal with her photographs is to go beyond the ordinary in ways that hopefully stimulate others to pause and appreciate some of the beauty and wonder of our earth that balances some of the stress of everyday life.
Anon’s images are included in collections in several countries and her photos have been showcased in galleries, used in numerous publications, including Sierra Club’s: Mother Earth and Inner Reflections calendars, as well as stock. She has had several images awarded in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition as well as other competitions, including Nature’s Best Windland Smith Rice Awards.
Anon has authored books, such as the popular Photoshop for Nature Photographers in the A Workshop in a Book series and the highly acclaimed See It: Photographic Composition
Using Visual Intensity, as well as e-books on various photographic software and techniques, including the recent Secret Ingredients of Lightbox and Black Cloth Photography. Learn more about Anon’s work at https://www.ellenanon.com/index.
2024 Judging Panel / General
George D. Lepp
Nature photographer, teacher, author, and inventor George Lepp became one of Canon’s first Explorers of Light in 1995 and is now a member of the Canon Legends program. His passions for beauty, precision, cutting-edge technology, and environmental responsibility are revealed in his compelling images, which are widely published and exhibited.
Lepp’s university studies in wildlife and wildlands management were interrupted in the 1960s by service in the U.S. Marine Corps. He then earned a bachelor’s degree and honorary Master of Science degree from Brooks Institute of Photography and began his career working with scientists at University of Califorinia — Davis and for Car & Driver.
Lepp is Field Editor of Outdoor Photographer magazine and has shared his knowledge of all aspects of photography through hundreds of publications and lectures. A founder of the North American Nature Photography Assoc. (NANPA), Lepp has been honored with many awards, including Photo Media Photography Person of the Year, the Photographic Society of America’s Progress Award, and NANPA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
2024 Judging Panel / Conservation
Morgan (Mo) Heim
Morgan (Mo) Heim is a conservation photographer, filmmaker and adventurer focusing on co-existence and how human-influenced environmental change affects wildlife. With a background in ecology and journalism, her goal is to find the beauty, humor and perseverance in stories about wildlife, and how those stories shape who we are.
Heim is a Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), a mentor for Girls Who Click and founder of Neon Raven Story Labs, a storytelling and strategy platform for conservation. In 2020, she co-launched Her Wild Vision Initiative aimed at raising the voices of diverse women in the craft of conservation visual storytelling. Her work has appeared in numerous outlets, including Audubon, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Newsweek and The New York Times.
2024 Judging Panel / Conservation
Sebastian Kennerknecht
Sebastian Kennerknecht is a wildlife and conservation photographer with more than fourteen years of experience visually covering wildlife and environmental issues internationally, focusing in particular on wild cats. He has produced highquality editorial photographs, time-lapses, videos, and web content featured in and by The New York Times, The Washington Post, BBC Wildlife, Smithsonian, The Economist, Science, and Conservation International, among others. Using highly customized SLR camera traps, along with conventional photographic techniques, he works closely with field biologists to both effectively and ethically capture photographs of some of the rarest cats on the planet while also highlighting the threats they face. Working for conservation organizations and on magazine assignments, Kennerknecht has photographed twenty-three of the forty species of wild felids in twenty-nine different countries.
Kennerknecht graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolution from the University of California – Santa Cruz, won the North American Nature Photography Association’s emerging photographer award, and is an associate fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP).
2024 Judging Panel / Conservation
Dave Showalter
Conservation photographer and author Dave Showalter is based in Colorado and focuses his work on the American West. He has published three books: his newest book, Living River: The Promise of the Mighty Colorado; Sage Spirit: The American West at A Crossroads, both published by Braided River; and Prairie Thunder by Skyline Press. Showalter’s photographs and articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Audubon, Conservation Biology, Outside, Outdoor Photographer, National Parks magazine, High Country News, Wilderness, Colorado Lifeand elsewhere. In partnership with Braided River, Showalter’s exhibit “Colorado: Sage Spirit and Roaring Rivers” was displayed at Denver International Airport in 2018 and 2019, and viewed by more than 2 million people. Showalter is faculty with the Summit Series of Photo Workshops, a Senior Fellow Photographer in the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), and works in partnership with numerous conservation groups, including Audubon Rockies, The Nature Conservancy, and Trout Unlimited Headwaters (Colorado River). Showalter travels extensively presenting Living River, Sage Spirit and a range of western topics.
About wildlife shooting: I photograph wild animals in wild settings and will not photograph captive animals at game farms.
As an Arizona creative with careers in broadcasting, graphic design and information technology, art and photography have always been a part of me, but my creative muscles atrophied over the years in lieu of a family and full-time technology career. NANPA, KelbyOne, and OM System online resources rekindled my love of photography recently focusing on “Suburban Wildlife” capturing birds and animals within local parks and preserves. Nature, wildlife, and the outdoors lift my spirits and feed my goal to celebrate and share this wondrous and beautiful planet we inhabit; doing what I can to help keep it that way.
Gilbert, AZ / Anna's hummingbird attempting to quench thirst on a hot summer afternoon in Arizona.
Having spent 30 years as an advertising Art Director, I’ve had a chance to meet and learn from some of the nation’s top photographers. After retirement I was able to put that knowledge to good use in my own photography to help the conservation efforts for many of the local conservation organizations in Southern California and Oregon. I’ve found photography to be an indispensable tool to educate and improve the appreciation of birds and nature in our communities. As well as an excellent therapeutic tool for my own sanity.
Provincia de Alajuela, Costa Rica / This Scarlet Macaw was flying by on its way to a perch when it looked over to see me pointing my camera at it. Luckily I was shooting at the precise moment it saw me.
San Luis Obispo, CA / Harrier vs Owl / One afternoon I saw this dramatic confrontation between a Short-eared Owl and a male Northern Harrier. The owl had captured a rodent and the harrier was trying to steal it. The harrier grabbed onto the leg of the owl causing the owl to release the prey which can be seen falling just below the harrier.
Arash Hazeghi
Northern California / Dogfight / Forster's terns battling midair. Skirmishes between Foster's terns are common even when fish are seemingly abundant. The upper bird almost landed on the lower one before they spilt.
Barbara Fleming
Choble River, Botswana / White-Faced Whistling Duck Face-Off.
Top 100 / Birds
Bruce Finocchio
Ed Levin County Park, Milpitas, CA / Male Whitetailed Kite Exchanges A Capture California Vole With Female White-tailed Kite.
Bruce D Taubert
Desert Waterhole Near Quartzite, AZ / While photographing bats at a desert waterhole this nighthawk came in for some water. I knew that nighthawks had large mouths to assist them in capturing insects while flying but I was surprised at how large it was.
Cameron Azad
La Canada, CA/ These chicks hatched on the other side of a window of my home. Using blackout cloth with a cutout for the lens, I spent each afternoon for six days as both parents made non-stop food deliveries It was during a heat wave, and every so often the parents would show up with a berry like this one and squeeze the juice into the chick's beaks, moving from one chick to the other, thereby hydrating them.
Top 100 / Birds
Dr. Tish Ballance
Cami Marculescu
Charleston, SC / The Big Catch.
Alligator Farm Zoological Park, St. Augustine, FL / Male Roseate Spoonbills in an aggressive dispute over the breeding rights of a nearby female.
Frank Clemmensen
Ocean City, NJ / White Ibis in flight.
Top 100 / Birds
George Sanker
Everglades National Park, FL / A mature Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) with its shocked prey. Early March.
Glenn Nelson
Seward Park, Seattle, WA / A barred owlet pulls on a feather of its sibling. A parent had just appeared with a mole that a third sibling obtained and devoured before flying off. The two remaining siblings interacted like this, as if to wonder how they were left out.
Jenny Loren
Southern California / I was photographing a family of falcons. There were three babies that had fledged and were out and about on their own The parents were out hunting for other birds when all of a sudden we heard a loud commotion and saw this heron being chased down by one of the parents. It all happened so fast. I was lucky to get several frames of the action.
Top 100 / Birds
Jenny Loren
Southern California / A burrowing owl parent feeding its young chick a very messy bug.
Jim Burns
Salt River, Tonto National Forest, AZ / ARROW
DYNAMICS / I was thrilled to have finally captured a diving Osprey one moment before it hit the water and some luckless fish This is the moment when this awesome predator is at full speed in its most aerodynamic diving configuration, wings swept back, legs extended, talons reaching, and nictitating membranes drawn over the eyes to protect them from splashdown and any injury from the prey. I had been trying to capture this precise moment for years.
Jim Burns
Yellowstone National Park, WY / IRIDESCENCE IN FLIGHT / Tree Swallows in flight often appear just black and white, so I was excited to capture the beautiful iridescence of this species on the wing It happened as the birds were flying through a sunshaft on a partially overcast morning over a backdrop of leftover winter lake ice in the shadows below. The sun brought out this species' beautiful hues of blue usually seen only in field guide illustrations, and the contrast really made the color pop.
Top 100 / Birds
Jim Burns
Salt River, Tonto National Forest, AZ / REFLECTIONS OF A CAPTURE / I was fortunate to capture this Black Phoebe at the moment of its capture of an insect off the surface of the water at the river where I found it. Black Phoebes are not uncommon, and I have seen this foraging action many times. This is an image I had visualized for many years, and I was ecstatic to finally see it on the back of the camera.
John LeeWong
Los Angeles Arboretum, Arcadia, CA / Female Hooded Merganser With Crayfish - escaping from two males who were trying to take her catch away from her.
John LeeWong
Inland Empire, CA / Burrowing Owl With Poisonous Monarch Butterfly.
Top 100 / Birds
Karen Bilgrai Cohen
Milpitas, California / After filming the mating ritual of the Whitetailed kites, the male began gathering nesting materials in the golden hour. He repeatedly searches for branches and soft cones to prepare the nest.
Kevin Lohman
Lighthouse Field, Santa Cruz, CA / I was visiting a local park when I saw a Great Blue Heron hunting. The heron got close to where I was hiding under some trees, then stopped, lowered its head, then swiftly struck out with its beak and plucked a large pocket gopher out of the ground. The heron spent some time manipulating the pocket gopher to make sure it was ready to be swallowed. This image was made during the time when the heron was dropping the pocket gopher to reposition it so it could be swallowed head first.
Larry Moskovitz
Torrey Pines State Park, CA / Peregrine Falcons transfer food (dove) in mid-air.
Top 100 / Birds
Tims Ford Lake, Winchester, TN / Precision in Motion / Belted Kingfisher's Dive for a Crawdad.
Trinity, FL / Tucked In.
Tucson, AZ / These two Cassin's Kingbirds chased each other for an extended period. I was curious about their behavior and happy to have an opportunity to photograph them in action.
Laurie Anderson
Robert Gloeckner
Sandra Rothenberg
Top 100 / Birds
Thomas Trogdon
Kane County, IL / This Sandhill Crane had taken off from its nest and was making its way around the perimeter of a lake when a Red-winged Blackbird showed it disapproval by jumping on its back for a brief moment before it faded back. Red-winged blackbirds are known for pestering the Sandhill Cranes as they nest in proximity to each other, but I had never seen one do this!
Tim Timmis
Port Bolivar, TX / While lying on the ground taking shorebird photos at Bolivar Flats along the Texas Gulf Coast with my ground pod, this white morph reddish egret was fishing along the shoreline near sunrise. They are prolific at catching fish and move around very quickly with their wings flapping. This egret scared the fish out of the water as he gave chase.
Top 250 / Birds
Anthony Goldman
Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, FL / A Black bellied Whistling Duck had 6 days old chicks and suddenly Aa Little Blue Heron tried to attack the the chicks and the Black bellied Whistling duck responded by attacking the Little blue heron and saving her chicks depicted in this photo.
Barbara Houston
James River, Richmond, VA / Osprey flying by with a just caught shad.
Charleston, SC / Anhinga.
Cathy Richardson
La Crosse Marsh, La Crosse, WI / This Black-crowned night heron dived into the duck weed covered water, caught the fish then burst out and jumped up to it's perch. It was early morning.
Cami Marculescu
Top 250 / Birds
Charles Gangas
Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
/ After leaving one lodge on our way to the next, we came across this Laughing Falcon perched on a tree in the middle of a pasture. It was raining fairly heavily, and the bird remained atop the snag until the rains ceased. He then suddenly jumped off the tree, turning directly towards me as he flew off.
Charles Gangas
Batsu, Savegre Lodge, Savegre Valley, Costa Rica / While walking a mountain trail above the lodge, I noticed this male
Scintillant stopping at several flowing plants and displaying. I waited close to an hour watching the bird flit about before it landed on this perch.
Charles Gangas
Green River Reservoir State Park, VT /
Taking my kayak out to a local State Park in search of newly hatched Common Loon chicks, I found this Mom carrying her chick partly concealed under her wing.
Corey Raffel
Borana Nature Conservancy, Kenya / An African Harrier Hawk hangs precariously from a weaver nest. These birds have special adaptations to their leg joints making them 'double-jointed'. This allows the birds to specialize in reach into crevices to find prey. This bird is trying to reach into the weaver nest to extract nestlings. Weaver nests have a baffle to prevent predators from reaching in, and the hawk was unsuccessful in reaching any prey.
Top 250 / Birds
Corey Raffel
Cairns, Queensland, Australia / A Metallic Starling with a berry in its beak hangs on to its nest opening and looks around before entering the nest to feed its nestlings. These starlings are colony breeders, and we came across a large colony of the birds that had built nests in a large tree. The nests were of various ages; this nest had nestlings inside. Here, a parent with food hesitates on the edge of its nest entrance and looks around, likely being sure that no predators are watching before it enters the nest.
Corey Raffel
Queensland, Australia / This portrait of a Regent Bowerbird has the black color of the bird blending into the deep, black shadow of the background. Regent Bowerbirds are stunning birds colored bright yellow and black. They are denizens of the dark rainforest, so getting the correct exposure for the blacks is difficult with using very slow shutter speeds and high ISOs. In this image, I tried to get around this problem by exposing for the bird's yellows and letting the blacks simply blend into the black background.
David Bates
Eastern Colorado / Battle Royale / Greater Prairie Chicken battle for the ladies during their annual visit to the lek to breed and continue their legacy in future generations.
Elizabeth Boehm
Western Wyoming / Dusky Grouse Flip / Not often seen during the spring courtship display of the male Dusky Grouse, is the flip or cartwheel this bird makes. These grouse will do a 'flip' creating a wing-flapping sound and return to the rock or platform on which he had been displaying. It is really hard to know when this is going to happen thus it takes a bit of luck and preparedness of the photographer.
Top 250 / Birds
Elizabeth Holmes
Tierra Verde, FL / A mother oystercatcher teaches her two day old chick how to forage in the surf for tiny morsels Shot in the morning, the birds were busy scurrying about, running to avoid the incoming surf and quickly snatching small creatures before they disappear with the retreating water. Early life for these chicks is perilous with constantly lurking herons, crows and gulls along with rushing water and human disruption. Sadly, these chicks did not make it past their second day. A true moment in time.
George Sanker
Yellowstone National Park, WY / Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) in flight. I went to a meadow where I photographed owls a day earlier. There were still large patches of snow at the forest edges, even though it was late May. I set up my camera on a heavy duty tripod and waited. When I heard a 'landing' in the snow behind me, I swung my camera setup around on the tripod, and just then this owl, only several yards away, took off and flew right by my shoulder.
Glenn Nelson
Crockett Lake, Whidbey Island, WA / The usual haunts of short-eared owls, at least in Western Washington state, are wide-open fields, usually providing blown-out backgrounds. I found this owl habitat where the background was forested and the trees get side lit. The bonus was that, as I tracked the 'Shortie' into the rays of a setting sun, it locked onto a vole-bearing northern harrier and took a long-ish, determined dive at it, providing a different kind of wing pose than usually found in owl photos.
Harold Willion
Massachusetts / Loon At Sunset.
Top 250 / Birds
Boston,
Harold Willion
MA / Mergansers and Fish.
Isabel Guerra Clark
Falkland Islands / Into the Light - 14 penguins going into the water.
James Johnston
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, NY / Mating Tree Swallows.
Jane Scott Norris
Shetlands, Scotland / Northern Gannet dives as another, having entered moments earlier, speeds through the water on a parallel track.
Top 250 / Birds
Jenny Loren
Southern California / I was out photographing burrowing owls by my house when it started to rain. It was so incredible to see them do a rain dance. I found out from my friends daughter who is studying animal behavior it's called anting and that they are actually getting bugs off of them. It looked more like a very glamorous dance. This owl was doing the anting on the ground and then jumped up to this log and spread its wings out. It was such a beautiful sight to see.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Marura Rd, Nanyuki, Kenya / Intimidation in the Air - A Gabar Goshawk (Micronisus gabar) attempts to drive a Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) off its perch. While the goshawk's repeated attempts failed, the interaction of the birds over at least half an hour provided ample opportunity to marvel at the goshawk's incredible aerial maneuvering capability.
Santa Rosa, CA / A Bird In The HandA Northern pygmy owl captures a bird to feed his brood of three owlets.
John Novak
Karen Bilgrai Cohen
Karen Bilgrai Cohen
Kamloops, Canada / Tasty Morsel - A father loon feeds his newly hatched chick.
Top 250 / Birds
Sergio
Atlantic Rainforest, Southeastern Brazil / This photo of a Spot-billed Toucanet was taken in the Atlantic rainforest in southeastern Brazil. A family group of a male, female and two fledglings landed near us and began feasting on the plentiful palm fruit. The lighting and backgrounds were challenging, so I was particularly pleased to get an image of this juvenile tossing a palm fruit before swallowing it whole.
Homer, AK/ Bald Eagle Soaring in Front of Frozen Waterfall.
Bear Island WMA, Green Pond, SC / Last Light / I photographed this Tricolored Heron last winter at sunset on a still pond. While it spent most of the time feeding, it took a pause just as the marsh behind him was glowing gold from the sun setting.
Kathy Raffel
Kathy
Kelley Luikey
Kevin Dooley
South Africa / A foul day for the Guinea Fowl.
Top 250 / Birds
Kevin Lohman
Santa Cruz, CA / Gulls can be very territorial. There were several young gulls on a cliff, calling to their parents for food. Suddenly, another adult gull swooped in and started aggressively stepping on this chick. A moment later one of the chick’s parents flew in and chased off this adult, protecting the chick from the intruder.
Kevin Lohman
Milpitas, CA / A Double-crested Cormorant was fishing in a small lake when it caught this fish. Immediately, a couple of American White Pelicans swooped in to try to take the fish away from the cormorant, but the cormorant was able to quickly swallow the fish and the pelicans swam away, unsuccessful.
Kim Hukari
Fort DeSoto Beach, Tierra Verde, FL / Royal Fluff......a royal tern fluffs to dry her feathers after taking a morning bath in the surf.
Kristine Colburn
Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, KS / Two avocets were photographed late one afternoon at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas. The late afternoon sun provided a nice illumination.
Top 250 / Birds
Mark Naumann
Long Prairie River, west of Long Prairie, MN /
The day after an April snow storm, I photographed this Pied-Billed Grebe wrestling with a large frog on the Long Prairie River in central Minnesota. I was surprised to see this bird with a frog, as still bodies of water were yet frozen and 4+ inches of snow covered the ground. The grebe continued wrestling with the frog for several minutes before departing my view.
Nancy Elwood
Costa Rica / Three-wattled Bellbird.
Paul Malinowski
Littleton, CO/ Violet Green Swallow in flight.
Paul Malinowski
Littleton, CO/ Red-Tailed Hawk stopped at a lake to get a drink of water and seemed to reflect on life.
Top 250 / Birds
Ryan Wagner
Maui, HI / Honeycreeper / The I'iwi or scarlet honeycreeper sings atop a perch in a remnant patch of native forest on Maui. Today, Hawaii's native forest birds are only found at elevations above 4,500 feet where invasive disease-carrying mosquitos cannot survive. Habitat loss and introduced disease have caused the extinction of 36 unique honeycreeper species in the Hawaiian Islands. Only 18 species of honeycreeper survive.
Sandra Rothenberg
Allegany State Park, NY / A golden crowned kinglet briefly landed on a mossy branch, then flew off into the bushes.
Steffen Foerster
Long Island, NY / Common tern chick at sunrise begging for food from adults up in the sky.
Steffen Foerster
Iceland / Atlantic puffins are rarely seen foraging on shrimp, and rarely has this behavior been documented.
Top 250 / Birds
Stephanie Becker
Moraga, CA / That decisive moment when everything comes together in a single frame. This Anna's Hummingbird was aggressively defending his territory in our backyard and gave me this look.
Tianne Strombeck
Grimsey Island, Iceland / An Atlantic Puffin is about to hop into its burrow to bring a beak full of sand eels to its puffling. Grimsey island still has an ample supply of sand eels, but other areas further south are feeling the impact of climate change on the availability of these fish.
Amboseli NP, Kenya / Panache! :Bright! Colorful! Flamboyant! A group of lesser flamingoes feed in shallow water on a day when the water was still enough to turn pink from their reflections.
Vicki Santello
Mammals
950+ Entries
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Best in Category / Mammals
Kevin Dooley
Kevin Dooley is an award-winning wildlife and portrait photographer who grew up in Placitas, New Mexico. At the age of 18, he enlisted into the Navy and served on an aircraft carrier. After he completed his service he returned to New Mexico and opened his own photography studio in Albuquerque which he just retired after 40 years. His passion for wildlife photography and Africa led him to his safari adventures and he eventually opened Idube Photo Safaris. Kevin is a certified FGASA (Field Guide Association of South Africa), Wildlife Guide, a PPA Master and Craftsman Photographer and takes guests from all over the world on amazing photographic safaris in Africa, Alaska, Brazil, India, and Sri Lanka. Kevin teaches wildlife and portrait photography workshops on both tours and speaking engagements. Kevin is the author of Wild Faces in Wild Places, a photographic journey into the stories and inspirations of wildlife photography. Kevin has been chosen five times to represent the USA in the Photographic world cup.
Brought up and raised in or around Yellowstone National Park, Jennifer has always had an interest in wildlife photography. Moving to Alaska in 1989 to teach, Jennifer found an environment rich in new subjects and few people. After retiring, Jennifer found herself able to pursue wildlife photography full time, not as a business but as a passion. She began to branch out to other places throughout Alaska and the world. The past several years have found her guiding and camping in Katmai National Park and documenting the wonderful lives of bears.
Web: jfsmithphotography.com
Jennifer Smith
Katmai National Park, AK / Looking for the off Switch!
Judges’ Choice / Mammals
Yellowstone National Park, WY / Members of the Wapiti Lake pack had frequent interactions, re-establishing bonds and confirming the pack hierarchy.
At a waterhole near Cave Creek, AZ / A mule deer doe and her fawn are drinking at a desert waterhole at sunset. Fawn mule deer are normally birthed in late July in the Sonoran desert of Arizona.
Masai Mara Kenya / Mud Bath Peek a Boo If you took a quick look at the mud pile in the Masai Mara Kenya you might have missed what was actually there until something moved Mostly submerged and covered in thick mud were about a dozen Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) just looking like mud covered boulders. But as we sat there watching, the mud became alive with the sounds of snorts and farts and occasional yawns. How they are able to keep the mud out of the eye was a mystery.
Bruce D Taubert
Nicaragua / While documenting the research of Dr Carol Chambers in Nicaragua I was able to set cameras at the entrance of a lava tube to capture a mixed group of Pteronotus bats exiting the cave at dusk. If you look closely in the left portion of the frame you can see a lyre snake waiting for a bat dinner.
Top 100 / Mammals
Charles Janson
Township of Torres del Paine, Chile / Curious Guanacos / While most guanacos are wary of humans, even in cars, we attracted the curiosity of these by remaining still and allowing them to approach us at their own pace and will Taken after a rare 2-foot snow storm in the Torres del Paine area, the landscape turned into a pristine white canvas to showcase the animals and rugged mountains. I used a medium-telephoto lens for this image, to allow me to include both animals and mountains.
Donna Feledichuk
Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada / Long Jump / A red fox kit stretches as it jumps from one large log to another atop a log pile in the late morning.
Jodi Frediani
Eastern Mongolian Steppe, Mongolia / The Mighty Hunter: The Mighty Hunter/ This manul kitten is sharpening its survival skills, having caught a hapless vole. Also known as the Pallas cat, these small, wild felines are perfectly suited to the harsh environment where they live. This kitten, along with its siblings, hid during much of the day in crevices and cavities among a rock pile out in the grassy steppe. The manul feed largely on small rodents or small birds.
Top 100 / Mammals
South Africa / At Rest / Trunks are heavy, and they do a lot of work. Elephants often carry their trunks on their tusks for a well-deserved break.
John Ehrenfeld
Lake Clark, AK/ Alaskan Brown Bear With Feeding Cubs.
Karen Blackwood
Karen Hunt
Tanzania / Hippos nuzzling in the Serengeti, 2021.
Top 100 / Mammals
Kevin Dooley
Botswana / Wild Cat Spat.
Kevin Dooley
India / Wild Leopard, India.
Kirsten Hines
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore / Malayan Colugo.
Top 100 / Mammals
Michael Hodgson
Maasai Mara, Kenya / Tranquility / It was early evening in the Maasai Mara.
Peter Batty
Zimanga Private Game Reserve, South Africa / Giraffe drinking at sunset.
Richard Beldegreen
South Africa / Cheetah Family / It was just after sunrise when we encountered this cheetah mom with 3 cubs. As it was winter in S . Africa and quite cold, the cats were quite active. We were able to observe them interacting; playing, chasing and climbing.
Top 100 / Mammals
Russell Satterhwaite
North Florida / MANATEE 17 / This manatee is resting in the warm waters of one of Florida's springs during a cold front.
Sarah Killingsworth
Point Reyes National Seashore, CA / A wet, tired and muddy mama badger returns to the den after hunting for gophers for her two babies. Eager for food and attention, both babies began nosing her and climbing on her, while she clearly was hoping to rest for a few moments at the den before returning to hunting. A spectacular hunter she was returning roughly every 13 minutes with a gopher for one of them, or herself.
Sue Dougherty
Yellowstone National Park, MT / Bison's Breath / Winter in Yellowstone can be simply spectacular. The intensity of the cold, the amazing adaptations of the animals that endure the -20F temps As a group of bison clambered up the road in the bitter cold, huge plumes of frozen vapor were billowing from their noses A group shot was amazing, but to focus in on a single animal really embodied the chill, the fortitude and grit of the bison of Yellowstone.
Top 100 / Mammals
Thomas Nicholson
Maasai Mara, Kenya / A Mother's Love / This mother giraffe and her very young baby were in a very precarious position, all alone on the African savannah in the heart of a leopard's territory. We appreciated the tenderness with which they interacted, and the clear love they felt for each other.
Turgay Uzer
Mara River, Maasai Mara National Park, Kenya / The giant Nile crocodiles were busy feeding on this topi antelope for days until only the head was left. And even that was devoured, horns and all, by the biggest crocodile after a few attempts.
Turgay Uzer
Ranthambore National Park, India / This image shows two daughters of the famous tigress 'Noor' on the threshold of adulthood. They were already indistinguishable in size from their mother, but just before striking out on their own, liked playing in the early morning light.
Top 100 / Mammals
Yaron Schmid
Masai Mara, Kenya / A Serval cat pounces on a small mouse early one morning.
Top 250 / Mammals
Ann Kramer
San Juan Island, WA / The Comfort of Connection / Parent and Kit fox in the brush.
Brett Freliche
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada / Down In Front / A pod of beluga whales swims by to check us out.
This photo was taken during high tide as it was the only time the boats can exit the pier.
Brian Divelbiss
Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana / Zebra at Sunrise / The path of the great migration in Botswana takes the zebra through the heart of Nxai Pan National Park. As we rolled out of camp for the morning game drive we happened upon a scene which is seared into my memory and simply represents Africa -- the rising sun orange in the sky, a flock of birds in silhouette and a group of zebra, their manes glowing in the morning light, heading to the bore hole for their morning drink.
Carol Grenier
Finland / This grizzly found a good tree for scratching its back and spent a good 20 seconds moving up and down.
Top 250 / Mammals
Charles Schinner
Katmai National Park, AK / Salmon swim upstream in Alaska to spawn, while the bears are there waiting to feed on the salmon. But this group of salmon makes it challenging and stay away from the bear. This bear now has to think: “how do I get lunch?”
Corey Raffel
Queensland, Australia / A Grey-headed Flying Fox cools off during the heat of the day. These bats eat fruit, using their sight and sense of smell to find fruit at night. During the day, they rest, hanging upside down on tree branches with their wings wrapped around their bodies. When the day is hot, the bats open and flap their wings, cooling the blood in the wings and using their wings like fans to cool off. This image shows a bat caught with its wings open, as it tries to beat the heat by flapping its wings.
Elizabeth Holmes
John Chestnut Park, Palm Harbor, FL / A small group of young whitetail deer enjoy the cool weather and resultant mud puddles following an afternoon rain shower in central coastal Florida.
George Sanker
Grand Teton National Park, WY / Bull Moose (Alces alces) / Flehman response during the rut on chilly October morning in the mountains.
Top 250 / Mammals
George Sanker
Grand Teton National Park, WY / As the sun sets on a beautiful mid-October day, a majestic Bull Moose (Alces alces) begins crossing a mountain creek.
Jackie Curts
Lake Clark National Park, AK / Just as dawn was breaking, a coastal brown bear cub checks out a boat at low tide . Venturing away from his mother's side, curiosity has gotten the better of the cub. As the mother continues to take advantage of the low tide to clam, she keeps a watchful eye on the cub.
Jacqueline Burke
Near Torres del Paine National Park in Chile / After the Rain / This photo was taken early morning near Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.
Jan Nickols
Lake Clark, AK / Learning How to Clam / A coastal brown bear took her young cubs out to clam early one morning at low tide. It was interesting to watch her instruct them on how to dig and find the clams. I loved the interaction here between the mother and one of the cubs. The early morning clouds parted just enough to add a soft glow to the scene.
Top 250 / Mammals
Jason Stewart
Svalbard, Norway / A polar bear navigates a thin stretch of icy beach during a snow squall.
Jeff Vanuga
Cuiaba River. Pantanal, Brazil / Leap of Faith / Jaguar hunting caiman in the Pantanal, Brazil.
Jennifer Smith
Katmai National Park, AK / Stranger Danger.
Jennifer Smith
Katmai National Park, AK / Meal Time.
Top 250 / Mammals
Jennifer Smith
Katmai National Park, AK / Privacy Please!
Jennifer Smith Nome, AK / Snowfall Calf!
Jenny Loren
Yellowstone National Park, MT / A bobcat takes a long stretch before coming back down to its buried carcass.
Jodi Frediani
Saint Andrew's Bay, South Georgia / Royal Feast / Just off the stern of our ship, a leopard seal skins an unlucky King Penguin in preparation for a royal feast. This skilled predator neatly clipped the skin around the poor bird s neck, then began to toss the live bird, freeing the skin to reveal the flesh beneath. All the while, keeping giant petrels at bay.
Top 250 / Mammals
Karen Hunt
Tanzania / Two hippos briefly clash in the Serengeti, 2022.
West
Monterey Bay, CA / 8,000 Pound Levitation / Orca whale breaching inches before splashdown.
Dooley
South Africa / Time to Impress the Ladies.
Lee Hoy
A Lodge in Brazil's Pantanal Region / A fly lives precariously as it passes quite close to a Cattle Tyrant foraging for insects while perched atop a Capybara. The Cattle Tyrant was successful on many attempts. This fly certainly caught the tyrant's attention.
Kathy
Kevin
Top 250 / Mammals
Lee Hoy
A Lodge in Brazil's Pantanal Region / A female Jaguar reacts to the male’s advances after returning from getting a drink at the river. They had mated a couple of times already and as she returned from the river, the male was already anticipating a negative response. As she drew closer, she reacted quite strongly and rotated her body to ultimately swat the male across the face This image was one of four captured during the interaction.
Marcia Walters
Western Washington State / Learning to Fly.
Mary Schrader
Katmai National Park, AK / A River's Tale/ Bears are normally solitary animals. As the salmon start arriving, the bears congregate in great numbers and their proximity gets closer and closer resulting in lots of drama.
Mary Schrader
Tarangire National Park, Kenya / Reflections / Water, the elixir of life, awaits these majestic creatures as they enjoy their morning drink at the watering hole.
Top 250 / Mammals
Patrick Pevey
Selati Private Game Reserve, South Africa / Impala are ever-watchful while drinking and the slightest noise starts them running.
Patrick Pevey
Chobe National Park, Botswana /
Several African elephants fed on abundant aquatic plants. This one had a momentary decoration before eating the flower.
Rachel Spencer
Svalbard, Norway / Playtime!
Raelynn Hillhouse
Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary / Leftovers Shearwaters and Jaeger dodge whales as they try to snatch the bubble-net feeding whales’ leftovers. These humpbacks are bubble net feeding on tiny sand lance fish and they have just erupted to the surface. Humpbacks work together and circle huge schools of fish blowing bubbles. The fish will not cross the bubble curtain and are forced into a tighter ball. Suddenly, the humpbacks all lunge to the surface, scooping up the fish in their wide open mouths.
Top 250 / Mammals
Simon Smith
Torres del Paine, Chile / Petaka the Patagonian puma steps out of the shadows into the sunlight.
Steve Mitchell
Yellowstone National Park, MT / Grizzly sow and cub keeping an eye out fot trouble.
Sue Dougherty
Yellowstone National Park, MT / Flight of the Weasel / Long tailed weasel in the winter are a treat and trick to see. They are as white as the snow they live in except for the black tip of the tail. They run under the snow, burrowing down, popping up and then running and launching from spot to spot.
Sue Dougherty
Patagonia, Chile / Pursuit / We witnessed a morning's long pursuit of a guanaco by a Puma. As we watched we followed the cat from across a hillside. As the Puma crept up on the guanaco, it got wind of the Puma, and it moved along into a small ravine just below where we were perched. To our surprise and exhilaration the puma continued to stalk and came over the crest of the ravine. Then in a huge burst went after the guanaco. This image was the puma's first contact of the attempted take down.
Top 250 / Mammals
Lake Clark National Park, AK / A coastal brown bear mom with spring cubs watches warily as a male bear approaches in the distance. The mother bear had been resting when her cubs decided to start climbing on board, but she got to her feet as soon as she noticed the approaching male. Male bears often kill cubs, especially during the mating season. Fortunately this particular male was pursuing another female; nevertheless, the mother bear quickly bucked the baby off her back then led the cubs into the forest.
Simien Mountains National Park, Northern Ethiopia / Gelada Monkeys on the 'Roof of Africa' / This iconic animal of Ethiopia's Simien Mountains, the gelada monkey (theropithecus gelada), is also known as the Bleeding Heart Monkey. To protect themselves from leopards, they spend the night on tiny ledges on the impossibly steep cliffs of the mountains and climb back on the plateau at daybreak to graze. Which they do with grim determination all day because this grass is not nutritious. They are purely vegetarian.
Salisbury Plain, South Georgia Island / Elephant Seal Momma and pup on South Georgia Island.
Susan McConnell
Turgay Uzer
William Walkowiak
Yaron Schmid
Lewa Conservancy, Kenya / A zebra resting its head on another zebra's back.
Top 250 / Mammals
Zita Quentin
Torres del Paine, Chile / Circle of Love. A puma family was feeding on a guanaco for a while. After the meal, mom called her two subadult cubs over for grooming. They were helping each other clean up the hard to reach spots. I was watching them and waited to capture the moment when they were interconnected. It was a beautiful expression of love and care.
‘Scapes
Best in Category / ‘Scapes
Chris Bartell
As a high school student, Chris stumbled upon the captivating world of photography, and it has been part of her journey ever since. Chris’s photography journey has evolved over the years from using film, classes in college developing black and white images, to a digital mirrorless camera. Based in the various landscapes of Portland, Oregon, she finds inspiration in the natural beauty that surrounds her. Chris has worked hard to improve her skills to what they are today. Through her lens, she aims for viewers to enjoy the breathtaking scenes and the beauty of the world.
Lavender Field in Hood River, OR / Lavender Dreamscape / Milky Way in the lavender field during the Summer.
First Runner Up / ‘Scapes
Carl Johnson
Denali National Park & Preserve, AK / A flock of Sandhill cranes heads south as a thick lenticular cloud hovers over the summit of Denali. This is one of my favorite aspects of visiting the park in the autumn. To be out hiking on the tundra and hear the calls of Sandhill cranes as they pass overhead on their way south is peaceful, elating and part of how I can really feel autumn in my bones.
Carl Johnson resides in Anchorage, Alaska. His photographic passion lies in fully understanding a particular location. Carl has been the artist-inresidence for four national parks, was the “Environmental Issues” winner for the Windland Smith Rice International Awards in 2010 and was awarded the Daniel Housberg Wilderness Image Award for Excellence in Still Photography, Film, or Video by the Alaska Conservation Foundation. His book, Where Water is Gold, was awarded a Silver Medal in the Nautilus Book Awards and a Gold Medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Carl is an Associate Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers.
Near Hanksville, UT / Flying my drone over this landscape was one of the most amazing things I have done photographically. The soft early morning light added texture to the landscape. I played around with compostion until I had a nice background.
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon / Columbia River Gorge Sunset / This photo was taken in May at peak wildflower bloom when yellow Balsamroot and Lupine fill the hillsides.
Ulysses, KS / Calm and the Storm / Caught this supercell and lightning storm on a storm chase tour. I was completely in awe with how drastically the temperature drops, and wind picks up as the storm approaches.
Adam Bacher
California / Comet Neowise Through Trees.
Adam Bacher
California / Elmo's Peak and Reflection in Water.
Brett Freliche
Top 100 / ‘Scapes
Carl Johnson
Turnagain Arm, AK / I had spent the evening photographing at my favorite location along the Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage. Having captured all of the images that caught my attention, I was just standing there, taking in the scene when I looked down to my left. There, embedded in the glacial silt mudflats was a spawned-out salmon. My mind explored the events that occurred to place that salmon at that location, and my creative head exploded. The next day, it was gone.
Garry Everett
White Mountains, CA / Bristlecone pines are one of the oldest living lifeforms on our planet and getting to photograph them is something of a privilege. On a very stormy afternoon the sun finally broke through the clouds to spotlight this ancient wonder against the dark storm clouds.
Isabel Guerra Clark
Vermillion Cliffs, AZ / Milky Way at the Wave / Milky Way above striated rocks.
Top 100 / ‘Scapes
Isabel
Guerra Clark
Vermilion Cliffs, AZ / South Coyote Buttes / Rock formations.
Robert
Darby
Willamette National Forest, OR / Illuminated Flows / During my hike to these falls, I was disappointed that the sun was out--because splotchy sun and shadows in a photograph can often be distracting. But when I arrived, the sun was filtering through the trees and casting interesting shadows on the falls. While the main falls were to my left, I liked this more intimate composition of smaller cascades.
Sylvia
Hosie
Shore Acres State Park, OR / Exploding Wave, Shore Acres / Winter wave action as storm-driven waves crash against the rocks.
Top 100 / ‘Scapes
Terry Shapiro
Glacier Lagoon, Iceland / Otherworldly / Mid-day as the weather was changing, which is a common in Iceland.
Vicki Jauron
Over Lake Magadi, Kenya / Flowers and Faces in the Lake / An Aerial View Over Lake Magadi's ever changing colors and textures.
Top 250 / ‘Scapes
Chugach National Forest, AK / Early May is on the leading edge of the end of the aurora season in Southcentral Alaska. On the eve of Mother's Day one year, the data was looking good and I headed out to photograph the dancing northern lights. The show did not disappoint, starting when the twilight was still bright in the sky, and continuing all night This explosion of light over Portage Lake was one of the best displays of the night.
Southern Iceland / Ice Cave.
Cape Disappointment State Park, WA / Watching the Storm Come In / King tide waves on a stormy morning.
Aransas County, TX / On the Shelf!
Carl Johnson
Catherine Kelly
Chris Bartell
Cissy Beasley
Top 250 / ‘Scapes
David Johnston
Blackwater Falls State Park, WV / The earth's rotation shows stars circling Polaris, behind Blackwater Falls, West Virginia. The falls are illuminated only by starlight and the star trails were gathered over a span of about four hours.
Garry Everett
Horsetail Falls, Yosemite
National Park, CA / Horsetail Falls in February bears witness to the true wonder of mother nature. This image is tightly cropped on the falls itself to emphasize the incredible display that I happened to witness and photograph on this particular occasion. As you can tell from the image it was a cloudy, windy and stormy scene in front of me and the expectation of the sun actually breaking through was zero. Luck would have it the sun broke through lighting the falls in a memorable display lasting 6 minutes.
Geoffrey Schmid
Kona, HI / Tide patterns and golden hour light over the ancient coastal flows that greet the coast.
Sanker
Acadia National Park, ME / Sunset on a fresh water pond filled with lily pads. Autumn reflections in October.
George
Top 250 / ‘Scapes
Isabel Guerra Clark
Arizona / White Pocket Mono / Rock formation and good skies.
Isabel Guerra Clark
Bosque del Apache, NM / Sunset at Bosque / Explosive sunset in crane pool.
Jeffrey Botkin
Snow Canyon State Park, UT / Snow Canyon Pool.
Jeremy Woodhouse Perico, TX / This towering cumulus cloud formation begins to dissipate at the end of the day.
Top 250 / ‘Scapes
Kathryn Bishop
Redwood Forest National Park, CA / Rhodies, Redwoods and Sunbeams / The Perfect Trifecta was made when the sun shone on this beautiful Rhododendron which was blooming among the ancient trees. The three elements combine to make the image express the awe we experienced in the forest.
Naona Peaches Wallin
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI / Halema'uma'u Lava / The west vent splatter cone filling lava lake inside Halema uma u crater, at the summit caldera of Kilauea Volcano, December 23rd 2021.
Robert Darby
Iceland / Autumn Water Flows / I made this photograph on a cold and rainy September morning in West Iceland. Unlike a typical waterfall, the water here flows out of lava tubes in the rocks, resulting in a seemingly endless string of cascades. The abundant vegetation around the cascades added color to the scene.
Robert Darby
Yosemite National Park, CA / Three Brothers
Reflected / I made this photograph of Three Brothers reflected in the Merced River after a serendipitous midDecember snow. The mist added some interesting atmosphere to an already beautiful scene.
Top 250 / ‘Scapes
Robert Darby
Northwestern New Mexico / Milky Way
Over New Mexico
Badlands / I made this photograph early one cold, April morning. The moon had already set and low-level lighting was used to illuminate the sandstone structures.
Potrero Chico Parque, Nuevo Leon, Mexico / Tropical Mountain Palm Trees.
Vicki Santello
North Cascades National Park, WA / North Cascades Mountain Layers.
Amboseli NP, Kenya / The Road Less Traveled / Mt. Kilimanjaro is so often obscured by clouds it is known by locals as 'the shy mountain'. However, on this particular day, from my vantage point on the road, I was lucky to see the peaks were clearly visible under a heavy layer of clouds. The rare viewing lasted for about 20 minutes until the cloud cover descended and the mountain lived up to its name.
Scott Smorra
Scott Smorra
Top 250 / ‘Scapes
William Sutton
Jonsrud Viewpoint, Sandy, OR / Sunrise over Mt. Hood.
Macro,Micro &AllOther
Best in Category / Macro, Micro & All Others / Thomas Myers
Tom Myers is a Board-Certified Entomologist and a well-known insect and wildlife photographer. He has always been fascinated by the insect world and started observing and photographing insects at a young age. Myers was involved in research as well as scientific and close-up photography while at Purdue, Iowa State, and the University of Kentucky.
He is very active in youth and public education, hoping to get all generations interested in the natural world around them. He has made hundreds of presentations to schools, scout troops, nature groups, 4-H, science centers, clubs, civic groups, and museums.
His early work in bio-diversity studies took him to the world’s rain forests and led to the discovery of numerous new species of insects including three insect species that are named after him. Tom’s work has appeared in numerous national magazines, calendars, newspapers, textbooks, TV broadcasts and scientific publications. His images have won local, national, and international honors.
Sarapiqui, Costa Rica / Within a few feet of the trail, we spotted a basilisk lizard which had just caught a coffee snake. We watched in amazement as the snake struggled to get free. Over about five minutes, the lizard gradually began swallowing the snake. The snake twisted and pulled right up until the last moments when it disappeared down the lizard's throat.
Phil Foster Park, Riviera Beach, FL / Old Blue Eyes.
Top 100 / Macro, Micro & All Others
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands / Brittle Star Invasion / Invasive brittle stars smother a sea fan choking its polyps where they can no longer extend to feed.
Granville, MA / Four frogs stacked up in the middle of a territorial battle.
North Tonawanda, NY / Wolf Spider at the 'door' of its web.
Dan Mele
Dave Cimma
James Johnston
Top 100 / Macro, Micro & All Others
Lisa
Belle Isle, Detroit, MI / A Giant Find.
Black Hill Regional Park, Germantown, MD / A bold jumping spider in the moment of deciding whether to launch at a green bottle fly.
Samuel Ray
Historic Yates Mill County Park, Raleigh, NC / A female Green Lynx Spider (bottom) has just emerged from her molt or exoskeleton (top) While she is quite literally hanging out to dry, a male Green Lynx Spider takes advantage of her vulnerable state and reaches out to fertilize her with his spermladen pedipalps. This behavior could be a clever survival technique for the male to continue his species without being consumed.
Joseph Ferraro
Mayo
Top 100 / Macro, Micro & All Others
Stephen Long
Natural Tunnel State Park, VA / Mate claiming behavior of dogbane beetles.
Thomas Trogdon
Putnam County, IL / In flight capture of a Cicada Killer Wasp as it flies just above the ground.
Tony Frank
Lembeh, Indonesia / Going Fishing.
Top 250 / Macro, Micro & All Others
Bruce D Taubert
Northwest Maricopa County, AZ / I was assisting bee scientists document the incredible breeding behavior of the globe mallow bee, Diadasia diminuta I was out on a mixed clouds/sunny day and noted that when the clouds covered the sun the bees seemed to rest in the globe mallow flowers. Here are two bees in the same blossom. Note the small orange parasite larvae on the shoulder of the bee on the right. These parasitic larvae wait in the flower to attach to the bee when they visit. The bee then takes the larvae to the nest.
Cameron Azad
Lembeh Straits, Indonesia / This egg-carrying shrimp, known as a hairy shrimp, was about the size of a sesame seed, 2-3 mm. She was off the seafloor, which enabled me to backlight her. Lighting was done using a pencil-beamed snoot triggered with an extra long fiber optic synccord.
Camille Lamoureux
Bellevue Botanical Garden, Bellevue, WA / Pine needles swirling in an eddy with rocks and leaves under the water below.
Sarapique, Costa Rica / A Brown Vine Snake makes an interesting pose while resting on a tree branch These snakes are mildly venomous with the venous delivered through permanently extended rear fang. They are not considered dangerous to humans. Their long thin bodies hide them well in the trees and vines they inhabit during their diurnal wanderings.
Corey Raffel
Top 250 / Macro, Micro & All Others
Corey Raffel
Sarapiqui, Costa Rica / A Reticulated Glass Frog shows off his underside through the veins of a decaying leaf. This image shows why these frogs are called 'glass', as, even through the leaf veins, one can clearly see through the ventral skin and note the internal organs of the frog.
Corey Raffel
Chobe National Park, Botswana / A close up of a Nile Crocodile's jaws and teeth with reflection. Nile Crocodiles are a common sight in the rivers of Africa. We came across this large crocodile on the Chobe River in Botswana. The reptile was resting in the shallows on a windless day. While post-processing, I was pleased with the original head shot and reflection, but, as these crocodiles are a frequent subject for wildlife photographers, I decided that I needed something different, hence the almost abstract crop seen here.
Claire Waring
Little Addington, Kettering, UK / In the autumn, sawfly (Symphyta) caterpillars appear on one of my willow trees and systematically devour virtually all its leaves. They are gregarious and I just felt that these were having fun and dancing, although this posture is actually one of defense.
James Picardi
A Jungle Somewhere in the Heart of Costa Rica / Toadally Cool / A Poison Dart Frog posed on an indigenous plant in the early evening in a Costa Rica jungle. A flash and diffuser were used for the capture.
Top 250 / Macro, Micro & All Others
Jim Squires
Roatan, Honduras / Christmas Tree Worm Unfurled.
Jodi Frediani
Kake Harbor, Kake, AK / Space Alien /
This remnant of a once glorious lion's mane jellyfish, now missing its mane, looks like a creature from outer space amidst foreign galaxies. But the loss of most of its tentacles and oral arms allows one to see the exquisite detail of the eight-pointed star that is its bell.
Joseph Ferraro
Ferndale, MI / A Different View / A different vantage point of a subject that is usually photographed from a side angle as nymphs and adults.
Karen Campbell
Lehigh County, PA / Playing Dead
Defense / A gregarious group of Datana caterpillars were busy munching away in a cherry sapling. This species has an active defense mechanism to avoid becoming prey. As I approached the tree, they popped into their classic C-shaped defense positions in unison. As fascinating as this scene was, it was a messy tangle of 3D caterpillars and branches for photography! I was able to quickly isolate one before it realized I wasn't a threat.
Top 250 / Macro, Micro & All Others
Lehigh County, PA / Flower-Pollinator Mutualism of a Small Carpenter Bee and Blue-eyed Grass / Small Carpenter Bees (7-8 mm) are one of the native pollinators of tiny Blueeyed Grass flowers. This bee is running circles around those fused stamens, collecting pollen that will feed her larvae. Unknowingly, she is spreading pollen on the female pistil sticking out the top in the center. As she moves from flower to flower, this completes pollination for the flower and leaves a mess of pollen on the petals below.
Lehigh County, PA / Spiderwort Hairs and Calligrapher Flower Fly / Spiderworts are stingy plants because they don’t produce nectar, the typical reward for pollinators. I was after a shot that would highlight the flower’s fascinating segmented hairs that play a role in its pollination. This Margined Calligrapher fly is being directed to the flower’s reproductive location, although it’s likely too small (5 mm) to be an efficient pollinator for this plant.
Karen Campbell
Karen Campbell
Michael Shane
The Morton Arboretum, IL / A Goldenrod Soldier Beetle takes flight from a white flower.
Michael Shane
Mt Helix Park, La Mesa, CA / A Green Lynx spider watching over its egg sac.
Top 250 / Macro, Micro & All Others
Ralph Clevenger
Revillagigedo Archipeligo, Mexico / Whale shark and scuba divers, with a few Bottlenose dolphins and Jacks.
Sisters, OR / Garter Snake in Pond / One evening I saw a garter snake slithering around the edges of the pond. It was evening, the light was low and the water was dark and still. The snake looked up, tasting the air and this image was the result!
Terrie Gray
Little Cayman Island in the Caribbean / Stingray with Hunting Companions: I got to spend an amazing 20 minutes following this stingray around as it hunted for food in the sand. The Permit fish were never far away; they darted in to grab tidbits whenever the stingray fluffed up the sand.
Top 250 / Macro, Micro & All Others
Frank Lembeh, Indonesia / Buried Eel - Eel buried in ground except top 5 inches.
Tony Frank Lembeh, Indonesia / Golden eye Jawfish peeking out of his home.
Tony Frank Lembeh, Indonesia / I'll just hide behind this.
Tony
Tony Frank Lembeh, Indonesia / Yellow Goby in green bottle.
Conservation
100+ Entries
6 Images in the Top 100
11 Images in the Top 250
Best in Category / Conservation Heather Valey
Centennial, CO / In The Middle of it All / The prairie dog colony on this construction lot was bulldozed alive, killing most of the animals on the site. A survivor sits in the middle of the action. He unknowingly will be subject to the same fate. Prairie dogs have found themselves in the middle of a battle that is hard for them to win. As the front range of Colorado grows, the shortgrass prairie on the outskirts is divided up into small plots for development. Eventually these animals become locked into small 2 acre plots that can't support their population Developers usually deal with these animals by bulldozing the colony alive or with poison They are considered nuisance animals in Colorado and getting permits to relocate them is a process mired in bureaucracy
Heather Valey is conservation photographer, writer & content creator living in the Colorado front range. She specializes in creating meaningful content that puts a spotlight on our interactions with wildlife and our environment.
When not out with her camera in the mountains looking for bighorn sheep or in the prairie watching prairie dogs she is with her husband and dog “Cleo” exploring Colorado.
Hebron, OH / Dogpile / A pile of a dozen dead coyotes at a hunting contest in northcentral Ohio. Hunting teams spend three days shooting as many coyotes as they can. Over 150 coyotes are harvested for this competition, one of dozens like it throughout the state. Following awards for heaviest coyote and most kills, carcasses are haphazardly discarded. No part of the coyotes is used. This image captures the detached and callous nature with which we approach other living beings.
Ryan Wagner is a PhD student at Washington State University studying conservation biology. He researches how to better protect declining amphibian populations in the face of disease, habitat loss, and climate change. Ryan is also a wildlife photographer and science journalist. He aims to tell stories about our complex relationships with wildlife and wild spaces. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Wild Ohio Magazine, and the California Academy of Science’s Big Picture Competition.
U.S. Virgin Islands / Corals Last Hope / Just before sunset, the Grooved Brain Coral spawns in a coral restoration laboratory. The tiny pink bundles of sperm and egg float to the surface where scientists collect them. Through assisted fertilization with other conspecifics, this is the best chance for many corals to create the Grooved Brain Corals of tomorrow.
Yellowstone National Park, MT / Fishing Line Captures Raven.
Top 100 / Conservation
Jodi Frediani
FAE Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand / Mosha / Mosha has just finished a walk-about and had her prosthetic limb removed. Her beloved keeper leads her over to the padded cushions in her enclosure for a nap At the tender age of 7 months, Mosha stepped on a landmine, injuring her right front leg. The severity of the injury required partial amputation. She became the first elephant to receive and functionally use a prosthetic limb. However, she can only wear it for a limited amount of time daily without doing further injury.
Sarah Killingsworth
Marin County, CA / A raccoon walks the center line of the road in a rainstorm, looking for frogs. The first heavy rain of the season brings Pacific tree frogs hopping out onto the road, and raccoons seize the opportunity to feast on the abundant food source.
Top 250 / Conservation
Bill Klipp
Rwanda / Guarding the Mountain Gorillas / Silverback Mountain Gorilla with anti Poaching Guard After trekking for a few hours in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda we came across the Kwitonda Gorilla Group. One of the Silverbacks sat quietly observing us while an anti poaching guard stood silently in the background.
Charles Janson
Amboseli National Park / Devil of a Drought Climate change has hit East Africa hard, in the form of prolonged drought lasting over three years. In Amboseli, what were once productive grasslands have dried up and turned to dust, whipped up by winds to create 'dust devils'. Thousands of herbivores have died, so quickly that the scavengers could not eat everything.
Frank Clemmensen
Chincoteague, VA / Oyster Catcher Chick.
Claire Waring
Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve, Indonesia / Several piles of plastic bottles, washed up by the sea or discarded by humans, had been collected by the local rangers for recycling. The number was shocking, especially knowing that these would soon be replaced by further discards.
Crested black macaques (Macaca nigra) have learned that these bottles contain liquid and they search to find those from which to drink. The macaques also carried bottles away into the forest, rather frustrating the rangers’ efforts.
Top 250 / Conservation
Sergio Ballivian
Rurrenabaque, Beni, Bolivia / Illegal wallets made from a Jaguar and a rainbow boa are sold in a store in Rurrenabaque, Bolivia.
Moraga, CA / For a year and a half I took photos of the moon during the pandemic and created this collage. Amidst a time of isolation and uncertainty, the moon became a comforting companion, reminding humanity that even in the darkest of nights, there exists a celestial light to guide us towards brighter days.
Stephanie is an award-winning wildlife and nature photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A sixth generation native Californian and Certified Naturalist, Stephanie grew up exploring the bay area ridgelines where her family’s love of nature were deeply-help values. Stephanie became serious about photography during the pandemic where being out in nature and capturing unique moments provided both physical and mental benefits. Her goal is to create a visual narrative that evokes emotions, raises awareness, and inspires connection and protection of the natural world.
Northern Virginia / After capturing the flow of this dying flower, I wanted to add an artisitic look and enhance the flow of the petals. I used one of my favorite apps with several layers to bring out the textures without losing the feel of the flower.
I grew up in a darkroom and my camera has never been far from my side. I am a founding member of the Old Rag Photography Gallery in Rappahannock county, VA. Using my night sky photography, one of my current photographic passions, I helped my local county park become an International Dark Sky Park.
As a semi-retired veterinarian, I enjoy teaching photography, challenging myself in new photographic techniques (including drones) and using my overlanding skills to get into the back country searching for unique images. My images are in private collections and have won awards in local and national competitions.
Tanzania, Ndutu Region, Ngorongoro Conservancy / Let It Snow! / These young jackals will never see snow. Yet, their luxurious coats, dappled with white, certainly suggest a wintry day. Two youngsters stopped their boisterous play long enough to assess whether or not that camera thing was a threat and, deciding it wasn't, resumed a spirited game of tag.
Marty
Top 100 / Altered Reality
Charles Janson
Municipality of Torres del Paine, Chile / ‘Candid Cat' is a composite time series of closeup portraits of a wild puma in Patagonia These were taken during a brief moment that the cat woke up during a 5hour long afternoon rest. Although not intended to be comical, the sequence of images contains many that are familiar expressions by house cats and, for that matter, people.
Cheryl Medow
Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge, LA / Snowy Egret in the Bayou.
Dave Hattori
Pocosin Lakes NWR, NC / Portrait or Visit? / My photograph of a young black bear placed in a picture frame (or window?) over the mantle.
Top 100 / Altered Reality
Dave Hattori
Crater Lake NP, OR / Dancing / This Whitebark Pine looked like a dancing figure to me. I isolated it and created a photoart composite to give it a proper stage.
Mary
Schrader
Greater Amboseli Area, Kenya / The Watering Hole/ A multitude of species share the same spot to enjoying a refreshing drink.
Tiger image in South Africa; Trees in Colorado / Composite of tiger and trees.
Charles Needle
Cape Cod, MA / Cape Cod Sunset.
Top 250 / Altered Reality
Charles Needle
Private Garden in the United Kingdom / in-camera multiple-exposures.
Charles Needle
Whidbey Island, WA / Various flowers frozen in ice, then photographed.
Cheryl Medow
Rookery, Venice, FL / Great Blue Carries a Big Stick.
Hans Arnold San Francisco, CA / Flamingos in Love.
Top 250 / Altered Reality
Skagit County, WA / THE DAWN OF PREDATION / This image was captured with slide film at sunrise on a cloudy day in the Pacific Northwest. It was terribly underexposed, totally grayed out with no color, the scene so dark all I saw was the silhouette of a Northern Pygmy-Owl with prey. Years later, on a whim, I imported the slide into PhotoShop and began moving the exposure slider I was blown away when the sun began to appear out of the veil of gray. I hadn't even realized the sun was up yet!
Silver Springs State Park, FL / An interpretation of cypress knees.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, AZ / The Art of Dust Bathing.
Ithumba, Tsavo East National Park, Kenya / Elephant Paint.
Jim Burns
Linda Burek
Lisa Manifold
Lois Hild
Top 250 / Altered Reality
Marty Purdy
Port Mayaca Lock & Dam, Lake Okeechobee, FL / The Squadron / Kaleidoscope abstract of a squadron of migrant American White Pelicans resting after fishing, at a lock and dam at Lake Okeechobe, FL.
Marty Purdy
Jensen Beach, FL / Taking Off / A White Ibis getting ready for flight.
Mary Schrader
Amboseli National Park, Kenya / Contrast in Motion / Wildebeest Cross Amboseli Lake amidst a flock of Flamingos, all reflected in the water during the height of the drought in Kenya.
Jan Lightfoot
Silver Canyon, east of Bishop, CA / Desert Bighorn / As I was making my way through Silver Canyon in my Jeep, a herd of Desert Bighorn Sheep were winding their way across the creek. One ram stood out, making sure the crossing went well. His stature and behavior indicated that he was a very experienced leader. I chose one image that I thought expressed that character and wanted to elevate it further by isolating him in a natural textured background.
