A polar bear lounges in a field of pink flowers. An arctic fox skips gingerly as the thaw of spring moves in. And a baby chimpanzee sips a bottle.
The 2024 Nature Photography Contest showcases the complicated beauty and inspiring resiliency of our planet. Photographer Christopher Paetkau took home top honors (and a €1000 prize) for his captivating photo “Polar Bear Amid Fireweed Blooms” (seen below), taken in Manitoba, Canada.
Photography of the Year 2024
“This series captures an unforgettable moment on a remote island known as Fireweed Island, nestled in Western Hudson Bay between Churchill, Manitoba—the Polar Bear Capital of the World—and the Nunavut border. With less than 24 hours on the island, I awoke at 4 AM to the first light of dawn, when polar bears are most active. Stepping beyond the bear fence, I encountered a majestic polar bear wandering through a sea of blazing magenta fireweed. The scene was surreal—the golden hues of sunrise mingled with the vibrant fireweed, creating a breathtaking backdrop as the bear hunted for Arctic Terns among the rocks. After a successful hunt and a morning snack, the bear settled into the fireweed for rest. These images, captured using a Mavic PRO3 drone at a respectful distance, reflect the serene beauty of the moment, with the bear undisturbed in its natural element. This fleeting experience was a powerful reminder of the raw magic and tranquility of the Arctic wilderness.”
Credit: Christopher Paetkau / Nature Photography Contest
“With its colors, composition, and underlying message, Christopher Paetkau’s photograph represents the very essence of nature and photography. It serves as a reminder of the countless reasons why we must cherish and protect our planet,” The Nature Photography Contest shared in a press release.
Photographer Thomas Vijayan nabbed the title Photographer of the Year. Vijayan’s portfolio of work includes a cheeky photo of a mother emperor penguin peering through the lens of a camera as its offspring looks on.
The Nature Photography Contest awarded honors across 10 categories, including Wildlife, Sharing the Planet, and Environmental Impact. Plans for this year’s contest are already in the works with plans to launch in May.
Finalist, Funny Nature
“During an Alaskan bear expedition, myself and another guide took some folks out in the backcountry to photograph coastal brown bears. During one of our outings, we scan the landscape in search of interesting bear activity. That’s when we spotted this cub with its mom. Trekking across the meadow, we got within range of the duo as they grazed on the vegetation. While eating grass, the curious cub lifted its head and stared at us. That’s when I photographed this image.”
Credit: Trevor LaClair / Nature Photography Contest
Finalist, Funny Nature
“An arctic fox was roaming around on the coastal Svalbard during springtime. Timing was there.”
Credit: Timo Virmavirta / Nature Photography Contest
Finalist, Underwater
“There are over 200 species of stingrays. In some parts of the world, they have become so accustomed to people that their will come right up to us. This photograph was taken at sunrise, when a group of stingrays (called a Fever) approached. Ray skin, also known as shagreen, was used for furniture, handbags and shoes for centuries. Their heavy wild farming raised concerns for ray species extinction. Now, the trade of exotic skins are regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). However, shagreen falls under “Appendix 2”, which regulates but does not restrict shagreen trading, as it categories rays as not threatened with extinction. This contradicts findings from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which has identified some string ray species as near threatened and endangered. Tighter regulations at an international level are therefore needed for these species that have critical roles in sandy marine ecosystems.”
Credit: Simon Biddie / Nature Photography Contest
Winner, Underwater
Winner, Underwater
“Off the coast of Dominica, I was fortunate enough to dive with a pod of sperm whales. This day there were tons of sargassum weed in the water. A large sperm whale started to barrel towards me. I held my ground and when it passed me it felt like a train going by. I was lucky to snap a few photos and the sargassum weed added to the composition of the shot.”
Credit: James Ferrara / Nature Photography Contest
Finalist, Wildlife
“An hour into the vast wilderness of Kruger National Park, we ventured down a dirt road and stumbled upon a cluster of vehicles. A leopard had been spotted but had just slipped away. We decided to wait, fingers crossed, hoping for the majestic cat’s return. And then, (10-15 minutes later), it happened! Our amazing tour guide, Jason, spotted a glimpse of movement in the tall grass, with the leopard’s distinctively patterned fur shuffling through the vegetated grass. The Noble Leopard, also called Ngwe by the Zulus and Nkew by the Basutos, emerged from the tall grass, cautiously analysing its surroundings. Suddenly, with a burst of agility, the leopard leapt into a tree, returning to its meal—a whole impala’s head left nestled in the branches. Witnessing this incredible sight was pure magic. The leopard, the scenery, the moment…it was all so breathtakingly beautiful. I used my Sony 200-600mm lens for these shots. Honestly, I wasn’t even concentrating on the camera. I just wanted to capture the moment but also be in it.”
Credit: Steffon Reid / Nature Photography Contest
Finalist, Wildlife
“This image was taken in Kanha National Park in India. Specie: leopard (Panthera pardus fusca)”
Credit: Martin Köppert / Nature Photography Contest
Finalist, Wildlife
“These lions are from the famous Rongai pride of Masai Mara. It was difficult picture to shoot as the sun was setting and the light was fading fast”
Credit: Girish Jamadagni / Nature Photography Contest
Finalist, Wildlife
“We began our journey with a 3 hour boat ride across a sea with waves that get as high as 5 feet tall in small fibre boats that can barely fit 2 people. We entered the mouth of a small river that only has an opening between high tide and low tide; which made it impossible for us to leave the location in the afternoon as the tide departed and the ocean became too rough for our boat to pass through. As we got closer to the targeted location, the trees and jungle got too thick for our boat to pass so we were forced to continue on foot. Trekking through tree limbs with huge crocodile-infested water at waist depth and cameras held above our heads. Finally I made it to my final destination, the huge tree and I climbed up on it for this shot and waited for a nearby orangutang to climb up and pass me. I purposely wanted to get the beautiful sky as well as the subject facing me. Since the orangutan only likes to face upwards as it climbs, I knew the only way I could combine these two elements in one frame was to be above the orangutan and point downwards to capture the face and perfect reflection of the sky in the still water below it. The most challenging part of this experience was staying calm while the orangutan was in front of me. After spending few days in Borneo, I got this frame stuck in my mind, I wanted to capture all 4 elements in one frame the sky, the water, the amazing habitat they live in, and the subject facing me. I knew the only way I could combine these elements in one frame was to be above the orangutan and position downwards to capture the face and the perfect reflection of the sky in the still water below it.”
Credit: Thomas Vijayan / Nature Photography Contest
Finalist, Environmental Impact
“A silverback mountain gorilla stares back at me as he explores the world outside of the forest in order to eat the Eucalyptus trees planed by local famers. The fields in the background are newly planted bamboo fields as the Rwandan Government try to expand the forest to make more space for the gorillas and lower the human animal conflict.”
Credit: Richard de Gouveia / Nature Photography Contest
Winner, Environmental Impact
“The more I work in human-wildlife conflict, the more the conflict becomes internal. The two dead sheep this grizzly was suspected of killing seem like pretty clear evidence of conflict, but what’s less clear is what to do about it. A grizzly bear’s life is pretty simple: look for food, find a mate, sleep for a long time, repeat. They’re perfectly tuned to forage for berries, dig for seeds, and scavenge carcasses. True opportunists. They don’t seek out conflict, they simply make decisions based on what’s in front of them––but in the end calories are calories. Sometimes our trash cans, fruit trees, birdfeeders, and livestock make the decision tragically easy. His decision to go after sheep landed this bear in a culvert trap, set by wildlife specialists out of concern for people, livestock, and the bear himself. Strange as it sounds, getting captured might be his best chance of survival. Watching him through the steel grate, he didn’t seem erratic or fearful. If anything, he looked confused, trying to understand a world changing faster than he can naturally evolve. His reflection stares back at him as if expecting him to exist between two worlds: one where he’s revered as a symbol of wisdom and wildness, and the other where he’s a nuisance at best and a menace at worst. This culvert trap isn’t the most serious one he or his kind will face. The traps we put on landscapes––roadways, unsecured attractants, our sprawling human footprint––pose far greater threats over time. I deeply respect wildlife specialists who wrestle with the nuances of grizzly conflict. Often the people they encounter are harder to deal with than the bears, and they manage both with grace and skill. The good news is they relocated this bear to territory far from humans, where he’ll have another chance to thrive. Even better is the growing sense of collaboration among tribes, agencies, NGOs, city planners, and landowners who bring action to coexistence. But as the trap door opened and he launched back into familiar habitat, I felt the conflict that we all have to deal with: As we expect him to change his habits to survive in the ever-crowded West, are we willing to do the same?”
Credit: Rob Green / Nature Photography Contest
Winner, Sharing the Planet
“Sweet Girl” had a magic that drew everyone to her. It wasn’t just her size or grace, it was her spirit, her presence, something unspoken yet deeply felt by every soul fortunate enough to cross her path. She had a gentle charm, an almost magnetic curiosity that made you feel like you were part of her world, even if just for a moment. In this image, that charm shines through. Here, she meets Rachel Moore, not as two separate beings but as if they are old friends. Sweet Girl, a beloved young whale known for her gentle nature and ability to connect with people, tragically lost her life on Oct 8 2024 after being hit and killed by a large fast-moving vessel between Tahiti and Moorea. She suffered severe injuries, including a broken jaw and a nearly cut off head, which left her struggling for hours. Her death deeply affected those who encountered her, highlighting the urgent need to slow down ferries during whale season.”
Credit: Sina Ritter / Nature Photography Contest
Finalist, Sharing the Planet
“United States of America, Florida, Fort Pierce, Save the Chimps, Founded in 1997, Save the Chimps is the largest privately funded chimpanzee sanctuary in the world. Its mission is to provide a safe haven to captive chimps that have been exploited by humans for research, testing and entertainment. The150-acre, state-of-the-art facility in Florida is home to 220 rescued chimpanzees, now living their best possible lives among peers, thanks to a team of passionate veterinarians, caretakers and volunteers who provide personalized care, and nutritious individual feeding and enrichment plans, in a specious island habitat.”
Credit: Alain Schroeder / Nature Photography Contest
Finalist, Sharing the Planet
“Mini Winnie is yet another infant that needs the care of her foster mother. Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary is making a huge effort to rescue and rehab chimpanzees that have been poached or kept as pets. Sierra Leone.”
Credit: Renato Granieri / Nature Photography Contest
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