[imagesource: Hermis Haridas / TNC Photo Contest 2023]

The Nature Conservancy has revealed the victors of its 2023 photography competition, showcasing captivating images that forge a profound connection with the beauty and vulnerability of our planet’s natural wonders.

With the introduction of twice as many categories, this year’s competition witnessed a remarkable surge in participation. In fact, the number of entries nearly doubled compared to the previous year, as over 80,000 photographers hailing from 191 countries collectively submitted an impressive 189,000 photographs for evaluation, per My Modern Met.

Twelve category winners and a special celebrity judge award were also named.

“Our annual photo contest is an inspiration. Photographers from all walks of life helped give voice to nature by showing us what mattered to them,” shared Alex Snyder, 2023 global photo contest director and judging coordinator. “The judges and I were taken on a visual journey as we reviewed thousands of images from amateurs and professionals alike. These impactful images underscored not only the power of photography but the importance of The Nature Conservancy’s global efforts in conservation.”

That image you see up top called ‘Dawn’s Whispers: Graceful Hoopoe Silhouette at Sunrise’ is by Hermis Haridas, from the United Arab Emirates, which received the Celebrity Judge Choice award:

“A Hoopoe took flight with its wings spread in a smooth motion across the canvas of the early-morning sky that was illuminated by the sunrise’s bright hues. I saw that this bird would occasionally grab its prey in the air and other times on the ground. Additionally, I observed that each time it caught its prey, it flew in the same direction to a nearby tree.”

But it was Tibor Litauszki from Hungary who won the Grand Prize for his underwater photo of a newt eating freshly laid frog eggs.

Check out more of the winning images below, which only lend support to the work that The Nature Conservancy carries out.

‘Dry Fish Pond’ by Jeanny Tang (Hong Kong) received first place in the Freshwater category, showcasing how the holes dug by fish for spawning can be seen after the pond has dried up:

‘Wolf Spider Mama’ by Benjamin Salb in the United States received first place in the Insects & Arachnids category:

“This image is a 129 frame focus bracket of a wolf spider with her babies. I encountered her in the middle of an asphalt path during an early morning macro outing this summer. You can usually expect some movement from the kids, which could ruin a stack attempt, but they were all completely still for this set”.

‘Stranded’ by Raphael Alves in Brazil received first place in the Climate category. The poignant shot shows:

“Euridice Castro, 33, holding her nephew Otavio, in the window, while her son Aquiles plays in the rising rivers, in Anama, Brazil on May 24, 2021. Anama has been an “amphibian city” for years. Without work, adults stay at home most of the time; children, without classes and without public leisure spaces, are left playing in the flooded areas.​”

In capturing ‘Sound and Vision’, which won first place for the Lands category, Alessandro Carboni from Italy, said that he experienced “one of the most intense moments I could remember during my life”:

“It was September, when after a two-week wait I was lucky enough to experience an amazing mix of extraordinary elements, which I will never forget: the impressive display of the autumn colours at their peak and the first snow of the season.”

‘Wildebeest Breakfast Balloon Safari’ by Michael Hegyi in the United States received first place in People & Nature:

“A small troop of wild blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) watches from a safe distance as a hot air balloon lands on the Maasai Mara [in Kenya], spills out its breakfast safari tourists and deflates.”

‘Alien Portrait’ by Irina Petrova Adamatzky in the United Kingdom got girst place for this Reptiles & Amphibians shot:

“In this photograph, the intricate skin of a Corn Snakelet (Pantherophis guttatus) is showcased in a unique way, using ultraviolet light. Scientifically proven, snakeskin exhibits a glowing effect under ultraviolet light, a phenomenon that herpetologists have utilized since the late 20th century to locate snakes in the dark.”

Last but not least, Jose Pereyra Lucena​ in Argentina received first place for his shot ‘SER*ES –  Lunático’ in the Plants & Fungi category:

“El Cardón, venerated by the native peoples of northwestern Argentina, surrounded by myths and legends. It is impossible not to be absorbed by its strange beauty. A direct shot on a winter moonlit night.​ Province of Salta, Argentina, 2021.”

Enjoy all the other winning shots displayed over here.

[source:modernmet]