Photography

Majesty of nature on full display in the best landscape photos of 2020

Majesty of nature on full display in the best landscape photos of 2020
'Lightning and wind'. Zeebrugge, Belgium
'Lightning and wind'. Zeebrugge, Belgium
View 36 Images
'A magical sunrise'. Los Picachos de Ola, Panama
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'A magical sunrise'. Los Picachos de Ola, Panama
'Chư Đăng Ya volcano'. Chư Đăng Ya, Vietnam
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'Chư Đăng Ya volcano'. Chư Đăng Ya, Vietnam
'Lightning and wind'. Zeebrugge, Belgium
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'Lightning and wind'. Zeebrugge, Belgium
'Thunderstorm'. Bayern, Germany
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'Thunderstorm'. Bayern, Germany
'Volcán Fuego'. Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala
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'Volcán Fuego'. Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala
'Walk alone'. Mount Bromo, Indonesia
6/36
'Walk alone'. Mount Bromo, Indonesia
WINNER 'Surprised by a full moon at goblin valley'. Goblin Valley State Park, Emery, USA
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WINNER 'Surprised by a full moon at goblin valley'. Goblin Valley State Park, Emery, USA
'A sunrise with some fog and tulips is great. With a windmill in the distance, it's epic'. Alkmaar, Netherlands
8/36
'A sunrise with some fog and tulips is great. With a windmill in the distance, it's epic'. Alkmaar, Netherlands
'Another planet'. Iceland
9/36
'Another planet'. Iceland
'Art of nature'. Chechen Republic, Russia
10/36
'Art of nature'. Chechen Republic, Russia
'Classic Dutch Beach'. Vlissingen, Netherlands
11/36
'Classic Dutch Beach'. Vlissingen, Netherlands
'Deep in the Indonesian jungle'. East Java, Indonesia
12/36
'Deep in the Indonesian jungle'. East Java, Indonesia
'Gate to heaven'. Indonesia
13/36
'Gate to heaven'. Indonesia
'Helicopter trip'. Tutoko Glacier, Milford Sound, New Zeland
14/36
'Helicopter trip'. Tutoko Glacier, Milford Sound, New Zeland
'Hidden away'. Iceland
15/36
'Hidden away'. Iceland
'Ice cave'. Lake Baikal Caves, Russia
16/36
'Ice cave'. Lake Baikal Caves, Russia
'In the fields'. Schaffhausen, Switzerland
17/36
'In the fields'. Schaffhausen, Switzerland
'Kirkjufell'. Kirkjufell, Iceland
18/36
'Kirkjufell'. Kirkjufell, Iceland
'Lighthouse'. Iceland
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'Lighthouse'. Iceland
'Mosque 99 domes'. Sulawesi, Indonesia
20/36
'Mosque 99 domes'. Sulawesi, Indonesia
'Mother Nature's creation'. Namib Desert, Namibia
21/36
'Mother Nature's creation'. Namib Desert, Namibia
'My proudest drone shot to date'. Padstow, Cornwall
22/36
'My proudest drone shot to date'. Padstow, Cornwall
'Old Cairo'. Egypt
23/36
'Old Cairo'. Egypt
'Polarlights'. Moskenesöya, Norway
24/36
'Polarlights'. Moskenesöya, Norway
'Rock bridge'. Tajao, Tenerife, Spain
25/36
'Rock bridge'. Tajao, Tenerife, Spain
'Ship in a storm'. Thailand
26/36
'Ship in a storm'. Thailand
'Sigiriya Lion rock'. Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
27/36
'Sigiriya Lion rock'. Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
'Some of the most unique landscapes I’ve ever seen'. Ship Rock, New Mexico, USA
28/36
'Some of the most unique landscapes I’ve ever seen'. Ship Rock, New Mexico, USA
'Tatacoa Desert'. Tatacoa Desert, Colombia
29/36
'Tatacoa Desert'. Tatacoa Desert, Colombia
'The anaconda ice cave'. Vatnajökull, Iceland
30/36
'The anaconda ice cave'. Vatnajökull, Iceland
'The first sunset during my Iceland trip'. Haifoss waterfall, Iceland
31/36
'The first sunset during my Iceland trip'. Haifoss waterfall, Iceland
'The Mont-Saint-Michel'. Mont St Michel, France
32/36
'The Mont-Saint-Michel'. Mont St Michel, France
'The pride'. Dubai, UAE
33/36
'The pride'. Dubai, UAE
'Tre Cime'. Tre Cime, Dolomites, Italy
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'Tre Cime'. Tre Cime, Dolomites, Italy
'Tu Lan'. Tu Lan Cave, Vietnam
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'Tu Lan'. Tu Lan Cave, Vietnam
'Winter setting sun'. Iceland
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'Winter setting sun'. Iceland
View gallery - 36 images

Agora’s 2020 landscape photography contest delivers a spectacular assortment of images, from powerful displays of lightning, to several compelling shots of tiny human figures overwhelmed by the majesty of the natural environment.

The top prize in this year’s landscape contest was awarded to an stunningly well-timed shot of a man standing in front of a magnificent full moon. Australian photographer Luke Simpson says the shot was entirely spontaneous, as he and a friend stumbled across this magical moment while hiking through Goblin Valley in the US.

WINNER 'Surprised by a full moon at goblin valley'. Goblin Valley State Park, Emery, USA
WINNER 'Surprised by a full moon at goblin valley'. Goblin Valley State Park, Emery, USA

“It was a totally unplanned shot on our American road trip, only made possible by the running speed, willingness, and full send it ability of my friend on the photo,” says Simpson. “What a blessing and a pleasure it is to be alive and to share this beautiful earth with you all!”

Photography social network Agora runs frequent photo contests on various themes. Entry is free and the winner is chosen by popular vote. Selected from almost 15,000 submissions, Simpson’s image won him US$15,000.

'Ice cave'. Lake Baikal Caves, Russia
'Ice cave'. Lake Baikal Caves, Russia

Another highlight comes from Russian photographer Pavel Tokarev, offering a rare glimpse into the ice caves of Lake Baikal in southern Siberia. Tokarev says the caves are only accessible for a short time every year when the lake freezes over.

“You can't reach the caves during summer, even by boat – the only way to get in is to wait for the winter to freeze all the water, so you can access them by foot,” says Tokarev. “There was ice all around, hanging from the ceiling and streaming along the walls. It felt like there was a mirror spreading along the ground.”

'Tre Cime'. Tre Cime, Dolomites, Italy
'Tre Cime'. Tre Cime, Dolomites, Italy

Other impressive images from the strong collection include a gorgeously surreal view on the iconic windmills of the Netherlands; an unbelievable shot of a tiny isolated church in Italy’s Dolomites; and a mind-bending shot of powerful lightning right next to a tiny wind farm.

Take a look through our gallery at more amazing highlights from Agora’s Landscape2020 contest.

Source: Agora

View gallery - 36 images
3 comments
3 comments
Username
The one with the moon would have been much nicer without the person standing there.
CraigAllenCorson
Username - I disagree. To me, the person silhouetted in front of the moon symbolizes both the aspiration and the achievement of humanity to go to the moon. I think it adds a great deal to the photograph, and that without the silhouette, the photo would have been just so-so.
Terry Aldom
Mankind hasn't added much to the landscape since his arrival. I definitely feel a human presence adds nothing to the photos. As for going anywhere else other than this world, best we clean up our mess here first.