Photography

Wildlife shines bright in the 2021 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year

Wildlife shines bright in the 2021 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year
A pair of wild dog pups play in the dust in South Africa, after photographer Bence Mate tracked them for five weeks
A pair of wild dog pups play in the dust in South Africa, after photographer Bence Mate tracked them for five weeks
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A pine marten investigates a toilet in an abandoned cottage in the Scottish Highlands
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A pine marten investigates a toilet in an abandoned cottage in the Scottish Highlands
Nature TTL Photographer of the Year. A fish is snapped up by a crocodile in South Africa
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Nature TTL Photographer of the Year. A fish is snapped up by a crocodile in South Africa
A pair of wild dog pups play in the dust in South Africa, after photographer Bence Mate tracked them for five weeks
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A pair of wild dog pups play in the dust in South Africa, after photographer Bence Mate tracked them for five weeks
A wild Eurasian lynx wanders in front of a home made camera trap
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A wild Eurasian lynx wanders in front of a home made camera trap
Overall winner of the 2021 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year award, captures an orangutang scaling a tree in Borneo, with water mirroring the sky
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Overall winner of the 2021 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year award, captures an orangutang scaling a tree in Borneo, with water mirroring the sky
Colors and clouds move over the mountains of Rum island in Scotland
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Colors and clouds move over the mountains of Rum island in Scotland
Nature TTL Photographer of the Year. A wasp carries away its prey, a poor unsuspecting honeybee
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Nature TTL Photographer of the Year. A wasp carries away its prey, a poor unsuspecting honeybee
An acorn weevil prepares for takeoff
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An acorn weevil prepares for takeoff
A Norwegian beach beneath the magical Northern Lights
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A Norwegian beach beneath the magical Northern Lights
Birds loiter in a lake beneath huge flashes of lightning
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Birds loiter in a lake beneath huge flashes of lightning
Ogoy Island in Lake Baikal, Russia
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Ogoy Island in Lake Baikal, Russia
Mountain goats share fighting lessons in Switzerland. Runner-up of the Under 16 category
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Mountain goats share fighting lessons in Switzerland. Runner-up of the Under 16 category
A peregrine falcon approachs a starling murmuration. Winner of the Under 16 category
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A peregrine falcon approachs a starling murmuration. Winner of the Under 16 category
A sea lion plays with a starfish off the coast of Canada
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A sea lion plays with a starfish off the coast of Canada
A bluebottle at sunrise in Sydney
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A bluebottle at sunrise in Sydney
Langurs aboard a bunch of bicycles in Hampi, India
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Langurs aboard a bunch of bicycles in Hampi, India
An Arabian Red Fox in the city of Kuwait. Runner-up in the Urban Wildlife category
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An Arabian Red Fox in the city of Kuwait. Runner-up in the Urban Wildlife category
The elusive Pallas's Cat covered in snow in eastern Mongolia
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The elusive Pallas's Cat covered in snow in eastern Mongolia
A lion cub plays with the tail of a dead giraffe
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A lion cub plays with the tail of a dead giraffe
A polar bear takes a rest in Svalbard, Norway. Winner of the Wild Portraits category
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A polar bear takes a rest in Svalbard, Norway. Winner of the Wild Portraits category
View gallery - 20 images

The winners of the 2021 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year have been revealed, highlighting a stunning set of images that showcase the diversity and eccentricity of wildlife in all its glory. A mind-bending shot of an orangutang scaling a tree in Borneo took out the top prize, while other highlights include wild dog pups dancing in the dust and some incredible closeups of insects in action.

Canadian photographer Thomas Vijayan took out the grand prize in the 2021 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year awards, beating out more than 8,000 other entries with a striking image of a large orangutang that appears to have been shot looking upwards at the sky. Rather, Vijayan scaled the tree himself to capture a background made up of a serene body of water offering a crystal clear reflection, creating a highly unique image that earned the plaudits of the judging panel.

Overall winner of the 2021 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year award, captures an orangutang scaling a tree in Borneo, with water mirroring the sky
Overall winner of the 2021 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year award, captures an orangutang scaling a tree in Borneo, with water mirroring the sky

Other impressive snaps amongst the different category winners and finalists include an image (seen at top of page) a pair of wild dog pups playing in the dust in South Africa, captured by photographer Bence Mate who tracked the animals for five weeks.

An acorn weevil prepares for takeoff
An acorn weevil prepares for takeoff

A Highly Commended image in the Small World Category shows an acorn weevil spreading its wings as it prepares to take off, while another shows a solitary wasp carrying away some freshly captured prey, a poor unsuspecting honeybee.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year. A wasp carries away its prey, a poor unsuspecting honeybee
Nature TTL Photographer of the Year. A wasp carries away its prey, a poor unsuspecting honeybee

There are also incredible shots to be found in the Landscape category, such as these magical colors of Scottish waters at sunset, captured by photographer Luigi Ruoppolo.

Colors and clouds move over the mountains of Rum island in Scotland
Colors and clouds move over the mountains of Rum island in Scotland

To see our selection of striking images from the event, click on through to the gallery.

For more stunning wildlife shots, check out the winners of the 2020 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year.

Source: Nature TTL

View gallery - 20 images
1 comment
1 comment
ljaques
The bluebottle at sunrise, the lynx, and the orangutan are absolutely stunning photos. The beach at Rum Island appears to be a superb beach on which to skimboard. (I miss doing that in Lo Cal.)