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.
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.
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.
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.
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