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Photography

Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners go full-on animalistic

By Michael Franco
October 10, 2024
Wildlife Photographer of the Year winners go full-on animalistic
Entitled "The Demolition Squad," this striking image by Germany's Ingo Arndt shows a red wood ant doing its part to help dismember a blue ground beetle
Entitled "The Demolition Squad," this striking image by Germany's Ingo Arndt shows a red wood ant doing its part to help dismember a blue ground beetle
View 13 Images
Entitled "The Demolition Squad," this striking image by Germany's Ingo Arndt shows a red wood ant doing its part to help dismember a blue ground beetle
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Entitled "The Demolition Squad," this striking image by Germany's Ingo Arndt shows a red wood ant doing its part to help dismember a blue ground beetle
Photographer Matthew Smith from Australia snapped this photo of a leopard seal beneath the ice in Paradise Harbor on the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first time he had ever come face to face with the species. “When it looked straight into the lens barrel, I knew I had something good,” he says. The photo won the prize in the "underwater" category.
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Photographer Matthew Smith from Australia snapped this photo of a leopard seal beneath the ice in Paradise Harbor on the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first time he had ever come face to face with the species. “When it looked straight into the lens barrel, I knew I had something good,” he says. The photo won the prize in the "underwater" category.
Although a charming photo, this image puts the spotlight on the nefarious practice of orangutan boxing. The practice often sees the animals being punished and having their food withheld as they train to fight each other. The photographer, Aaron Gekoski from the UK, says he took this photo well after the match had ended and was waiting for the animal to regain its "stoicism and dignity."
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Although a charming photo, this image puts the spotlight on the nefarious practice of orangutan boxing. The practice often sees the animals being punished and having their food withheld as they train to fight each other. The photographer, Aaron Gekoski from the UK, says he took this photo well after the match had ended and was waiting for the animal to regain its "stoicism and dignity."
Indian photographer Dhanu Paran only had about 20 minutes to launch his drone and catch this family of elephants taking a mid-day snooze before they woke up. He had spotted them earlier at the border of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nandu.
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Indian photographer Dhanu Paran only had about 20 minutes to launch his drone and catch this family of elephants taking a mid-day snooze before they woke up. He had spotted them earlier at the border of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nandu.
After carefully researching the location, German photographer Jan Leßmann positioned himself on a bridge over a canal in northeast Germany one day waiting for the perfect shot. Judging by this image that shows a swallow swooping low over sun-reflecting water filled with lily pads, we'd say he got just that.
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After carefully researching the location, German photographer Jan Leßmann positioned himself on a bridge over a canal in northeast Germany one day waiting for the perfect shot. Judging by this image that shows a swallow swooping low over sun-reflecting water filled with lily pads, we'd say he got just that.
Theo Bosboom from the Netherlands says he likes to take photos of animal species that aren't usually considered attractive or important. That's why he focused on this group of mussels that bind together to avoid being washed out to sea. The result is a shot entitled "Strength in Numbers" that certainly is strikingly beautiful.
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Theo Bosboom from the Netherlands says he likes to take photos of animal species that aren't usually considered attractive or important. That's why he focused on this group of mussels that bind together to avoid being washed out to sea. The result is a shot that is certainly strikingly beautiful.
This intense shot shows a male and female lion in Serengeti National Park after the female had broken off the mating efforts of the male. The saliva trails from the cats' mouths and the burst of flies from the male lion's mane add even more drama to the shot. They're both details photographer William Fortescue from the UK didn't notice until he later enlarged the image.
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This intense shot shows a male and female lion in Serengeti National Park after the female had broken off the mating efforts of the male. The saliva trails from the cats' mouths and the burst of flies from the male lion's mane add even more drama to the shot. They're both details photographer William Fortescue from the UK didn't notice until he later enlarged the image.
This image highlights the mating ritual of male satin bowerbirds who build bowers to attract females. This photograph is actually two shots superimposed: one in which the male is in focus in his bower, and one in which the visiting female is clear. Of particular note is the way in which the male bird decorated his bower using plastic clothes pegs, carton tops, and drinking straws, showing how well the species is adopting to urban environments.
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This image highlights the mating ritual of male satin bowerbirds who build bowers to attract females. This photograph is actually two shots superimposed: one in which the male is in focus in his bower, and one in which the visiting female is clear. Of particular note is the way in which the male bird decorated his bower using plastic clothes pegs, carton tops, and drinking straws, showing how well the species is adopting to urban environments.
This photo the USA's Sage Ono won the "Rising Star Portfolio Award." It shows a lion's mane nudibranch with its mouth and an expandable hood wide open in an attempt to capture prey. Nudibranches are shell-less marine snails and are sometimes referred to as sea slugs. The lion's mane variety of the animal perches on a kelp frond waiting for food such as crustaceans and other invertebrates to swim by and get trapped in the mouth hood after which it closes and devours the prey whole.
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This photo the USA's Sage Ono won the "Rising Star Portfolio Award." It shows a lion's mane nudibranch with its mouth and an expandable hood wide open in an attempt to capture prey. Nudibranches are shell-less marine snails and are sometimes referred to as sea slugs. The lion's mane variety of the animal perches on a kelp frond waiting for food such as crustaceans and other invertebrates to swim by and get trapped in the mouth hood after which it closes and devours the prey whole.
This image of a lynx stretching in the early evening sun was captured by Igor Metelskiy from Russia won the top prize in the category of "Animals in their Environment." It took him nearly six month to get the shot of the elusive cat. “From the cat’s fur to the snow, to the bare trees and the shape of the mountains in the background, I feel like I can touch all of the elements in the image," says Editor and Chair of the Jury, Kathy Moran. "The collaboration between lynx and photographer is magic – one setting the scene and waiting six months for this encounter while the other simply saunters through, takes a bow, leaves a photograph and moves on.”
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This image of a lynx stretching in the early evening sun was captured by Igor Metelskiy from Russia won the top prize in the category of "Animals in their Environment." It took him nearly six month to get the shot of the elusive cat. “From the cat’s fur to the snow, to the bare trees and the shape of the mountains in the background, I feel like I can touch all of the elements in the image," says Editor and Chair of the Jury, Kathy Moran. "The collaboration between lynx and photographer is magic – one setting the scene and waiting six months for this encounter while the other simply saunters through, takes a bow, leaves a photograph and moves on.”
Entitled "Open and Shut," this image by James Rojo of Spain shows a group of monarch butterflies clustered together in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. The butterflies clustered this way on the trunk of a oyamel fir tree to keep safe and warm, although one was clearly feeling confident enough to flex its wings.
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Entitled "Open and Shut," this image by James Rojo of Spain shows a group of monarch butterflies clustered together in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. The butterflies clustered this way on the trunk of a oyamel fir tree to keep safe and warm, although one was clearly feeling confident enough to flex its wings.
Shane Gross from Canada got his grand-prize-winning shot after snorkeling in a lake on Vancouver Island for several hours. "The photographer immerses us in an epic migration of tiny tadpoles, a scene that most of us would have never imagined existed," says photonaturalist and competition judge Tony Wu. "By putting us in the midst of this movement of millions, they highlight the fact that beauty and magic exist everywhere, even in the most mundane of settings.”
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Shane Gross from Canada got his grand-prize-winning shot after snorkeling in a lake on Vancouver Island for several hours. "The photographer immerses us in an epic migration of tiny tadpoles, a scene that most of us would have never imagined existed," says photonaturalist and competition judge Tony Wu. "By putting us in the midst of this movement of millions, they highlight the fact that beauty and magic exist everywhere, even in the most mundane of settings.”
The winner of the youth competition is entitled "Life Under Dead Wood" and was taken by 17-year-old photographer Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas from Germany. It shows an insect called a springtail facing the fruiting body of a slime mold.
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The winner of the youth competition is entitled "Life Under Dead Wood" and was taken by 17-year-old photographer Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas from Germany. It shows an insect called a springtail facing the fruiting body of a slime mold.
View gallery - 13 images

For the 60th year in a row, the Natural History Museum of London has held its Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards. And for the 60th year in a row, the images are guaranteed to stir your love of the natural world and the animals that live in it.

In 1965, a magazine known as Animals hosted a competition to reward the best wildlife photographers at the time. That competition resulted in 361 entries. Over the years, the contest became an annual event, Animals eventually became BBC Wildlife, and the Natural History Museum of London began sponsoring the action.

This year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition saw a record-breaking 59,228 entries from 117 countries and territories. The judges selected 100 photos to feature in an exhibit to be held at the museum starting on October 11 in London.

Here we bring you the lead winners in both the adult and youth categories, as well as a few more of our favorites.

Grand Title Award

Shane Gross from Canada got his grand-prize-winning shot after snorkeling in a lake on Vancouver Island for several hours. "The photographer immerses us in an epic migration of tiny tadpoles, a scene that most of us would have never imagined existed," says photonaturalist and competition judge Tony Wu. "By putting us in the midst of this movement of millions, they highlight the fact that beauty and magic exist everywhere, even in the most mundane of settings.”
Shane Gross from Canada got his grand-prize-winning shot after snorkeling in a lake on Vancouver Island for several hours. "The photographer immerses us in an epic migration of tiny tadpoles, a scene that most of us would have never imagined existed," says photonaturalist and competition judge Tony Wu. "By putting us in the midst of this movement of millions, they highlight the fact that beauty and magic exist everywhere, even in the most mundane of settings.”

The Grand Title Award for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 60 was taken by Canadian marine conservation journalist, Shane Gross. Looking like a still frame from the last Avatar movie, the image, entitled "The Swarm of Life" captures hundreds of just-hatched tadpoles of the western toad. Gross captured the shot while snorkeling in a lake in British Columbia, Canada. The photo not only claimed first prize, but also represents the first time the western toad was featured in the competition.

"The jury was captivated by the mix of light, energy and connectivity between the environment and the tadpoles," says Kathy Moran, Photo Editor and Chair of the Jury for Wildlife Photographer of the Year. "We were equally excited by the addition of a new species to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year archive.

“Over the last few years, the competition has highlighted environments and species that are often overlooked yet provoke the same wonder and delight when shared as the more typically photographed wildlife and wild places.”

Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024

The winner of the youth competition is entitled "Life Under Dead Wood" and was taken by 17-year-old photographer Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas from Germany. It shows an insect called a springtail facing the fruiting body of a slime mold.
The winner of the youth competition is entitled "Life Under Dead Wood" and was taken by 17-year-old photographer Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas from Germany. It shows an insect called a springtail facing the fruiting body of a slime mold.

The Young Grand Title winner of the competition is Alexis Tinker-Tasvalas from Germany. Just one look at the young photographer's Instagram page shows that Tinker-Tasvalas has a knack for capturing super-small creatures in colorful, vivid detail. That being said, with his award-winning photo he even outdoes himself.

That's because it shows a tiny hexapod known as a springtail, which has the ability to jump many times its body length in the blink of an eye. Tinker-Tasvalas was not only lucky enough to not spook the insect when he rolled over a log in the forest, but he was also able to snap 36 shots of it, all at different focal lengths. On top of that, he also captured the fruiting body of a slime mold in the same frame. To create the winning shot, Tinker-Tasvalas used a technique called focus stacking in which he combined all 36 images into one striking prize winner.

"Macro is challenging when you’re trying to capture one species, much less two," says Moran. "To see them both photographed with such detail is exceptional. The moment at which the photographer made the frame it feels as if the slime mold and springtail are in conversation.”

You can see 11 more of our favorite shots from the competition in our gallery, or you can view all 100 of the chosen shots at the museum's online gallery.

Source: Natural History Museum, London

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PhotographyWildlifePhotographersAnimalsInsectFungusBirdsnature
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Michael Franco
Michael Franco
Michael Franco has combined a masters degree in creative writing with a passion for peeking under the hood of life on Earth to write about the serious and silly sides of science and technology for years. He's published in Discovery Channel Magazine, Discover Magazine, CNET, HowToGeek, Lifehacker, and more. But by far, his favorite home so far is at New Atlas where he's allowed all the beakers and Bunsen burners he needs in which to mix his words. The mountains and beaches of central Portugal, where he now lives with his wife and two giant poodles, offer the perfect foil for way too much screen time.

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mediabeing
No. This is where I put my foot down. This area of competitive photography needs policing.
A lot of these bug shooters are doing horrible things to those bugs.
Some bugs are taken apart and reassembled in the position the shooter wants. Sometimes bugs are super glued into position. You can't position most animals in the positions you want...but you can with bugs. Phooey. Feh!!