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Incredible Winners of the Nature Photographer of the Year Contest

by viralbandit November 15, 2023, 6:38 pm 1.4k Views

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Large bear in the trees in the Andean Mountain range

“He Looks to the Heavens” by Jacquie Matechuk (Canada). Overall Winner and Winner, Mammals.

Canadian nature photographer Jacquie Matechuk has been named the overall winner of the 2023 Nature Photographer of the Year competition. Her photo of a male spectacled bear looking to the sky as he took refuge in an old fig tree is an enchanting look at a rare species found in the Andean Mountain range. Her photograph beat out over 21,400 entries from photographers in 96 different countries.

“The Spanish moss hanging from this centuries-old fig tree gives an incredible sense of three-dimensionality while the soft light filtering through the colors highlights the profound connection between species and habitat in this image,” shares Marco Gaiotti, chair of the judging panel. “Finally, the pose of this spectacled bear fits perfectly into the texture of the photograph.”

Winners were also named in 12 different categories, as well as a special portfolio award. Standouts include Hermis Valiyandiyil’s unique portrait of a hoopoe against a background sharply divided into light and dark, as well as XJ Toh‘s haunting photo of a nautilus using its predilection for attaching to jellyfish to cling to a piece of plastic packaging. The photographs won the Birds and Human and Nature categories, respectively.

“Usually, the critters attach to a jellyfish, but in this case, plastic pollution present in the ocean, seemed like a perfect carrier for the nautilus, oblivious that plastic does not have the same advantages food-wise as a jellyfish, the nautilus does have a confused look. The image was taken with one strobe used as backlight to emphasize the resemblance of plastic and jellyfish, and the photographer named the capture Sad Poncho, evoking the feeling of a rainy day, maybe a doomed future?” says juror Ellen Cuylaerts.

See more of the thought-provoking winners and runner-ups below; and if you are a nature photographer yourself, get ready. The 2024 edition of the competition will begin taking entries on December 20, 2023.