Shane GrossShane Gross wins Grand Prize – “Wetlands: The Big Picture” category
A snapshot of a wriggling toad tadpole has earned Shane Gross the title of ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’.
Beneath a canopy of water lilies on Cedar Lake in Canada, a flock of western toad tadpoles glided gracefully through the water.
“For me, the most fun thing I can do, the thing that lights my soul, is seeing something new and trying to photograph it in the best way possible,” says Shane. told BBC News.
Clear visibility was ensured by carefully navigating the delicate layer of silt and algae on the lake bed.
“I had no idea if there was anything good until I got home, but then I finally looked at it and thought, wow, this is pretty cool,” he said.
Within four to 12 weeks after hatching, these tiny tadpoles begin to transform into toads, but only about 1% make it to adulthood.
He received an award at the Natural History Museum in London.
“This image swirls with light, energy, and a sense of synchronized movement between the lily and the tadpole’s tail,” said jury chair and editor Kathy Moran. “The real achievement is that this stunning scene highlights environments and species that are often overlooked.”
Scroll to see all the winning photos.
alexis tinker tsavalas
Alexis Tinker Tsavalas won the Junior Grand Prix in addition to the 15-17 age category.
Alexis Tinker Tsavalas (17) from Germany won the title of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year. His photo, “Life Under Dead Wood,” showed a slime mold bearing fruit next to a small, energetic springtail.
Working quickly was essential, as these tiny creatures can jump several times their body length in the blink of an eye.
“I think a lot of people don’t even know these things exist,” Alexis said. “I feel like if people get to know more through my images, that’s one of my biggest goals. It’s about showing it from that perspective.”
He combined 36 images into one stunning photo using a technique known as depth compositing.
These small collembolans, less than 2 millimeters long, are found with slime molds around the world and play an important role in soil health by feeding on microorganisms.
Winner of each category
Dusting for New Evidence by Britta Jaschinski, Germany/UK
Britta Jasinski
Britta Jasinski wins photojournalism category
Britta Jasinski watched as Metropolitan Police crime scene investigators used a newly developed magnetic powder to take fingerprints on tusks seized at Heathrow Airport.
“Under the Waterline” by Matthew Smith, UK/Australia
Matthew Smith
Matthew Smith wins underwater title
Matthew Smith captured a striking split image of a curious leopard seal beneath the Antarctic ice using custom extensions he designed for his camera’s underwater housing.
“Dolphins in the Forest” by Thomas Peschak, Germany/South Africa
thomas peshack
Tomas Peschak wins the award in the photojournalist story category
The Amazon river dolphin is one of two freshwater dolphin species that live in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins and is uniquely adapted to explore seasonally flooded forest habitats.
Thomas Peschak focuses on endangered dolphins’ complex relationships with local communities and the challenges they face due to interactions with humans that disrupt their natural behavior. Masu.
Tiger in the City by Robin Darius Konz, Germany
robin darius cons
Robin Darius Kontz wins Urban Wildlife Category
Robin Darius Kontu was filming a wildlife documentary in India’s Western Ghats when he spotted a tiger on a hillside overlooking a town. He used drones to track tigers and highlight the contrast between protected areas and areas affected by human development.
“A Quiet Moment” Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasanta Vinod, Sri Lanka
Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasanta Vinod
Hikkaduwa Liyanage Prasanta Vinod receives the award in the Behavior: Mammal category.
After photographing birds and leopards, Hikkaduva Liyanage Prasanta Vinod photographed young monkeys sleeping peacefully in the arms of adults, highlighting the challenges faced by these monkeys amid habitat loss and conflicts between farmers. This highlighted the issues that need to be addressed.
“Demolition Squad” by Ingo Arndt, Germany
Ingo Arndt
Ingo Arndt is the winner of the “Behavior: Invertebrates” category.
Ingo Arndt captured a red wood ant efficiently dissecting a blue ground beetle for transport to its nest. He described himself as being “full of ants” after just lying next to an ant nest for a few minutes and observing their teamwork.
“Free as a Bird” Alberto Roman Gomez, Spain
Alberto Roman Gomez
Alberto Roman Gomez wins the title in the 10 and under category
Alberto Roman Gomez photographed a playful stone chat standing next to a heavy chain like a tiny warrior. From my father’s car in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, I struggled to take photos of birds flying around collecting insects.
The Lynx Frontier by Igor Metelsky, Russia
Igor Metelsky
Igor Metelsky wins first place in the animal category in the environment category
Metelsky captured the peaceful appearance of a lynx blending into nature as the sun sets. After more than six months of patience, he set up a camera trap near the footprints of potential prey, revealing the elusive lynx in its natural habitat.
“The Old Man in the Glen” by Fortunato Gatto, Italy
Fortunato Gut
Fortunato Gatto wins in the Plants and Fungi category
In the Affric Valley in the Scottish Highlands, Fortunato Gatto came across a gnarled birch tree covered in pale, “old man’s beard” lichen. Glen Affric has the largest number of native trees in the UK, making it an important ecosystem.
Practice Makes Perfect by Jack Zhi, USA
Jack Gee
Jack Zhi wins 1st place in “Behavior: Birds” category
Jack Gee captured a young peregrine falcon practicing hunting butterflies near its nest on a sea cliff. For the past eight years, he has been observing birds in the area, but they are especially difficult to track because they move so quickly.
“Artistic Crow” by Jiří Hrzevicek, Czech Republic
Jiří Hrzevicek
Jiří Hřebíček wins in the natural art category
Jiří Hřebíček created an artistic image of a carrion crow by intentionally moving the camera and using a long shutter speed.
On Watch by John E Marriott, Canada
John E. Marriott
John E. Marriott wins award for animal portraiture
John Marriott photographed an adult lynx resting and sheltering from the cold wind. A week of tracking led him to the group, but he kept his distance so as not to disturb his family in the snow-covered forest.
“Deadly Plastic Meals” by Justin Gilligan, Australia
Justin Gilligan
Justin Gilligan wins ‘Ocean’s: The Big Picture’ category
Justin Gilligan created a mosaic from 403 pieces of plastic found in the digestive tract of a dead blue shearwater. He documents the team’s work studying the effects of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems.
Dinner by Parham Pourahmad, USA
Parham Puramad
Parham Purahmad Winner won the 11-14 year old category.
Parham Pooramad watched as the last rays of sunlight highlighted a young Cooper’s hawk feeding on a squirrel. During the summer, he photographed wildlife in city parks to show that “nature is always wild and unpredictable.”
Wetland Wrestle with American Karine Aigner
Karine Aigner
Karine Aigner wins in the “Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles” category
Karine Aigner was leading a tour group when she spotted a yellow anaconda coiled on the tip of a caiman’s snout. She watched as the two reptiles struggled, unsure of which was the attacker, as the horsefly clung to the snake’s back.
Sea Serengeti by Sage Ono (USA)
Sage Ono
Sage Ono’s image won the Rising Star Award.
Tubemouth fish eggs shine in golden kelp, and the color fades as they grow. Inspired by his grandfather’s marine biology stories, Sage Ono captures the unique underwater life of Monterey Bay’s giant kelp forests.
“I like small, strange things. So when I saw the eggs and the kelp, I thought, this is something I don’t have a picture of. I’ve never really seen a picture of it, so That’s really true.’ It’s interesting to me. ” Sage said.
