The World Nature Photography Awards announced the winning photographs from its 2022 photo competition.
The contest aims to use the power of photography to put a spotlight on the wonder of the natural world, reminding viewers to take action now to protect the planet and secure a better tomorrow.
The contest, which opened to U.S. residents last year, invited readers to submit a digital photograph in over a dozen categories, such as animals, plants and fungi and people and nature. The grand prize winner receives a cash prize of $1,000. Here are all the gold medal winners by category:
Animal Portraits
Winner of World Nature Photographer of the Year
A crocodile in the mud at Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. (Jens Cullmann)
Behaviour - Mammals
Japanese macaques in Awaji Island, Japan. (Hidetoshi Ogata)
Behaviour - Amphibians and reptiles
Japanese stream toads in the Owase Mountains, Mie, Japan. (Norihiro Ikuma)
Behaviour - Birds
A male Hooded Merganser in Huntley Meadows Park, Alexandria, Virginia. (Charles Schmidt)
Behaviour - Invertebrates
A red crab (Grapsus adscensionis) in La Gomera Island, Spain (Javier Herranz Casellas)
Nature Art
Spawning coral in the Red Sea. (Tom Shlesinger)
People and Nature
The view from inside a glacier looking up at the night sky in Solheimajokull, South Iceland. (Virgil Reglioni)
Plants and Fungi
Eucalyptus in Mount Barker, Western Australia (Julie Kenny)
Urban Wildlife
Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. (Vladislav Tasev)
Planet Earth's Landscapes and Environments
Grand Teton Peak in Wyoming, USA (Jake Mosher)
Black and White
Lesser Antillean Iguana in Grenada Island, West Indies. (Alain Ernoult)
Animals in their Habitat
A snow leopard in the Indian Himalayas. (Sascha Fonseca)
Nature Photojournalism
Australian fur seal in Port Kembla, NSW, Australia. (Nicolas Remy)
Underwater
Harlequin shrimps in the Hymanocera Lembeh strait, Indonesia. (Adriano Morettin)
To see the full gallery of winners, visit the World Nature Photography Awards website.
