15 Highlights from the 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Contest

 

Last call for entries! Contest closes Friday November 4, 2016
 
National Geographic invites photographers from around the world to enter the 2016 Nature Photographer of the Year contest. The grand-prize winner will receive a 10-day trip for two to the Galápagos with National Geographic Expeditions and two 15-minute image portfolio reviews with National Geographic photo editors.

Eligible contestants can visit natgeo.com/photocontest to submit photographs in one or all of four categories: Landscape, Environmental Issues, Action and Animal Portraits. Each entry to the contest will be submitted through National Geographic’s photo community, Your Shot, where members can comment on photos and share their favorites. The entry fee is $15 (USD) per photo, and there is no limit to the number of submissions per entrant. Entries must be in digital format and submitted electronically. The contest ends Friday, Nov. 4, at 12 p.m. EDT (U.S.).

Our friends at Nat Geo let us share some more highlights from this year’s contest. Stay tuned for the winners announcement!

 

 

 

 

Due to of global warming, glaciers have begun to decline. As a result, the ceiling of the cave became thin and the sunlight creates a wonderful picture of the different colors.

 

 

 

 

We arrived at one of the watering holes in Etosha National Park in the late evening. Four Lions were devouring a large kudu that they killed. A pack of hyenas appeared from the bush nearby attracted by the smell of blood and food for them. What ensued was a fight for the dead kudu between 4 female lions and 16 hyenas. Needless to say, in the end the hyenas won and got the prized kudu.

 

 

 

 

Kingfisher (Alcedo athis) male with an engagement present for the female.

 

 

 

 

Quiet morning after raining for whole night in Xingping, Yangshuo.

 

 

 

 

These Cheetah cubs didn’t seem to be enjoying the afternoon downpour. They ran close together as they tried to keep up with mum. I’d like to say that I kept dry taking this image but in order to capture the moment I had to lean out of the window, allowing the stair-rods of water into the vehicle and got drenched by doing so. Worth it though.

 

 

 

 

This image was taken last summer on Skomer Island, Wales. It is well known for its wildlife, the puffin colony is one of the largest in U.K. The photo shows a detail or study of an Atlantic puffin resting peacefully under the rain. As Skomer is inhabited, puffins do not feel afraid of humans, and so people can be close to puffins and the photographer can think about the right composition and take this kind of intimate portraits. Also that morning the conditions came together: rain and light.

 

 

 

 

During my trip in Scotland, this shot was one of my first objective. I spent a lot of hours and days to get it. The sign on left down corner is a celtic spiral. It represent travel from the inner life to the higher spirit form. To the ancient people of Ireland it represented the sun and its cosmic energy.

 

 

 

 

A grizzly bear chasing a salmon in the river, and the salmon trying to escape jumping out of the water.

 

 

 

 

Thousands of snow geese take flight during a snowy morning fly out at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico. It is loud and sounds like a passing train!

 

 

 

 

A scene of sunrise rays which is reflected on an intense smoke of Bromo eruption.

 

 

 

 

This lil hummingbird baby was caught in my home. Here he is recouping from what was a stressful time being stuck. Minutes later her flew away.

 

 

 

 

A herd of frosty buffalos walking in the snow towards thick fog produced by the Yellowstone geothermal activity.

 

 

 

 

Northern gannets are the largest seabirds in the North Atlantic. They fish by diving into the sea, they can do it from a height of 30 meters with a speed of 80 km/hour, and pursuing their preys underwater. The island of Noss, in Shetland Islands, is one of the most important nesting point, with over 7000 breeding pairs. I took this picture in front of the high cliffs, from a small boat using an underwater housing, and surrounded by thousands of gannets flying, diving, shouting around me Öan amaz

 

 

 

 

Waves of fog roll over a neighborhood in Mill Valley, California, as seen from the top of Mount Tamaulipas.

 

 

 

 

near the chamonix glacier, panorama