Judges sifted through more than 20,000 images this year to award Nature Talks’ annual Nature Photographer of the Year (NPOTY). Learn more about each of the images here at the NPOTY awards page — and be sure to enter the 2022 contest now. Plus, everyone can vote for their favorite during the NPOTY People’s Choice Award, from January 18 to March 18, 2022.
☷ Grid
☰ List
❏ Slideshow
Highly Commended: Landscape
Top: The frozen land, by Michal Krause (Czech Republic); Middle: Legendary towers in the Dolomites, by Georg Kantioler (Italy); Bottom: Islanda, by Stanislao Basileo (Italy).
Highly Commended: Underwater
Top: Icebreaker, by Tobias Friedrich (Germany); Middle: Seahorse sanctuary, by Peter McGee (Australia); Bottom: Water lilies marvelous world, by Gaël Modrak (Russia).
Highly Commended: Nature Art
Top: Fractal Patterned Lake, by Kovács Norbert (Hungary); Middle: Dolphin Design, by Jodi Frediani (USA); Egg universe, by Imre Potyó (Hungary).
Highly Commended: Human and Nature
Top: Escape, by Földi László (Hungary); Middle: At a price, by Tom Svensson (Sweden); Bottom: The Hand That Feeds, by Andrew Upton (USA).
Highly Commended: Black and White
Top: Shortness of breath, by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary); Middle: Cloud of dust, by Clement Kiragu (Kenya); Bottom: Schooling Jacks, by Wayne Lai (China).
Highly Commended: Animal Portraits
Top: Great Crested Grebe Among Buttercups, by Ignacio Medem (Spain); Middle: Leafy Night, by Scott Portelli (Australia); Bottom: Nightfall, by Flurin Leugger (Switzerland).
Highly Commended: Nature of ‘De Lage landen’
Top: Bluebells and beeches, by Richard Verroen (The Netherlands); Middle: River Abstract, by Sam Mannaerts (Belgium); Bottom: Weevil on pink flower, by Amanda Blom (The Netherlands).
Highly Commended: Youth
Top: Self Reflection, by D’Artagnan Sprengel (New Zealand); Middle: Is there still space left?, by Anton Trexler (Germany); Bottom: The lagoon lovers, by Emelin Dupieux (France).
Overall Winner
Winter Migration, by Terje Kolaas (Norway). Category: Birds (winner).
Winner: Mammals
Silverbach Chimanuka, by Josef Friedhuber (Austria).
Winner: Other Animals
Walking among fennels, by Ruben Perez Novo (Spain).
Winner: Plants and Fungi
Heat of Hoar, by Rupert Kogler (Austria).
Winner: Landscape
Dragon’s Lair, by Denis Budkov (Russia).
Winner: Underwater
Red in red, by Georg Nies (Germany).
Winner: Nature Art
Ice cell, by Gheorghe Popa (Romania).
Winner: Human and Nature
The king of the ocean, by Javier Murcia (Spain).
Winner: Black and White
White Wedding, by Roie Galitz (Israel).
Winner: Animals Portraits
Black leopard, by William Burrard-Lucas (UK).
Winner: ‘Nature of De Lage landen’
Fox crossing the bridge, by Andius Teijgeler (The Netherlands).
Winner: Youth
Beautiful world, by Levi Fitze (Switzerland).
Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award
EMOTIONAL RANGE, by Lea Lee Inoue (USA).
Runner-up: Birds
Fishing trip at sunrise, by Miquel Angel Artús Illana (Spain).
Runner-up: Mammals
Young Wolf (Canis Lupus), by Aare Udras (Estonia).
Runner-up: Other Animals
Slow but safe, by Ruben Perez Novo (Spain).
Runner-up: Plants and Fungi
Natures eatable Arctic gould, by Audun Rikardsen (Norway).
Runner-up: Landscape
The prow, by Andrea Pozzi (Italy).
Runner-up: Underwater
Dolphins home, by Dmitry Kokh (Russia).
Runner-up: Nature Art
Hero, by Juan Ahumada (Spain).
Runner-up: Human and Nature
Unusual visitor, by David Hup (The Netherlands).
Runner-up: Black and White
Yin and Yang, by Gheorghe Popa (Romania).
Runner-up: Animal Portraits
Last Embrace, by Roie Galitz (Israel).
Runner-up: Nature of ‘De Lage Landen’
Flying Over a Pastel “Rainbow”, by Ronald Zimmerman (The Netherlands).
Runner-up: Youth
Contemplation, by Gergő Kártyás (Hungary).
Highly Commended: Birds
Top: Ostrich kindergarten, by Tomasz Szpila (Poland); Middle: Drowned Forest, by Jolanda Vlastuin (The Netherlands); Bottom: SUNDANCE, by Christian Spencer (Brazil).
Highly Commended: Mammals
Top: Twilight hunters, by Norbert Kovács (Hungary); Middle: Song dog in the snow, by Pam Dorner (USA); Bottom: Storm Warning, by Paul Goldstein (UK).
Highly Commended: Other Animals
Top: The night watchman, by Prathamesh Ghadekar (India); Middle: We are hanging on the web, by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary); Bottom: Circle dance, by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary).
Highly Commended: Plants and Fungi
Top: City of Angels, by Silvano Paiola (Italy); Middle: Inside a sequoia, by Uge Fuertes (Spain); Bottom: Zombified, by Ripan Biswas (India).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Landscape
Top: The frozen land, by Michal Krause (Czech Republic); Middle: Legendary towers in the Dolomites, by Georg Kantioler (Italy); Bottom: Islanda, by Stanislao Basileo (Italy).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Underwater
Top: Icebreaker, by Tobias Friedrich (Germany); Middle: Seahorse sanctuary, by Peter McGee (Australia); Bottom: Water lilies marvelous world, by Gaël Modrak (Russia).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Nature Art
Top: Fractal Patterned Lake, by Kovács Norbert (Hungary); Middle: Dolphin Design, by Jodi Frediani (USA); Egg universe, by Imre Potyó (Hungary).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Human and Nature
Top: Escape, by Földi László (Hungary); Middle: At a price, by Tom Svensson (Sweden); Bottom: The Hand That Feeds, by Andrew Upton (USA).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Black and White
Top: Shortness of breath, by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary); Middle: Cloud of dust, by Clement Kiragu (Kenya); Bottom: Schooling Jacks, by Wayne Lai (China).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Animal Portraits
Top: Great Crested Grebe Among Buttercups, by Ignacio Medem (Spain); Middle: Leafy Night, by Scott Portelli (Australia); Bottom: Nightfall, by Flurin Leugger (Switzerland).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Nature of ‘De Lage landen’
Top: Bluebells and beeches, by Richard Verroen (The Netherlands); Middle: River Abstract, by Sam Mannaerts (Belgium); Bottom: Weevil on pink flower, by Amanda Blom (The Netherlands).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Youth
Top: Self Reflection, by D’Artagnan Sprengel (New Zealand); Middle: Is there still space left?, by Anton Trexler (Germany); Bottom: The lagoon lovers, by Emelin Dupieux (France).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Overall Winner
Winter Migration, by Terje Kolaas (Norway). Category: Birds (winner).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Mammals
Silverbach Chimanuka, by Josef Friedhuber (Austria).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Other Animals
Walking among fennels, by Ruben Perez Novo (Spain).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Plants and Fungi
Heat of Hoar, by Rupert Kogler (Austria).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Landscape
Dragon’s Lair, by Denis Budkov (Russia).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Underwater
Red in red, by Georg Nies (Germany).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Nature Art
Ice cell, by Gheorghe Popa (Romania).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Human and Nature
The king of the ocean, by Javier Murcia (Spain).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Black and White
White Wedding, by Roie Galitz (Israel).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Animals Portraits
Black leopard, by William Burrard-Lucas (UK).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: ‘Nature of De Lage landen’
Fox crossing the bridge, by Andius Teijgeler (The Netherlands).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Winner: Youth
Beautiful world, by Levi Fitze (Switzerland).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award
EMOTIONAL RANGE, by Lea Lee Inoue (USA).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Birds
Fishing trip at sunrise, by Miquel Angel Artús Illana (Spain).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Mammals
Young Wolf (Canis Lupus), by Aare Udras (Estonia).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Other Animals
Slow but safe, by Ruben Perez Novo (Spain).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Plants and Fungi
Natures eatable Arctic gould, by Audun Rikardsen (Norway).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Landscape
The prow, by Andrea Pozzi (Italy).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Underwater
Dolphins home, by Dmitry Kokh (Russia).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Nature Art
Hero, by Juan Ahumada (Spain).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Human and Nature
Unusual visitor, by David Hup (The Netherlands).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Black and White
Yin and Yang, by Gheorghe Popa (Romania).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Animal Portraits
Last Embrace, by Roie Galitz (Israel).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Nature of ‘De Lage Landen’
Flying Over a Pastel “Rainbow”, by Ronald Zimmerman (The Netherlands).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Runner-up: Youth
Contemplation, by Gergő Kártyás (Hungary).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Birds
Top: Ostrich kindergarten, by Tomasz Szpila (Poland); Middle: Drowned Forest, by Jolanda Vlastuin (The Netherlands); Bottom: SUNDANCE, by Christian Spencer (Brazil).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Mammals
Top: Twilight hunters, by Norbert Kovács (Hungary); Middle: Song dog in the snow, by Pam Dorner (USA); Bottom: Storm Warning, by Paul Goldstein (UK).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Other Animals
Top: The night watchman, by Prathamesh Ghadekar (India); Middle: We are hanging on the web, by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary); Bottom: Circle dance, by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary).
-
Enjoy the Best Wildlife Images of 2021: Nature Photographer of the Year Winners Announced
Highly Commended: Plants and Fungi
Top: City of Angels, by Silvano Paiola (Italy); Middle: Inside a sequoia, by Uge Fuertes (Spain); Bottom: Zombified, by Ripan Biswas (India).