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Winners Of The 2017 Nat Geo Nature Photographer Of The Year Contest Will Take Your Breath Away
National Geographic has just announced the results of its prestigious 2017 Nature Photographer of the Year photo contest (2016 here), and the best photos are the perfect celebration of Mother Earth. 11,000 stunning pictures were submitted from amateur and professional photographers, competing in four nature photography categories: wildlife, landscapes, aerials, and underwater.
The grand-prize winner will receive $7,500 and their winning image will appear in an upcoming issue of National Geographic magazine. Also, one first-place winner will be selected from each of the four categories, all of them earning $2,500. To feed your passion for the living world, Bored Panda has collected some of the amazing photos from the photography contest, presenting them together with its prizewinners. Scroll down to take a closer look at nature and upvote the beautiful photos you liked most.
More info: nationalgeographic.com
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Grand Prize Winner: Face To Face In A River In Borneo, Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan
A male orangutan peers from behind a tree while crossing a river in Borneo, Indonesia. Rampant palm oil cultivation threatens this critically endangered ape, forcing the normally arboreal species to resort to unusual behavior—such as wading through crocodile-infested rivers—in order to survive.
DopethronePunkUK 8 years ago
So sad like other comments have already stated, i just see what we have done to them and their habitat, these guys are meant to be swinging in trees and not coming to ground at all but as usual selfish humans and consumer demand just brushes these intelligent, emotional, loving, family-orientated creatures to one side, f**k i really despise what we are doing.
Clara Oswald 8 years ago
Orangutans are highly intelligent graceful creatures. It's so sad to see them become extinct before our eyes. Avoiding my palm oil is good but we should do more. Lush have a great campaign on at the moment - https://uk.lush.com/article/orangutan-soap-when-theyre-gone-theyre-gone
Grace Barclay 8 years ago
So very sad. I label check everything now and try not to consume anything with palm oil.
varwenea 8 years ago
Palm oil is also very unhealthy. I avoid them as much as possible.
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Margareta Diendorfer 8 years ago
This ape's facial expression is, to me, more human than some people's one...
Melody Lanzatella 8 years ago
I love orangs SO much!! I help whenever I can. There is a web site where you can "adopt" an orphan orang!! Very small amount per month allows them to care for another orphan! Additionally you DO get to know and keep up with how your orphan is doing!! All the way until it is released into the wild!! (On a protected reserve)
RELATED:
#2
Pied Falconet Family, Kant Liang
Pied Falconet is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. They're very small (
Desiré Yen 8 years ago
Threes 7 little falcon perched on a branch and the first one said, fly over, fly over....
Amparo de León 8 years ago
The one flying away is mom, she never can get a proper Christmas photo...
#3
The Lion In The Sea Of Flowers, Ge Xiao
Early in the morning, the young male lion came to the dense flower sea, and he felt very satisfied. Swinging his head in the breeze, I took the picture.
Florian FlyingShark 8 years ago
This is the same photographer that took a picture of flamingos nesting and scared them with his helicopter, which can result in them abandoning the nest. Even if this picture is beautiful, this kind of photographers that doesn't respect nature should be banned from competition.
Heather Johnson 8 years ago
Oh wow I did not know that. That's terrible and I agree with your last sentence.
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Benski Trenkins 8 years ago
16 replies and nobody made the l'Oreal joke... I am... I'm so proud of you guys! ;)
#4
One Happy Seal Model, Lars Lykke
Went to the very north of Denmark, skagen, at sunrise and found this willing model.
sunnyrei82 8 years ago
How can humans kill cuties like this one? How can we pollute their home?
Pk Drechsel 8 years ago
Skagen! Bryce and me...and the takes a drunk to catch a drunk police chief host. Must return.
#5
Mother Natures Camo, Cole Frechou
nanashi 8 years ago
it took me a moment to see it's not an aerial photo of a mountain covered by forests but a crocodile covered in moss
The Cappy 8 years ago
Using a drone, like so many other things these days.
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#6
There Is Always Room For One More, Eivor Kuchta
How many Mountain Goats can fit on this rock, if you start stacking them on top of each other? Mount Evans, Colorado, USA
#7
Stealthy Eyes, Melissa Stevens
Ever get the feeling you're being watched? The hair on the back of your neck starts to stand on end, you're checking your surroundings, you look up to see the glorious mountain beast and stare into the soul of this amazing creature while he's carefully analyzing your every move...
Erika Daniel 8 years ago
Next time you're walking under a tree and some snow falls on you... be prepared!! O.o
Aunt Messy 8 years ago
There is nothing as terrifying as hiking in the mountains and hearing purring from overhead. Mountain lions are the biggest of the purring cats, and unlike most large predators, they see humans as nothing more than a protein source.
#8
Liquid Bear, Mike Korostelev
Bear from the water Kamchatka, Russia
Janina Prado 7 years ago
a glass dish and the camera is underneath. a frozen clear lake and the photographer underneath. I can't decide.
Dragomir Boiadzhiev 8 years ago
Will the photographer now get an Oscar...you know what happened after that shot :)
#9
Tornado, Anuar Patjane Floriuk
Bigeye Trevally forming a "tornado" at Cabo Pulmo National Park, Mexico . A few years ago, local fisherman decided to stop fishing and bet all on ecotourism. That bet was successful economically, socially, and ecologically speaking. What used to be an almost lifeless place now has a complete life chain, even bull sharks are back and orcas come and visit often. Cabo Pulmo is a true example that by letting the ocean recover, it will do so by itself.
Desiré Yen 8 years ago
The fishes r getting ready to tell.the diver where, Nemo and Dory are!.🐟🐠🐡🐳🐋🐬
#10
Crowded, Martin Olson
As the only wild animals being herded in Sweden, once a year the reindeers of the different communities are gathered and separated by their owners and moved to better pastures for the winter. Since thousands of animals are gathered and then divided into handling facility sections, the process may take several days.
Kathie Daniel Fertur Lux 8 years ago
Reindeer and caribou are actually the same species, Rangifer tarandus, but there are substantial differences between the two. Caribou are large, wild, elk-like animals which can be found in northern North America and Greenland and have never been domesticated.
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Heather Johnson 8 years ago
Oh god it's like The Mist movie but with reindeer instead of monsters. Lol
Crazy Cow Lady 8 years ago
Technically Reindeer and Caribou are the same species. What I want to know is how they tell which ones belong to which owners?
#11
First Place Winner, Landscapes: Firefall, Karim Iliya
Shortly before twilight in Kalapana, Hawai’i, a fragment of the cooled lava tube broke away, leaving the molten rock to fan in a fiery spray for less than half an hour before returning to a steady flow.
anima vienna 8 years ago
All these photographs prove one thing: this earth is the most beautiful place in the universe, and we are crazy (or suicidal) to exploit this incredible place . There is no other one.
Heather Johnson 8 years ago
It's so good it doesn't look real. Love it!! Congratulations for winning first place!
#12
Play Time, Chandrashekar Kalyanasundaram
On the morning drive in the forests of pench tiger reserve, i found this little one practising his skills. These skills would help him in growing into adulthood successfully. the backlight made this fraqme more interesting. Waiting for the right moment, i clicked this image.
Dorothy Cloud 8 years ago
I was going to say that, I'll just agree with you!
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Marnee DeRider 8 years ago
What species is it? How big is it? It's hard to tell. I'm very curious!
#13
Sneeeze!, M. Engelmann
Galapagos Marine Iguanas sneeze to expel excess salt water after they feed in the ocean.
#14
People's Choice, Landscapes: Kalsoy, Wojciech Kruczyński
Sunset illuminates a lighthouse and rainbow in the Faroe Islands.
Maike 8 years ago
this is the most wonderful destination for People who are not afraid of Loneliness. It also reminds me of the Light between the Oceans.
Kira Thesloth 8 years ago
There's a difference between loneliness & solitide. Solitude is quite nice.
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frederic eeckman 8 years ago
An amazing place ! To bad that it's also the home for the ritual slaughter of pilot whales :/
Tamara Cassidy 7 years ago
The Hell on Earth where the Trolls that live there slaughter whales, dolphins and their young over and over again. The water turns to blood....and the Trolls teach their young to kill these beautiful creatures as well.
#15
No Ordinary Bear, Andy S.
When all other bears are asleep for the winter, in a remote part of the yukon, one mother has learned that the river in her territory does not freeze and the fish keep coming into late november. covered in ice as her wet coat freezes in the -25C air temperatures, she raises her family in the most extreme of conditions.
#16
People's Choice: Game Of Stars, Pedro Carrillo
#17
Curves, Ian Nelson
I spotted a moray eel while free-diving off the coast of Maui. I followed the eel from a distance, watching it slither through the reef peering into each dark hole it came across. Finally, the eel found what it was looking for and darted its head into a dark hole and started aggressively attacking. Dark ink shot out and octopus legs begin reaching out of the hole. Out came an octopus darting away from the eel right toward my lens, pausing briefly infront of me before darting off again.
#18
Second Place Winner, Wildlife: Mother's Love, Alejandro Prieto
An adult Caribbean pink flamingo feeds a chick in Yucatán, Mexico. Both parents alternate feeding chicks, at first with a liquid baby food called crop milk, and then with regurgitated food.
Sarah Mages 7 years ago
Why this didn't rate higher, I will never know. It's an exquisite photograph!
#19
Swimming Over The Sleepers, Franco Banfi
Free diver swimming over a pod of sleeping sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, Vulnerable (IUCN). The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales. Sperm whales are known to dive as deep as 1,000 meters in search of squid to eat. Image has been shot in Dominica, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean.
Sarah Mages 7 years ago
I just learned something new! Just never thought of sleeping whales, I guess.
#20
Lavender Waves, Ernie Black
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
do you know how incredibly intelligent these things are? They're amazing.
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#21
Monster From The Deep, Paul Kingston
Maike 8 years ago
wohoooooooow one never gets the scale of this if one does not have the comparison
Laura Perkinson 8 years ago
Holy Cow! Would have love to be in the Lighthouse to see this from a safe visual
#22
Winter In Transylvania #1, Calin Stan
Wintertime in Transylvania! Yes, you're right: it's THAT Transylvania and this is the road that leads you to Sighisoara, the birthplace of Count Dracula!
Ms. Understood 8 years ago
*grabs axe and finishes the straight road it should be* (I know it's probably like that for a reason)
Oana Bogdan 8 years ago
I was born there and always questioned the intricate way the roads are made. One option I found is that the first so called roads were made by pastoring sheep's and in a way human followed the herd and so this is my answer for your question. I think this road was designed years and years ago by animals and us humans just followed. :)! And I am not a vampire even if I m from Transylvania (insert evil voice over ;)!!
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#23
People's Choice, Underwater: Drift, Matthew Smith
A Portuguese man-of-war nears the beach on a summer morning; thousands of these jellyfish wash up on Australia’s eastern coast every year.
Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
I work on a boat and when we are at sea there are sometimes thousands of these in the ocean. It looks really cool.
#24
Honorable Mention, Wildlife: Macaque Maintenance, Lance Mcmillan
A Japanese macaque indulges in some grooming time on the shores of the famous hot springs.
#25
People's Choice: Showtime, Bence Mate
I have shot Great Cormorants flying off for hundreds of times. However, this was the only moment when I caught the perfect lights and background, when the bird flew in the right direction, close enough to me, making this exciting sight possible. I have never managed to shoot a similar scene however hard I tried. It is a memorable photographic achievement because the image was made with a manual focus, 1.4 intensity Zeiss lens and open blende which make depth of field almost impossible.
Bill Hartman 8 years ago
The timing on this is so Awesome. Once in a lifetime shot. Congratulations.
#26
Don't Come Any Closer, Marc Hornig
#27
Chin Up, Paul Goldstein
#28
Étirement, Joël Fischer
Ryan Smith 8 years ago
Lol... this Kitty is doing Downward Dog... (i think)
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Hamlets twin 8 years ago
That kitty is ripped! Its not all that surprising I guess, cause you know...survival and all. But damn!
#29
The African Buffalo And His Companions, Ge Xiao
One morning, the buffalo came to the river to drink water. Many oxpecker also come together
#30
People's Choice, Wildlife: Great Gray Owl, Harry Collins
A great gray owl swoops to kill in a New Hampshire field.
Hamlets twin 8 years ago
And not a creature was stirring, even as silent death swooped in from above.
#31
Plunder, Wanling Tang
The Cappy 8 years ago
So long as they don't get him in the eye, they might not be able to get past the feathers.
Load More Replies... Hamlets twin 8 years ago
never knew birds like that liked sweets. I thought they were just meat-o-saurs
Emma Perkins 8 years ago
I thought so too. I guess they eat the larvae out of the comb along with the honey? I also didn't think carnivores liked sweet flavors that much.
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#32
Second Place Winner, Landscapes: Dushanzi Grand Canyon, Yuhan Liao
Sunlight glances off mineral strata of different colors in Dushanzi Grand Canyon, China.
Heather Johnson 8 years ago
I have not enough words to describe just how incredible this truly is.
#33
Honorable Mention, Landscapes: Cold And Misty, Gheorghe Popa
Morning fog blurs the dead trees of Romania’s Lake Cuejdel, a natural reservoir created by landslides.
#34
People's Choice: Sparkling Spider's Nest, Kousuke Kitajima
Stille20 8 years ago
I'm truly impressed with the skill and eye of the photographer. The subject matter isn't on it's own dramatic, but he/she caught movement and light and drama.
#35
Honorable Mention, Underwater: Jennifer Oneil Predators On A Bait Ball, Jennifer Oneil
Preparing to strike, tarpon cut through a ribbon-like school of scad off the coast of Bonaire in the Caribbean Sea.
#36
Life Force, Amy Gulick
Devin Robinson 8 years ago
The fish was pregnant and when the bear bit into it, and all her eggs where forced out.
Bill Hartman 8 years ago
He's missing the caviar that would pair nicely with the fish. Great shot.
#37
Third Place Winner, Underwater: Flying Fish In Motion, Michael O'neill
Buoyed by the Gulf Stream, a flying fish arcs through the night-dark water five miles off Palm Beach, Florida.
Corinne Wiedemann 8 years ago
Agreed, although they may be feelers (if fish have feelers)
Load More Replies... Gayle Bynum Cardosa 8 years ago
also....on the boat at sea, flying fish jump onto the aft deck in huge numbers. One of the guys on the crew would go out periodically and try to get them back in the ocean so they wouldn't die. There were too many of them though. They look like little fairies jumping out of the ocean.
#38
Second Place Winner, Aerials: From Above, Takahiro Bessho
Snow-covered metasequoia trees, also called dawn redwoods, interlace over a road in Takashima, Japan.
#39
The Big Friendly Giant, Katia Benini
On cloudy days, the surface of the ocean has a mysterious and eery nature. Penetrating the navy layer, your sparkling momentum disperses, leaving you breathless in the deep blue abyss. from the darkness emerges the living indigenous painting, accompanied by his most loyal entourage.Gently he swims forward providing protection and company. Occasionally revealing the vortex of his mouth, sending his friends into a chaotic frenzy. Bamboozled my friend clears his mask in AMAZEMENT!
Ehren Thomsen 8 years ago
Looks like this, but actually, he's not eating them. Whale Sharks eat plankton. Those fishes live with him, feed on the parasites on the shark's skin, mouth and gills, keeping him clean and healthy, and he provides them with protection and sometimes shelter inside his mouth.
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Lost World, Arvind Ramamurthy
Under beams of imagination, creatures that were said to be lost in time, come alive! Amboli is truly a lost world, with new species being discovered every year. It had just stopped raining and this specimen was dripping wet. I Illuminated the background with a beam of torch to get the mild drizzle in my image.
#41
People's Choice: Kirkjufell Spirit, Johns Tsai
I lost everything the first time traveling to Iceland because of a thief stole my camera. I didn't give up but a successful crowdfunding made me able to go back once again to gather the lost pieces of my memory. This day I drove half circle of the Iceland in order to see the light, otherwise the weather is not permitted to see the northern light for the rest of my journey. All the blood and tears, painful and joy, I devote all my spirit in this photo, I believe the nature do hear my voice.
Aahzmandus Pervect 8 years ago
Definitely something to remember for the rest of your life. I'll never forget enjoying this incredible Nature's light show.
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#42
Arctic Majesty, Frank Joa
#43
People's Choice, Aerials: Meandering Canyon, David Swindler
Green vegetation blooms at the river’s edge, or riparian, zone of a meandering canyon in Utah.
#44
Alien, Adam Silverman
This is one of my favorite photos of my favorite critter. Shot with a +25 magnifier, it really brings out the detail in this otherwise very small skeleton shrimp. It's face is clear, it's reddish eyes are visible, and the way it faces my camera with it's arms wide makes it almost symmetrical. It's clear color matches the hydra that it is living on. Plus the colors in the background really make this an interesting and beautiful photo. Don't think there are aliens on earth? Look no further!
Patricia Miller-Darrow 6 years ago
A funny little creature...looks as though he will Karate kick us any moment!
DopethronePunkUK 8 years ago
At first glance i thought this was one of those insects that gets mind f****d by certain parasite and its brain taken over, they generally climb up to high places before the parasite explodes out of them like the alien in.....well....alien. Amazing picture.
#45
First Place Winner, Aerials: Rock Pool, Todd Kennedy
In Sydney, Australia, the Pacific Ocean at high tide breaks over a natural rock pool enlarged in the 1930s. Avoiding the crowds at the city’s many beaches, a local swims laps.
Kristian Acel Gene Cua 8 years ago
uhm. is it just me, or this looks like one of Apple's out-of-the-box HD Wallpaper for their iOS Lineup?
#46
Three White Rhinos, Alan Smith
Crazy Cow Lady 8 years ago
They must live on a reserve, since their horns are gone. Beautiful picture.
Floor 8 years ago
You may be right but they do cut of horns in the wild to prevent poachers from killing the rhinos for their horns
Load More Replies... Laura Perkinson 8 years ago
hope they hide well from the awful poachers who care only about money.
DopethronePunkUK 8 years ago
Beautiful but yet so sad, these poor rhinos, breaks my f****n heart.
Patricia Miller-Darrow 6 years ago
Sad that the only way to save them was to remove their horns!..They are marvelous animals.
#47
Sunset On The Savanna, Holly-Lynn Latimour
My tour group was about to head back to our lodge for the evening when we came upon two giraffes courting during this incredible sunset. I was lucky enough to capture the two giraffes at the same time as a flock of birds took flight from a tree in the background.
#48
People's Choice: Volcano, Vladimir Voychuk
There is a rumor that you can watch forever on two things: fire and water, but when it comes to exploding lava fountains, - it is sempiternity multiplied to infinity. The eruption of Klyuchevskaya sopka. Kamchatka.
#49
Third Place Winner, Wildlife: White Fighters, Bence Mate
Two grey herons spar as a white-tailed eagle looks on in Hungary.
Anna Bertane 8 years ago
Hurray for Bence!! He is a very talented Hungarian wildlife photographer. I'm from Hungary as well, and when I see his pictures in such competitions... it makes me so proud :-) You go Bence!!!
Desiré Yen 8 years ago
Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting Those herons were fast as lightning In fact, it was a little bit frightening But they fought with expert timing...
Patricia Miller-Darrow 6 years ago
now this is a weird photo!...Is the hawk waiting till they tire. so he can feed up..or waiting for victor whom he has befriended? I love it...We can work out any scenario we like!
#50
People's Choice: Kayakers On The River, Karim Iliya
Look closely and you will see two Kayakers. The smooth misty water is a result of a long exposure, yet it is a single image. It is one of the most challenging photos I have ever taken. Just after sunset when the light was balanced, between rain showers they set off and stopped in the eddy current and held their position for as long as they could while I took long exposure photos. As I was flying the drone back to change battery, the rain returned and darkness consumed the valley.
Kristian Acel Gene Cua 8 years ago
its hard to believe that its real, and not just a painting.
#51
Rice Terraces, Evgeny Vasenev
Patricia Miller-Darrow 6 years ago
This is so pretty from a distance. but it is truly a work of art on the ground too.
#52
Flight Of Angels, Vikram Ghanekar
While on safari in mana pools national park, zimbabwe, i was following a bull elephant on foot with my guide. the idea was to photograph him in the beautiful golden light of the setting sun. there was a flock of egrets feeding on insects disturbed by the elephant. suddenly they took flight and as they crossed the elephant, i could take a picture with the birds in flight on a beautiful backdrop.
#53
Snow Cranes, Kenny Chen
A pair of Japanese cranes dancing in the snow.
#54
California Spider Web, Michael Cukr
#55
River Crossing - Bike Bridge, T. Sweetman
As I flew my drone over the ping river I caught this moment of two elderly people take the scooters home over the bridge in chiang mai.
#56
Totem Stargazer Fish, Sylvie Ayer
DopethronePunkUK 8 years ago
At first glance it kind of reminded me of the baby from 'eraserhead', cool looking fish man.
Janina Prado 7 years ago
THANK YOU!! haven't seen that movie in ages, and you nailed it on the comparison.
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Guidance, Zach Parker
Mother and calf humpback whale cruising through the deep blue waters off tonga
DopethronePunkUK 8 years ago
Hopefully this little one isn't poisoned by the mothers milk which has been poisoned by all the chemical waste we have dumped in the oceans over the last 100 years. Sad but true.
Emma Perkins 8 years ago
That doesn't actually happen, does it? Usually, the ocean life adapts to the toxicity and the chemicals come back full circle when humans eat seafood and end up with side effects from them.
Load More Replies... #58
Highlander, Andro Loria
Highlander... a lone hiker on the top of the hill in the midst of the beautiful geothermal Kerlingarfjöll area, 🇮🇸 Iceland'17
James A. Smith Jr. 8 years ago
I bet it took a lot of time to carve all the steps. Would like to know more. Very beautiful
#59
Smile For The Camera, Gary Peart
#60
Honorable Mention, Aerials: Life After Life, Agathe Bernard
Migratory gulls take flight from a cedar tree being washed downstream by a glacial river in British Columbia, Canada.
#61
Third Place Winner, Landscapes: Illuminate, Mike Olbinski
A summer thunderstorm unleashes lightning on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
#62
Third Place Winner, Aerials: Drip, Greg C.
On the flanks of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai’i, the world’s only lava ocean entry spills molten rock into the Pacific Ocean. After erupting in early 2016, the lava flow took about two months to reach the sea, six miles away.
#63
People's Choice: In Transit, Christine Lai
This is a leopard who walked past our vehicle in the Okavango Delta. I admired the intensity of this leopard's eyes as it moved quietly through the grass.
#64
Central Park - Southern View, Antonio Lopez
Desiré Yen 8 years ago
New York, New York Start spreading the news You're leaving today (tell him friend) I want to be a part of it, New York, New York....
DopethronePunkUK 8 years ago
Central Park....otherwise known as 'don't go there at night unless you want to be mugged or raped park'.
#65
Sea And Salt, Wellington Rodrigues
Corinne Wiedemann 8 years ago
It's crazy how changing the color of something in nature can make it feel somewhat scary
#66
First Place Winner, Underwater: Fluorescent Anemone, Jim Obester
Blue-filtered strobe lights stimulate fluorescent pigments in the clear tentacles of a tube-dwelling anemone in Hood Canal, Washington.
#67
Swan Song, Katsuyoshi Nakahara
A life that will fall down soon showed the final performance.
#68
Crocodile Smile, Alan Smith
James A. Smith Jr. 8 years ago
He's saying, "That's it. Come a little closer. Nothing to be scared of."
#69
People's Choice: Hunting With African Wild Dogs, Erik Joosten
This morning we found a pack of Painted dogs verry early morning. Together with our ranger we followd them huning until they caught a warthog. When the adults left and the pups started to eat i was able to get verry close, under the guidance of our ranger. An uniek opportunity to shoot some wide-angle pictures of the most endangered predator.
#70
People's Choice: Fleet Departure, Kehao Tan
Hundreds of flamingos fly.
#71
The Kiss, Truc Allen
ON a recent trip through the olympic peninsula, I noticed what looked like a strange mass floating in the water along the area we were staying. It looked like a typical pile of floating logs and debris until an hour later, it had moved right off our deck, revealing an amazing rafted group of huge sea lions.
DopethronePunkUK 8 years ago
I agree with Karl Pilkington, they are a cross between a fish and a dog haha.
#72
People's Choice: What Lies Beneath, Billy Collopy
Split shot taken in the tide pools of Shaw's Cove at Sunset
#73
Maligne Lake, Robert Downie
James A. Smith Jr. 8 years ago
Alberta is beautiful. Your fortunate. Was wondering if that was a wolf crossing?
Load More Replies... #74
People's Choice: Great Bear Surf Scoters, Sam Edmonds
A raft of thousands of surf scoters takes flight from the water's surface in The Great Bear Sea of British Columbia, Canada.
#75
Islands In The Sky, Tim Walton
A dreamlike inversion in the Gesäuse region of the Austrian Alps. I noticed the clouds forming like this whilst I was further down the mountain. As I knew the view would be even better from higher up, I virtually ran up the mountain to get the view I wanted before the clouds dispersed.
#76
Uncomfortable Passengers, Michael Smith
PurpleUnicorn 7 years ago
Looks like a humpback whale with a nasty case of sea spider mite infection
#77
Salt Of The Earth, Amy Gulick
Connie Martin 8 years ago
Even with the man in the frame, it's difficult to judge scale. Are those two mounds behind him and to his right 50 feet away, or 500??
#78
People's Choice: Bisti Badlands, J. Wheatley
Little visited and mostly unknown, the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness is an amazingly scenic and colorful expanse of stratified colors and unusual eroded rocks in the high, cold desert of northwest New Mexico. I camped near one of the most striking areas in Bisti (known as the "Hatchery") and took this photograph of the landscape on a late October afternoon. A faint path through the giant egg formations takes you through an eery dreamscape, leading up to the beautifully eroded ridge in the distance.
#79
Geladas At Simien Mountains, Alejandro Cupi
Rabbitt209 8 years ago
Helped with a dental procedure on one in a veterinary clinic years ago. Scariest animal ever. Lightning fast. Unbelievably strong. Cranky!
#80
People's Choice: Ice Formation Patterns, Florian Ledoux
In winter when the sea start to froze in Greenland, the ice create lot of impressive patterns. The scale is big and it is hard to imagine that this is 350m above the level of the sea.
#81
People's Choice: Porcelain Crab, Marek Koszorek
This little fellow was feding on drifting plankton and was oblivious to anything happening around, including me taking his pictures.
#82
Second Place Winner, Underwater: In Your Face, Shane Gross
Typically a shy species, a Caribbean reef shark investigates a remote-triggered camera in Cuba’s Gardens of the Queen marine protected area.
Heather Johnson 8 years ago
I love sharks. They're my favorite animal. They're so unappreciated by many who are uneducated about them.
#83
People's Choice: Whale Shark And Anchovies, Steve De Neef
A whale shark and school of anchovies swim by at Mafia Island, Tanzania. The shark and schooling fish are often seen together as they both are after the same planktonic prey, sergestid shrimp. The population of whale sharks here is quite unique as they remain here year round, scientist believe this is because there's an abundance of food around the island. Nowhere else in the worlds do whale sharks do this.
James A. Smith Jr. 8 years ago
Followed by the Basking shark which rates second
Load More Replies... #84
People's Choice: From Above, Jassen Todorov
Waste from a paper mill is agitated by aerators, producing steam and foam, which are pushed by the wind. Clearwater Paper Reservoire, Lewiston, Idaho. Aerial Image (photographed from a plane at 1,500 feet).
Lee from Phoenix 8 years ago
Why sad? This is not a lake, it is a man made reservoir where water used in paper production is treated to clean it up before releasing it. Better this than just dumping it in a river like the old days.
Load More Replies... James A. Smith Jr. 8 years ago
I remember the Androscoggin River in Maine looking like this when I was a kid. I'm glad they cleaned it up but, still not recommended to eat the fish even 40 + years later.
For those inspired by the remarkable moments captured in nature photography, exploring the collection of finalists from National Geographic's recent competition offers deeper insight into exceptional wildlife and landscape imagery.
You can find more breathtaking examples that complement this article by checking out these standout nature photography finalists.
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What do you think ?
Otis Spunkmeyer 8 years ago
These are awesome. Glad to see there are no photos of a political nature (e.g., no one in a Guy Fawkes mask throwing a rock at police etc). Hard to pick a favorite.
Jeff W Stuart 8 years ago
All are beautiful but sorry, Drone Photography (although very striking) should not be included or at least should have it's own category.
James A. Smith Jr. 8 years ago
They are all gorgeous except for the last one. That one is pollution and is just plain sad.
Otis Spunkmeyer 8 years ago
These are awesome. Glad to see there are no photos of a political nature (e.g., no one in a Guy Fawkes mask throwing a rock at police etc). Hard to pick a favorite.
Jeff W Stuart 8 years ago
All are beautiful but sorry, Drone Photography (although very striking) should not be included or at least should have it's own category.
James A. Smith Jr. 8 years ago
They are all gorgeous except for the last one. That one is pollution and is just plain sad.
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