"Wild Snow Leopard male, Spiti Valley, India. We found this large Snow Leopard male as he was looking for a cover during a snowstorm. His camouflage in the environment was simply amazing, If he hadn’t moved we would never have noticed him! I loved the textures and zig-zag shape of the snow-covered rocks and wanted to include it all in the composition even though I could get a tighter shot of the Leopard using a longer lens and a teleconverter. For me wildlife photography is firstly about capturing the Animal in the context of the environment."

"The red wicker fields, in Cañamaras, Cuenca, Spain, are a very unique visual spectacle. The land is not very large (just a small region), but it gives photography lovers a wealth of colors in autumn, being a great inspiration for the imagination.

I took the photograph using the double exposure technique. One photo of the wicker fields and another photo of a sunset sky, specifically a cloud. With the double exposure, I managed to make it look like an unreal dense fog over the red fields."

"Nautili are grabby little creatures known to latch onto passing jellyfish in the ocean. Based on my research, they do this as a mode of travel or for more devious reasons, like sneakily siphoning the jellyfish’s food for themselves. I did a double-take at how cartoonish this Nautilus looked when I first saw it. But it’s initial silliness hides a sobering truth: somehow, this Nautilus – despite living more than 20m underwater – had found this plastic packaging. I spoke to a few locals in Anilao (Philippines) about my experience after my dives, and this was what was shared with me. Families would dump their trash on a nearby mountain because of the inaccessibility of trash points. And when typhoons arrive, these heaps of plastic bags, styrofoam cups, food wrappers, and so on would be scattered by the winds into the ocean… and what was once used to store bread and treats for humans would be mistaken by these Nautili as their own food sources, not realizing that they’ve latched onto an empty inedible bag. Our minds often deceive us when we spot distant or obscure shapes, seeking familiarity in the unknown. When I first saw the Nautili with the plastic bag, my first thought was that it resembled a person in a torn poncho. It’s the mind’s way of interpreting limited information. I wanted to depict this quirky character to reveal a sobering truth – like a man with a torn poncho, this cartoon-looking creature is unable to escape the consequences of manmade ecological disasters and the wrath of nature. I observed the creature for a while, noticing its fearful, uncertain, and sorrowful demeanor. Its distress wasn’t due to my presence as a visiting diver, but rather, the harsh reality that it had no other option but to cling on to this desolate vessel for survival."

"I wanted to take pictures that evening. But without light, it’s difficult. So I went to a pedestrian bridge that offered a direct view of one of the main traffic intersections in our city. There were many spiders on the railing of the bridge. Using an old analog lens, I photographed the spider in front of the colorful lights of the city intersection with its many cars.

The special shape of the lights comes from the fact that I had previously unscrewed the lens and turned one of the three lenses inside before screwing it back together. This way the lens is only sharp in the exact center and everything else becomes a twisting effect."

"I had the privilege to travel to the Falkland Islands for the first time in 2019. I was stunned by their rough beauty and the spectacular abundance of wildlife. So I felt I had to return for a longer time. In early 2020 I had the chance to spend three weeks roaming around bird colonies and observing their daily routines for hours. Every morning penguins would travel from their breeding colonies to the sea to catch food to provide for their young. Magellanic penguins bring up their chicks in burrows uphill which can be a few hundred meters away from the shore. So in the mornings, they make their way through the vegetation down to the beach. I loved the white sandy beaches on some of the islands decorated with beautiful yellow flowers of sea cabbage. So I laid down amongst them and waited for someone to pass by. This little fellow did, and I was quite happy with the composition. Also, I liked the little moment of confusion that is provoked by the sight of a penguin surrounded by flowers and white sand you could almost take for snow."

"For a long time, the black woodpecker was on my wishlist. I find the graphic bird with its red accent absolutely stunning! The challenge for me was to find one, and by chance, I stumbled upon a nest next to a bike path in the De Maashorst nature reserve in the Netherlands. Night after night, I stood at a respectful distance to see if there was any activity. The nest was quite high up in the tree, so I needed the distance to take a shot that gave a feeling of eye level—an intimate shot. That’s why I chose to use a 1.4x teleconverter on my 400mm lens. After a few evenings, I already had some fantastic shots, but I felt like something was missing. At the same time, I noticed that the sun was shining precisely between the leaves on the tree, as it was still early in the year and the trees weren’t fully covered in leaves yet. How beautiful it would be to play with the shadows that would blend perfectly into the black woodpecker. Now, the challenge was to time it so that the sun would illuminate just the head of the woodpecker without shining on the edge of the nest hole. That way, I would get a mysterious shot where only that lovely red cap, his eyes, and beak would be visible. Using my TPE (The Photographer’s Ephemeris), I was able to gauge the sun’s position, so I went a bit earlier in the following days. The exact moment should be at 16:51. Now, I just had to hope that the woodpecker would come out then. And luckily, a few days later, it happened. Around the scheduled time, a parade of cyclists passed by, after which the woodpecker curiously peeked his head through the hole. That was the moment I was able to take this photo. I was thrilled! When I got home, I immediately checked the catch on my computer. Yes, it was also sharply focused! And then, I also noticed the shadow on the light portion of the tree. It looked like a wing of the woodpecker. That was an extra bonus. That’s why I chose to name the photo ‘Big Wing'."

"The picture was taken in the Lembeh Strait (North Sulawesi, Indonesia), one of the most popular destinations for underwater photographers. This small strait, constantly crossed by large container ships, hides rare and bizarre animals (the so-called critters). In the photo “Dancing in the Moonlight” I portrayed the Banggai cardinalfish, a species that inhabits a very narrow region of Indonesia. In their original habitat (the Banggai islands), they seek refuge among the spines of sea urchins to escape predators, but in the Lembeh Strait, where the long-spined sea urchins are scarce, they rely on anemones for protection. This is an Epibiosis: an advantageous situation for the fish and indifferent for the anemone. Since the Banggai cardinalfish has not developed a resistance to the venom of the anemones, it has to avoid touching the stinging tentacles, unlike the clownfish that can hide among them. Thanks to this particular behavior, I was able to portray these beautiful fishes in front of the anemone, whose tentacles can be glimpsed in the background, in a harmony of complementary colors."

"During a bird-ringing trip with my friends to the Hungarian Tápióság, I saw these roe deer on the top of a hill next to us. As the sun was setting, my immediate thought was to capture a backlit photo, with very high contrast. There was not much time to make it happen, as in a few minutes all the light disappeared. The deer started walking around from one group, but they split up very soon. Just as I thought I missed the opportunity for an interesting photo, they regrouped again for a few moments."

"I was in the Vosges mountains working on my chamois project this autumn. The fog in the valley was beautiful, and I wanted to find another way to present this subject. The sunrise was beautiful red and the grass was illuminated by the first light of the day. I decided to shoot through the grass to get the warm light in the foreground and the fog was in the cool shadow. In that way, I created a cold/warm contrast looking like fire in the foreground."

"In summer, the leaves of Victoria Regia Lindl in the pond of Xishuangbanna Botanical Garden have been cleaned up by garden workers. On the shore, I found a water wolf spider on the back of a giant Victoria regia Lindl leaf. The leaf veins of Victoria Regia Lindl form various frame shapes. The water in the leaf vein frame is like a mirror, and the shape of the water spider forms a reflection in the frame. This is a combination of graphics, lines, and points.

This kind of water wolf spider lives near the water, and sometimes they float on the water. This is due to their lightweight and dense hydrophobic hairs on their toes, which allow them to float and even run on the surface of water, supported by the surface tension of the water. Sometimes, the water wolf spider will dive underwater and form a large bubble and then rely on the air in the bubble to hunt and rest underwater. At this moment, the water wolf spider rarely emerged from the water. The moment when the spider occasionally came out of the water to breathe allowed me to see its whole body.

When I found this water wolf spider resting in the leaf vein framework of Victoria Regia Lindl, I was careful not to disturb it. Slowly approach it and adjust the shooting position. The light is a little dark, so I have to increase the sensitivity and exposure. Although the shutter speed is a little slow, I was able to capture the subject clearly with handheld shooting."

"The Austfonna Ice Cap ranks as the third largest in the world, situated on Nordaustlandet Island within Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. It spans an expansive 8,000 square kilometers and faces a disturbing rate of melting due to global warming. This accelerating thaw contributes significantly to rising sea levels, a grave concern for our planet’s future. During a recent visit to the Austfonna Ice Cap, I had the privilege of capturing a remarkable image of a waterfall formed by the melting ice. Despite having been to this location previously, it was disheartening to observe the sea ice had already vanished in June, allowing us to access the ice cap by ship. This year, the ice cap began melting earlier than usual, giving rise to this captivating waterfall. While the scenery held an enchanting allure, it simultaneously served as a stark reminder of the ice cap’s diminishing state, likely to vanish within a few years. This image is a composite of 26 frames, artfully stitched together to immortalize the transient beauty of this natural wonder."

"In Germany, where I live, there are many clean and slow-flowing streams nearby, which provide excellent habitat for Alpine newts. For years, I have been observing their lives closely, and this year was no exception. As soon as the frogs lay their eggs, a few days later, at dusk, the newts appear and feast on them throughout the night. Sometimes multiple newts compete for the same prey. I attempted to capture this moment underwater this year. To do this, I placed my camera in an underwater housing, secured it with weights, and positioned it beneath the frog eggs. At first, I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure if the underwater housing (Ewa Marine) was completely waterproof. But I thought that if no bubbles appeared, my camera would remain dry. I manually set the focus on the lens beforehand and relied on luck to ensure everything was in the right place. I waited nearby for it to get dark, and when the first newt appeared, I illuminated it with an LED lamp while exposing the shot. I initiated the camera using a homemade wired remote release. I spent four evenings with them this year, trying to capture the best possible shots. Unfortunately, there weren’t more days available because all the frog eggs were consumed, resulting in only 1-2 sharp images."

"I was photographing beautiful demoiselles along the “Rode beek” (Red Creek) in Limburg near Vlodrop. On the ground, I found the damaged wing of a beautiful demoiselle. I took it home where I had every opportunity to take a macro photo. I used a macro lens and two intermediate rings. First I wanted to use the studio flash but the backlight made the beautiful blue color disappear and the wing turned brown. Then I lit the wing diagonally from the front with a soft torch. It turned out there were lots of colors besides the beautiful blue color in that wing. For me, the image became more than a wing but one could see a spaceship or an apartment building in it. The damage, the hole in the wing, emphasizes transience and mortality."

"With my nature photography club, 5 people from Limburg, I spent a few days in the province of Zeeland. We wanted to photograph the sunrise at Flaauwershaven near Kerkwerve so we were early on the scene. The sun did indeed rise very nicely. But then I looked over my shoulder and saw that the windows of the nature reserve’s information hut behind me had a strong orange glow. It looked like it was on fire! One window was broken and you could see the bird information cards through it. I found that very special. And so I took a bird photo without any living birds in it."

"The image is a small example of the colors and reliefs that can be observed on all the slopes and mountains of the Puna, a large territory located more than 3,500 meters high in the North of Argentina, in the province of Jujui. The minerals of its mountains together with the native vegetation make it possible to observe incredibly beautiful colors and shapes. The image was taken in Puna de Atacama-Jujui-Argentina, where for ten days I toured its spectacular mountains.

I made the trip only with a single camera and a single lens (Nikon D5- Nikon 300 f4) trying to make my movement the zoom that I did not have. I also dispensed with the blue sky in 90% of my photographs, because what I wanted to capture above all were shapes and colors and reliefs."

"This season, I wanted to focus on tadpoles. There’s a small pond nearby teeming with these little frogs, making it a perfect spot to spend some afternoons. The idea was to photograph them from below. So, I brought along my underwater housing and tried various ways to get a shot from that angle. I set the white balance a bit cooler to emphasize the end of the day and narrow the aperture for more depth of field, so that you could better see the trees above the pond."

"Over the last centuries, the Alps have been the theatre of many conflicts since they represent natural and political borders among different countries. For this reason, many valleys host remains of past wars, from Medieval castles to trenches and fortifications from the World Wars. During a winter walk in Val Varaita (Western Alps – Italy), I was exploring a snowy landscape when I spotted an Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) licking the wall of a WWII bunker. This artificial construction was perfectly camouflaged on the rocky pattern of the slope partially covered by the snow. This peculiar behavior is probably connected to the assimilation of mineral salts and diet integration during the winter season when food is rare. I captured this scene including the surrounding pattern of vertical rocks to emphasize the peculiarity of the moment: remains of a war past now are peacefully reclaimed by nature."

"I have been traveling the world since I was a teenager, pursuing long-term photography projects. Mine is not a search for the perfect shot, but rather a search for the perfect emotion that gives birth to a good image. As it happens, this photograph was taken a few kilometers from home. We often focus on big issues far from where we live, losing sight of precious details around us. It was spring 2022 when I took this image which is part of a wide-ranging project, born completely spontaneously from a very strong emotional need within me. I had recently suffered a bad, false, and deceptive situation, which had completely destroyed me. So I returned to the natural pond located within the Foreste Casentinesi National Park, a place I have been frequenting for some years. That time I was able to see beyond the usual images. The pond is located within an old-growth forest with the oldest centuries-old chestnut and beech trees in Europe. Numerous amphibians and insects live in the body of water, but also very interesting aquatic plants such as the Potamogeton Natas immortalized in this photo. Each image contains a sensation, a feeling, this was the objective of the project, which lasted about two months."

"Dandelions have a recognizable appearance. They are tall, and straight with a fluffy head. They grow close to each other and often form symmetrical and well-composed rows. Dandelions in the image are an example of such formation. Applying the in-camera multi-exposure function helped me to emphasize the concepts of rhythmicity and arrangement. When I photograph plants and flowers in particular, I am always trying to keep in mind their character and the associations my subjects evoke.

This image is created using the in-camera multi-exposure function. Multi-exposure is often thought of as a toy that allows you to create fun special effects. However, it is a powerful tool for self-expression. It allows you to show in a single frame what you feel or think, but what you can’t technically capture in a single shot."

"After a cold period at the end of November 2022, the ice froze solid on the small freshwater lake in Enebakk, 25 km south of Oslo. Vågvann is a lake with a low water level and good water circulation. A few days later the weather changed, and a thin layer of snow covered the ice. It became milder, the ice expanded and formed cracks with moisture over large parts of the snow-covered ice surface. The dark streaks of moisture became more and more numerous and some were as wide as roads. In recent years, this phenomenon has become more common than before. Climate change is causing several changes in weather from cold to mild. Frost, rain, and snow create unstable winter conditions, which can give us more opportunities to get similar conditions. For a photographer like me who is constantly looking for patterns in nature, I was very happy when I found this subject, although, of course, I am worried about the climate changes we are experiencing.

The conditions were perfect with cloudy weather and little wind. It was just a matter of getting the drone up in the air and start looking for exciting compositions. Found this little island with snow-covered pine trees where the stripes had worked well together forming half circles around the island. Took many pictures this day and everything was constantly changing. The next day there were far too many stripes in the ice to find any interesting shapes and patterns to photograph. It is difficult to transfer experiences we have to others when we are out with a camera."

"During my expedition to Madagascar in 2022, I walked many kilometers through the forest in search of the local unique fauna. Many species use perfect cryptic coloration to survive, so it is advisable to have a good local guide with you. During the walk nearby Andasibe NP he pointed out to me that there was a beautiful specimen of Brookesia superciliaris on the ground ahead. These are tiny lizards that do not exceed 8 cm in length and their coloring blends perfectly with the dry fallen leaves on the ground. It’s so easy to overlook them. I decided to frame the photo in such a way as to accentuate their perfect camouflage with a wider composition including the surrounding foliage. In the picture, the lizard is often not visible at first glance, and its presence is all the more surprising. This exactly reflects my feelings about being in Madagascar, where I had the opportunity to observe many attractive species of animals, yet I am convinced that most remained hidden from my sight. All the more reason to visit this amazing island with endemic but critically endangered fauna."

"At the end of 2018, after completing the production of the film (Babe of the Eastern Neighborhood), which talked about the desert owl and its role in preserving the ecosystem, I wanted to produce another film, this time about the Socotra cormorant, as the Hawar Islands are considered the largest colony of these birds in the country. The Middle East. Hawar Islands are located on the southern side of the Kingdom of Bahrain. They are protected military islands, and to be able to photograph Socotra cormorants on these islands, you need a permit for that, which is somewhat difficult. Therefore, I decided to search for other places where these birds breed in the islands of Bahrain because I know the Jarim Islands, which are three islands located north of the Kingdom of Bahrain and 20 kilometers away from the northern coast in the middle of the sea, and because I have also been visiting these islands since 2016 in the summer, where Tern and egrets breed on one of the islands, and since that year to this day I have been observing these birds in the summer.

Therefore, I decided to search in the winter this time, knowing that Socotra cormorants breed in the winter, as these islands are considered a crossing point for many seabirds. When I arrived at the central island, I was surprised by a huge number of Socotra cormorants incubating their eggs, as I was the first to discover these birds breeding on this island. (Note that all bird photographers and interested people in Bahrain believe that the Socotra cormorant breeds only on the Hawar Islands. I have proven that there are other islands on which this bird breeds.)

From the end of 2018 to 2020, I used to visit these islands during the breeding season of the Socotra cormorants, as the season begins from September to January, and these birds migrate to other regions after they begin to fly. I have not stopped visiting the Gram Islands since 2016, in the summer I follow the terns and in the winter the Socotra cormorants.

At the beginning of the year 2022, everyone was surprised by news reported by the local press stating that the Al-Jarim area and the three islands in it would be transformed into industrial areas and tourist resorts. Then I decided to shed light on these birds that make these islands their home every year they breed. Hence the idea of this picture (with the length of the neck) came, meaning that these birds are observing the unknown fate that awaits them by turning these islands into tourist resorts. The idea was to photograph Socotra cormorants with a slow shutter while moving the camera up to reveal the birds’ necks, as if they were monitoring the place looking for any intruder who wanted to seize this space and turn it into a tourist resorts.

Lately, for most of my photos, I use different shutter aperture techniques, depending on each photo and the subject I want to highlight in the photo. Therefore, I used the slow shutter technique in this photo, where I also moved the camera slowly from bottom to top, to illustrate the length of the necks of the Socotra cormorants."

"Last year at the end of May, I went to one of my absolute favorite places. Grand Teton NP. The weather was very variable. Hot and cold, sun and rain. It was lunchtime that day, and I sat down by the river to eat a quick sandwich before heading back out to look for some animals. Suddenly a big snowfall came. I took shelter in the car watching the fishermen… the snow was falling so thick that I struggled to distinguish their silhouettes. Behind them I see a white pelican letting itself be carried by the river current. The situation was beautiful because the dark background of the forest highlighted the snowflakes. I closed the aperture to have as many well-defined snowflakes as possible. The moment passed very quickly, the pelican, as it appeared, disappeared in a few seconds."

"I shot the snowdrops as a multiple exposure. The colored lights were created by my mobile phone with changing lights, which I positioned behind the flower. By changing the camera position and the color changes, this psychedelic rush of color was created. I had been trying to photograph snowdrops for years, but I was always dissatisfied with the results. So I wanted to try experimentally to create a slightly different photo. It took a few tries before I liked the distribution of the flowers as well as the color distribution."

"Blue auto-fluorescing Star-shaped defensive hairs (Trichomes) covering the surface of a Deutzia leaf are silhouetted against the leaf’s red-fluorescing chlorophyll-packed cells. When exposed to invisible Ultraviolet light (but visible to insects etc.), plant Chlorophyll fluoresces bright red. All green plants fluoresce red while photosynthesizing, but its presence is too faint to be seen in broad daylight. Measurable fluctuations in this fluorescence indicate the plant’s health and ability to fix carbon. Environmental stress (e.g. heat waves, dry spells, flooding) brought on by Climate change can severely impair a plant’s ability to photosynthesize, and in turn, will impact crop productivity and food production."

"We can find mushrooms not only in autumn, but some of them – for example, this antler-shaped fungus – also turn up in winter. The top of the 3-5 cm tall mushroom (Xylaria hypoxylon) branches multiple times, just like antlers. I have been taking photographs of spore clouds for 9 years. My picture ’December Moth’ was taken in last November in Börzsöny hill, Hungary. On a cold evening, I photographed this beautiful bouquet in flash backlight, when after dark – at only 1-2 degrees – December moth (Poecilocampa populi) suddenly fluttered around me in the litter. They just woke up and landed near my equipment and then on top of an antler-shaped fungus. Flashes flashed and he was walking and flapping his wings on the antler formations in backlight. The spores are spread by the currents, and from these, reaching further, new mushrooms can grow. These are unforgettable and tense moments for me. I believe that we can draw attention to the natural beauties with our impressive photos."

"The photo was taken in the Campo Imperatore plain, a vast plain located in the heart of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, in the Abruzzo region, Italy. This area is renowned for its natural beauty, especially during the winter and autumn seasons when the landscape transforms into a large theater capable of offering breathtaking shows. The shapes of the first snow settling on dark earthy ground can create an incredibly charming and magical image. At that moment I immediately had the feeling of being faced with a unique scenario. The contrast between the pure white of the snow and the color of the earth below created spectacular visual compositions. Reliefs, depressions, and details of the terrain emerged clearly, creating unique and exciting lines and geometric patterns. A sort of three-dimensional vision of shapes and surfaces that conveyed pure emotions to the eye of the camera."

"The Margined Ramshorn pond snail (Planorbis planorbis) carries around a galaxy of photosynthetic single-celled algae, including Chlamydomonas and Micrasterias, living within a slimy biofilm covering the snail’s shell. The Chlorophyll within these unicellular algae shines bright red like stars within a night sky when illuminated by Ultraviolet light – a process called auto-fluorescence. The snail’s intestines are contrasted in shades of midnight blue. It is astonishing the diversity of “invisible life” that is all around us. I was amazed at the remarkable galaxy of microscopic life clinging to a pond snail’s back."

"The photo was taken in Hungary last January. There are saline lakes near my hometown, which were frozen due to the cold. Some snow had fallen on them the previous night. However, during the day, the temperature rose above zero, causing the snow to start melting. As a result, fascinating formations formed on the ice. I planned to go out and start flying my drone above the lakes, searching for interesting shapes. I was amazed because wherever I turned the drone, I found great compositions. Suddenly, I noticed a dozen Greater White-fronted Geese flying beneath my drone; they couldn’t have been very far because the footage was almost unedited. Reflexively, I took a series of shots. At that moment, I knew it was an irreplaceable moment. I immediately reviewed the shots, and out of the series, only this one picture was acceptable. I was fortunate that the sun was shining brightly because it allowed me to use a short shutter speed. This way, the geese remained sharp, without any motion blur. I was thrilled that both the composition and the birds were in the perfect position."

"The photo was taken in Hungary in the Fall of 2022. One day, I was walking in the nearby forest with my little son when he noticed these small yellow mushrooms (Yellow Stagshorn) on a decaying log. I immediately thought of coming back here at dusk and trying to photograph them with backlighting. I saw great potential in the scene.

I set up my camera on a tripod and used 2 flashes as a backlight. In the meantime, I illuminated them with an LED lamp to find the focus. It was then that I noticed a Crane fly (Tipulidae) flying towards the light of the lamp. I set the flashes to the second curtain, and thanks to the LED lamp, the flight phase of the mosquito became visible during the long shutter speed.

Luckily for me, I got a picture where the mosquito and the small mushrooms were sharp. To capture the atmosphere of the twilight blue hour, during the in-camera multiple exposures, I turned the camera towards the canopy of the trees and moved it in a circle."