Irish con mare, named Angel. Photographed at night, backlit with LED light

Fighting stallions. This is what horses do when living wild. They won't kill each other, they fight to establish leadership. It is us, owners, who deprive them of their natural behaviour, because we are being overprotective. Keeping stallions alone often leads to them being frustrated and becoming agressive. Horses are social animals who are unhappy when they can't interact with others. During this photoshoot, none of them got injured. They were closely supervised to avoid any risk. After an initial fight, they were perfectly happy with each other.

This was early one spring morning. I went to a lake where cherry blossoms were in bloom. It was raining at night, and at sunrise the rain stopped and there was fog. While I was photographing the scenery, a rainbow appeared overhead. I hurriedly changed lenses to find the right composition and took the picture. Here is a shot of the spring cherry trees and the two miraculous rainbow arches! I took a 14mm shot, but it didn't fit, so I took multiple shots and composited them into a panorama.

I am a landscape and wildlife photographer with a wide range of genres in Japan. I usually work as a construction worker and enjoy using my camera. I work for various companies and NFT in a wide range of fields. I started participating in international photo contests outside of Japan in 2022!

Pucón, Chile. A gigantic lenticular cloud is illuminated by the lava well of the Villarrica volcano, which is on yellow alert. The Villarrica volcano is the most dangerous volcano in Chile and one of the most active in South America.

Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park(HMDSP) in Taiwan is far away from the light pollution of urban area, it is easy to be here by driving for stargazing the dark sky over 3000m altitude all year. Taiwan is one of most ecologically diverse areas in Asia, due to Eurasia’s animals and plants migrated to here during the ice age, there are some special species, like Alpine rhododendron, could be found in here. It took me two years for scouting and waiting for the best timing to complete this collection, it presents the landscape with dark sky I love in this beautiful mountain.

The bubble is like a small world; beautiful and so fragile. It depends on the external circumstances how long it lasts. It's actually just like its big counterpart, on which we are allowed to live - but there WE are the external circumstances...

Gold in Nature/Sunset, 1st Place winner in Nature

There are many small sand dunes on the Ulan Butong Grassland in Inner Mongolia. Before the sunset, horses run on the hillside, and the sun shines on the raised dust, which is majestic.

In North Manitoba in winter, I witnessed the Mom Polar Bear emerging from her den with 2 young cubs, discovering the world for the very first time. Photography taken in extreme cold and challenging conditions (-57° Celsius)

Polish-American, living now in France, multi-awarded in different international photography contests. Professionnal wildlife photographer and great traveler, I am travelling all over the world with my husband, trying to capture the wonders and the beauties, but also the fragility of our Planet. In nature, and specially in arctic and cold places, this is where I like to be, and this is where I can express my creativity. Each reportage is always beginning by a careful preparation and study of the species to photograph, their behaviors and places to explore. This is when the dream begins.

At the base of the mountains in the desert plains...that is where you discover the wild mustangs...untamed, the true symbols of strength and freedom...our American Icons.

The aurora forecast for the night was promising so I walked a few kilometers to a nearby swamp area. Soon as the sky got dark the aurora was visible overhead next to the bright moon, but eventually got so far south that it completely disappeared from my location. At the same time the people of south Finland had their first proper aurora show in years. Later on the auroras would return to the more northern latitudes where the lights would explode in brightness and you could see the purple rays rising high into skies. The best parts finished just on time as the fog was starting to cover the sky.

I am passionate about polar regions and enjoy capturing the natural phenomenon, such as the northern lights and rare clouds. Having spent most of my life living in big cities of south Finland I felt depressed not being able to see the night sky properly due to light pollution, so I moved to the northern parts of the arctic to the small towns and villages. I move frequently as I enjoy discovering new rural locations in the arctic with each location having their own adventures and plan on creating a free astronomy club in Greenland.

It is one of the mountains in the central part of Hokkaido, located in northern Japan. In the stillness of -17 degrees Celsius, a ray of light pierced through. The frost smoke and frost-covered trees were beautifully illuminated. That ray of light in the cold darkness felt like a symbol of hope for life. In that precious morning, I silently thought, "Thank you, God."

This is Studio O'nos, established in August 2020. We are a small photo studio in Fukuoka prefecture. With the slogan "Changing the future with photos," we sell photo panels designed to heal and uplift the customers who choose to decorate with them. The idea of "with photos," rather than "by photos," signifies that our photos play a supporting role, while the main role belongs to each customer. A single photo, selected by the customer, can move and inspire. If you change your mindset, you change your actions. If you change your actions, you change your future. We believe this is the essence of our existence.

This photograph breaks boundaries between humans and animals. Showing that animals like humans have their own distinct personalities. The video of this turtle I posted went viral globally reaching over 800million views across social/media channels as no one had ever seen a turtle blow bubbles while deep in the water out of their mouth. Scientist, marine biologists and turtle experts were all blown away - never seen anything like it.

Why is the Earth crying?

I am François, 36 years old, passionate about travel and photography. I am a professional photographer based in Hauts-de-France, and I have been awarded in several French and international competitions. After more than 10 years of wandering the world, I fell in love with Iceland. My four trips to this country, rich in colorful landscapes, have allowed me to offer my vision of its raw, untouched nature. Far from the hustle and bustle of cities, my goal is to bring nature back to the forefront and question the place of humanity within this still-wild environment.

No AI, No Photoshop. Actual moment prior to sunset of a lightning bolt over the Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota, Florida.

In the heart of the Madagascar forest, a curious lemur holds emerald-green vanilla leaves in its paws, a fragrant and enchanting treasure hidden among the branches. The crowned lemur blends harmoniously into the surrounding environment, embodying the sweetness and beauty of the lush Malagasy rainforest with eyes full of wonder.

Marcello Galleano, an entrepreneur in the field of nutraceuticals and herbal medicine, has always been a lover of nature and adventure trips. He has visited more than 85 countries worldwide and collaborates with non-profit associations in Africa and South America. Passionate about wildlife photography, he loves to capture the most incredible moments that the various environments offer and share the beauty of the world.

In Vietnam, the ancient art of soy sauce production unfolds in mesmerizing patterns when viewed from above through a drone's lens. Cu Da village, renowned for its mastery in crafting soy sauce, has upheld this tradition for over five centuries. In days gone by, each household in the village preserved multiple soy sauce jars, ensuring a year-round supply.

Leafy sea dragon that listed as a near threatened species and endemic to Australia. It was always difficult to find them due to mimic the surrounding kelp although their size of 40 cm even. It is one of the most beautiful elaborate mimicry creatures on the earth.

I am working as a researcher at medical company but I want to concentrate on shooting in 2022.

Last seconds of life. A mother zebra makes one final attempt to separate her foal from its pursuant – but fails. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.

Alex Brackx is a professional Wildlife photographer from Belgium. He started to pursue wildlife photography in 2010 while travelling in South and Central America. Through further travels in Asia, Belarus, Finland, and again South America, he began to hone his craft, travelling to film and take photos of wildlife. Amongst his favorite areas are Kenya, Botswana, Svalbard, Scandinavia, Tasmania and Mongolia . For Alex, it is a thrill to photograph his observations of mammals and birds in different landscapes, jungles, deserts and oceans all over the world .

These homegrown tulips have been photographed in a stylised way using studio lighting. The macro lens offers a shallow depth of field so in order to achieve enhanced clarity and definition a focus stacking technique has been used. Between 30 to 120 frames at slightly different focal points have been blended on each image to create pin-sharp focus from front to back. The goal was to observe as much fine detail as possible.

For Tim Platt, photography is above all about the simple joy of seeing. After over 25 years experience in delivering international advertising campaigns for blue-chip companies like Unilever, P&G, Samsung, LG, Britvic, and GSK among many others, Tim has mastered the craft and technique required at the highest echelons of commercial photography. Although craft and technique should not be underestimated, it is a mysterious neural connection between the eye and the brain that makes great images, and technique should always remain safely behind the scenes. He runs his own studio in central London.

The rivers of Iceland run from the glaciers to the oceans, creating paths across the volcanic earth which look like the veins of the land when seen from the air. Along the way, they transport vital nutrients for the ecosystem in the form of sediment, which are responsible for the sometimes very unusual colors of the water, sometimes looks like another planet. When you shot from the air, sometimes can be a big challenge to create a photograph in windy conditions and for short periods of time.

A window into the magic world of winter

A consequence of growing up in mountainous areas is a sensitivity to the subtle cycles and seasonal changes of the landscape. The trees, the rivers, the fields, the snow cover, and the mountains, which show different aspects of themselves from one hour, one day, one season, to the next. The world’s wild places - mountains, glaciers, polar ice – are under increasing pressure, both from climate change and the relentless intrusion of human activities. One way to inspire people to value and make an effort to preserve these areas is by sharing images of them.

We are absolutely fascinated by these beautiful patterns on the frozen lakes we discovered in February this year. They are like flowers, branches, stars, abstract compositions, minimalistic, fantastic! You can only see them from above. As we later found out, these are holes created as a result of vegetation inside the lake. These sprawling cracks and surrounding shapes are a quite rare sight.

This was a surprise from Mother Nature. I just wanted to take a click of the beautiful view, but when the drone was raised it was the symbol of love.

This is Mohan, I am a freelance photographer. I do wedding photography and my passion is landscape, Astro, Lightning, and wildlife photography. I do all genres in that. I would go to any extent for a perfect click. The click makes me feel the real me. Travel and photography are the rhythms of my life. I love a simple lifestyle and to bow before nature.

Lion's mane jellyfish which I found in the north of Japan was pink-purple in early summer. It was a refuge for juvenile Alaska pollock. When the umbrella was opened, this jellyfish was shaped like a flower, and with the addition of elegant colors, it looked like a large flower blooming.

I am working as a researcher at medical company but I want to concentrate on shooting in 2022.

Quietly standing in the reservoir, the trees seemed to be patiently awaiting the arrival of winter. I captured the atmosphere by taking a 95 second long exposure, allowing me to convey the sense of stillness and anticipation in the scene.

There is an old forest a few kilometres from where I live. For many years I didn't know what treasure was hidden in it. During the pandemic there was a lockdown for several days, during which it was forbidden to leave the district. That's when I started walking around my neighborhood until I got to this forest. I was just taking a walk, I needed to clean my mind and think about more positive things. Deeper in the forest I was left standing in pure amazement - 300 or 400 years old oaks had appeared in front of me and there were more and more of them. It was love at first sight.

I take pictures of trees, this is what I specialize in. Trees are alive beings and that is how I try to catch them. I am a photographer of the Tree of the Year Slovakia poll.

This is a dammed lake formed by the temporary accumulation of melted snow. Normally, the area is overgrown with trees, but for a limited time, a phantom forest appears on the surface of the water. It is a paradise as well as a phantom water forest, where birds and people can be seen nesting.

I have started photography since 2013. Because I wanted to preserve the beautiful night view of Nagasaki, which I visited on a trip, in photographic form. In the beginning, I mainly photographed night views of cities, but later I became fascinated with nature photography. I am currently on a quest to capture the scenery of Chiba, where I was born and raised, and other places in Japan. I confronts photography from both analog and digital perspectives.

Gold in Nature/Underwater, 2nd Place winner in Nature

Enjoy the constantly changing scenes of the ocean. Every wave is unique and shows the ocean's strength and calm. Just as big waves consist of small ones, our lives are made of small moments that come together to tell a bigger story. See how calm moments can turn into big events, and remember: big changes start with small beginnings. The photo series was taken in Egypt during scuba dives.

Alexej is a passionate diver and an underwater photographer. His photographs depict the beauty and richness of the underwater world and the horrors of man-made ocean pollution. Alexej was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Inspired by his mother’s photographs, Alexej started photographing in his childhood. Alexej’s underwater photos are successful in FineArt, Environmental, Abstract, Seascape and Nature categories of various professional international photography competitions.