What’s better than funny pet photos? How about an entire photo contest dedicated to our comical companions? Well, the Comedy Pet Photography Awards are back with a fresh set of winners for 2022. And the photos do not disappoint. From sassy alpaca to spastic pups, this gallery has no shortage of personalities.

About the Comedy Pet Photography Awards

The Comedy Pet Photography Awards are a UK-based competition, open to all. Founded in 2020, the competition’s mission is to, “promote positive awareness of animal welfare issues and celebrate the incredible and valuable contribution that pets can and do have on our lives.” And each year, they donate a sizable chunk of cash to one or more pet rescue charities.

Related: A selection of the year’s best nature photos

The overall winner of this year’s competition, Kenichi Morinaga, took home a £2000 (USD $2172) cash prize. In addition, he gets the honor of deciding which animal welfare organization the competition will make a £5,000 (USD $5424) contribution to. And, apparently after much thought, he chose the UK-based Cat Welfare Group.

Category winners, meanwhile get a Comedy Pet Photography Awards goody bag and bragging rights. Now, on to the photos!

Overall winner & Cat category winner

The Cat category and overall winning image definitely has a cartoon vibe. It’s as if these two were chasing one another, Tom and Jerry style, only to collide, head-on, leading to two exaggeratedly compacted bodies. I fully expect an accordion to play in the moments after this collision.

Horse category winner

Radim Filipek took home the top prize in the “Mighty Horse” category. And gosh darn are those some jovial equine. Mamma, on the right, seems to be really laughing it up and having a good time, (though a Crest Whitening strip couldn’t hurt). And, crikey, Monty is a big boy for just three days old!

Other Creatures category winner

Personally, this is my favorite image of the bunch. That expression, the single tooth showing, and the long stogey-looking stick dangling from the mouth all give this alpaca a most humanlike quality. In fact, I’m pretty sure I encountered this guy playing blackjack at an off-the-boardwalk casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Junior category winner

Cats are curious creatures and occasionally, their instincts get the best of them. That appears to be the case for Jack the Cat here. Poor fella is stuck at the top of the hedge! Hopefully, his rescue didn’t require a visit from the fire department. Either way, Freya Sharpe took home the top prize in the 16 and under category for this one. And it sounds like Jack is made it down safe and sound.

Pets who look like their owners

The more I look at this image, the more I see the resemblance. They say couples who grow old together start to look like one another. Perhaps the same is true of pets?

People’s Choice

The people have spoken and their favorite image is this fantastic snap of one goofy, happy, recently-rescued pup. Between his story and that face, how could Carter not bring a smile to yours?

Comedy Pet Team Favorites

Finally, the folks who run the contest picked a favorite and they chose well. While the image title suggests that this proper pup is a chauffeur, I see them more as the cool guy, rolling up in a fly red whip, ready to steal yo’ girl or guy. Pup just needs some Tom Cruise-approved aviators.

Submit your own funny pet photos

Got some funny pet photos of your own? Details for next year’s contest have yet to be announced but keep an eye on the contest website for updates.

The post Laugh it up fuzzball – the year’s funniest pet photos appeared first on Popular Photography.

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An aurora dances, illuminating the night sky. The Milky Way stretches across snowy mountain tops. An abstracted view of the sun and moon. These images and more make up the winning cohort for this year’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards, which are put on anually by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London. 

About the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 

Related: Feast your eyes on these brilliant astronomy photos

In its 14th year, the Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards whittled down over 3,000 submissions from 67 countries to crown the winners. The competition is hosted by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, and the images are on display at the National Maritime Museum in London starting September 17. 

The goal of the awards is to present the best space photography from around the world. Photographers can enter images into the following categories: Aurorae; Galaxies; Our Moon; Our Sun; People and Space; Planets, Comets, and Asteroids; Skyscapes; Stars and Nebulae; and the Young Competition. There are also two special prizes, the Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer and the Annie Maunder Prize for Image Innovation.

The grand prize winner receives £10,000 (approximately $11,400), while the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year nets £1,500 ($1,700). Runners-up and highly commended entries will see £500 ($570) and £250 ($285), respectively. All winners receive a one-year subscription to BBC Sky at Night Magazine. 

Astronomy Photographer of the Year

Related: Best telescopes

Also the winner of the “Planets, Comets, and Asteroids” category, Gerald Rhemann now bears the title of Astronomy Photographer of the Year with his image, Disconnection event. The picture shows Comet Leonard’s gas tail being swept away by solar wind. 

“Rhemann’s astonishing image of Comet Leonard, a long-period comet first identified in January 2021, was captured by the Austrian photographer in Namibia on Christmas Day. Comet Leonard was the brightest comet of the year in 2021 but won’t be seen from Earth again,” the jury writes. 

“When I first saw this image of Comet Leonard, I was blown away. This picture of a recent visitor to our Solar System has been captured beautifully. The stars in the background give the comet’s tail a magical appearance. I could stare at this image all day,” commented Melissa Brobby, judge and Social Media Officer for the Institute of Physics.

Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year

A team of plucky 14-year-olds snagged the Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year prize. Yang Hanwen and Zhou Zezhen submitted a photo of the Milky Way’s closest and largest neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy.

“I think this photo shows how gorgeous our nearest neighbor is,” Hanwen says. “One of the main functions of astrophotography is to attract more people to fall in love with astronomy by showing the beauty of the Universe,” adds Zezhen.

The judges were impressed, too. 

“It is a superb capture by young astrophotographers, who also demonstrate their exceptional talent in processing a deep-sky photo.” writes László Francsics, judge and Chairman of the Hungarian Astrophraphers’ Association.  

Skyscapes

Zijui Hu’s winning image uses light trails to give the illusion of speed, evoking a scene reminiscent of Star Wars against the dramatic backdrop of a mountain peak rising above the fog. 

“I love the juxtaposition of the star trails against the clear peak of the mountain. The motion of the clouds adds to the drama,” Hu says.

People & Space

Andrew McCarthy puts the International Space Station into perspective as it traverses its stellar path. Mighty though it may be, the picture highlights how small we truly are. 

“The symbol of man, the tiny silhouette of the ISS, is dwarfed by the vast and detailed lunar surface, colored by mineral deposits. It shows us just how fragile we are,” notes judge Francsics.

Aurorae

Jagged chunks of ice glow softly in the gentle light of an aurora, which streaks green against a dark, starry night sky. 

“I love this photo because it really sums up aurorae for me: the green ‘swoosh’ reflected in the icy lake, the clarity of the edges of the ice blocks and the looming shadow of the mountain,” comments judge Sheila Kanani. 

Galaxies

The team of Utkarsh Mishra, Michael Petrasko, and Muir Evenden claimed the Galaxies category prize with Majestic Sombrero Galaxy. Upon closer inspection, you can see where it gets its unusual name: the faint galaxy does indeed resemble a hat.

“The Sombrero is a well-documented galaxy, yet astrophotographers still find ways to tease more majesty from it. To see the misty remnants of previous collisions surrounding the galaxy, itself floating alone in the void, is just exquisite,” notes judge Steve Marsh.

Our Moon 

Martin Lewis is the winner of the Our Moon category with a stunning detail image featuring Plato’s East Rim. The stark lighting and heavy shadow add an element of mystery to an otherwise well-known fixture of space.

“This close-up of the Plato crater has become one of my favorite photographs of the Moon. This image of the east rim being hit by the Sun’s rays is wondrously unique and proves that, no matter how often we look at the Moon, it always has many more wonderful sights for us to observe,” says judge Brobby. 

Our Sun

Here, the sun glows—not a fiery, explosive, bubbling dance, but rather projecting a powerful calm over the planets it presides. 

“The commitment and diligence (not to mention luck) needed to image the Sun every day for a year is a feat within itself. But, more than just a matter of hard work, this photographer has achieved a fascinating and unique look at the progression of sunspot bands across its disc,” judge Marsh writes.

Stars & nebulae

If a higher power is out there, Weitang Liang sure captured some convincing proof. It doesn’t look like anything you’d want to cross—but the beauty is dazzling nonetheless. 

“The colors in this photograph make for a stunning composition—from the fiery red to the defiant, moody blue at the center of the ‘eye’. It’s easy to see how the ancients used to stargaze into the heavens and imagine that the cosmos was looking back, keeping a watchful eye over us,” shares judge Imad Ahmed. 

The Annie Maunder Prize for Digital Innovation

With a little bit of abstraction, Pauline Woolley transforms the sun into a desolate maze streaked by ominous black swirls that harken back to swaying branches in the wind. 

“Dendrochronology—the scientific method of calculating dates based on tree rings—is used by art historians and conservators to date wood panel paintings, but here the technology has been utilized to create an unusual and beautiful composition. This is an innovative photograph that immediately astonished all the judges,” writes judge Hannah Lyons.

The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer

Stretching high into the starry sky, the Milky Way forms a celestial bridge across snow-capped mountains, earning Lun Deng the Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer. 

“The icy, ragged mountaintop is contrasted beautifully with the Milky Way, the lighter pink and indigo hues of which offer us a mesmerizing, warm glow. I also have to commend the photographer’s dedication—standing in the snow in freezing conditions—to capture this picture!” judge Ahmed comments. 

How to enter the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition

The Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition is open to all photographers worldwide. The submission period begins on January 10, with a limit of 10 photos per participant. Check the website or the Facebook group for updated information and deadlines.

The post Ephemeral auroras and playful galaxies: these are the Astronomy Photographer of the Year winners appeared first on Popular Photography.

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A bird’s eye view gives us the ability to observe everyday places, people, and activities with fresh a fresh perspective. And sometimes, the most unexpected locations yield the most creative results. The Drone Photo Awards are celebrating the year’s best aerial photography and videography, and the winning images are inspiring, heartbreaking, thoughtful, and every emotion in between. 

About the Drone Photo Awards

Related: The best drones of 2022

The worldwide competition celebrates drone photography and video as a spinoff of the Siena Awards, a photography competition that promotes international arts, culture, traditions, and monuments. The Drone Photo Awards are meant to be an avenue to appreciate the craft and separate it from traditional camera photography.

The competition is open to creators using fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, balloons, blimps, dirigibles, rockets, kites, and parachutes. Take your pick! Participants can submit photos into up to eight categories: Wedding, Nature, People, Urban, Animals, Abstract, Sport, and Video. 

An international jury panel representing six countries chooses the winners. Those selected will have their work showcased at a gallery in Siena, Italy during the Siena Awards Festival and are invited to participate in the opening reception.

The top prize awards €500,000 (USD $502,190) in photography equipment and the title of Drone Photographer of the Year. Category winners receive a Pangea Prize Crystal statuette presented at the awards ceremony in October. The jury also names runners-up for each category, along with highly commended, and commended distinctions. All images are displayed in Siena at the exhibition, “Above Us Only Sky.”

Here are the victors. 

Drone Photographer of the Year

A picture’s worth a thousand words—and so is a good crop. Somewhat far from what the title would have you believe, the winning entry of the Drone Photo Awards actually depicts a secondary fissure close to the main crater of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland. Armand Sarlangue braved the rain and strong winds during a storm in order to document the event. 

Urban

Serhiy Vovk captures the mesmerizing repetition of Copenhagen’s Kartoffelrækkerne neighborhood in Oesterbro. In its past life, the area served as affordable, working-class housing, but today it’s one of the city’s most sought-after locations.

Wildlife

A fantastic flock of flamingoes fills the frame in Mehdi Mohebipour’s image, which won the Wildlife category.

“Flamingos sleep together at night for greater security and stay close together during the day, thus protecting each other,” Mohebipour shares. “In this crowd of bodies the colorful nuances of the plumage and the reflections of the light stand out.”

Sports

The winner of the Drone Photo Awards Sports category is Daniel Koszela, who submitted this colorful image of skiers racing down the mountain at the 46th Bieg Piastów cross-country skiing competition held in Szklarska Poręba, Poland. The motion blur adds to the frenzied excitement and speed of the race. 

People

Anindita Roy’s winning photograph freezes a moment of calm in the chaos. 

“Dhaka is located on the bank of the famous Buriganga river,” Roy writes. “Sadarghat river port of Dhaka is the busiest port in Bangladesh, with services to most of the districts in the country. People from both sides of the Buriganga river cross it using small boats. The boatmen working on them usually sleep at night on the boats themselves.”

Nature

The ocean meets the desert in a peaceful juxtaposition, as photographed by winner David Rouge on the South Atlantic Ocean. 

Abstract

Saurabh Sirohiya shows the artistic side to an otherwise grueling job: laborers working at a salt pan.

“They move the salt to form circular lines allowing a slow evaporation under the hot sun. At the end of the day the salt will be collected in baskets,” Sirohiya notes. A change in perspective really can reveal the beauty of seemingly mundane tasks. 

Wedding

This is no typical wedding day drone shot. Winner Krzysztof Krawczyk adds an ethereal, fine-art edge to the category with a breathtaking submission.

“The effect of the sun on the water, a felled tree and a brave bride lying on it: a magnificent picture drawn by nature,” Krawczyk says. “The surface of the water looks like a starry night sky, while the bride looks like a dreamy princess.”

Series

To create this series, photographer Dmitry Kokh trekked for 1200 miles along the Chukotka and Wrangel Island coasts in Russia. While taking shelter from a storm on the island of Kolyuchin, Kokh spotted polar bears through his binoculars as they roamed abandoned houses. Kokh employed a drone with low-noise propellers to photograph the bears without disturbing them. 

Video: General

Flyage Personal Views.

Mauro Pagliai brings viewers around Italy, showcasing the country from north to south, seas to mountains, cities, and valleys—you’ll want to head on an Italian vacation after watching this. 

Video: Photojournalism

The soul of a city. Ukraine.

Yurii Bobyr presents the stark reality of Ukraine in the wake of Russian’s invasion. 

Video: Travel  

My year 2021.

Alen Tkalcec’s winning video is a patchwork quilt of travels. It features hot air balloons and snow-covered peaks rising towards the sky, cliffside towns, pyramids, beaches, and more. If that’s not enough to give you wanderlust, we don’t know what is. 

How to enter the Drone Photo Awards 

The Drone Photo Awards are open to amateurs and professionals alike, and the jury will accept both published and unpublished work. Your first entry is free, or you can submit three images for €20 (USD $20). Each additional image beyond that is €10 (USD $10), with series and video submissions billed at €35 (USD $35). 

Creators can enter their works by May 20 for a discounted rate. The deadline to submit is June 25, but check the website for updates. 

The post Venture high in the sky with the winners of the 2022 Drone Photo Awards appeared first on Popular Photography.

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Photographically speaking, birds reign supreme here at PopPhoto. We just finished covering the 13th annual Audubon Photography Awards, and now we’re back with another stunning gallery of avian life. The 2022 Bird Photographer of the Year awards showcase majestic migrations, cheeky dances, and fierce brawls.

Related: All things avian: our favorite reader-submitted Photos of the Day 

About the Bird Photographer of the Year awards

The competition garnered over 20,000 submissions competing for the grand prize of £5,000 (USD $5,797) and the title of Bird Photographer of the Year. Gold, Silver, and Bronze prizes are also awarded in every category, of which there are eight: Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Attention to Detail, Bird Behavior, Birds in Flight, Black & White, Urban Birds, and Creative Imagery. There is also a Conservation Award, Portfolio Award, and Video Award. The goal of the Bird Photographer of the Year awards is to not only celebrate avian life but to also highlight the need to protect it.

Winning images were selected by a large international judging panel representing various wildlife industries, from photography to conservation, broadcasting, and publishing. 

“Once again our talented photographers have cast a light on the incredible diversity of bird life that we share our planet with,” says Will Nicholls, Director of Bird Photographer of the Year. “But it is also a stark reminder of what we stand to lose if we don’t continue to look after the natural world and fight for its protection from the many threats that exist today.”

Bird Photographer of the Year 

Norwegian photographer Erlend Haarberg took home the top prize and won the Birds in the Environment category with an image of a Rock Ptarmigan soaring over snow-capped mountains.

“High up in the mountains, the wind, snow, and cold maintain the iron grip of winter for many months on end. This is where Rock Ptarmigan thrive in an endless white landscape,” says Haarberg. “On this particular winter’s day, I was on my way to a mountain top. I had almost reached the summit when I spotted some ptarmigan tracks in the snow. Soon a bird took flight, with the dramatic backdrop showing what a harsh environment this bird calls home.”

Young Bird Photographer of the Year

Though the weather for this particular trip was less than ideal, Young Bird Photographer of the Year Levi Fitze made the most of it.

“When I saw a group of Dunlin struggling with a small sandstorm, I decided to risk my equipment and attempt to photograph them,” Fitze shares. “I could really see on their faces how annoyed they were by the wind and sand flying everywhere.”

Attention to detail

Mention a King Penguin and a striking tuxedo coat may very well come to mind. Attention to Detail category winner Andy Pollard offers up a different perspective with an image of a penguin chick fast asleep. 

“While most images of King Penguins seem to be of striking adult birds, there is a definite cuteness to the chicks in their brown ‘teddy bear’ plumage,” Pollard writes. “This chick was asleep at Volunteer Point in the Falkland Islands, and I took the opportunity to capture the details around the beak, eye, and ear, the latter seldom seen.”

Best Portrait

Strut like you mean it. Ly Dang took home the Gold Award in the Portrait category for this humorous image of a Sage Grouse putting on a show. 

“I arrived at the lek more than an hour before the birds so I could set up my hide without causing disturbance. Similarly, with the best interests of the birds at heart, I packed up the hide only when the last bird had left the area,” Dang recounts. “In previous years I had tried to capture this type of portrait shot but had been unsuccessful. However, on this particular morning my luck changed when this bird wandered close to my hide in full display. The photograph was taken without using baiting, calls, lures, or unethical practices of any kind.”

Bird Behavior

Don’t get in the way of these birds. A Sage Grouse is ready to put up a ferocious fight to win a lady. Peter Ismert won the Bird Photographer of the Year’s Bird Behavior category for this electric capture. 

“They have an elaborate display designed to attract and impress females and show their superiority; inevitably this leads to a rivalry between males and challenges on the lek.”

Birds in Flight

A mystical, mythical scene observed by Raoul Slater reveals an interesting tidbit about life in rural Australia. 

“Large areas of Australia are flat, dry, and given over to wheat farming. Towns can consist of as little as a truck stop and a collection of grain silos. In some locations, these silos have become popular palettes for enormous murals, drawing tourists into otherwise desolate areas,” Slater explains. “I passed through Yelarbon and stopped for two hours to photograph the Galahs that are attracted to spilt grain. The results were so pleasing and surreal that I made the seven-hour trip on a subsequent weekend to have another go, only to find that a mouse plague had moved in and the silos were being fumigated—no Galahs.”

Black & White

Two worlds collide in Henley Spiers’ image, which won the Bird Photographer of the Year black and white award. Sky and sea meet for a breathtaking capture. 

“Ten meters down, I found myself hovering between two worlds. Below, an enormous school of fish covered the bottom as far as I could see. Above, a single Double-crested Cormorant patrolled the surface, catching its breath and peering down at a potential underwater feast,” Spiers shares. “The cormorant, better designed for swimming than flying, would dive down at speed, aggressively pursuing the fish. The school would move in unison to escape the bird’s sharp beak, making it difficult to isolate a single target. More often than not, the bird returned to the surface empty-billed, and peace would momentarily be restored.”

Urban Birds

Head in the clouds. A flock of Greater Flamingos cruises above the skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi, which are engulfed in an ethereal mist. 

“At the time it seemed a bit like a fantasy, a fleeting moment made surreal as the birds unexpectedly flew past,” Ahmed says. “Fortunately, I was prepared for action and my zoom lens allowed me to frame the birds and capture the moment.”

Creative Imagery

Swoops and swirls, birds in flight, and hope of possibility. Photographer Petro Katerynych shares the deep meaning these White Storks hold for the people of Ukraine. 

“In Ukrainian mythology White Storks symbolize faithfulness and strength of spirit. White Storks are seen as a symbol of love for their motherland. When spring arrives and storks return home, Ukrainians young and old go out into the streets, greet the birds’ arrival and sing traditional songs called Vesnyanki in celebration,” Katerynych explains. “Storks also set a good example and serve to remind Ukrainians how important it is to love our homeland. They fly thousands of kilometers to warmer lands when there is a bitter winter. But they always come back, overcoming all the hardships that beset them on their journey. We believe that love for their native land gives the storks the strength to survive and return home. My fellow Ukrainians are facing a similarly challenging task right now—once again they must defend their native nests, while some are forced to rush like storks in the direction of the sun. Many of us will fall, but I hope that spring is ahead of us. I believe that most of us will live to see the return of White Storks circling overhead in the peaceful skies of a free Ukraine. Then we will all rally together, and sing Vesnyanki once more.”

How to enter the Bird Photographer of the Year award

Submissions for the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year awards open on September 9, with a deadline to submit by December 11. The contest welcomes both amateur and professional photographers of all ages worldwide. See the website for updated information. 

The post From majestic migrations to bullish brawls, these are the Bird Photographer of the Year winners appeared first on Popular Photography.

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Color photography is fun but it can at times also be distracting. The simplicity offered in monochrome is an easy way to strip down a scene to its essence, to focus on the lines, shapes, and composition of a photograph, without being sidetracked by bold hues. In its first year, the winning selection of the Black and White Photo Award celebrates the majesty of monochrome.

Related: Best black and white film

About the Black & White Photo Award

The inaugural Black and White Photo Award set out to discover the best B&W photographers, including professionals and amateurs alike. Participants can submit their images to five categories: Architecture, Street, Portraiture, Fauna and Flora, and Landscape. 

Prizes are awarded by a jury composed of Joel Tjintjelaar, a B&W fine-art photographer, educator, and photography software designer; Julia Anna Gospodarou, International Photography Awards Professional Architecture Photographer of the Year; and Charles Paul Azzopardi, president of the Malta Institute of Professional Photography. Additionally, an assistant jury of professional photographers representing Haida and NCJ Media Solutions helped the panel in choose the winners. 

The overall winner is the recipient of €1000 (USD $995); category winners receive €100 (USD $100). There is also a prize for creativity, which pays €200 (USD $199), and the Haida Special Award, whose prize is a Haida filter kit. Here are the victors—plus a few of our favorite picks.

Related: You should develop your own black and white film. Here’s how

Overall winner

Johan Willems claimed the top prize with a majestic photo of a cheetah presiding over her brood. The fluffy, scraggly little pack is nearly obscured by the tall grasses as mom stands on lookout duty. 

Special Prize for Creativity

In Levitate, Dusty Cooper snags the Special Prize for Creativity. A long exposure and strategic lighting create a ghostly, ephemeral photo that feels like a dream. 

Architecture

Geometry, light, and shadow marry beautifully here. Hector Ballester punctuates the scene with the barely perceptible human element in the distance. 

Street

Saurabh Sirohiya offers a unique perspective of worshippers gathering for the celebration of an important holiday in Islam. 

Portrait

Portrait winner Kazutoshi Kawakami offers up an abstract interpretation of the traditional portrait that feels like something Man Ray might have been into. 

Fauna & flora

In the absence of color, Enric Adrian Gener allows us to appreciate the beautiful lines created by a group of devil rays as they travel through the sea. 

Landscape

Vasilis Livanos conveys the vastness, emptiness, and loneliness of the wilderness. 

Haida Special Award

George Digalakis took home the Haida Special Award for this serene shot. The gentle, glittering reflection adds a little drama to an overcast day. 

A few of our favorites 

Wrong way

Feel the irony here. A group of people walking in the opposite direction of the pointing arrow that frames them. 

Squad

If giraffes could sing, this would be a strong contender for the mixtape cover. 

Look up

Architecture photography done well, what can we say? The intense curvature of the structure seamlessly guides the eye through the frame. 

How to enter

All photographers over the age of 18 can submit an unlimited number of images. The photos must be B&W, and both film and digital are accepted mediums. A fee of €15 (USD $15) allows up to five pictures per category. The deadline to participate is June 15; see the website for updated information.

The post B&W Photo Award winners celebrate mastery in monochrome appeared first on Popular Photography.

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The skeleton of a tree rises towards the Milky Way. Sharks encircle the carcass of a dead whale. Tiny critters search for a snack. These scenes are among the winners and finalists of the 2022 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year awards. They invite us to appreciate the harsh beauty of nature while pondering our own impact on the environment. 

Related: The year’s best urban wildlife photography

About the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year awards

The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year awards are open to all photographers. Submissions can be shot on film or digital cameras but must feature only flora, fauna, and natural land/sky formations shot in the ANZANG (Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, and New Guinea) region. 

There are nine categories to which photographers can submit up to four images each: Animals in Nature; Urban Animals; Botanical; Landscape; Threatened Species; Monochrome; Our Impact; Astrophotography; Portfolio (six images on a theme); and Junior (under 18). 

Judging is based on aesthetic and artistic quality. The panel consists of Managing Photo Editor of Australian Geographic Nicky Catley; award-winning professional conservation and wildlife photographer Doug Gimesy; and Director of Flinder Marine & Coastal Research Consortium Charlie Huveneers. 

The overall winner receives A$10,000 in cash and a holiday sponsored by Coral Expeditions. Various cash prizes are also dispersed to category winners and runner-ups. The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year awards are managed and produced by the South Australian Museum; the winning work is on display through October 30.

Here are some of our favorites from the bevy of striking images. 

Overall winner

Ashlee Jansen took home the top prize with this image of a humpback whale carcass, which dwarfs the sharks now feeding on it. 

“The beauty of the image lies in its artful circular composition, seen in the curves of the whale’s skeletal ribs mirroring the patterns in the sand, keeping our eye within the frame moving between the living and the dead,” the jury writes. 

Animals in nature

Paul Weston captures a gray fantail bird feasting on insects. He recounts the bird diving into the frenzy from its perch on a tree. Looks like there were some good eats.  

Astrophotography

A dead tree stands, ghostly tall against a starry night sky. Jason Perry photographs melancholic poetry, a dichotomy between life, possibility, and death. 

“When I saw this scene that night, it was as if the tree and the Milky Way were somehow connected despite the distance,” Perry writes. 

Botanical

Persistence or defeat? The ambiguity piques interest. Photographer Adam Resch reveals, though, that it is defeat. “A mat water milfoil dwarf succulent creeping species succumbs to the winter freeze near an alpine lake,” he says.

Junior

Cian O’Hagan’s image dazzled the Junior category with a blurry, action-filled photo of one of the country’s most iconic animals. 

“I used a slow shutter speed to obscure the form and to capture the power, grace, and speed of this national symbol,” O’Hagan explains. 

Monochrome 

Sometimes, B&W is just what you need to enhance a scene. Charles Davis’ image of Pacific black ducks foraging for food on an icy lake uses monochrome magnificently to convey a chilly, bare, stark winter. 

Our impact

Yes, that’s a kangaroo claw. Yes, that is a barbed-wire fence. This category explores human impact on nature, good or bad. Unfortunately for this kangaroo, this circumstance was likely fatal.

“While trying to jump fences, kangaroos sometimes get their feet snagged on the wire. Their upper body flips toward the ground, tangling their legs in the wires. Known as ‘fence hanging’, the individual has no way of getting up or freeing itself and usually dies, unless a human can free it,” photographer Alan Kwok writes. 

Threatened species

In Jake Wilton’s image, a hungry whale shark swallows a mouthful of fish. This is a rarely photographed spectacle and one that requires quite a bit of luck on the part of the predator.

“A whale shark engulfs a bait ball of fish on the Ningaloo Reef,” Wilton describes. “Little is known about this behavior, as it is so rare only a handful of records exist. The sharks are too slow, so must rely on the efforts of other predators such as tuna to catch them.”

Urban animals

Cute critters are on the move for some tasty morsels left behind at a campsite. 

“Despite the decimated population and range of the critically-endangered woylie, some have become habituated around campgrounds and scavenge for any morsels left behind by campers,” photographer Ethan Mann explains. “After observing one approach our campsite during dinner, I set up a motion-triggered camera beside the fire pit where our dinner crumbs had been thrown.”

Related: Best cameras for wildlife photography

Enter next year’s Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year awards

Submissions are open between November 29 and January 28. Participants may enter up to four images per category. The first image is A$38 (USD $26) or A$10 (USD ~$7) for Juniors and subsequent entries are A$22 (USD $15) or A$5 (USD ~$3) for Juniors. Check the website for more information and updated deadlines.

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The scenes feel like something straight out of 2012 or The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Frost overtakes a window pane, bolts of lighting, extreme drought. The Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) has selected the finalists for its Photographer of the Year Awards, and the voting is now open to the public. Winners are announced on September 21 and they, along with the finalists, will be featured in the annual calendar available later in the year. Here are some of our favorite contenders. 

Related: Parasitic zombie fungus takes first prize in BMC Ecology & Evolution photo competition 

Departing storm over Bembridge Lifeboat Station, Jamie Russell

Jamie Russell was chasing storms across the Isle of Wright when he reached Bembridge and was rewarded with an exceptional rainbow, which he took drastic measures to photograph. 

“In a panic I waded into the waist-deep water, fully dressed, just to compose this scene.”

Highway to paradise

This otherworldly scene, captured in Slovenia, is thanks to a temperature inversion that causes fog to form on the water’s surface. It happens just a couple of times a year, and Sara Jazbar was there to get the shot. 

“The fog stopped under the bridge and lingered there, flowing, moving, as if alive,” Jazbar says. 

Winter’s icy grip

From Sweden’s northernmost town of Kurravaara, Kiruna, RMetS Weather Photographer of the Year Felipe Martin Menzella documented the chilling beauty of an icy window. 

Scotch mist

In this image, we’re not quite at Loch Ness, but rather at Loch Lomond, in Southern Scotland. 

“The woods, the alps, the loch, and Ben Lomond were bathed in ‘Scotch mist.’ This shot was taken just before the sun put in an appearance,” notes photographer Vince Campbell. 

Waterlily harvesting

Monsoon season means it’s time to harvest waterlilies to sell at local markets. RMetS Weather Photographer of the Year finalist Shibasish Saha takes us to Barrackpore, West Bengal, India, with a drone to capture a unique perspective on the process. 

Dam wet

“Wet Sleddale [reservoir] more often than not doesn’t overflow, but when it does, it’s an amazing site, and the noise is deafening,” notes Andrew McCaren. The overflow was a result of heavy rain and though the subject is cheerfully decked out in rainbow umbrella and electric green rain slicker, we’d guess this is not what Gene Kelly had in mind for a little singing in the rain. 

In search of water

The cracked earth only highlights the feeling of desperation in the search for water, two pots dismally empty. Barun Rajgaria shares that during a “drought, the women and children of the village [in Purulia, West Bengal] have to make deep pits in the dry river, in which the frozen water quenches the thirst of the people here.”

Rain bubble

In stark contrast to the previous entry, Betel Tibebu’s image is an abundance of water. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, experienced flooding after intense rain. Bubbles form when a raindrop hits the surface, trapping the air. 

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The zombie apocalypse is coming. That is, if you happen to be an arthropod. The fungus Ophiocordyceps is known to infiltrate critters’ exoskeletons and minds, allowing them to be controlled. And an image of that post-apocalyptic, horror movie scenario is the winner of this year’s BMC Ecology and Evolution photo competition.

Related: Into the wild: a selection of the year’s best nature photos

About the BMC Ecology and Evolution photo competition

The BMC Ecology and Evolution photo competition is an annual contest hosted by BioMed Central, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal. It is open to ecologists and evolutionary biologists worldwide. The competition aims to “capture the wonder of the natural world and the growing need to protect it as the human impact on the planet intensifies.”

Participants can submit to four categories: Relationships in nature; Biodiversity under threat; Life close up; and Research in action. The judging panel consists of BMC’s Senior Editorial Board, which selects an overall winner plus the best image and runner-up in each category. The jury takes into account both artistic judgment and the story behind the science. 

Overall winner

Evolutionary biologist and conservation photographer Roberto García-Roa was crowned the BMC Ecology and Evolution photo competition overall winner for his image of parasitic “zombie” fungus overtaking an arthropod in the Peruvian jungle. According to board member Christy Anna Hipsley, García-Roa’s entry “has a depth and composition that conveys life and death simultaneously—an affair that transcends time, space, and even species. The death of the fly gives life to the fungus.”

Relationships in nature

Best image

“Inadvertent alcoholism” were two words winner Alwin Hardenbol used when talking about this image of a Bohemian Waxwing perched on a rowan tree. Waxwings are known to migrate until they can locate their favorite berry, eating up to 700 per day, which can cause issues. 

“As the berries become overripe, they start to ferment and produce ethanol which gets Waxwings intoxicated, sometimes leading to trouble for the birds, even death,” Hardenbol, a Postdoctoral Researcher, notes. 

Runner-up

Behavioral biologist Alexander T. Baugh was the runner-up with an image of a fringe-lipped bat feasting on a male tungara frog. According to Baugh, bats will locate frogs by listening to the mating calls; bats’ ears are specifically attuned to the frogs’ low frequency and their saliva is able to neutralize potential toxins. 

Biodiversity under threat

Best image

Winner Smantha Kreling of the University of Washington paints a painful portrait of how climate change affects wildlife—in this instance, the relationship between elephants and the baobab tree. 

“This ancient tree has adapted to its extreme environment by storing water in its barrel-like trunk when water availability is low. Sadly, recent research shows that these trees are victims of climate change. Elephants have long gouged water from the trunks of these fast-healing trees, but as temperatures rise, the elephants are now doing more damage than the trees can cope with. “ Kreling writes. 

Runner-up

Lindsey Swierk, Assistant Research Professor at Binghamton University, captures a Wood frog trapped under ice. Due to climate change, frogs are laying their eggs earlier in the year, only to be caught by a late frost. In this case, the frog survived, but many eggs perished. 

Life close up 

Best image

Boston University PhD candidate Brandon André Güell submitted this image of gliding treefrog eggs. Many will never survive due to a variety of factors, but those that do, hatch in six days. As Güell noted, the eggs are more adaptive than they appear. 

“Hatching in gliding treefrogs is an excellent example of adaptive plasticity and environmentally cued hatching; embryos can hatch prematurely to escape predators, flooding, desiccation, and other egg threats”

Runner up

To escape predators, the anole lizard will often run to water. Swierk photographed one such lizard breathing through a small air bubble, which can sustain it for up to 20 minutes—perfect for making a getaway.

Research in action 

Best image 

Research never ceases, even amidst a pandemic. Cornell University biologist Jefferson Ribeiro Amaral documented two PhD researchers from the State University of Rio de Janeiro conducting fieldwork during a thunderstorm.

Runner-up 

Like Swierk, Güell also had a second entry in the running. Here, Güell is photographed surrounded by thousands of gliding tree frogs.

“This photo captures a treasured memory of the first explosive breeding event I observed, photographed, and collected data from for my dissertation research. In this picture, I am standing waist-deep in a lowland tropical rainforest pond on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, holding an adult male gliding treefrog from which I’ll later take measurements.” 

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A caracal trots across a muddy plain, a lifeless flamingo in its jaws. The grisly moment is a juxtaposition to the bird’s vibrant and cheerful pink feathers. Even in death, there is an inherent beauty in nature—and the winners of this year’s Nature TTL Photographer of the Year competition show it all.

What is the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year competition?

The competition is sponsored by Nature TTL, a leading wildlife photography resource that provides tutorials, inspiration, equipment recommendations, and more. Photographers all over the world are invited to submit images into the following categories: Wild Portraits, Animal Behavior, Urban Wildlife, Underwater, Small World Landscapes, The Night Sky, Camera Traps, and The Youth Award (under 16). This year, the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year competition received over 8,000 submissions. 

The judging panel consists of seven wildlife photographers from the UK and Australia. Winners are announced for each category, which comes with a £250 (~$304) cash prize. The overall winner receives an additional £1,500 (~$1,821). Here are some of our favorite shots.

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022

The scene unveils the ruthless reality of the wild: A lifeless flamingo, feathers still vibrantly pink, now saturated in blood, hangs from the jaws of a caracal as it trots through the mud. 

“We had received word about a serval hunting birds along the shore of Lake Ndutu (lower Serengeti) so we raced over to see,” explains Nature TTL Photographer of the Year Dennis Stogsdill. “Upon arrival, we quickly realized that it was, in fact, a caracal and not a serval, and it was hunting flamingos that were feeding in the shallows. Within a minute of arrival, the caracal started stalking and eventually was successful (in dramatic fashion) at hunting one of the beautiful but unlucky birds. In this image you see the caracal walking off with its prize.”

Young Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022

Related: This year’s best urban wildlife photography

If facial expressions could tell a story, then the bird on the right definitely has something to say. In this case, the parakeet was giving its fellow bird a talking-to over food.

“Malabar Parakeets are wonderful creatures,” writes the Young Winner Achintya Murthy. “They are also called blue-winged parakeets. They usually flock together and are seen in huge numbers. In the midst of a bunch of activities, it was my privilege to shoot this image from a bird hide. These two are fighting over a stump that had paddy grains as its feed.”

Nature fights back 

Related: 10 nature & wildlife Instagram accounts to follow

The cheery, robust yellow of a sunflower stands stark against a wasteland. A bolt of lightning flashes in the distance, as if nature is asserting its dominance—and tenacity—in the face of human ruin.

“A thunderstorm passes over a sunflower which, against the odds, has managed to survive on a rubbish dump in the semi-arid Karoo region of South Africa,’ says category winner Bertus Hanekom.

Crowded

This photo is funny. There’s chaos, color, and just a little bit of mischief flying with the drops of mud, which themselves are perfectly suspended in the air. 

Fantasy world

The silhouette of a butterfly offers a quiet serenity and air of mystery. It is an impressive entry by Paavan Shah, who earned the title Highly Commended in the Youth category. 

Shyly

Reminiscent of Finding Nemo, this fish (a cousin, maybe?) peeks between the tentacles of an anemone, the shades of green providing a sharp and intense contrast to the fish’s purple and pink hues.   

The top of Australia

 Against the backdrop of a starry sky, a lone cottage stands, threatened to be consumed by sand or snow. 

“This photo was taken during a trip to Kosciusko, the highest point in Australia,” writes category winner Josselin Cornou. “It is also one of the best places to capture the Milky Way, in part thanks to the dark skies.”

Autumn lights

Possibility, adventure, and maybe even a little romance exude from this golden fall photo. It makes you want to get out and explore the great wide world. 

How to enter the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year competition

Submissions open in January 2023. The entry fee is £6 (~$7) per entry or £9 (~$11) for three, £15 (~$18) for 10, £25 (~$30) for 20, and £30 (~$36) for 30. There is no limit on the number of photos for adult competitors, but youth have a cap of 10. Images that require live bait, feature domestic animals, captured/endangered animals (with the exception of images made while reporting on assignment), or do not follow Nature TTL’s ethics will be disqualified. 

The post Into the wild: a selection of the year’s best nature photos appeared first on Popular Photography.

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Minimalism isn’t just about B&W, though it will often define the style. This year’s winners of the Minimalist Photography Awards showed that whether it’s a monochromatic scene or vibrant tableau, less is more and you don’t need an elaborate set to capture a compelling shot. 

Related: How to create striking abstract architectural photography

About the Minimalist Photography Awards

In its fourth year, the Minimalist Photography Awards drew 3,400 photographers from 43 different countries, who entered work into 11 categories: Abstract, architectural, conceptual, fine art, landscapes, long exposure, night, open, photomanipulation, portrait, and street photography.

“Minimalist Photography Awards is a nonprofit association, powered by B & W Minimalism magazine and founded by Milad Safabakhsh, which aims to recognize, reward, and expose talented photographers all around the world and introduce them to the professional photography industry.”

The jury includes gallery owner Jennifer Kostuik, cinematographer Rob Hardy (of Ex Machina, Annihilation, and Men), art collector Sashaku, photographer and collector Peter Molick (“pixelpete”), and the founder and president of Minimalist Photography Awards, Milad Safabakhsh.  

The overall winner receives a $2,000 cash prize and the designation of Minimalist Photographer of the Year. Additionally, their work will appear in the “Best in Show” exhibition. The winner, along with the first, second, third, and honorable mention winners, will also be published in an online gallery and in the annual Minimalist Photography Awards book. If they so choose, they can also sell their work as an NFT on Foundation.app. Here are some of our favorites from the contest.

Related: Best black and white film

Minimalist Photographer of the Year 2022

The ultimate title of Minimalist Photographer of the Year went to Daniel Dencescu of Germany and the series, “Forms of murmurations.” In it, Dencescu captures a dazzling dance of starlings against an empty sky.

“There’s certainly something mesmerizing in how these birds move—a vast, impromptu choreography, each bird part of something vastly bigger than themselves,” Dencescu writes. “The colossal organic shapes that form have an inherent beauty, but here we see many unexpected coincidences. Photographed all my murmurations series against a flat, cloudless sky the resulting images are undiluted. Sparse and beautiful, letting place for a lot of interpretations. The dawn cream color palette for my calligraphic photographs is based on the works of surrealist painter René Magritte and the master Irving Penn. I have spent more than 200 hours on the field chasing and photographing the starlings, all of the scenes are real.”

Conceptual category 

Jacob Mitchell took second place in the conceptual category with the series, “EMPTY SIGNS.” This particular image conveys the melancholy of what was and the relentless American optimism of what could come. 

“The EMPTY SIGNS series explores places that once had names,” Mitchell explains. “When I first started the series in 2018, I didn’t overthink it; there is an abundance of them where I live, so I decided to shoot them. Everything from fast food restaurants, sporting goods stores, and hotels are all just forgotten. The signs are giant decaying monuments which show the crumbling of capitalism in America.”

Portrait category

“Doki Doki” by Hector Palacios took third place in the portrait category. I loved this series because it showed that minimalism doesn’t mean the absence of color. In fact, simplicity can pack a vivid punch.  

Long exposure category

The title of Long Exposure Photographer of the Year went to Martin Annand and the image, “Huts…” The fog creates a dreamscape, where reality and imagination intertwine in the gentle, hazy reflections.

Architecture category 

In “Union and intersection,” second-place winner Michael McLaughlin explores complementary structural and architectural details. What drew me to this photo was the intense blue curvature punctuated by a harsh red line. 

Photomanipulation category 

Inge Schuster took third place for her series, “Landscape,” which examines the haunting beauty of nighttime solitude. 

Fine-art category

Fine Art Photographer of the Year Natalie Christensen gave me Slim Aarons vibes with her sunny poolside images bursting with pops of color. 

“I came to learn that the presence of a pool was a distraction from how impermanent things actually were,” Christensen writes, recalling her childhood. “Underneath, there loomed an impending sense that everything could be lost. Stable could quickly become unstable, and suddenly we were in over our heads. Yet the pool was always seductive. There was a comfort in the stillness of its waters, albeit a calm that couldn’t be trusted.”

How to enter the Minimalist Photography Awards

The early submission deadline is April 27—check the website for next year’s schedule. Participants must pay a fee of $15 to submit one image, $25 for a series, and $10 per additional image. The final deadline is June 5, and prices increase by $5.

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