Nature’s Best Photography (NBP) has revealed the 2025 Winning Images, celebrating the creativity, patience, and passion of photographers from around the world. This year, more than 20,000 breathtaking submissions poured in from dedicated nature and wildlife photographers across 62 countries.
After months of careful review by an esteemed panel of judges, editors, and advisors, nearly 500 images advanced to the semi-final round. From there, a detailed evaluation of high-resolution files and the inspiring stories behind each photo led to the selection of the Top 100 finalists.
Scroll down to explore some of the most powerful and captivating photographs that made it to this year’s finals.
Highly Honored, Wildlife: Bighorn Sheep By David Swindler Of Kanab, Utah, USA
This year’s NBP International Awards Grand Prize Winner is Thomas Vijayan, of Ontario, Canada, and the Youth Photographer of the Year is Lisiqi Ye of Beijing, China, along with winners in 11 other categories and the Top 100 Highly Honored finalists. All the award-winners are featured in the 2025 Special 30th Anniversary Awards Edition of Nature’s Best Photography magazine.
Highly Honored, Landscapes: Campton Pond Sunrise By Harry Lichtman Of Newmarket, New Hampshire, USA
“I had passed this pond hundreds of times over the years on my way to nearby mountain hikes or cross-country skiing, but I was never drawn to photograph it—until now. On this autumn morning, my original plan was to hike a nearby mountain for sunrise. The foliage color and patchy fog looked so idyllic that I quickly changed my plans to see what light might develop over the pond at sunrise.
After choosing a composition along the shoreline, I heard geese honking in the distance. They eventually flew by me, but it was still too dark to photograph. As the sky began to color, I started taking exposures at low ISO and slightly longer shutter speeds, as I typically would in still conditions. When I heard Canadian geese again in the distance, I quickly adjusted my settings to faster shutter speeds to capture them sharply if they flew by.
I could see the flock approaching the pond and took several exposures as they passed. Their presence added a dynamic element, making the image far more compelling than the pond alone.”
Highly Honored, Art In Nature: Shining Antlers By Kohei Nagira Of Izumo, Shimane, Japan
“In early spring, male Ezo sika deer begin to grow new antlers. Covered in velvet — skin rich with blood vessels and nerves — these antlers develop rapidly and can reach full length by summer. When struck by sunlight, they glow with a delicate, golden light.
This photo was taken in Kushiro, Hokkaido, where deer are commonly seen and often considered pests. It is not a remote wilderness, but an ordinary place where nature and people coexist. Still, even in such settings, beauty can emerge through vision and timing.
I had a clear image in mind before shooting. To create a glowing silhouette, I deliberately underexposed the scene and waited for the deer to be perfectly backlit. The soft hairs on the velvet antlers caught the setting sun, forming a radiant crown of light. I used no flash, maintaining a respectful distance to avoid causing stress. With patience and intention, a familiar subject became something quietly powerful.
This image reminds us that even in ordinary surroundings, nature’s quiet transformations deserve our attention — and our care.”
The NBP Awards enhance nature and conservation awareness through categories: Wildlife, Landscapes, Art in Nature, Birds, Ocean Views, Youth Photographer of the Year, Nature in Motion/Video, Conservation Single Image, Conservation Story, Outdoor Adventure, Animal Antics, Polar Passion; the overall Grand Prize Winner was chosen from among all categories.
Highly Honored, Outdoor Adventure: Night With The Ancients By Paul Zizka Of Banff, Alberta, Canada
“Nighttime with the Ancients: I only spent one night with these giants, but I would have gladly stayed much, much longer. The baobabs of Baobab Alley in Madagascar are a breathtaking natural wonder. Towering up to 30 meters high, these ancient trees—some over 800 years old—stand like silent giants along a dusty road, their massive, bottle-shaped trunks and sparse canopies casting surreal silhouettes against the night sky. I added myself to the frame to emphasize the sense of scale. Revered by locals and admired by travelers, the baobabs are not just trees—they’re sacred monuments to time, resilience, and nature’s grandeur. Baobab Alley is a place where the majesty of the natural world is laid bare in stunning simplicity.”
Highly Honored, Landscapes: Cinque Torri By David Swindler Of Kanab, Utah, USA
“It was an atmospheric, foggy morning as the early light began to illuminate the surrounding towers and mountains. I loved how the fog framed Cinque Torri in the distance.”
Winner, Conservation Single Image: Sri Lankan Asian Elephant In Waste Pile By Lakshitha Karunarathna Of Colombo, Sri Lanka
“A lone Sri Lankan elephant stands atop an endless sprawl of discarded waste—its massive form surrounded not by forest, but by a kaleidoscope of plastic, polythene, and household debris. This image is part of a long-term photographic project documenting the devastating realities of the human-elephant conflict in my country.
Sri Lanka is home to more than 10% of the global Asian elephant population, yet their survival is increasingly jeopardized. Encroaching waste sites near vital dry-zone forests are frequently visited by elephant herds, and many individuals ingest microplastics and other non-biodegradable materials, often leading to fatal internal injuries.
Only a drone can reveal the true scale of this crisis. To achieve this visual ‘shock,’ I needed perfect alignment: a break in the rain and the position of a lone elephant on a vivid patch of waste—while operating the drone safely in monsoonal winds.”
Highly Honored, Art In Nature: Path Of The Brittle Star By Alan Smith Of Reading, Berkshire, UK
“The stunning seascapes around Luskentyre Beach draw photographers from all over the world. I found myself there one dank, granite-grey November morning. With limited photo options, I challenged myself to create an image that told the story of the day. Searching for a subject, I noticed a disturbance in the otherwise perfectly smooth sand—a starfish. As I studied its body, I observed the indentations in the sand becoming narrower and lighter as it had attempted to make its way to the ocean. The now-lifeless brittle star’s final journey would remain visible only until the briny blanket of water washed it back to the sea, but the artful design it created allowed me to capture this story in a single photograph.”
Highly Honored, Ocean Views: Leafy Sea Dragon By Nicolas Remy Of Sydney, Nsw, Australia
“Leafy sea dragons are a favorite subject for underwater photographers, yet they are fragile creatures—poor swimmers that cannot easily flee. To minimize disturbance, I dived solo (with appropriate certification) and used a rebreather, allowing me to move quietly and without bubbles.
Over four days, I spent more than 22 hours in the water, taking all the time needed to ensure relaxed encounters. In one patch of reef, I was lucky to find three adult sea dragons living close together. I moved slowly between them, simply observing, and swam away whenever other divers approached to give the animals space. I only approached when a dragon was both calm and in a position that matched the image I had envisioned.
My goal was to create a symmetrical portrait highlighting the shy creature’s delicate appendages against a black background. To achieve this, I used a snoot to narrow the beam of my strobe and adjusted my exposure settings to minimize ambient daylight. Before moving in, I pre-set and tested my lighting on a piece of algae. When one dragon finally held still in perfect alignment, I inched forward and captured just a couple of frames.”