Judges sifted through more than 20,000 images this year to award Nature Talks’ annual Nature Photographer of the Year (NPOTY). Learn more about each of the images here at the NPOTY awards page — and be sure to enter the 2022 contest now. Plus, everyone can vote for their favorite during the NPOTY People’s Choice Award, from January 18 to March 18, 2022.
Overall Winner
Winter Migration, by Terje Kolaas (Norway). Category: Birds (winner).
Winner: Mammals
Silverbach Chimanuka, by Josef Friedhuber (Austria).
Winner: Other Animals
Walking among fennels, by Ruben Perez Novo (Spain).
Winner: Plants and Fungi
Heat of Hoar, by Rupert Kogler (Austria).
Winner: Landscape
Dragon’s Lair, by Denis Budkov (Russia).
Winner: Underwater
Red in red, by Georg Nies (Germany).
Winner: Nature Art
Ice cell, by Gheorghe Popa (Romania).
Winner: Human and Nature
The king of the ocean, by Javier Murcia (Spain).
Winner: Black and White
White Wedding, by Roie Galitz (Israel).
Winner: Animals Portraits
Black leopard, by William Burrard-Lucas (UK).
Winner: Nature of De Lage landen
Fox crossing the bridge, by Andius Teijgeler (The Netherlands).
Winner: Youth
Beautiful world, by Levi Fitze (Switzerland).
Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award
EMOTIONAL RANGE, by Lea Lee Inoue (USA).
Runner-up: Birds
Fishing trip at sunrise, by Miquel Angel Artús Illana (Spain).
Runner-up: Mammals
Young Wolf (Canis Lupus), by Aare Udras (Estonia).
Runner-up: Other Animals
Slow but safe, by Ruben Perez Novo (Spain).
Runner-up: Plants and Fungi
Natures eatable Arctic gould, by Audun Rikardsen (Norway).
Runner-up: Landscape
The prow, by Andrea Pozzi (Italy).
Runner-up: Underwater
Dolphins home, by Dmitry Kokh (Russia).
Runner-up: Nature Art
Hero, by Juan Ahumada (Spain).
Runner-up: Human and Nature
Unusual visitor, by David Hup (The Netherlands).
Runner-up: Black and White
Yin and Yang, by Gheorghe Popa (Romania).
Runner-up: Animal Portraits
Last Embrace, by Roie Galitz (Israel).
Runner-up: Nature of De Lage Landen
Flying Over a Pastel “Rainbow”, by Ronald Zimmerman (The Netherlands).
Runner-up: Youth
Contemplation, by Gergő Kártyás (Hungary).
Highly Commended: Birds
Top: Ostrich kindergarten, by Tomasz Szpila (Poland); Middle: Drowned Forest, by Jolanda Vlastuin (The Netherlands); Bottom: SUNDANCE, by Christian Spencer (Brazil).
Highly Commended: Mammals
Top: Twilight hunters, by Norbert Kovács (Hungary); Middle: Song dog in the snow, by Pam Dorner (USA); Bottom: Storm Warning, by Paul Goldstein (UK).
Highly Commended: Other Animals
Top: The night watchman, by Prathamesh Ghadekar (India); Middle: We are hanging on the web, by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary); Bottom: Circle dance, by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary).
Highly Commended: Plants and Fungi
Top: City of Angels, by Silvano Paiola (Italy); Middle: Inside a sequoia, by Uge Fuertes (Spain); Bottom: Zombified, by Ripan Biswas (India).
Highly Commended: Landscape
Top: The frozen land, by Michal Krause (Czech Republic); Middle: Legendary towers in the Dolomites, by Georg Kantioler (Italy); Bottom: Islanda, by Stanislao Basileo (Italy).
Highly Commended: Underwater
Top: Icebreaker, by Tobias Friedrich (Germany); Middle: Seahorse sanctuary, by Peter McGee (Australia); Bottom: Water lilies marvelous world, by Gaël Modrak (Russia).
Highly Commended: Nature Art
Top: Fractal Patterned Lake, by Kovács Norbert (Hungary); Middle: Dolphin Design, by Jodi Frediani (USA); Egg universe, by Imre Potyó (Hungary).
Highly Commended: Human and Nature
Top: Escape, by Földi László (Hungary); Middle: At a price, by Tom Svensson (Sweden); Bottom: The Hand That Feeds, by Andrew Upton (USA).
Highly Commended: Black and White
Top: Shortness of breath, by Csaba Daróczi (Hungary); Middle: Cloud of dust, by Clement Kiragu (Kenya); Bottom: Schooling Jacks, by Wayne Lai (China).
Highly Commended: Animal Portraits
Top: Great Crested Grebe Among Buttercups, by Ignacio Medem (Spain); Middle: Leafy Night, by Scott Portelli (Australia); Bottom: Nightfall, by Flurin Leugger (Switzerland).
Highly Commended: Nature of De Lage landen
Top: Bluebells and beeches, by Richard Verroen (The Netherlands); Middle: River Abstract, by Sam Mannaerts (Belgium); Bottom: Weevil on pink flower, by Amanda Blom (The Netherlands).
Highly Commended: Youth
Top: Self Reflection, by D’Artagnan Sprengel (New Zealand); Middle: Is there still space left?, by Anton Trexler (Germany); Bottom: The lagoon lovers, by Emelin Dupieux (France).
