44 Breathtaking Nature Photos That Stood Out At The 2026 Academy Photo Awards

I chased this cell out east of Denver for a couple of hours when I saw this beautiful rainbow form in the wake of storm. The clouds continued to morph as I would stop, shoot, and keep on rolling after this massive cell. At the climactic height of this rainbow, mammatus clouds appeared right above it and offered one of the most mesmerizing moments I have ever had the opportunity to see and capture during my storm chasing adventures. This was a relatively short chase at just around 5 hours, but I was able to shoot almost 500 shots during this epic chase.

Location Kij Kij waterhole, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Early one morning during our morning game drive in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, my wife and I came across a pride of lions, The pride of lions consisting of a male, three lionesses and four sub-adult cubs. The pride was very relaxed lying in the green grass. The lioness and the cubs were lying next to the road relaxing in the rising sun. In this image one of the cubs approached the lioness and showed the affection and bond between a mother and her cub.

The name orangutan comes from the Malay word orang hutan, which literally means man of the forest. This great ape makes its home in the treetops and tirelessly roams the canopy in search of fruit, leaves, and insects. In 20 years, orangutan populations have lost 80% of their range and have shrunk by half. Great apes are particularly vulnerable due to their very low reproduction rate. Weaning periods are long. Slow learning is essential for these primates, who live in unstable forest habitats and have complex social relationships and superior cognitive abilities. Orangutan conservation programs pursue numerous objectives aimed at the overall protection of hominids and their habitat.

A green-crowned brilliant hummingbird goes eye to eye with a green pit viper. Although the viper does not present a direct danger to the bird, it is a threat to its nestlings, so the hummingbird draws attention to the danger by fierce squeaking sounds and dancing around the predator.

A tiger after bathing, photographed in close portrait on a Leica SL2.

A huge garbage dump on the banks of the city's river where the daily waste of the entire area is dumped and left to accumulate. The piles are filled with countless plastic products, rotting animal carcasses and household debris. The air is pungent, full of stench and the scene is equally disturbing: weeds, broken toys, torn clothes and polythene bags piled up with the rotting garbage.

Despite the pollution, life persists. In the dirt, sturdy plants struggle to grow, while birds, cows and buffaloes forage through the waste in search of food.Due to the lack of food in the entire urban area, street animals do not get food, so they survive by eating the waste, rotten, and dirty food found in this garbage.

Even some people even collect plastic bottles or plastic items from this place and sell them to various plastic manufacturers, to raise money for their daily food.

There are 5 species of Bee-eaters endemic to Malaysia. One of these is the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. As with other bee-eater species the male will bring gifts to the female when she is laying eggs. This behaviour is featured in this image.

A mother bird is feeding five baby birds on a tree branch in the morning.

Taken in the snow of Norway. I was there hoping to photograph Golden Eagles; however, this proved difficult.
In the meantime, there were some Jays frolicking in the snow and fighting over food.

I was lucky enough to capture these two with a third bird seemingly watching the show.

Aerial photography of Lake Magadi, Kenya coinciding with the rapid transition from the rainy season to the dry season. I was fortunate to have caught this opportunity, and groups of flamingos came to cheer up, bestowing a dreamy beauty from heaven.

Three young brown bear cubs seem curious to see what’s ahead, but only behind the protection of mama bear.

Pink-flowering gum against pure black. Those stamens explode outward like fireworks frozen mid-burst, each bloom its own spectacle. This is what Australian native flora does when it decides to show off. Every. Single. Year. The Audacity.

On a photography trip to the Faroe Islands, I set out early in the morning from my base on Vagar Island and made my way to Kalsoy via the ferry from Klaksvik. I drove the length of the island, planning a hike to Kallur Lighthouse. I had given myself plenty of time before sunset to set up a composition and take a panoramic photograph of the scene, with the lighthouse as the main focal point. As I reached the destination of my hike and passed the lighthouse, I noticed a rain shower sweeping by the cliffs in the distance. Quickly, I changed my plans and switched to my 70-200mm lens. Handheld, I captured this image of a bird soaring gracefully through the rain as beams of sunlight pierced the thick blanket of clouds above. The entire event lasted just a couple of minutes but was by far the most rewarding moment of the day. Sometimes, the unexpected moments are the most memorable.

This photograph was taken on September 27, 2023, during the late monsoon season in rural Bangladesh, where seasonal rangelands remain flooded for several months each year before transforming back into grazing fields in the dry season. While exploring the area in the evening, I noticed a farmer guiding his herd of cattle across the shallow flooded landscape as they returned home at sunset. I launched my drone to capture this aerial perspective, revealing the delicate interaction between livestock movement and seasonal wetlands. Later, the farmer explained that due to submerged grasslands, they walk their cattle daily to higher ground for grazing and return each evening. The image reflects the resilience of pastoral communities and the dynamic relationship between climate, water, and rangeland ecosystems that sustain rural livelihoods.

A traditional character from Iberian folklore leaping over a bonfire, where the smoke and fire create a timeless atmosphere in black and white.

The morning glow reflected the red sky, and the two crowned cranes flew to the pool to show their affection, and they couldn't wait to dance, envying the hanging storks on the side.

This image was taken as the hyena walked steadily past the waterhole, at Shompole Conservancy, Kenya, moving from left to right through drifting dust. The backlight carved its outline and mane, separating it from complete darkness and giving it a ghostlike presence. The unique moment wasn’t action—it was movement with purpose. No hesitation, no drama - just confident passage through its territory.

A group of ants working together to bring food to their nest.

From a scenic overlook on UNESCO World Heritage Site Mt. Yoshino, this shot captures the rare "Thousand Cherry Trees at a Glance" spectacle. Over 30,000 cherry trees bloom in waves of pink, cascading down the sacred mountain slopes. The winding road cuts through the sea of blossoms, with hikers pausing to witness this fleeting natural masterpiece. It blends breathtaking scale with quiet, cinematic beauty, revealing Japan’s most revered spring tradition.

This image captured during my last Zanskar Photography trip is the most detailed photograph of the Milky Way I've taken to date. And apart from that another key element of this image is the intense airglow in the air. The Drang Drung Glacier spanning 23 kilometers is visible below although its length is decreasing due to global warming. This image is a panorama of 5 images.

Two waterfalls, one ancient canyon. Háifoss and Granni plunge into the basalt depths as the Icelandic summer sun ignites the sky, painting the volcanic walls in gold and shadow. A fleeting moment where fire meets water, and silence swallows everything.

Captured in Yosemite during the fleeting Firefall phenomenon, this image showcases Horsetail Fall as it ignites in a vivid cascade of molten orange. For just a few moments at sunset, the angle of the sun transforms the waterfall into what appears to be flowing fire, contrasting dramatically against the cool, shadowed granite face. The surrounding darkness frames the glowing fall, emphasizing both its intensity and its rarity—a brief, natural spectacle where light, water, and timing align in perfect harmony.

While photographing subjects with the moon in the background, I found this small subject and captured this night macro photograph.

This photograph serves as a reminder of the vital importance of managing our resources wisely in an era where water is receding meter by meter and the soil is becoming exhausted. The marks are not a signature etched on the earth; they are a silent cry from the water and the soil.

As the sun slips below the horizon, a small stand of mangroves stand quietly i the shallow waters,silhouetted agaist the fading glow of the evening. Their graceful form and delicate reflectios took my eye and created a scene of remarlable calm, while the sofy pastel collurs of suset stretch across the sky and water. I felt this image celebrates the serentiy of the natural world and the fleetig beauty of the day's final light.

Night panorama taked in the Teide National Park of Tenerife, Spain.

Flamingos travel a long distance each year with the arrival of spring and immerse themselves in lakes where food sources are abundant. They roam these areas in small groups.

A family of burrowing owls line up for breakfast that dad has just delivered (note the insect in his mouth) at the Salton Sea in Southern California, USA.

The big fish chased the small fish and rushed out of the water together, passing the egret. The egret looked surprised and did not know where the small fish would go under the laws of nature? Just like a poem: I passed you by. You hurried here. Before I noticed, you had gone far away, leaving me a regretful back.

Off the coast of La Ventana in Baja California Sur, a graceful squadron of mobula rays glides just beneath the surface. From above, their shadows ripple through the turquoise water like a living pattern, silent and perfectly in sync. These rays are known for gathering in massive groups during their migration, and witnessing them from the air reveals the quiet beauty of their movement. Baja is one of the few places on Earth where you can see this spectacle so clearly.

I took this photo while flying by paraglider over Maharlu Lake in Iran.

Captured from a unique aerial perspective, this 360-degree panoramic photograph plunges viewers into a scene of raw, untamed majesty at the remote fringes of civilization. A verdant island rises dramatically from the dark, churning sea, its precipitous cliffs carved by relentless elements. Under a brooding, cloud-laden sky, a solitary waterfall cascades, marking a poignant boundary between land and ocean. This immersive image is a powerful testament to nature's sublime desolation, inviting contemplation of the vast, wild beauty found where the very edge of the world meets the infinite.

I have battled anxiety and depression for most of my life. The one place that I have always found solitude is in nature. I picked up a camera almost a decade ago and went through many different endeavors before I found shooting storms in 2019. The second I got my first lightning bolt I was hooked. I have been chasing storms ever since. The solitude and peace that I have found in chasing storms has been life changing. Even through the chaos, danger, and uncertainty of chasing storms, it provides a calm and peace within unlike almost anything else I have experienced. Being able to capture these ethereal, ephemeral moments in order to bring them back to the world for others to enjoy has been one of the greatest honors I have ever had in my life. The passion, purpose, and meaning that I have gleaned from chasing light in the darkness and becoming a metaphor for others to follow has meant more than I can ever express.

Hundreds of fishermen catch fishes with bamboo-made traps in knee-deep water as they take part in a century-old traditional fishing festival during a foggy winter morning in Pabna, Bangladesh. The festival usually takes place in late winter as the water of the lowland area begins to dry up, and the farmlands aren’t prepared yet to harvest new crops in the riverine regions of the country. Known for its cultural significance, the event draws visitors from far and wide. It offers a unique opportunity to witness age-old traditions passed down through generations as fishermen showcase their skills amidst breathtaking natural beauty.

Vietnamese workers sits surrounded by thousands of incense sticks in Quang Phu Cau, a village in Hanoi, Vietnam, where the sticks have been traditionally made for hundreds of years. Incense plays an important role in the spiritual lives of Vietnamese people. People use incense in all worship activities. The bamboo bundles are arranged on the ground on sunny days so as to dry them. To make the incense sticks the bamboo is first split in two, cleaned and dusted and then a third of the stick is coloured red, purple or yellow. To dry them the sticks are laid out on the ground or road-side for about one day. After they have dried, the sticks are collected and put into bunches of about ten and these are fastened together. They are then sold around the provinces.

Sulaiman(47) is a plastic collector living at Ashulia bazaar,Dhaka,Bangladesh.Everyday he looks for plastic bottle,plastic goods in waste dumping yard at ashulia area.He sells the plastic items in recycle factories.Though Sulaiman only knows these supports his family expenses but he is also a climate hero who is contributing in sustainable living and recycling product .

The silhouette of a lizard silently approaching its prey under the sunlight.

Under the soft interplay of light and shadow in the Abudhabi Liwa Desert, a solitary figure pauses with a camel, creating an intimate moment within an immense landscape. The monochrome treatment enhances the sculptural beauty of the dunes, guiding the viewer’s eye toward a story of companionship, resilience, and harmony with nature.

In the Mundari cattle camps, kids are doing most of the daily work. Kids collect the fresh cow dung and put it into piles which are then set on fire. Those fire are useful as they repel the (extremely) numerous and voracious flies and mosquitoes of the South Sudanese countryside. The Mundari also use the ash created by these fires to rub on themselves and their cattle, creating a protection against mosquitoes.

In a valley in the Icelandic Highlands, water finds its way, shaping the land into majestic forms, symbolizing resilience and interconnectedness. Rivulets, streams, and brooks seemingly run over and under each other, crossing, parting, and melting again, creating wonderful abstracts that let your fantasy run.

That morning, we decided to follow four cheetahs on the hunt. We followed them for hours. We passed herds of topis, gazelles, and zebras. We knew something was going to happen. When, five hours later, our Maasai guide whispered, ‘they are going for the zebras,’ I was convinced they would attack the topis or gazelles dotted across the valley. Seconds later, the cheetahs burst into a small group of zebras. One cheetah ran towards us, clinging onto a foal. In those seconds, I took this picture of the mother zebra launching a last attempt to push her foal away from the attacking cheetah. She failed. I will remember those last seconds for the rest of my life.

A landscape double rainbow with lightning.

I went to Lake Boora in County Offaly in Ireland very early in the morning. The combination of the fog and rising sun was magical, but something was missing. Suddenly two Gesees showed up and I did not hesitate to take this picture.