81 Pics That Prove Nature Never Runs Out Of Surprises From The 2026 NLPA Awards

Taken in the rugged beauty of Assynt, in the Northern Scottish Highlands. A fleeting break in the storm allowed a shaft of light from the rising sun behind me to transform the landscape, illuminating the reeds and loch with stark, unexpected contrast. For just a few moments, the scene came alive. I had barely enough time to capture it before the rain and hail swept across the landscape once more, swallowing the light and draining the vibrancy from the scene. It was one of those rare moments when everything comes together … and disappears almost as quickly as it arrived.

Award: Waterscapes, Winner

"It’s a phenomenon well known to nature photographers (and landscape photographers in particular): we seem to encounter the most spectacular sunsets while standing in a supermarket parking lot, at a gas station, or in the least photogenic place imaginable. This time, though, I got lucky and found myself by a lake in southern Sweden when the conditions decided to put on a proper show.

Since I’m not particularly good at capturing those classic, sweeping vistas, the idea of experimenting with a multiple exposure immediately came to mind. If I remember correctly, this is a six-shot multiple exposure created entirely in-camera, in which I alternately layered the lines of the trees against the sky with their reflections in the water."

Award: Multiple Exposure and ICM, Winner

High above the Baltic Sea, an ancient beech forest glows in autumn colors atop the dramatic white chalk cliffs of Jasmund National Park on the island of Rügen, Germany.

Award: Intimate Landscape, Highly Commended

Takayna is an incredible part of Lutruwita/Tasmania and holds incredible cultural and world heritage values. It meets multiple criteria for World Heritage Classification, but it still needs protection. The lichen-covered rocks caught my eye and reminded me of the tens of thousands of years of culture and history of the Aboriginal people of Takayna. The distinct patterns and colors echo the incredible resilience and strength to thrive in this landscape.

Award: Fungi and Lichen, Runner Up

"A rare combination of parameters must line up to be able to press the shutter release. Miss just one of them, and the image simply doesn’t happen. This is what makes the 2026 Unique Aurora Shot of the Year, “Sub-Zero,” both frustrating and addictive. After scouting the glacier surface for a few days, we choose a spot and commit to the idea.

That evening, skilled ice climbers, Icelandic clear skies, and a dancing aurora came together for just a few moments, creating a brief window in which everything aligned to capture a scene that would be extremely difficult to repeat."

Award: Night, Third Place

At Sol de Mañana, a high-altitude geothermal field in southern Bolivia, volcanic forces beneath the surface push gases upward through pools of bubbling mud, creating an ever-changing tapestry of intricate and abstract patterns. This formation immediately caught my eye, its radiating lines and organic shapes resembling a flower in bloom, with layers unfolding like petals and leaves.

Award: Black and White, Winner

The Milky Way shines high above the Salmon Glacier in northern British Columbia, Canada. This area is usually mired in clouds during this positioning, so many factors need to line up to get this shot, including a lot of luck.

Award: Night, Winner

Shot in late March, this image captures the first burst of spring blossom. A local tree that only flowers so vibrantly in unseasonably calm, warm spring conditions. Using ICM, my aim was to help the pink bloom petals wrap around the dark, twisted branches, now leaving cold, bare winter behind, while creating painterly textures and soft pastel tones

Award: Multiple Exposure and ICM, Runner Up

These trumpet-shaped protrusions are the podetia of a cup lichen that I found on the stump of a cut-down birch in a forest north of Poznań, Poland. What may seem like a single organism is actually a colony of fungi and algae intertwined in a symbiotic relationship. They're a pretty common occurrence throughout the whole year, but usually missed by casual passers-by. Their real beauty is revealed up close. The whole scene is just a few centimeters across and the image is actually a focus stack of 70 individual exposures taken with a macro lens.

Award: Fungi and Lichen, Third Place

"The dehesas in the Spanish region of Extremadura are home to many holm oaks. I created a multiple exposure by taking six photographs, moving one step to the left each time. This ensured the tree trunk always overlapped the trunk in the previous image. For the seventh and final photograph, I captured the field where the holm oak stood, full of white flowers. The whole scene reminded me of the painter Monet and felt impressionistic. Did I see it that way? No. Did it feel that way? Absolutely! "

Award: Abstract Landscapes, Highly Commended

Award: Abstract Landscapes, Runner Up

Award: Multiple Exposure and ICM, Third Place

In a place I often visit and only a few miles out of the city I live in, I caught this scene from a perspective I'd previously not seen. The leaves had fully dropped and the air was cold on this early winter day, revealing the structures of willows and aspens at the edge of the grasses. I was captivated by the visual flow created by the grasses leading through the frame, as well as the color contrast and texture in the scene overall.

Award: Common Places, Winner

Waiting out a winter storm to walk Tasmania's Overland Track in August 2022, I had to choose on day one between pressing on and climbing Cradle Mountain alone, hauling a 35kg pack through knee-deep snow to camp on the summit. After hours in cloud, it broke with minutes of daylight to spare, revealing snow-covered mountains glowing in the late afternoon light and making the brutal climb entirely worthwhile.

Award: Frozen Worlds, Winner

An aerial perspective of Skeiðarárjökull, captured from a small plane flying above the glacier's outlet. The patterns of volcanic ash, blending seamlessly with the cracks and crevasses of the ice, tell the story of a timeless ballet between fire and ice. As the unique signature of Icelandic glaciers, this picture aims to tell a bit of this story

Award: Abstract Landscapes, Winner

After several days of below-zero temperatures, a thin layer of ice had formed on this river estuary in Northumberland. A retreating spring tide had undermined the ice layer, leaving shapes reminiscent of fallen leaves.

Award: Common Places, Runner Up

View of the Lyngen Alps from a hike to Blåisvatnet. Near the final stretch of the hike, I found some untouched snow and these two birch trees framing the mountains as if they're acknowledging their majesty. I initially photographed this frame in direct light, but waiting past sunset brought the best conditions with a gentle glow on the peaks and soft purples in the sky. As the temperature was around -18°C, I walked and jogged in circles to keep myself warm, observing the scene as the light progressed. Eventually, the satisfaction of getting the best out of the photograph overcame the painful cold. Taken in Troms, Norway.

Award: Mountains, Runner Up

A notch in the canyon wall allows the late afternoon sun to illuminate a single ponderosa pine growing on the banks of the South Fork Boise River, in Idaho, USA.

Award: Black and White, Runner Up

Everchanging conditions on a cold morning in the Caledonian forest.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

Scots pine and birches encrusted in thick frost on a bitterly cold winter's evening.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

The summit of Beinn Fhada, in the Scottish highlands, above the fog on an exceptionally cold winter's morning. I'm not sure I would have believed the intense pink sky had I not been there to see it for myself.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

A remote area of the Mojave Desert is coated in beautiful frost - a rarity for a predominantly hot and dry landscape.

Award: Intimate Landscape, Runner Up

In March, the conditions at this iconic Swiss mountain lake have been nearly perfect for a mystical atmosphere during the night. A friend and I met there after a hike through the fresh snow, and we were pretty excited about the scenery we got. The low clouds, fresh snow, and the perfect reflection combined with the moonlight created outstanding conditions for taking photos.

Award: Night, Runner Up

Intense morning light on a Scots pine and frozen heather, with an upright pine snag behind.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

The Caledonian forest transformed by frost in the depths of winter, as the morning fog was dispersing.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

Freezing fog clearing to reveal frost coated Scots pine trees after an exceptionally cold winter's night.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

Diamond dust is a phenomenon typically seen in polar regions, in temperatures less than -10C. I have been lucky to witness this a couple of times in Scotland, which I believe is really quite rare. Tiny ice particles suspended in the air were almost lifelike as they darted around, backlit by the morning sun.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

Three backlit pine trees standing above the frozen Caledonian forest.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

Frosted grass at the waters edge.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

Two shapely Scots pine trees with An Tudair mountain behind.

Award: Projects, Runner Up

Last winter, as I revisited an ice cave that evolved over the last four years, I found some of the most incredible hoar frost I have seen in my life. The whole ceiling was covered in thousands of almost hand-sized ice crystals. In one corner, I found this hidden cave inside the cave, which instantly caught my attention. The final image shows a focus-bracketed image with full depth of field from front to back.

Award: Frozen Worlds, Runner Up

Subtle forms created by a combination of wind, sand, and water on the south coast of Iceland. I often find myself going to famous places and ending up shooting beautiful, intimate details.

Award: Platinum Palladium, Runner Up

On a scorching summer day with temperatures exceeding 40°C, this aerial photograph, taken at Miklapuszta in Hungary, reveals a striking saline lakeshore resembling a snow-capped mountain peak. Hundreds of greylag geese gather in the shallow water, their movements creating delicate, brushstroke-like patterns across the surface. Photographed from an altitude of over 260 meters using a 3x zoom lens, the scene could be documented without disturbing the birds.

Award: Waterscapes, Runner Up

An extraordinary high-altitude desert in the Argentine Andes. Its otherworldly, Martian landscape is shaped by wind and coloured red by iron oxides. Is there anybody out there?

Award: Grand Landscape, Runner Up

A single, heart-shaped leaf drifts on an autumn stream in Den Bosch, its gentle flow creating rhythmic reflections beneath a bridge. The scene evokes a love poem in nature, with each ripple as a line and the leaf a symbol of fleeting beauty

Award: Intimate Landscape, Third Place

"On my journey to northern Norway, I photographed this frozen waterfall in Finland with my drone. From above, a lone tree stands out against the pale layers of ice covering the cliff, its dark branches bringing a sense of scale to the scene.

Hasselblad L3D-100c · 14.5 mm (28 mm equivalent) · 1/800 s · f/2 · ISO 400"

Award: Frozen Worlds, Third Place

An unassuming, somewhat scummy pond comes alive when reflecting the colors of a vibrant sunrise

Award: Waterscapes, Third Place

A dramatic winter morning on one of Scotland's most impressive mountains.

Award: Grand Landscape, Third Place

On a September morning just after sunrise, I was photographing in the Montferland area of the eastern Netherlands when I noticed these beautiful sunrays breaking through the fog over the treetops. I had originally gone out to photograph a forest road as part of an ongoing project, but this scene immediately changed my plans. It was a moment of real awe, made even more special by finding it in a familiar forest close to home.

Award: Platinum Palladium, Third Place

The weathered remains of this endangered Cider Gum, shaped by hundreds of years of wind, rain and snow, still hold a powerful story. The ancient Palawa People of Tasmania once tapped this majestic tree for its sweet, nourishing sap hundreds of years ago. Today, the tapping scars remain as a lasting reminder of its deep cultural significance and natural history. This natural form conveys strength and defiance in the face of extinction. Double Exposure In-Camera.

Award: Abstract Landscapes, Third Place

Award: Mountains, Third Place

The leaves had not yet fallen, but frost had already begun to usher them toward winter, bringing an early touch of winter to the surrounding vegetation.

Award: Common Places, Third Place

A moody afternoon in the Cirque of the Unclimbables, with Lotus Flower Tower in all of its glory.

Award: Black and White, Third Place

After a night of a snowstorm, the clouds cleared, revealing an ice- and snow-covered landscape.

Award: Projects, Third Place

Two pines standing on a peak in Pollino National Park after the first snowfall of the incoming winter.

Award: Projects, Third Place

Silhouettes of pines seen through the fog.

Award: Projects, Third Place

After a long hike in the clouds, I found myself standing in the fog. Suddenly, the clouds shifted and the light broke through.

Award: Projects, Third Place

On the side of a slope, these pines got engulfed by low rolling clouds.

Award: Projects, Third Place

Comet Neowise framed through the branches of some Loricati pines.

Award: Projects, Third Place

The bark of the loricate pines was covered in rime ice after a night of frost.

Award: Projects, Third Place

In the Pollino Mountains, frost and ice can cover the pines during the winter months.

Award: Projects, Third Place

One of the most spectacular sunsets that I have ever seen came unexpectedly when some thick fog suddenly disappeared, revealing this beautiful light.

Award: Projects, Third Place

This group of pines looks like they are aiming towards the valley below, from where some warm sunlight is rising.

Award: Projects, Third Place

Award: Projects, Fourth Place

Award: Projects, Fourth Place

Award: Projects, Fourth Place

Award: Projects, Fourth Place

Award: Projects, Fourth Place

Award: Projects, Fourth Place

Award: Projects, Fourth Place

Award: Projects, Fourth Place

Award: Projects, Fourth Place

Part of my Silent Waves series, this image explores the wave-like patterns created by light and shadow across snow-covered mountain terrain.

Award: Grand Landscape, Highly Commended

Looking across the alpine valley towards Cradle Mountain in northern Tasmania, I wanted to convey this iconic view in a new and interesting way. This image uses the beautiful textures of the surrounding snow gums to create an in-camera multiple exposure, offering an artistic interpretation of the landscape.

Award: Abstract Landscapes, Highly Commended

Framed by two solitary, weathered pine trees in the foreground, a majestic twin-peaked mountain rises from a dense forest blanketed in snow. After hours of waiting through snowstorm after snowstorm, shortly before sunset, a fleeting burst of golden light finally broke through the dark clouds, gently illuminating the icy slopes at my feet and lighting up the dramatic stormy sky. Photographed on the last evening of my 2026 trip to northern Norway - truly a grand final.

Award: Grand Landscape, Highly Commended

As the morning skies finally started to show some soft colors, the submerged vegetation of Slovenia's Lake Cerknisko was still covered in black and invited me to create this kind of a silhouette shot, while trying to capture the fragility and peacefulness of the moment.

Award: Intimate Landscape, Highly Commended

The final stage of an unbelievable sunrise amongst the mighty peaks of Scotland's highlands. After photographing this composition the day before, I returned just as light beams began to run through the valleys, bursting through the clouds and onto the landscape below. For a brief period of time, it lit up my Torridonian sandstone foreground as well as the valleys perfectly in a golden glow.

Award: Mountains, Winner

As the sun sets behind the hills, the final light of day catches these Canary pines (Pinus canariensis), making them glow in strong contrast to the shadowed forest behind them. Taken in Gran Canaria, Spain.

Award: Projects, Winner

A bare, high-altitude volcanic land that has been slowly taken over by Canary pines, which thrive in conditions no other trees can endure. Taken in Tenerife, Spain.

Award: Projects, Winner

An old, dying Caledonian pine stands as if offering its final words of wisdom to the younger tree beside it before taking its last breath. Taken in the Highlands, Scotland.

Award: Projects, Winner

Two large Scots pines frame the sky like arguing parents, while smaller trees look on from below. The fiery, colorful clouds seem to mirror the heated emotions of the moment. Taken in the Highlands, Scotland.

Award: Projects, Winner

A young solitary pine found a way to thrive on a tall sandstone pillar. After enduring the hardships, it is finally living a moment of glory as the light strikes. Taken in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, Germany.

Award: Projects, Winner

Majestic cones of the Canary pines. At high altitudes dominated by these trees, the forest floor is often carpeted with them. Taken in Gran Canaria, Spain.

Award: Projects, Winner

Two pine saplings enduring the Arctic winter, patiently awaiting the brief season of warmth to continue growing. Taken in Troms, Norway.

Award: Projects, Winner

On a new volcanic land, a family of Canary pines is saying goodbye to its youngest member. Taken in Tenerife, Spain.

Award: Projects, Winner

An ordinary pine forest in my backyard, enduring an exceptionally heavy snowfall. Occasionally, gusts of wind blew snow off the canopy, creating a foggy visual effect in the background. Taken in Bavaria, Germany.

Award: Projects, Winner

The essence of an ancient, protected Caledonian pine forest emerging slowly through the morning mist. Taken in the Highlands, Scotland.

Award: Projects, Winner

Scattered petals drift across the water, forming fleeting patterns as they move with the current. Among them, the reflection of a bare tree emerges and fades with the movement of the water. The scene evokes the quiet transition of seasons—a fleeting sense of spring lingering for a moment before dissolving into time.

Award: Intimate Landscape, Winner

On an unseasonably warm December day on the northern shore of Lake Ontario in Canada, I found a devil. Okay, not a devil, but an anomaly, so it was just as surprising, trust me. Fungi in northern latitudes tend to shrivel and die long before the Christmas shopping season has started, but this robust bunch found a convivial home in the crook of a toppled shore tree long into its journey of rotting into nothingness. An equally convivial lashing rain joined the merry scene, adding a certain shiny definition to the tree, and hence, more drama was achieved. Then I took a photo of it and hiked back to warmer environs. I would do it again.

Award: Fungi and Lichen, Winner

You never know what conditions you’ll encounter as you ascend to 3,842m by cable car from Chamonix. The weather down in the valley is no indication of what awaits you above. While the tourists were looking for clear blue skies, I was drawn to the drama of towering clouds rising against the razor-sharp teeth of the Alps. It was an awe-inspiring sight, but unlike the brave souls making their way along the snowy ridge, I was more than happy to watch them undertake their own adventure.

Award: Platinum Palladium, Winner

"The storm had just passed when I started my descent from this volcano, somewhere deep in South Lípez, Bolivia. I had climbed to the summit hoping to watch the sunrise, but the clouds had other plans. I could see nothing. Then, at 4,500 meters, an opening appeared. The feeling of grace was undeniable. There was nothing around me but this vast, vibrant silence.
For a few minutes, the light exploded across the snowy peaks, the warm volcanic sand, and the deep blue water below. Everything seemed to collide — fire and ice, earth and water, darkness and light. I stood there alone, feeling incredibly small, watching the mountains slowly disappear as the next storm rolled in. Some landscapes are beautiful. Others make you feel in the presence of something greater. This was one of them."

Award: A Breath Between Storms