47 Images That Captured Nature’s Beauty And Diversity And Were Selected As Best By NBP Awards 2023

“Only about 50% of brown bear cubs make it past their first year. Their survival depends upon the special relationship between adult females and their young. This close bond is imperative as the mother provides not only food but also protection and guidance. Here, a cub has its eyes on what the sow is eating.”

“During one of many walks in the natural habitat of the basilisk, I found this male resting on a fallen tree trunk half submerged in water. I carefully moved closer to capture his splendor and avoid any distracting elements in the shot. One of my biggest dreams had come true.”

“This African savannah elephant was trying to camouflage itself behind a too-small bush. When we came driving by, the elephant had stepped behind the bush in an apparent attempt to hide. When we stopped to watch, it seemed to realize its cover was blown, so it calmly walked away.”

“Throughout the entirety of my more than 20-year professional career, I have always been very much a project photographer. I seek to immerse myself completely in the lives of the animals or birds with which I work, striving to capture images that other photographers have not been able to capture. These local swans are one such example, choosing to live next to a footpath close to my Derbyshire home. Every day, I would visit and sit close by, speaking to them, gaining their trust, and learning about their body language. When the cygnets finally hatched, I was able to work at a unique proximity where the birds would not tolerate other humans to capture this touching family interaction.”

“Lion cubs are among my favorite photo subjects. Focusing on this fellow as the lionesses prepared to target a herd of eland, his eyes darted between his mother and our vehicle, giving a variety of amusing expressions.”

“This mother polar bear was exhausted from finding food for her babies and just wanted to steal a moment to sleep. After being fed, the cubs would not let the mother rest and tried to wake her up to play.”

“The image shows a cheetah and her cubs waking up at sunrise. While their mother was stretching, the curious cubs sat and watched our vehicle. Cheetah cubs typically will stay with their mom for 18 to 24 months before going their independent ways. They watch and learn all the tricks of survival from their mothers. Visiting the Mara over the past eight years, I have seen fewer and fewer cheetahs. Recently, the authorities laid down strict rules regarding the viewing of cheetah cubs to ensure their population grows in the future. We will have to wait and see if this is successful.”

“This mute swan had just noticed another conspecific intruding into its territory. I was focused on the swan as it spread its wings and approached the other to chase it away. Pollen covered the water’s surface, which created beautiful bokeh balls against the golden light of the setting sun.”

“I made my way to this duo of teddy bear cholla and barrel cactus beneath my favorite peaks in the Superstition Mountains and carefully composed this scene before sunrise. The warm glow of sunrise began to paint the mountain peak, and the sky lit up with various shades of pink and orange, creating a mosaic of color in this desert landscape. The image is comprised of three consecutive frames with each frame using a different focal point to stack for optimal detail.”

“Born to a mother estimated to be about 25 years old, the little blonde female cub had no other brothers or sisters to play with. All this cub wanted to do was play with other bears. I took this shot at eye level using a floating hide to create an intimate feeling.”

“Loss of the icepack threatens the polar bear by compromising its hunting ability. We waited several days to capture the polar bears in their natural snow and ice. Finally, near the end of our trip, it snowed, and we were fortunate to see this particular bear stand up on his hind legs as if waving to us.”

“A beautiful sunny day greeted me in this gorgeous park. Before sunrise, I set up my mobile hide about 165 feet away from a dead tree. During my earlier research of this area, locals told me that this particular tree attracts many birds of prey. Golden eagles did not appear, but just before I packed up, a red fox climbed up, looking directly into my eyes for a brief moment. It was one of the most pleasant encounters with a red fox I have ever had.”

"While a squall covered Reykjanes peninsula, I ascended to the base of Geldigadalir—Iceland's youngest volcano. Magma rising from the mantle formed gigantic bubbles 30 to 50 feet in diameter, which burst when they reached the surface. Lava was emerging with unusual force, overflowing the drainage channel and scattering the incandescent rock like oil on a canvas." See the video.

“During the golden hour on The North Shore, I was treading water through the ripping current while numerous waves were coming my way. After numerous swells hit, a massive sandbar was created at this spot. When the sand gets pushed into the water, magic happens! The reef on the left side of the bay caused the waves to wedge and peak onto a shallow sand shelf. I live for days like this because they are rare. I had to make sure these giant waves did not pound my head as I composed the shot.”

“Gharial offspring frequently fall prey to various predators—both aquatic and avian. An adult will carry babies on its back to keep them out of the reach of fish and will drive away birds by any means necessary. This natural phenomenon is often seen in some of the rivers in India.”

“I was privileged to spend nearly six hours with these two animals when I took this shot. Initially, they were up in a tree with a kill tussling over who got to eat first. They came down and roamed across the grassland, interacting as a mom and youngster often do, with lots of rubbing and play-fighting. For a fleeting second, one wrapped its tail around the head of the other, and I was in the right position to catch it.”

“We awoke one morning to a blanket of fresh powder snow. While the photographers were busy taking photos of the moose, the moose was walking from car to car, licking the salt. But ‘Hoback,’ the largest moose in the Tetons, was licking the tires, the lights, and the car hoods. He then peered into our car and glared at a stuffed moose on the dashboard. Hoback pushed against the Jeep with his nose and began to spar. Getting nowhere, he licked some more and then wandered off.”

“Roe deer are easily spooked; therefore, I use traditional fieldcraft techniques like wearing a ghillie tree suit and stalking with the wind in my face. I saw this buck’s antlers, crawled slowly to get close, and waited. Any movement would have ended the encounter, but my camera was up and ready for this shot.”

“In the dark, the bears seem like ghosts fishing along the Klukshu River. Their fur is thick and white with icicles. When they move, they sound like chandeliers. Yukon First Nations lore tells how this icy armor serves as a shield to protect the grizzlies—called ‘ice bears’— from arrows. It is a sight and sound that is eerie and beautiful and rare—increasingly so, in more ways than one. There are only a handful of places in the Yukon where ice bears can fish into late fall when temperatures have dropped below zero. Some are scattered around Haines Junction, on the traditional territory of the Champagne Aishihik First Nation, and the Kluane River, on the traditional part of the Kluane First Nation. Others are further north, near Fishing Branch Territorial Park. What all of these spots have in common is that salmon run late enough there for the bears to fish in the dark when the salmon can’t see them, and the bears rely solely on their extraordinary sense of smell to catch the fish. But with winter arriving in the Yukon later every year and rivers disappearing due to receding glaciers, and while salmon numbers are at a record low, we may be seeing the last of these ice bears.”

“I followed a small herd of goats as they made their way up the mountainside. The kids were very active and playful along the journey. Above the timberline, around 14,000 feet above sea level, there are no trees or brush, only short tundra grasses so the goats can see you. But, by sitting instead of standing and giving them space, they see you offer no threat, and you can observe and photograph their natural behavior.”

“During a late evening safari, we came across a few zebras. I was taking some close-up portraits when we observed one sniffing the air. The zebra held its head high, lips open, and teeth exposed. This behavior looked as if he was having a hearty laugh. After review, I understood this was a Flehmen response.”

“As the pandemic raged during the summer of 2020 and 2021, I decided to turn my attention to documenting and exploring the Hudson Bay area. Utilizing drones and our custom-built equipment allowed us to observe unique hunting behaviors of beluga whales and get up close and personal with the polar bears, all while staying invisible to be able to capture intimate moments. Observing the wildlife has changed the lives of me and my team forever.” See the video.

“I laughed out loud watching this pair of adolescent bull elephants tussle with each other like a pair of rambunctious boys on the playground. When one bull had enough, he sat down in resistance. His friend would have none of it! Determined to continue the match, he pushed his buddy back to his feet. Elephants are extraordinary animals capable of a full range of emotions, like love, grief, and compassion. The sense of joy and silliness in this pair was contagious. The grins on their faces added to the playful mood. I smile every time I see this image.”

“My local guide and I went out at dawn for a game drive to observe a lion pride based in Ndutu. After a while, a large male lion woke up and moved toward an Acacia tree to sharpen its claws before patrolling his territory. The lion stretched, arching his back inward, and stood facing the tree, bracing his paws against the trunk while he rhythmically extended and pulled back his claws. The grasping motion of the claws repeatedly shook the trunk, and the power shown by the lion was impressive.”

“After a few days of heavy rain, I had the opportunity to photograph a gelatinous mass of developing glass frog embryos hanging from a fern leaf over a stream. It was an image I had in my mind for years. To highlight the embryos, my girlfriend held a flash from behind. Once they hatch, the tadpoles will drop into the water below and continue their metamorphosis into adulthood.”

“Here, an adult and a juvenile spotted owl perched on a branch. It was one of the last times I saw these nocturnal owls during the daytime before the tree was removed to widen the highway.”

“To observe and photograph the endangered Iberian lynx, I traveled to Peñalajo— a 5,584- acre estate located between Santa Cruz de Mudela and Almuradiel in Ciudad Real, near the northernmost foothills of Sierra Morena in Spain. These Mediterranean forests, where the Iberian lynx makes its home, are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Europe. In the early 2000s, just two isolated breeding populations remained worldwide. Located in southern Spain, they totaled about 100 adult animals with only 25 breeding females. It was essential to give the lynx more room to reproduce by creating new populations in other regions. Based on the number of rabbits and the quality of the habitat, sites were selected in eastern Sierra Morena, Montes de Toledo, and the Matachel Valley in Extremadura, as well as the Guadiana Valley in Portugal. Farmers here have been working with local and regional administrations and other NGOs, such as the European Union and WWF, to improve the habitat of the Iberian lynx and expand the local rabbit population. The result, several years later, is that Peñalajo has one of the highest Iberian lynx densities in the Iberian Peninsula, with three breeding populations and ten new cubs spotted. The high density of rabbits has meant that females can successfully breed more than two cubs on average per season and that there is an increased number of young specimens in the area.

In the hot, dry summers where temperatures may climb above 104° Fahrenheit, water holes have been built to help the wildlife survive. I spent many days in a small hide next to a water hole, trying to photograph the elusive cats. Most days, there were no cat sightings, but I got lucky a few times during several trips to Spain and over about three weeks of sitting in the hide. The great news from the field is that due to conservation efforts, the Iberian lynx is now recovering from the brink of extinction, with numbers consistently rising.”

“We were photographing a group of white rhinos as they grazed at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where rhinos are abundant. Seeing upwards of 12 to 15 individuals daily in the wildlife reserve is not unusual. On this trip, I noticed three males getting close to one another and asked my driver to position the safari vehicle in front of them, hoping the rhinos would come together. I was ready and got lucky as all three butted heads. The one in the center raised its head to push through the other two. I captured the trio perfectly aligned before they pushed each other out of the way.”

“At the emperor penguin rookery on Snow Hill Island, one of the adults showed its lack of fear for humans by wandering among a group of photographers. The penguin stopped to look alongside someone who was checking his images.”

“I spent several weeks photographing the owlets from a particular burrow throughout the late, blistering hot summer months in this Southern California desert. As they got older and grew bolder, each one would venture further away from the burrow, bouncing around and practicing their flight capabilities. I captured this juvenile burrowing owlet in a fully extended yet humorously failed mid-flight attempt.”

“After spending the day in Yellowstone National Park with my family, we were driving home down the notoriously windy mountain road that is Sylvan Pass. It was raining, and the sky was eerily dark. Making our way around a sharp turn, I asked my dad to stop the car. To our right, an enormous rainbow spread across the sky. The vibrant contrast of colors against the ferocious clouds was striking. I grabbed my camera and took photos until the last bit of color from the rainbow dissipated. To this day, this is one of my favorite moments I have experienced in nature.”

“Here a gecko was putting up a brave fight trying to attack the immature goshawk. Unfortunately for the gecko, there was only one possible outcome—I had to blink back tears.”

“On a trip to Churchill during November, when the sea ice usually starts to form, the polar bears are typically seen hunting for seals. However, this time, there was still no sea ice, and the bears were waiting patiently. We followed this individual as it came across an empty hut and disappeared inside. It poked out its head and I got this humorous shot. We were all laughing at the funny and unique moment.”

“Finding a soft spot in a cactus, this reptile is feasting on the succulent plant. I could only snap one shot before the iguana changed the angle of its head and had its back to me.”

“Mountain hare photography is not a pursuit for the impatient. There can often be long periods of sitting near a hare as they sleep, sleep, and sleep some more with little activity, often only stirring to eat a pellet. This can become a war of attrition, battling against the cold weather side by side with a species far more adapted to the conditions than me. But all the waiting becomes worth it for a split-second moment like this.”

“We parked our Jeep and ventured on foot following a trail in the Patagonia grasslands. This game trail runs along rocky cliffs where pumas may sometimes be seen. After scouring the landscape in the windy, cold air with binoculars, we eventually gave up, and just as we decided to turn back, we finally saw ears and a face hidden in the rocks. The cat was napping on the hillside. Gradually, he stood up, stretched his back, and sauntered off. We followed, hoping to get another glimpse. As the puma looked at us, I got this shot.”

“In 1973, Steve Kress, then an Audubon camp instructor, founded ‘Project Puffin’ to bring these birds back to Maine, where they had been eliminated by hunters in the 1880s. Over the next 15 years, he transported nearly 2,000 puffin chicks from Newfoundland and hand-raised them on Eastern Egg Rock and Seal Island until they began breeding in 1981. It was the world’s first successful seabird restoration to an island. In 1902, there was only one pair of puffins in Maine. Fifty years later, there are more than 1,300 pairs. Techniques of chick translocation and use of decoys (left), mirrors, and taped bird sounds have now been applied in more than 850 seabird restoration projects, assisting nearly 140 species in 36 countries.”

“I am a passionate wildlife advocate and photographer with an affinity for bears. Over the last ten years, I have made multiple trips to Alaska to photograph brown bears, mothers, and their cubs. Mothers have the difficult task of providing food and protection at the same time for their young cubs. When a sow runs off to hunt for fish, cubs remain isolated along the banks of rivers and inlets. In this photo, a sow has captured a salmon and returns to share it with her cubs.”

“During an intense sunset, I noticed this composition of a pier leading to the mountains in the background. To depict the motion of the sky and the lake during the windy evening, I decided to use a long exposure. Also, for this image, I used an HDR blend to capture the dynamic contrast between shadows and high- lights created by the overcast conditions.”

“This photo was taken one day in my garden when I saw weaver ants collecting leaves to build their nests. So I rushed inside to get my camera and started taking different scenarios. This image depicts a situation where the ants are structured in a triangle to support each other like a ladder. The weaver ants use it to move from leaf to leaf, and through this photo, we can see the unity and teamwork of the weaver ants.”

“An anemonefish was caring for eggs laid on a plastic bag filled with sand. I was happy to get this shot, but also sad to see the ocean trash.”

“This moment is one of the most epic behind-the-shot sessions and adventures. Planning such a shot brings tremendous excitement because, from the beginning, the final result is totally unknown. The goal of our adventure was to drop into a glacier just before the dark of night. But all conditions had to line up for success. We found a hole, or ‘moulin,’ about 130 feet deep. Here, climber Helgi Ragnar Jensson is coming up around midnight under the most incredible conditions with a rising full moon and halo. One can barely see our tent lit up on the right side of the frame.”

“I visited Valparai in South India to see tea plantations and the famous lion-tailed macaques. During my trip, our guide spotted a group of a hundred or more macaques on the forest floor. I saw cute babies playing around with their mothers and a big alpha male approaching. All the others gave way— he was quite large compared to the other macaques. He was the ‘big boss’ of the group; he sat close to us, facing the other side. I watched him intently and noted his beautiful silver- white mane surrounding his head from his cheeks to his chin. I waited for him to look toward me, and soon, we gazed directly at each other. I captured this eye contact on camera and in my mind forever.”

“On an April afternoon, I saw this interesting composition in front of our house. A swallow was sitting on the power lines lit by the setting sun. Since I took the picture from a bottom perspective and the lights came from the front, only the bird’s silhouette was visible. After dozens of unsuccessful attempts and a long time waiting, I managed to take a photo where the swallow is in the perfect position.”

“From Swakopmund many people go to Pelican Point by boat. I love to drive my car into the peninsula to see the wildlife closer and take my time to wait for special moments. This seal colony is one of the biggest in Southern Africa and I went with the idea to take a picture with my drone. I flew the drone quite high in order to respect the seals and not disturb them. I tried many different angles, but this one was my favorite.”

“This is an in-camera composed Penta-exposure photograph of an orb weaver spider ambushing its prey. Most orb weavers build a new web daily and are active in the evening, so I observed this individual every day out on our terrace. I created a bokeh of lights in the background by applying multiple exposures, as there were only two light sources. The first four images visualize a bokeh framed at different angles, while the last image is the silhouette of the spider. This combination of creative nature photography and urban wildlife shows the coexistence of these creatures in a human-dominated world.”

“One day, I found this crested crab spider not far from my home. Standing in a strange posture at the mouth of a cave, it was guarding baby spiders on its chest before they hatch.”