The weather outside right now is frightful. So to cheer us all up, the Nature Conservancy has announced the winners of their 2023 Photo Contest. And, as ever, they are a powerful reminder of how beautiful the natural world can be when we look after it.
The 2023 Grand Prize went to photographer Tibor Litauszki from Hungary, for his incredible underwater image of an Alpine newt eating freshly laid frog’s eggs.
The winning images were selected by an impressive panel of judges, including renowned natural history photographer Frans Lanting and celebrity judge and actor Cole Sprouse.
You can see highlights from this year's competition below.
Aerial Category winner – Living inside the yellow fields
A drone image shows a small settlement in the city of Swidnica, Poland, which was built in the middle of a field of rapeseed. Photo by Agnieszka Wieczorek/TNC Photo Contest 2023
People and nature category honourable mention – Fighter jets
Two male tigers fight while a crowd of people watch on, in Tadoba Tiger Reserve, India. Photo by Narayan Malu/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Lands category honourable mention – Planned burn at Chase State Fishing Lake
A controlled burning of pasture is reflected in the Chase State Fishing Lake, Kansas, USA. It was shot in the early hours of the morning when temperatures were low and conditions were clear. Photo by Bruce Hogle/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Mammals category winner – Wolf Trinity
Three wolves leap through the air, showcasing their enthusiasm and companionship. This image serves as a reminder of the elegance and charm of these animals in their natural environment. Photo by Siddhartha Ghosh/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Climate category winner - Stranded
Euridice Castro holds her nephew Otavio in the window, while her son Aquiles plays in the rising rivers, in Anama, Brazil, on 24 May 2021. Anama has been an 'amphibian city' for years, surrounded by flood water from the Amazon River, and forcing residents to raise the level of their homes. Photo by Raphael Alves/TNC Photo Contest 2023
People and nature category winner – Wildebeest breakfast balloon safari
A small group of wild blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) watch from a safe distance as a hot air balloon lands in the Maasai Mara National Park, Kenya. Photo by Michael Hegyi/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Insects and arachnids category winner – Wolf spider mother
A female wolf spider (Lycosidae) balances her babies on her head in this impressive image, shot in the summer in the USA. Photo by Benjamin Salb/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Lands category winner – Sound and vision
An intense snowstorm obscures the autumnal colours of the trees in this image which is reminiscent of an impressionist painting. Photographed in Italy by Alessandro Carboni/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Oceans category winner – The Rangiroa gang
In this image, the photographer got to witness dolphins at play at the biggest atoll in the world. In the Tuamotu, Rangiroa, French Polynesia. Photo by Estebane Rezkallah/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Freshwater category winner – Dry fish pond
Holes dug by fish for spawning can be seen after this pond at Tai Sang Wai, Yuen Long, Hong Kong, has dried up. Photographed on 3 September 2022. Photo by Jeanny Tang/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Aerials category second place – Magadi airshow
Lake Magadi provides a breathtaking backdrop as flamingoes fly over the lake in Kenya, on 12 September 2023. Photo by Neelutpaul Barua/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Mammals category third place – Shaking off
A brown bear (Ursus arctos) photographed in the USA, shakes water off in this slow-motion shot. Photo by Luisa Pericoli/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Reptiles and amphibians category winner – Alien portrait
In this photograph, the intricate skin of a corn snakelet (Pantherophis guttatus) is highlighted using ultraviolet light. Photo by Irina Petrova Adamatzky/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Birds category winner – Busy builder
A penduline tit (Remiz pendulinus) builds its unique nests in the marshes of Biebrza national park, Poland. This image shows a male leaving the nest to bring more nesting material to finish up the build. Photo by Grzegorz Długosz/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Freshwater category honourable mention – The beauty of a river monster
A Mexican tiger salamander (Ambystoma velasci) photographed underwater at San Luis Potosí, México. Photo by Jorge Castro Urbiola/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Plants and fungi category winner – SER*ES
A cactus tree photographed in the Province of Salta, Argentina, on a moonlit winter night. Photo by Jose Pereyra Lucena/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Underwater life category winner – Phantoms adrift
Pacific sea nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens) swarm in the murky waters of Monterey, California, USA. Photo by Russell Laman/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Celebrity judge winner – Dawn's whispers
Fresh from catching a bug, this hoopoe takes flight with its wings lit by the light of a sunrise in the early morning in the United Arab Emirates. Photo by Hermis Haridas/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Overall winner – Between the stars
An alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) rests on top of a pile of frog eggs. In this image, the camera was weighed down underwater, and the eggs were photographed from below. Photo by Tibor Litauszki/TNC Photo Contest 2023
James Cutmore is the picture editor of BBC Science Focus Magazine. He has worked on the magazine and website for over a decade, telling compelling science stories through the use of striking imagery. He holds a degree in Fine Art, and has been nominated for the British Society of Magazine Editors Talent Awards, being highly commended in 2020. His main areas of interest include photography that highlights positive technology and the natural world. For many years he was a judge for the Wellcome Trust's image competition, as well as judging for the Royal Photographic Society.
