Who doesn’t snap a shot of their cutest pets while they're sleeping or a colorful butterfly when they’re at the park? We like to have a physical memory of what we thought was beautiful or interesting. But there are people who take photos for a whole different purpose.
People who submit their work to the BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition go above and beyond to catch the right picture at the right time. And though there is a monetary prize to the winner, the competition hopes that these breath-taking images from all around the world will inspire others to protect and conserve our planet.
#21 Terrestrial Wildlife, Finalist: 'Jumbo Roadblock' By Jagdeep Rajput, Corbett National Park, India
This herd of Asian elephants had just arrived from an adjoining national park. Demonstrating both their right of way and their social behavior, the elephants marched slowly in formation, creating a protective front row that kept the young ones safe in the middle.
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26points
#22 Winged Life, Finalist: 'Stages Of Life' By kurt Bertels, Nicosia, Cyprus
This camera trap image caught three young barn owls as they practiced flying from the top of an ancient well—while their parents were out catching rodents.
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26points
#23 Human/Nature, Finalist: 'Mon Cheri' By Guido Villani, Naples, Italy
After a light storm drew a swarm of jellyfish and released a sizable amount of litter into the port of Bacoli, this mauve stinger carried off a discarded plastic chocolate wrapper in its tentacles. These beautiful little jellyfish, which phosphoresce when disturbed, are much feared for their painful stings.
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26points
#24 Photo Story: Out Of The Ordinary: 'Klukshu Ice Bears 2/6' By peter Mather, Yukon Territory, Canada
An ice bear known to the locals as “The Mayor”— because he is the dominant male in the area—uses a fallen tree to cross Klukshu Creek.
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26points
#25 Human/Nature, Finalist: 'Dolphin’s Hug' By Jaime Rojo, Puerto Nariño, Colombia
To document the first-ever tagging event of an Amazon River Dolphin, the photographer joined the scientific team on a weeklong pursuit. After six days in pouring rain, they found one—and en route to the veterinary station for tagging, a concerned team member soothes the dolphin.
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25points
#26 Winged Life, Finalist: 'Flamingo Flying Over Lake Magadi' By yang Jiao, Magadi, Kenya
These greater flamingos were photographed from a helicopter over Lake Magadi, a salt lake in the Great Rift Valley of southern Kenya whose mineral deposits reflect light in ever-changing patterns.
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24points
#27 Landscapes, Waterscapes, And Flora: Finalist: 'Tree Of Life' By anette Mossbacher, Ruacana Falls, Namibia
Light from the quickly setting sun highlights this cliff-dwelling baobab tree as shadows move up the valley. The waterfall is a surprising backdrop for this ancient tree, which has adapted to extremely arid conditions.
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24points
#28 Art Of Nature, Finalist: 'Little Comets' By Alexey Korolyov, Kremyonki, Russia
Snowflakes become comets flying through the air, and the dark trunks of birch trees sway lightly in the twilight of this painterly image. The enchanting illusion was achieved by combining an on-camera flash, high aperture, and intentional camera movement.
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24points
#29 Photo Story: Out Of The Ordinary: 'Klukshu Ice Bears 5/6' By peter Mather, Yukon Territory, Canada
“The Mayor”—recognizable by his large size and unique blonde claws—finishes a salmon meal near the photographer’s remote camera.
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23points