30 Of The Most Impressive Images From The 2024 Nature “inFocus” Photography Contest

This year, the Photographer of the Year Portfolio award went to Supun Dilshan for Trapped Between Worlds, a captivating visual story that highlights the struggles of Sri Lankan elephants as they face increasing challenges in landscapes altered by human development.

Anish Andheria, President of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, remarked, "It’s heartbreaking to see development at loggerheads with the places these wild animals call home. Their habitat is already shrinking at an alarming rate due to multiple anthropogenic factors. But with the rise of linear infrastructure, especially in regions like India and Sri Lanka, we’re only going to see more of these come up. This is one of the greatest threats to wildlife today."

The photography contest is open to both adults and young photographers, with winners selected in categories such as Animal Portraits, Animal Behavior, Conservation Photography, Creative Nature Photography, Wildscape & Animals in Their Habitat, and Photographer of the Year – Portfolio. The "Young Photographer" award is specifically for participants aged 17 and under, celebrating emerging and passionate young talent.

According to the organizers, this year's winners were selected by a 6-member jury, which included wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee, President of the Wildlife Conservation Trust Anish Andheria, filmmaker and TV presenter Malaika Vaz, wildlife biologist Nandini Velho, and wildlife photographer Shivang Mehta. The jury and the awards were curated by Kalyan Varma, co-founder of Nature inFocus.

Bored Panda spoke with Saloni Sawant, Content Curator at Nature inFocus, to learn more about this year’s competition. She explained that the judging process for the Nature inFocus Photography Awards is a thorough, three-month journey with several rounds.

"It begins with the Nature inFocus team reviewing all submitted images, where nearly 50% are filtered out due to technical inconsistencies or failure to meet the competition’s specifications.

The shortlisted images then move to the next stage, where the jury conducts two independent rounds of evaluation, reviewing each image before selecting the top 40–50 entries per category.

The final three rounds are the most intensive—jury members and curators come together to discuss every image in detail. Each juror champions their favorite, presenting arguments for why it deserves recognition. These deliberations ultimately determine the winning images."

According to Sawant, one of the most remarkable aspects of the 2024 competition has been the sheer diversity of images submitted. "Even after a decade of running this contest, we continue to be amazed by fresh perspectives, innovative storytelling, and the evolving ways people document nature. This year, we've seen a surge in photographers using accessible technology, such as mobile phones, to capture stunning imagery. In fact, the winning image in our Young Photographer category was taken on an iPhone!"

As wildlife conservation becomes an increasingly urgent issue, photography has proven to be a powerful tool in raising awareness. We asked about the impact the Nature inFocus Photography Awards hopes to make in inspiring action for wildlife conservation.

"For conservation to be effective, it needs a strong emotional connection; people must feel before they act. Photography has the power to bridge that gap. The images showcased in the competition are not just visually striking; they tell urgent stories about our natural world, its beauty, and its fragility. When people see powerful imagery, whether it’s of breathtaking landscapes, rare species, or the devastating consequences of environmental destruction, it compels them to care, engage, and, hopefully, take action."