The results of the Nature inFocus Photography Awards 2025 were officially announced on 15th November at the Nature inFocus Festival, held at the historic Jayamahal Palace in Bengaluru. This highly anticipated event once again brought together some of the most powerful visual storytellers in wildlife and conservation photography.
The Nature inFocus Photography Awards celebrate photographers who capture extraordinary moments from the natural world while shedding light on urgent conservation issues. Every year, the competition builds an inspiring collection of imaginative, thought-provoking, and visually stunning images that highlight the beauty – and fragility – of our planet.
This year’s edition saw an overwhelming response, with nearly 16,000 submissions from over 1,250 photographers across 38+ countries, showcasing a truly global perspective on nature, wildlife, and environmental challenges.
#1 Runner-Up In Animal Portraits: "The Curious Six" By Amit Eshel
Location: Eastern Steppe, Mongolia
"On the windswept steppes of Mongolia, six young Pallas’s cats emerge from their rocky shelter. Still dependent on their mother’s care, these eight-week-old kittens explore their surroundings with caution and wonder, offering a rare glimpse into the lives of this elusive species."
"On the windswept steppes of Mongolia, six young Pallas’s cats emerge from their rocky shelter. Still dependent on their mother’s care, these eight-week-old kittens explore their surroundings with caution and wonder, offering a rare glimpse into the lives of this elusive species."
35points
#2 Special Mention In Animal Portraits: "Shrouded In Snow" By Mohammad Murad
Location: Eastern Mongolia
"Blanketed by frost in the Mongolian wilderness, a Pallas’s cat endures the aftermath of a snowstorm at -35°C. Perfectly adapted to its frozen world, this elusive feline’s dense fur, flattened ears, and high-set eyes allow it to vanish into the landscape. "
"Blanketed by frost in the Mongolian wilderness, a Pallas’s cat endures the aftermath of a snowstorm at -35°C. Perfectly adapted to its frozen world, this elusive feline’s dense fur, flattened ears, and high-set eyes allow it to vanish into the landscape. "
30points
#3 Special Mention In Wildscape & Animals In Their Habitat: "Cooling On The Coast" By Suliman Alatiqi
Location: Komodo, Indonesia
"After days of fieldwork with local rangers, the photographer captures a Komodo dragon resting in shallow coastal water. As cold-blooded animals, they use water and mud to cool themselves and often swim or walk along the seabed while searching for food or mates."
"After days of fieldwork with local rangers, the photographer captures a Komodo dragon resting in shallow coastal water. As cold-blooded animals, they use water and mud to cool themselves and often swim or walk along the seabed while searching for food or mates."
29points
#4 Winner In Animal Portraits: "The Canopy Watcher" By Federica Cordero
Location: Uganda
"In the forests of Uganda, a young male chimpanzee lounges effortlessly on a twisted vine, pausing to observe the world below."
"In the forests of Uganda, a young male chimpanzee lounges effortlessly on a twisted vine, pausing to observe the world below."
28points
#5 Special Mention In Young Photographer: "A Tale Of Two Trunks" By Rohan Neel Shah
Location: Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
"In the Maasai Mara, two elephants intertwine their trunks in a gentle moment of play. The black-and-white frame highlights the texture of their skin and the quiet connection shared between them."
"In the Maasai Mara, two elephants intertwine their trunks in a gentle moment of play. The black-and-white frame highlights the texture of their skin and the quiet connection shared between them."
28points
#6 Special Mention In Animal Portraits: "The Night Glider" By Philippe Ricordel
Location: Japan, Hokkaido, Obihiro
"Monmongas, or flying squirrels, live in Hokkaido, Japan. Though not uncommon, photographing them is difficult. They are small, fast, and nocturnal, active mostly at dawn or dusk. During mating season, this one finally peeked out of its nest, 5 metres high, long enough for a single photo."
"Monmongas, or flying squirrels, live in Hokkaido, Japan. Though not uncommon, photographing them is difficult. They are small, fast, and nocturnal, active mostly at dawn or dusk. During mating season, this one finally peeked out of its nest, 5 metres high, long enough for a single photo."
28points
#7 Winner In Wildscape & Animals In Their Habitat: "Thief In The Spotlight" By Sergey Bystritsky
Location: Vashlovani National Park, Georgia
"In a cluster of unusually shaped trees, the photographer sets soft lights using flashes and fabric to guide a fox into view. With the setup blending into the canopy, the moment offers a brief look at a usually elusive visitor moving through the night."
"In a cluster of unusually shaped trees, the photographer sets soft lights using flashes and fabric to guide a fox into view. With the setup blending into the canopy, the moment offers a brief look at a usually elusive visitor moving through the night."
27points
#8 Special Mention In Animal Portraits: "The Watchers" By Sathiyaseelan Subramanian
Location: Chennai, India
"From a hollow tree in Chennai, a family of Spotted Owlets peers curiously at the world outside."
"From a hollow tree in Chennai, a family of Spotted Owlets peers curiously at the world outside."
25points
#9 Special Mention In Wildscape & Animals In Their Habitat: "The Rarest Of The Rare"By Sergey Gorshkov
Location: Land of the Leopard National Park, Russia
"In Russia’s Land of the Leopard National Park, one of the world’s rarest big cats moves quietly through its forest home. The photographer recalls that the Amur leopard appeared for only a moment before slipping back into the dense cover of the trees."
"In Russia’s Land of the Leopard National Park, one of the world’s rarest big cats moves quietly through its forest home. The photographer recalls that the Amur leopard appeared for only a moment before slipping back into the dense cover of the trees."
24points
#10 Special Mention In Coexistence: "Next-Door Neighbour" By Pruthvi B
Location: Mysore, Karnataka
"Adaptable and elusive, leopards have long lived alongside people in many parts of India. But as towns grow and natural spaces shrink, encounters like this have become more common. This moment of a leopard moving past an open doorway offers a glimpse into the delicate relationship shared by people and wildlife in changing landscapes."
"Adaptable and elusive, leopards have long lived alongside people in many parts of India. But as towns grow and natural spaces shrink, encounters like this have become more common. This moment of a leopard moving past an open doorway offers a glimpse into the delicate relationship shared by people and wildlife in changing landscapes."
24points
#11 Special Mention In Animal Portraits: "Stars Beneath The Waves" By Vinay Mathew
Location: Maldives
"Drawn from the ocean’s depths by plankton gathered near a boat’s light, a whale shark glides through the dark waters. The scene feels celestial, its white spots gleaming like distant stars, the light below forming a stairway through the sea."
"Drawn from the ocean’s depths by plankton gathered near a boat’s light, a whale shark glides through the dark waters. The scene feels celestial, its white spots gleaming like distant stars, the light below forming a stairway through the sea."
23points
#12 Special Mention In Animal Behaviour: "After The Hunt" By Sergey Gorshkov
Location: Wrangel Island, Russia
"On Wrangel Island, a polar bear pauses after a successful hunt, a trail of blood marking its path across the snow."
"On Wrangel Island, a polar bear pauses after a successful hunt, a trail of blood marking its path across the snow."
23points
#13 Winner In Ramki Sreenivasan Conservation Photography Award: "Edge Of Two Worlds" By Rajat Chordia, Vidhan Dwivedi
Location: Udaipur, Rajasthan
"A young leopard feeds on a cow carcass beside garbage and fast-moving traffic. The scene reflects how adaptable these cats are and how closely they now live to human settlements."
"A young leopard feeds on a cow carcass beside garbage and fast-moving traffic. The scene reflects how adaptable these cats are and how closely they now live to human settlements."
23points
#14 Runner-Up In Wildscape & Animals In Their Habitat: "The Night Of The Badger" By Adam Horvath
Location: Bakonybél, Hungary
"After five years of observation, the photographer captures a badger emerging from one of its many sett exits beneath a star-filled sky. The scene brings together earth and cosmos, offering a sense of scale between a small night wanderer and the vastness above."
"After five years of observation, the photographer captures a badger emerging from one of its many sett exits beneath a star-filled sky. The scene brings together earth and cosmos, offering a sense of scale between a small night wanderer and the vastness above."
21points
#15 Winner In Young Photographer: "Nautilus On The Move" By Tinnapat Netcharussaeng
Location: Anilao, Philippines
"During a nighttime blackwater dive, a female Paper Nautilus clings to a drifting leaf, using it as a temporary refuge in the open sea. The encounter offers a brief look at how ocean creatures adapt to life in deep, open waters and the world below the waves."
"During a nighttime blackwater dive, a female Paper Nautilus clings to a drifting leaf, using it as a temporary refuge in the open sea. The encounter offers a brief look at how ocean creatures adapt to life in deep, open waters and the world below the waves."
20points
#16 Special Mention In Ramki Sreenivasan Conservation Photography Award: "Cat, Camera, And Our Consequences"By Pallavi Laveti
Location: Andhra Pradesh
"An endangered Fishing Cat looks into a DSLR camera trap, surrounded by litter carried in by the tides. It offers a glimpse of how deeply human activity influences even the most hidden corners of the wild."
"An endangered Fishing Cat looks into a DSLR camera trap, surrounded by litter carried in by the tides. It offers a glimpse of how deeply human activity influences even the most hidden corners of the wild."
20points
#17 Special Mention In Coexistence: "In Their Small World" By Aniket Rangnath Thopate
Location: Badlapur, Maharashtra
"Mongooses often visit this backyard, inspiring the photographer to document their hidden world. In this image, a female and her young one explore a small patch of land they depend on, now scattered with an empty mango box.f"
"Mongooses often visit this backyard, inspiring the photographer to document their hidden world. In this image, a female and her young one explore a small patch of land they depend on, now scattered with an empty mango box.f"
19points
#18 Special Mention In Animal Behaviour: "The Final Strike" By Rathna Varshini Choudhry
Location: Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh
"During a safari in Dudhwa, the photographer watched a jungle cat drag a monocellate cobra onto the road, beginning a 20-minute duel of strikes and lunges. With quick reflexes and precision, the cat overpowered its venomous opponent and claimed its meal."
"During a safari in Dudhwa, the photographer watched a jungle cat drag a monocellate cobra onto the road, beginning a 20-minute duel of strikes and lunges. With quick reflexes and precision, the cat overpowered its venomous opponent and claimed its meal."
19points
#19 Special Mention In Animal Behaviour: "Life In Mud" By Panos Laskarakis
Location: Busanga plains , Kafue National park, Zambia
"In Zambia’s Busanga Plains, the rains bring back the mud that hippos love most. From above, they can be seen resting and playing in their muddy paradise on the African plains."
"In Zambia’s Busanga Plains, the rains bring back the mud that hippos love most. From above, they can be seen resting and playing in their muddy paradise on the African plains."
19points
#20 Special Mention In Creative Nature Photography: "Work Of Art" By Sarthak Agrawal
Location: Aurangabad, Maharashtra
"A grey heron lifts into the air, backlit by the afternoon sun. Startled by a passing fisherman, it circles above the lake, offering the photographer an unexpected view as it poops in flight. The moment is playful reminder of how nature creates its own surprising patterns."
"A grey heron lifts into the air, backlit by the afternoon sun. Startled by a passing fisherman, it circles above the lake, offering the photographer an unexpected view as it poops in flight. The moment is playful reminder of how nature creates its own surprising patterns."
18points