The Finalists Of Photographer Of The Year Are In And Here Are 26 Winning Images

After more than a year of planning and about a week of in-person scouting along the coast of Sinaloa, Mexico, my dream of photographing a bird in front of a total solar eclipse finally came true on April 8, 2024. Totality was set to last almost 4.5 minutes, and I enlisted a boat to position myself near some islets off Mazatlán frequented by seabirds.

As the moon uncovered the sun’s edge at the end of totality, I captured this Magnificent Frigatebird silhouetted against the spectacular eclipse phase known as the “diamond ring,” a fleeting moment that lasts only seconds.

Canon EOS R5 with Canon RF 100–500mm f/4.5–7.1 lens. 400mm; 1/4,000s; f/7.1; ISO 10,000

Eurasian Jays are not generally thought of as urban birds but can sometimes be found in parks and gardens. They almost always build their nests in trees, avoiding artificial structures – so when a friend reported finding a jay’s nest inside (!) a streetlamp, I considered it a joke; the Eurasian Jay is not a hole nester. Yet, I couldn’t resist checking it out, and to my amazement, the nest was real. I waited for the ‘blue hour’ to combine the warm light from the lamp with the cool colors of the nest’s surroundings before taking this photo.

Nikon Z8 with Nikon Z 180–600mm f/5.6–6.3 lens. 250mm; 1/20s; f/7.1; ISO 1,000

After the devastating wildfires of summer 2024, I visited Jasper to witness the desolation. In the scorched landscape, where ash covered everything, only a few animals had returned. Among them, Common Ravens were some of the first to reclaim the land. This one, perched on a charred tree, called out as if mourning the loss of its kingdom.

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 600mm f/4 III lens. 600mm; 1/400s; f/4; ISO 1,250

The Greater Adjutant is a Near Threatened species, with fewer than 1,500 mature individuals remaining in the wild. It was heartbreaking to see such a rare bird struggling for food at this rubbish dump.

Nikon Z9 with Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 lens. 400mm; 1/1,600s; f/8; ISO 800

I was watching a fledgling Buffy Fish Owl perched in a tree when heavy rain started to fall. I took shelter, keeping the owl in sight, waiting for the right moment. It flew down to a low, unlit street light, and I quickly stepped out to photograph it. Using a low shutter speed, I positioned a distant illuminated street light just out of the corner of the frame to highlight the rain streaks, while water droplets on nearby leaves added depth to the foreground. The bird stayed mostly still, its feathers soaked, but occasionally shook itself, sending droplets flying in all directions. This moment captured the resilience of wildlife enduring unpredictable weather.

Sony a1 with Sony 85mm f/1.4 II lens. 85mm; 1/20s; f/1.4; ISO 2,500

This disused French chapel was home to Barn Owls, but it had no flat surfaces for them to nest. I installed a nest box inside, and to my delight, a year and a half later, a pair settled in and bred successfully.

This photo was taken from my hide tent at dusk, with the light coming from the street lamps that had just been turned on.

Canon EOS 1D X Mark III with Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8 lens. 175mm; 1/30s; f/2.8; ISO 3,200

I was in the Sea of Cortez, near Los Islotes—a small cluster of rocks that’s part of the Espíritu Santo archipelago—to document the remarkable recovery of this marine protected area. Los Islotes is the southernmost breeding site of the Californian Sea Lion in the Northern Hemisphere, but it’s also an extraordinary haven for countless other species. I was captivated by the skill and grace of Brandt’s Cormorants as they hunted through vast schools of pilchards. Most of their feeding happened at sunset, when the low light made photography challenging. But on one perfect occasion, the conditions aligned, allowing me to capture this image with a striking three-dimensional perspective.

Sony A7R III with Sony 18–15mm f/4 lens. 15mm; 1/200s; f/8; ISO 400

The marigold fields surrounding the village of Hiware Bazar are truly breathtaking, and watching flocks of swallows gliding just above them inspired this photograph. I noticed that some of the birds kept returning to the same area, so I set up my camera and used a remote trigger to capture the perfect moment. Out of the thousands of shots I took, this one stood out as my favorite.

Nikon D4 with Nikon 14–24mm f/2.8 lens. 14mm; 1/250s; f/10; ISO 200

A lone bird rests on a vast field of solar panels alongside a highway in the Netherlands – a striking symbol of the tension between green energy and nature. As we transition to sustainable power, the infrastructure often takes up space that could have been left for wildlife. This fleeting moment captures that paradox: progress requires space, but at what cost to nature? No bait was used – just a spontaneous encounter between a bird and a modern-day monoculture.

Sony a1 with Sony 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 lens. 348mm; 1/500s; f/13; ISO 6,400

Visiting Haleakalā National Park is notorious for altitude sickness, but it led me to an unforgettable moment. Feeling lightheaded at nine thousand feet, we turned back and stopped at Hosmer Grove Campground.

The moment I stepped out, flashes of red flickered through the trees—three to four ‘I‘iwi landing on a sunlit bush. With harsh light and no clouds above, I underexposed the shot, creating a black background that made the bird’s scarlet feathers glow.

The altitude may have made me miss a Short-eared Owl, but it gave me the perfect chance to capture Hawaii’s iconic honeycreeper in stunning contrast.

Canon EOS R7 with Canon EF 100–400mm f/5.6–8 lens. 400mm; 1/320s; f/8; ISO 1,000

This male capercaillie, bathed in the first rays of the rising sun, had perched in the perfect spot. The emotions I felt in that moment are hard to put into words. Overwhelmed by the scene, I forgot to adjust my camera settings, and most of the shots came out blurry. Thankfully, a few turned out sharp!

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 II lens. 400mm; 1/1,600s; f/2.8; ISO 800

I was in the Sea of Cortez, near Los Islotes—a small cluster of rocks that’s part of the Espíritu Santo archipelago—to document the incredible recovery of this marine protected area. Los Islotes is the southernmost breeding site of the Californian Sea Lion in the Northern Hemisphere, but it’s a wild and vibrant place for many other reasons as well.

I was captivated by the extraordinary skill and elegance of Brandt’s Cormorants as they fed on an almost endless school of small pilchards. Most of the hunting happened at sunset, when the low natural light made photography challenging. On one occasion, the conditions aligned perfectly, allowing me to capture this image, which offers a striking three-dimensional perspective.

Sony A7R III with Sony 18–15mm f/4 lens. 15mm; 1/200s; f/8; ISO 400

It was January, and nature had created some fascinating shapes in the saline lakes near Akasztó, Hungary. I sent up my drone, searching for the perfect composition, when a dozen geese suddenly flew into view. I immediately started taking photos, and luckily, everything fell into place—the composition and the geese aligned perfectly.

DJI Mavic 2 Zoom. 4mm; 1/1,000s; f/2.8; ISO 100

When a male Asian Houbara (also known as Macqueen’s Bustard) performs his courtship dance, he puffs out his stunning white breast feathers and runs around, usually in a prominent spot, to attract a mate. These bustards are normally very shy and hard to spot because of their wonderfully cryptic plumage. The best time to photograph them is during breeding season when the males are displaying. After years of dreaming of capturing a bustard dancing in the desert, I finally managed—with patience and a bit of luck—to approach one slowly and get close enough to photograph him strutting his stuff.

Nikon Z 9 with Nikon Z 600mm f/4 lens and 1.4x teleconverter. 840mm; 1/2,500s; f/5.6; ISO 1,000

While exploring the Danube Delta in Romania this summer, I discovered a European Bee-eater colony nesting in a cliff, where the birds tirelessly hunted prey for their chicks tucked in burrows.

They flew over a field of wildflowers, whose colors beautifully mirrored the bee-eaters’ plumage. I was captivated by their agility as they swiftly changed speed and direction, tracking insects in midair.

After many attempts, I finally captured this bird in flight, wings fully spread, showcasing its vibrant feathers in perfect harmony with the flowers below.

Nikon Z9 with Nikon Z 600mm f/4 lens. 600mm; 1/4,000s; f/4; ISO 1,250

I was photographing a small flock of Alpine Choughs at 2,300 metres in the Swiss Alps when the temperature dropped to a biting −10°C and the wind whipped snow across the ground in swirling gusts. Yet the choughs, perfectly adapted to these harsh conditions, seemed completely unfazed as they hopped around, searching for scraps left by tourists. I loved watching them move and fly through the blizzard with such elegance.

Nikon Z 8 with Nikon Z 14–30mm f/4 lens. 22mm; 1/1,000s; f/9; ISO 560

Nothing heralds the arrival of spring more evocatively than the sight and sound of migrant birds in Sweden, with the appearance of Whooper Swans being a particular highlight. I captured this image at dusk as the swans gathered in a field near a lake. Using a slow shutter speed to emphasize motion, I tracked one swan as it came in to land, aiming to capture its grace against an abstract sea of swans on the ground.

Sony a1 with Sony 400mm f/2.8 lens. 400mm; 1/4s; f/5.6; ISO 500

Using a wide-angle lens, I photographed a shag taking off on the Norwegian island of Hornøya. In the image, it looks like a gigantic bird flying over all the others, but in reality, the bird was very close to the lens, which makes it appear much larger.

Thanks to the very small aperture, the sun appears as a star through the blades of the lens. Converting the image to black and white enhances the confusing perspective, as the details are harder to see and the bird’s relative size is more difficult to judge.

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8 III lens. 34mm; 1/640s; f/22; ISO 800

I photographed this group of King Penguins emerging from the ocean on a cloudy summer morning. I lay flat on the shore to capture both the dramatic sky and the reflections in the wet sand. When one penguin started trumpeting and pointing its head toward the clouds, it felt like a celebration of life—a triumph over the dangers of traversing the vast ocean in search of food. For the penguins, these calls are finely tuned songs (though they may not sound very melodic to humans) that allow mates to recognize each other amidst a sprawling colony of thousands. In essence, this call translates to a resounding, “I’m back home!”

Canon EOS R5 with Canon RF 70–200mm f/2.8 lens. 86mm; 1/1,000s; f/2.8; ISO 4,000

At thirteen, I switched my Canon AE-1 from programme mode to aperture priority—and I’ve worked that way ever since. I prefer controlling depth of field first and shutter speed second. It usually works, except in moments like this—photographing in low, pre-dawn light when the sun suddenly rises. I forget to adjust, the shutter speed maxes out, and the image blows out. This photo, taken on a misty morning, appeared three stops brighter than I’d visualised—and it took my breath away. Sometimes, a divine accident redeems a thousand mistakes.

Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 II lens. 263mm; 1/8,000s; f/5; ISO 800