The 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest is now underway! It kicked off on August 15 and will run until November 4. Photographers, if you win the grand prize, you’ll go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, 10 days for two to the Galápagos with National Geographic Expeditions. They’re looking for photos that showcase the awe-inspiring and diverse natural world around us. Though both wildlife and landscape photos can be submitted, I’ve selected only top wildlife photos in my post. (I can’t help it, I love animals.) Enter now!
Above:
Bear Hug Brown Bears
Katmai National Park, Alaska
Photo and Caption by Aaron Baggenstos/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
The Best Spot on the Savannah
Female leopard gazing out over the savannah in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Photo and Caption by Natashia B./2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Curious Lions
Using a wide-angle lens (16mm) on our remote-controlled camera buggy results in the background being smaller in shot and appearing further away. We fire the camera shutter using the same remote-control transmitter that we use to drive the buggy, allowing us a range of a couple of hundred meters although we rarely sit more than fifty metres away from camera.
Photo and Caption by Kym Illman/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Let’s Picnic
Yellowstone National Park, west thumb geyser basin, a perfect spot for picnic, and I mean not for human.
Photo and Caption by Qian Wang/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Tundra Ghost
Snowy owls are among my favorite birds on the planet. Their elusive nature and elegant flight make them a crown jewel to photograph. Repetition and persistence proved to be the key with this image. Using a slow shutter speed of 1/50 to create this “wing blur” effect I took well over 1,000 unusable photos over three weeks in the field to make this one frame. In this case, the high risk came with a high reward.
Photo and Caption by Aaron Baggenstos/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Swamp Raccoon
While looking for alligators at a swamp in Louisiana, this beautiful little creature wanders out of the murky waters right into the morning light , pausing just long enough to capture.
Photo and Caption by Kim Aikawa/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Wildebeest Migration
This is a photo of Wildebeest during migration in the Serengeti.
Photo and Caption by Hugh McCrystal/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Priceless
Two very precious endangered beasts gracing me with their presence under the stars in South Africa. So many of these rhino are now being dehorned to save them from poachers that this photographic moment is even more precious to me. A long exposure for the stars while light painting the rhino as they drank makes for an amazing moment captured.
Photo and Caption by Alison Langevad/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
