The winning photos of the environmental conservation competition... including the glowing skin of a snake under violet lighting

ArabiaWeather - The winning photos in the 2023 World Photo Contest , organized by the Nature Conservancy , reveal unique moments that reflect the beauty and diversity of the natural world, as one of the photos represents a dry pond bearing unusual traces, as it shows the holes left by fish at the bottom of the pond. In a different context, an image of a settlement appears in the middle of a field of yellow rapeseeds, highlighting the convergence between humans and nature. The third image takes the viewer to the world of spiders, where a wolf spider appears, touchingly protecting its young.

First place: A photo of an underwater alpine newt

Czech photographer Tibor Litawszki won this year's grand prize , thanks to his amazing photo of an underwater Alpine newt, which feeds on fresh frog eggs. Using an LED flashlight and a camera that he placed inside a waterproof case with a remote control, Tibor succeeded in capturing a unique moment. It highlights the cycle of nature and highlights its details.

According to the global non-profit organization "Nature Conservation", this year's competition witnessed an unprecedented turnout, with 189,000 entries recorded by more than 80,000 photographers. Among these huge numbers, photographer Tibor Litawszki deserved to win, as he documented a rare event in... The natural world, which is often overlooked.

Alex Snyder, competition director and judging coordinator, commented on the winning photo by saying:

“A simple stream teeming with life transformed into an unfamiliar world, where a galaxy of green and blue shimmers across a dark background like an artistic canvas. The technical challenges gave the picture a high rating, but the overall composition and unique aesthetic were key factors in winning it.”

Unique moments in the natural world... The winners' photographs go beyond documenting the beauty of wildlife

The winning photos in this year's competition are not limited to documenting the beauty of wildlife, but rather extend to capturing unique moments, as in the wonderful silhouette of a hoopoe at sunrise, and highlighting the glowing skin of a corn snake under violet lighting, and some of the images reflect the dangers it faces. The natural world, like the moment documented by photographer Rafael Alves, which won the climate category, showing river levels rising in Anama, Brazil, during May 2021.

Anama is a unique place, as the entire city is flooded every year, and Alves commented on the moment by saying:

“The Amazon Basin was experiencing the longest and highest flood in history when this photo was taken, and although people have adapted to the water cycle, extreme events such as massive floods or droughts force people beyond their limits.”

This year, the competition was divided into 12 categories , which is a historic change after it previously contained six categories. The Nature Conservancy aims for these images to be stimulating to raise awareness and enhance emotional ties with the natural world, and to contribute to supporting global environmental conservation efforts. Regarding this, Snyder noted:

“Early photographs of Yellowstone Park helped convince the US Congress to establish the area as the first national park ever. Additionally, photography has long been a tool used by scientists and researchers to document and observe every aspect of our natural world. Photography shows us what matters.”

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Sources:

cnn