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Far and Wild Video

Get insights from 2020 BigPicture judges and award-winners and hear how they captured those images. Watch the video.

grand prize winner

Black Grouse Showing Off

Tromsø, Norway
Audun Rikardsen | Tromsø, Norway

Grand Prize

Camouflage Rhino

Backyard Friend (from Cities Gone Wild)

Asheville, North Carolina, United States

With a wildlife corridor passing through their property, a retired couple living on the outskirts of Asheville, North Carolina frequently find four-legged visitors at their back porch, including this beautiful American black bear (Ursus americanus). In fact, residents of Asheville are known for their close relationship with wild black bears in the area. This photographer theorizes that through this coexistence, these bears may be growing more intelligent and increasingly bold—resulting in close contact like that featured here.

Corey Arnold

Washington, United States

Corey Arnold is a commercial fisherman and photographer exploring the complicated relationship between mankind and nature. He creates photographic stories related to his life at sea, working communities, and human-animal relationships. His work has been exhibited extensively in galleries and museums worldwide including the Portland Art Museum with local representation by Charles A. Hartman Fine Art. Arnold’s photography has been featured in Harpers, The New Yorker, New York Times, Rolling Stone, Time, Outside, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Mare, and The Paris Review, among others. A National Geographic Explorer and Hallie Ford Foundation Fellow, he has published two books of photography by Nazraeli Press including Fish-Work: The Bering Sea and Fishing with My Dad.

See Corey's behind-the-scenes video

Grand prize winner

Cities Gone Wild

Corey Arnold | Washington, United States
Various Urban Areas, United States

Need stuff here too.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Joseph Platko | Marina, United States

waters devoid of summer algal blooms—which typically coincide with the invasion of Monterey Bay by Pacific sea nettles.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Karim Iliya | Haiku, Hawaii, United States

Barrel Roll

Moreai Rurutu, French Polynesia
Here, even in rough waters, a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calf playfully rolls while its mother sleeps just out of frame. While this is an extremely rare sight—and even more remarkable photo capture—not much is known about why humpbacks roll. This photographer notes that he’s spent hundreds of hours documenting these beautiful creatures, yet had never seen this behavior demonstrated before.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Amos Nachoum | Pacific Grove, United States

Facing Reality

Pleneau Island, Antarctic Peninsula
The young gentoo penguin jumped into the lagoon to play during low tide, and was ambushed by the leopard seal, which had been lying in wait.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Marek Jackowski | Poznań, Poland

Treasure on Ice

Svalbard, Norway
‍As the disappearance of sea ice due to climate change becomes more evident, polar bears are rapidly losing their habitat. At dusk, this lucky male settled down on a small iceberg—a refuge for the night.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Andy Schmid | Kleindöttingen, Switzerland

Orcas Under the Arctic Sun

Skjervøy, Norway
‍Drawn to the fjord in search of herring that shelter from the open ocean each winter, this curious but protective orca mother allowed the photographer to swim nearby during the single hour that the sun shines through the fjord and into the water in mid-November.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Mike Korostelev | Moscow, Russia

Private Moment of Milk Feeding

Indian Ocean
‍A pod of sperm whales tolerated the photographer’s proximity long enough for him to catch one of the mothers nursing her baby, almost at the water’s surface. Not so easy to hold your breath and drink at the same time—for the baby whale, that is.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Cristina Mittermeier | Nanoose Bay, Canada

Crabeater Ice Palace

Antarctic Peninsula
‍Crabeater seals lounged on an Antarctic iceberg as the photographer passed by on an inflatable boat. This expedition photograph was created as an argument for the protection of the Antarctic Peninsula—where billions of tons of sea ice have been lost—as the largest sanctuary on Earth.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Renee Capozzola | Palos Verdes Estates, California, United States

Snapper Sunset

Rangiroa, French Polynesia
A serene moment of paddletail snappers (Lutjanus gibbus) swimming in the largest atoll in the Tuamotu Islands, this masterful image captures the many layers of a healthy, thriving ecosystem—above and below the surface—in a single frame. Not only is this photo a testament to the beauty of the ocean, but it’s also a powerful example of what it looks like when our watery world is protected.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Mike Korostelev | Moscow, Russia

The Secret Life of Underwater Hippopotamuses 

Kosi Bay Lake, South Africa
An image years in the making: Seemingly coy hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibius) sit below the surface of the water, eyes fixed on the camera. After extensively researching this specific family, including taking underwater drone footage of their behavior, this photographer eventually felt comfortable enough to jump in and take this image. Why all the preparation? These hefty creatures kill more people per year than sharks, making an underwater image of them as spectacular an endeavor as it is dangerous.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Renee Capozzola | Palos Verdes Estates, California, United States

Strength In Numbers

Maui, Hawaii, United States
An astonishing image: four green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) serenely swim through the waters of Maui. While it’s not unusual to see them in Hawaiian waters, where they thrive thanks to strict protections, it is extraordinarily rare to spot more than two swimming together. Green sea turtles are primarily solitary creatures once they reach adulthood, coupling only briefly for courtship and to breed.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Heng Cai | Shenzhen, China

Blanket Octopus

Anilao, Philippines
So named for the transparent webbing that connects to the female’s arms, the blanket octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus) is a curious cephalopod. They exhibit one of the most extreme displays of sexual size dimorphism in nature, with females, like the one pictured here, reaching up to nearly 6 feet in length—while the males only grow to a paltry inch.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Andy Schmid | Zürich, Switzerland

Crowd Control

Skjverøy, Norway
This photograph is a perfect demonstration of evolution and ecology: carousel feeding by Norwegian orcas. A behavior first coined with respect to bottlenose dolphins, carousel feeding is a hunting tactic wherein a pod of marine mammals work together to herd prey into a tight ball, or, as it appears in this photo, a donut-like shape. As the ball is herded tightly by one or more individuals, the rest of the pod will whip their tails into the school in order to stun, and then feed on, the fish within.

Aquatic Life

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

Of Blades & Spines

Carmel Bay, United States

Urchins are often vilified in media coverage of changing kelp forests—they’re the most visible cause of kelp forest loss, devouring algae and replacing lush forests with spine-studded barrens. But in this remarkable photo we see how urchins belong to kelp forests as much as the kelp itself does; more importantly, they play a crucial role as detritivores—eating dead algae and feeding marine life higher up the food chain. Ultimately, urchins are trying to survive in changing seas just like kelp; the loss of their kelp forest homes is a consequence of climate change from which they also suffer.

Kate Vylet

Santa Cruz, United States

Kate Vylet is a conservation photographer, marine scientist, and divemaster anchored in Monterey Bay, California.With a background in ecology specialized to California's iconic kelp forests, she focuses her underwater photography and videography work through a scientific lens to bring light to the ocean and its challenges.

See Kate's behind-the-scenes video

Aquatic Life winner

Of Blades & Spines

Kate Vylet | Santa Cruz, United States
Carmel Bay, United States

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

Tomasz Szpila | Bulowice, Poland

New Life

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, Africa
Capturing an image of a week-old mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is no easy feat, as the mothers are understandably protective of their offspring and the number of such gorillas in general has shrunk. After surveilling this gorilla family at a distance for many days, the opportunity to snap a shot of the newborn presented itself, resulting in a solemn reminder of both the beauty and fragility of nature.

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

Benjamin Olson | Farmington, United States

Dripping

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, United States
An intimate portrait five years in the making: A majestic moose (Alces alces) reveling in the water where it spends most of its time during the summer months. The moose population in this area has grown sharply in the last few years due to a decline in gray wolves—their only predator. This single-prey, single-predator relationship in Isle Royale National Park has been closely studied by scientists for over 50 years.

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

Amit Eshel | Kfar HaHoresh, Israel

Livin' On The Edge

Zin Desert, Israel
As there are less than 5,000 of them left in the world, finding any Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) is a challenge—let alone battling adult males. This photographer has witnessed numerous juveniles bumping heads as practice, but before this moment had never seen adult males battling at full power for the right to breed.

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

Torie Hilley | Ventura, California, United States

Cloud Walker

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, United States
Looking for a change in scenery while traveling for the first time since the pandemic began, this photographer wasn’t disappointed by Alaska or this Alaskan Peninsula brown bear (Ursus arctos gyas). However, she did have to practice patience, as most days were dominated by cloudy conditions. Finally, the sky gradually started to change color, making the ground appear as though this majestic animal was walking on clouds and allowing the photographer to capture this breathtaking, ethereal image.

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

Daniel Valverde | Segovia, Spain

Brotherly Hug

Sabah, Malaysia
Exhibiting a behavior that’s all-too human, a proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) hugs another after preventing it from falling out of a tree. Endemic to the jungles of Borneo, these highly social animals are on the brink of extinction, making their embrace all the more heart-wrenching.

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

Leighton Lum | Aiea, Hawai’i, United States

The Black Panther Lives

Laikipia Region, Kenya, Africa
An exceptional glimpse of an already elusive species: Only 11% of the world’s leopards have black fur (melanization) , and it’s even less likely to find such leopards in Africa. Luckily for us, this photographer—with the help of her adept guide— had the skills necessary to capture this unlikely scene of a successful hunt in practically total darkness.

Terrestrial Wildlife

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

For Survival

Shiqu, Sichuan Province, China

A difficult scene shows a snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and a Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) both engaged in a struggle for survival—one to feed and the other to stay alive. It is remarkable to see them together at all but especially in this light, as they are typically not active during the daytime. Unfortunately for this Pallas’s cat, she picked an inopportune time to go hunting for pikas for her kittens, and even more unfortunate, these squat felids cannot outrun a leopard due to their stocky bodies. This photographer, with help from forest rangers and permission from the local government, fed her orphaned kittens with road-killed pikas from the area until the cats were able to fend for themselves.

Donglin Zhou

Hangzhou, China

Donglin Zhou is a female wildlife photographer in China. A graduate of Zhejiang University and co-founder of SKW Nature Conservation Agency, Donglin is committed to bringing awareness to wildlife protection through field investigation, rescue, and ecological photography.

See Donglin's behind-the-scenes video

terrestrial wildlife winner

For Survival

Donglin Zhou | Hangzhou, China
Shiqu, Sichuan Province, China

Winged life finalist

Audun Rikardsen | Tromsø, Norway

Waiting For Love

Tromsø, Norway
An Arctic moth perches on a leaf in the night, theoretically on the lookout for a mate. Thanks to the freezing temperatures, and flanked by the ethereal tendrils of the Northern Lights, it moved very slowly, allowing the photographer to capture it. If only we could all be afforded such a view while looking for a date!

Winged life finalist

Lalith Ekanayake | Colombo, Sri Lanka

Washed Off

Gulf of Mannar, Sri Lanka
From a bird’s eye view, this is an artful, geometric perspective of greater crested terns (Thalasseus bergii), but it reveals a tragic scene. Upon closer inspection, one sees the terns in a frenzied flight to save their hundreds of eggs—laid on the sparse sand patches—from being washed away into the sea.

Winged life finalist

Takuya Ishiguro | Osaki-shi Miyagi-ken, Japan

Flying

Osaki-shi Miyagi-ken, Japan
Even up close, it’s clear to see why Japanese hoverflies (Monocromia pleuralis) are often mistaken for honey bees or wasps; however, as their name suggests, they are members of the fly family. It’s hypothesized that they have evolved to resemble bees and wasps as a form of protection, but they do share a similarity with their lookalikes: they’re exceptional pollinators, making them an integral part of their local ecosystems.

Winged life finalist

Kurt Jay Bertels | Nicosia, Cyprus

Dedication

Kalo Chorio (outside Nicosia), Cyprus
This photographer had always hoped to capture the inside and outside of an owl tree nest at the same time. With this exact photo in mind, he took years to construct an appropriate camera trap and bird box and wait for these Cyprus scops owls (Otus cyprius) to use it. And use it they did. The pictured owl alone returned to its offspring nearly twenty times a night with all manner of prey in tow, including this unlucky gecko.

Winged life finalist

Shane Kalyn | Vancouver, Canada

Puffin Present

Borgarfjörður Eystri, Iceland
As this surreal photo demonstrates, Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) are well known for being some of the most photogenic birds on the planet. They’re also highly social and mate for life, and while their primary mating ritual is a behavior called ‘billing,’ where they rub their beaks together, puffins also give gifts to their partners, such as a choice feather as seen here.

Winged life finalist

Robert Dodson | South Carolina, United States

Little Winged Warrior

British Columbia, Canada
What they lack in size they make up for in feistiness! Rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) are notorious for their relentless attacks on both flowers and other hummingbirds, but here we get to see a moment of pause during flight. This unusual perspective allows us to see a softer side of this finger-lengthed, yet mighty, species.

Winged Life

View Finalists in this category
Egret

Pass By

Xiamen, China

Xiamen City is home to thousands of egrets, earning it the nickname ‘the island of the egrets.’ At first blush, this image captured there appears to be a simple photo of an egret getting a surprise jump from its prospective meal. Then, a moment of delight—the meal is chasing a meal of its own!

Lin Xiaoping

Xiamen, China

Lin Xiaoping is a Chinese ecological photographer who has been studying photography since 1992, primarily focusing on bird photography. It is through this photography that he calls for everyone to take care of and protect the environment. He serves as a judge on China Bird Network.

See Lin's behind-the-scenes video

Winged life winner

Pass By

Lin Xiaoping| Xiamen, China
Xiamen, China

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Paulo Olivier Hanshing | La Serena, Chile

In The Place Of My Dreams

Región de Atacama, Copiapó, Chile
Even the driest non polar desert in the world is teeming with life if you look closely enough. After various trips to the area, this photographer camped out for three days in order to capture this breathtaking image that shows how the mist and fog roll over the seemingly barren desert of Atacama.

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Antonio Fernandez | Plasencia, Spain

Northern Lights In The Sand

Reynivellir, Iceland
Naturally, this photographer had high hopes of seeing the Northern Lights while in Iceland. Unfortunately, due to gray skies and the low intensity of the lights, he wasn't able to capture them in the sky; however, he later found a surprise in the sand of Iceland’s volcanic black beaches—a shock of green that closely resembled the iconic Arctic phenomenon.

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

César Llaneza Rodríguez | Oviedo,  Spain

Fern Reunion

Oldervik, Tromsø, Norway
In an intimate photo of an extensive forest, a kaleidoscope of autumn; birch and fern intertwine, demonstrating how each colorfully cycles through life.

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Luis Vilariño Lopez | Bergondo, Spain

The Great Storm

Shiprock, New Mexico, United States
A humbling display of the true scale of a storm as it rips through the landscape of Shiprock, reminding us that nothing escapes the powerful forces of nature.

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Liu Yang | YongChuan, Chongqing, China

Mushroom Tornado

Lake Matheson, Fox Glacier, Westland National Park, New Zealand
A mesmerizing, yet deadly, spore scene. This beautiful, mushroom-forming fungus (Armillaria novae-zelandiae) is a member of the Physalacriaceae family—one of three Armillaria species native to New Zealand. This highly invasive species is often found on decaying wood and capable of causing root rot in plants with which it comes into contact.

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Audun Rikardsen | Tromsø, Norway

Washed Away

Steigen, Norway
A powerful, haunting image of eelgrass being dragged back into frigid Arctic waters during extreme high tide on Brennviksanden Beach in Steigen, Norway.

Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora

View Finalists in this category
Regeneration

Regeneration

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

In 2015, a fire in Jasper National Park necessitated the evacuation of nearly a hundred people and ended up spanning several thousand hectares; months later, this photographer returned to the site and was impressed by the area's resilience. Though the rocky bottom of the mountainside gives the illusion that the spruce trees are still ablaze, the rich foliage assures that this is a park in recovery—but for how long?

Miquel Angel Artús Illana

Tossa De Mar, Spain

Miquel Angel Artús Illana is a photographer from and trained in Barcelona, currently residing in Tossa De Mar. He has always been fascinated by landscapes, traveling weekly since he was very young to the native forests and mountains of his home.

See Miquel's behind-the-scenes video

Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora winner

Regeneration

Miquel Angel Artús Illana | Tossa De Mar, Spain
Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Henri Koskinen | Helsinki, Finland

Beginning Of Life

Helsinki, Finland
What might have been a lost Yayoi Kusama painting before the color was applied, is in fact a pool of common frog (Rana temporaria) eggs which await the next stage of their metamorphosis.

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Morgan Heim | Astoria, Oregon, United States

The Nebula

Nehalem Bay State Park, Oregon, United States
Reminders that we are all made of stardust can be found in the most unlikely of places: Including this Pacific sea nettle, (Chrysaora fuscescens) that has washed up on the beach. As the sun glints and radiates against its beautiful body, a galaxy shines through.

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Kazuaki Koseki | Yamagata City, Japan

Lights Of Life

Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
So-called ‘Himebotaru,’ fireflies endemic to Japan, ethereally float in a forest. The photographer set off to snap this midsummer night’s dream through multiple long exposures in camera, allowing him to more meaningfully capture their incredible illumination.

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Karim Iliya | Haiku, United States

Tree Of Life

Fagradalsfjall, Reykjanes, Iceland
A hypnotic scene as viewed from a neighboring mountain: New lava flow branches off to run its course, the pattern reminiscent of tree roots. The photographer muses that volcanoes are one of the few places where you can watch the land change and grow over the course of seconds, when typically geology takes thousands or millions of years, existing on a timescale far greater than that of humans.

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Thorben Danke | Besigheim, Germany

Transition

Besigheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Impossible to see with the naked eye, this microscopic view of a lesser stag beetle (Dorcus parallelipipedus) shows what it looks like from head to chest. While these beautiful bugs look deceptively smooth on the surface, a closer look reveals a symphony of scales and textures.

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Suzan Meldonian | Boca Raton, United States

Rainbow Cynarina Coral

Anilao, Philippines
With camera settings focused on the goby she was chasing, this photographer stumbled upon a much more alluring subject: rainbow cynarina coral (Cynarina lacrymalis). These incredible single polyp corals are highly sought after by aquaculturists, and are also known as button or donut corals thanks to their circular shape with contrast-color center.

Art of Nature

View Finalists in this category
Fields of Dreams

Field of Dreams

White Mountains, Arizona, United States

This year’s Art of Nature winner serves as a photographic Rorschach test! The photographer mentions a range of reactions and theories as to what the mesmerizing lines might be part of. A coastal scene with waves crashing on the cliff or sand rippled with waves in the deep desert? We’ll keep you in suspense no longer: It’s the underside of a mushroom, likely a member of the Lactarius family. The photographer notes that he was drawn back to the unusually vibrant colors displayed on the gills, the blue color in particular, which might indicate the presence of psilocybin or psilocin. Trippy indeed!

J Fritz Rumpf

Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Fritz was born and raised in Venezuela, surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes and gardens where, from an early age, his parents instilled in him a deep love and respect for nature. Now, he’s traveled all seven continents with his husband in order to photograph unique landscapes and subjects.

See J Fritz's behind-the-scenes video

art of nature winner

Field Of Dreams

J Fritz Rumpf | Arizona, United States
White Mountains, Arizona, United States

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Marcus Westberg | Fanadia, Portugal

Tucked In

Lwiro Primate Sanctuary, Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Congo, Africa
A Congolese care worker swaddles two rescued chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) as she might her own children. This photographer spent several weeks working in and around Kahuzi-Biega National Park, including at the associated Lwiro Primate Sanctuary, where over 100 rescued chimpanzees have been given a second chance at life. The result of this time is a remarkable photo that not only tugs at the heartstrings, but reminds us that we are more alike than different.

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Matt Maran | London, United Kingdom

Fox Box

London, United Kingdom
After spending weeks observing this young red fox as it learned optimal trash-picking time (before the weekly pick-up), this photographer was finally able to capture a photo of it opportunistically raiding the overflowing bin. Despite what this image might lead you to believe, Vulpes vulpes are not typically garbage eaters, but actually omnivores—meaning their diet ranges from fruits and grasses to smaller animals. Thanks to urban development, that diet has now expanded to include ‘fast food scraps.’

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Shannon Johnstone | Cary, North Carolina, United States

Twenty Dollar Photo-Op

North Carolina, United States
A brown bear (Ursus arctos) cub enthusiastically grips the edge of its cage, as though inviting the photographer forward for a photo. Though this initially may not seem gut-wrenching, this photographer notes that this cub’s parents live below in a concrete cell, where they can only hear one another, nothing more. She hopes that by seeing this photo, the viewer will ensure they do not patronize roadside or other unaccredited zoos.

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Daniel Núñez | Guatemala

Lake In Pain

Amatitlán Lake, Guatemala
We’ve been conditioned to think that when it comes to nature, green is good; unfortunately, in the case of Amatitlán Lake this couldn’t be further from the truth. Each year, enormous quantities of untreated sewage and sediment are carried into this lake from Guatemala City. The result is this disarmingly neon green and undoubtedly toxic lakefront view, visible from the air.

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Ryan Wagner | Columbus, Ohio, United States

Dogpile

Hebron, Ohio, United States
This photographer acknowledges that Dogpile is a somewhat humorous title for a not-humorous image. These coyotes (Canis latrans), colloquially called dogs, have been hunted for the mere sport and the ensuing prizes—not for safety or food. The picture and the photographer both ask us to consider the callous and detached attitudes with which we approach other living beings.

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Audun Rikardsen | Tromsø, Norway

Hvaldimir Playing With Ropes

Sørfolda, Norway
When they coined the phrase ‘whale of a tale,’ they must have been thinking of Hvaldimir—a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) with one incredible backstory. After surfacing off the coast of Norway in 2019 wearing a Russian harness and a camera mount, locals believed that Hvaldimir had been trained as a spy. Beyond this theory, not much else is known about him, but as this image suggests, he’s gotten into a fair amount of trouble with humans. As he’s no longer part of a pod due to his domestication, he seeks out human interaction, which can be quite dangerous.

Human/Nature

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

Nose To Nose

Joey and Bat Sanctuary, Beveridge, Victoria, Australia

Lit by natural light, a veterinary student cradles and nuzzles a newly rescued, four-month-old common wombat (Vombatus ursinus) named Maude. Baby wombats, with their highly sensitive noses, especially appreciate such close contact. Despite their name, the number of wombats like Maude are on the decline, making this tender photo an even starker reminder of our greater role in their species’ survival.

Douglas Gimesy

Brighton, Victoria, Australia

Douglas Gimesy is a professional conservation and wildlife photojournalist whose clients include National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, The Smithsonian, Australian Geographic, as well various mastheads like The Guardian. Initially earning a B.Sc. in zoology and microbiology, he later completed a Masters of Environment and a Masters of Bioethics. Together, these two qualifications helped shape his thinking about which issues to focus on and why—he is now devoted to conservation and animal welfare issues in his homeland and, among other projects, is now creating a children’s book that covers all of Australia's mainland flying foxes.

See Doug's behind-the-scenes video

human/nature winner

Nose To Nose

Douglas Gimesy | Brighton, Victoria, Australia
Joey and Bat Sanctuary, Beveridge, Victoria, Australia

PHOTO STORY: a matter of time

Corey Arnold | Washington, United States

Cities Gone Wild

West Chicago, Illinois, United States
A female coyote crosses a freight train bridge. Urban coyotes in Chicago have distinct territories they claim as their own, often using railroad tracks to avoid crossing busy highways in order to travel between green spaces and abandoned lots where they hunt for rabbits, rodents, and other urban food sources.

PHOTO STORY: a matter of time

Corey Arnold | Washington, United States

Cities Gone Wild

South Lake Tahoe, California, United States
A bear lives under an abandoned house that serves as its homebase to access food resources in South Lake Tahoe, California.

PHOTO STORY: a matter of time

Corey Arnold | Washington, United States

Cities Gone Wild

San Francisco, California, United States
A gaze of raccoons perk up as a car peels by in Golden Gate Park—where you might catch at least twenty of these critters on any given night. It's not uncommon to observe this many together in the wild, but it used to be unusual to see this many at once in a city—no doubt a direct result of the large amounts of unsecured garbage available in urban areas.

PHOTO STORY: a matter of time

Corey Arnold | Washington, United States

Cities Gone Wild

San Francisco, California, United States
A coyote yips aggressively at a dog being walked in the distance at an off-leash dog park in San Francisco, California.

PHOTO STORY: a matter of time

Corey Arnold | Washington, United States

Cities Gone Wild

San Francisco, California, United States
This raccoon maneuvers between two buildings, giving new meaning to ‘crawl space.’

PHOTO STORY: a matter of time

Corey Arnold | Washington, United States

Cities Gone Wild

Asheville, North Carolina, United States
Young black bears in take a brief break from foraging to play with a family’s tire swing.

Photo Story: A Matter of Time

View full photo series
Camouflage Rhino

Cities Gone Wild

Various Urban Areas, United States

This series examines daily life from the perspective of three urban-savvy animals in the United States: American black bears (Ursus americanus), coyotes (Canis latrans), and raccoons (Procyon lotor). Each has proved themselves uniquely equipped to survive, even thrive, at a time when urbanization continues its march into previously natural spaces. The photographer tracked these animals across the United States, documenting the ways in which they have learned to manipulate human infrastructure, utilize our resources to their advantage, and carve out a successful parallel existence among humans. Raccoons use their dexterous, hand-like paws to break into homes, coyotes use stealth to traverse cities undetected, and bears have memorized which neighborhoods to hit up on trash day. Working with local scientists, wildlife managers, and local residents, the photographer spent several years tracking and paying witness to new human-animal relationships being forged as wildlife grows increasingly comfortable living in close proximity to people. Is it possible that urban animals are growing more intelligent than their rural peers due to the unique challenges they face in cities?

Corey Arnold

Washington, United States

Corey Arnold is a commercial fisherman and photographer exploring the complicated relationship between mankind and nature. He creates photographic stories related to his life at sea, working communities, and human animal relationships. His work has been exhibited extensively in galleries and museums worldwide including the Portland Art Museum with local representation by Charles A. Hartman Fine Art. Arnold’s photography has been featured in Harpers, The New Yorker, New York Times, Rolling Stone, Time, Outside, Smithsonian, National Geographic, Mare and The Paris Review among others. A National Geographic Explorer and Hallie Ford Foundation Fellow, he has published two books of photography by Nazraeli Press including Fish-Work: The Bering Sea, and Fishing with My Dad.

See Corey's behind-the-scenes video

Photo Story: A Matter of time

Cities Gone Wild

Corey Arnold | Washington, United States
Various Urban Areas, United States