Stunning photo of an orangutan, a crocodile fishing, and an enchanting island: incredible photography winners in the nature photography competition

Stunning Orangutan Photo - Winner of the Prestigious Photo Contest.

This is one of 8,000 entries for the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021, which earned the best photographer a cash prize of £ 1,500.

The triumphant photo was taken by Canadian photographer Thomas Vijayan in Borneo. The photo looks like the sky, but on closer inspection, you can see that the photo is actually showing a specular reflection in the water under the tree.

Will Nicholls, the founder of Nature TTL, an online resource for nature photography, says: “Thomas’s photo is truly unique and immediately caught the attention of the jury. This is one of those photographs that you cannot pass by. The unique perspective and composition mean you immediately try to figure out what exactly you are looking at. "

Eight categories of the competition are dedicated to the natural world - animal behavior, camera traps, landscapes, small world, night sky, underwater world, urban wildlife, and wildlife portraits. There is also a category for photographers under 16. The jury consisted of photographers and nature experts, including American Pie actress Shannon Elizabeth, who runs a conservation charity in South Africa.

14 PHOTOS

1. The winning photograph of the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 by Thomas Vijayan. He says: “After spending a few days in Borneo, I took this shot. To take this shot, I selected a tree that was in the water to get a good reflection of the sky and its leaves. The water formed a mirror, making the image look upside down. Then I climbed a tree and waited for several hours. This is the usual route taken by orangutans, so patience will surely pay off. This picture means a lot to me because the orangutan population is currently declining at an alarming rate. "

2. An incredible picture taken by Johan Vandrag in South Africa shows the moment when a crocodile grabbed a fish. This is the second place in the category of animal behavior.

3. Evgeny Samuchenko was highly rated in the night sky category for this beautiful photo of the aurora borealis in an unusual arc shape over the 463m Kirkjufell mountain in Iceland.

4. This beautiful portrait of a western lowland gorilla named Kangu was photographed by Tomas Spila and was highly praised in the Wild Portraits category. Canggu lives in semi-free conditions in the Lesio Luna Nature Reserve in the Republic of the Congo. He was born at Howletts Wildlife Park in Canterbury and also spent time at Port Lympne Wildlife Sanctuary in Heath, Kent before being returned to his natural habitat. Tomas says: “Thanks to the Aspinall Foundation, he is now adapting to life in the wild. Hopefully, he will be able to return to the forest soon. "

5. Another stunning photo of Thomas Vijayan, this time taken in the Bandipur National Park in India. He relates: “One afternoon, a group of black-footed gray langurs was sitting in a tree. The playful toddler enjoyed family fun and played with his parents, swinging on his tail and falling, then immediately climbing back up and starting over. His mother paid little attention to this activity, and others tolerated acrobatic stunts that attract attention. " The image was highly rated in the Animal Behavior category.

6. These impudent langurs were photographed by Evgeny Samuchenko in the small Indian town of Hampi. Evgeniy says: “My friends and I were walking in the center of Hampi, and there was a bicycle parking nearby. Suddenly a group of langurs jumped on these bicycles and began to frolic. We were afraid to scare them away, so I started shooting from afar. But then we got very close to them, and the langurs continued to play with the bicycles, so it turned out to be a comical shot. " The image was highly rated in the urban wildlife category.

7. The winner in the Wild Portraits category was Dennis Stogsdill with this breathtaking photo. He explains: “We watched this rather photogenic polar bear in Svalbard, Norway for a while when he climbed the ridge and decided to just rest. And the soft afternoon sky made the perfect backdrop for a sleepy bear. "

8. Tomasz Rojek captured this magical scene on an October morning on Lake Bled in Slovenia. The image received a high rating in the category of landscapes. He says: “I have been here many times and have seen many photographs of him, but the conditions this morning were excellent. The clouds and fog created a breathtaking view. "

9. Vladimir Chekh Jr. was highly praised in the camera trap category for this stunning wild Eurasian lynx. He took a picture in the Šumava National Park in the Czech Republic using a homemade camera trap.

10. Christian Brokes was commended in the Small World category for this stunning shot of an acorn weevil spreading its wings, ready to take off in Essen, Germany.

11. Incredible shot of a barn owl peeking out the door of an old abandoned house in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain. It was made by José Luis Ruiz Jimenez and was highly rated in the urban wildlife category.

12. This mesmerizing photo was taken by Luigi Ruoppolo at sunset on the Scottish island of Aigg. It features "beautiful colors and stunning clouds moving over the mountains of Ram Island." He explains: "I was quite far from the coastline, following the patterns left in the sand by the tide, and I shot at a shutter speed of 90 seconds to get as many reflections as possible." The image received a high rating in the category of landscapes.

13. This stunning photo of huge flashes of lightning over birds on a lake in Kiskunsag National Park, Hungary, was taken by Bens Mate.

14. Stunning photo was taken by Markus Westberg, which captures a "rare type of aurora" over an alpine lake in northern Sweden. The image was highly rated in the "Night Sky" category.