Top 20 Nature Images From The International Photography Awards 2023

The International Photography Awards (IPA) is renowned for recognizing and celebrating exceptional talent across various genres of photography. In 2023, the competition witnessed an outstanding collection of images in the ‘nature photography’ category that transported viewers into the heart of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes.

#1 1st Place In Nature/Macro: “Pretty With Pink” By Benjamin Salb

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“Getting bored of a black background, which is typical when shooting macro in the field in the dark, I secured a pink background card behind this damselfly for some extra POP. The 63 image focus stack of a wild, living subject is one of my favorites of 2023.”

#2 2nd Place In Nature/Aerial/Drone: “33 Days Among The Bears” By Martin Gregus

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“As the pandemic raged during the summer of 2020 and 2021, Martin decided to brave the mosquitoes and turn his attention to documenting and exploring new Hudson Bay areas. Utilizing drones and custom-built equipment allowed Martin to get up close and personal to the bears all the while staying invisible, often capturing intimate moments and unique hunting behaviours. Observing the polar bears’ curiosity and compassion changed the lives of Martin and his team forever.”

#3 1st Place In Nature/Flowers: “Flower Portrait Series” By Tim Platt

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“My fascination when photographing flowers is observing the amazing detail within natures design. The closer you get, the more you see. These flower portraits have all been photographed in macro using a focus stacking technique ranging fro 60 – 160 shots at different focal points and then blended to create deep focus from the nearest to farthest points of the subject. This is the only way to create the necessary depth of field when shooting close up with a macro lens.”

#4 1st Place In Nature/Aerial/Drone: “The Torn Earth” By Liu Junye

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“Due to industrial pollution, mining industrial waste is discharged on the ground, resulting in strange patterns.”

#5 2nd Place In Nature/Flowers: “Flowers Of Another World” By Herbert Pregel

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“… a calla lily in the dark.”

#6 2nd Place In Nature/Landscape: “A Perfect Cloud” By Francisco Negroni

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“The Villarrica volcano is the most dangerous volcano in Chile and one of the most active in America. In the photograph a beautiful lenticular cloud moves over the crater while it is illuminated by the light emitted by the volcano’s lava.”

#7 2nd Place In Nature/Sunrise /Sunset: “First Light” By Aaron Lynton

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“My flash illuminates an otherwise dark shore break barrel just before the first light of the morning. Chasing surf before the sun rises; there’s not many better ways to start the day!”

#8 2nd Place In Nature/Animals/Pets: “Heather Coo” By Wesley Kristopher

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“I Photograph this fold of Highland cattle frequently but tend to stick to longer telephoto portrait shots. For this Photograph, I experimented with my ultra-wide lens to give a distorted, exaggerated look to the cow. She looked so grand among the heather with the light shining through the clouds and I hope this captures that moment well!”

#9 1st Place In Nature/Underwater: “The Hidden World” By Alexej Sachov

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“The photographs capture the ethereal play of sunlight in unexplored, untouched underwater caves. They reflect the grace of wild fish in their dance with sunrays, illustrating a vibrant, undiscovered world. The stunning beauty of these remote places underscores their vulnerability. Each image serves as a plea for awareness and action – to protect these fragile ecosystems from the reach of human influence. Through my work, I aspire to inspire, to create a powerful connection between viewers and our incredible, yet injured, planet.”

#10 1st Place In Nature/Underwater: “The Dentist” By Takayuki Toriumi

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“A few years ago, I came across a cod enjoying the shrimp’s cleaning service on a southern Japanese island. I captured this delightful scene as if he were being examined by shrimp doctor.”

#11 2nd Place In Nature/Trees: “Trees In Water” By Jinyi Han

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“In the heart of the tranquil lake, a marvel of nature blossoms. An old, withered log, once thought devoid of life, becomes the birthplace of a young sapling. Its roots dig deep into the hardened bark, drawing sustenance from what was once barren. Each new leaf echoes resilience, symbolizing a harmonious dance between past, present, and future. The reflection in the water below mirrors its growing silhouette, a testament to life’s indomitable spirit of perseverance and rebirth.”

#12 1st Place In Nature/Trees: “Tree Of Life” By Rafael Garcia Luna

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“This photograph was taken in the Gorbeia natural park. Walking among its shapes is a delight for any nature lover and especially for hunters of curves and angles to translate into photography. Everything is suggestive, everything is delicate, poetic and wild at the same time. The paths disappear among the undergrowth, eaten away by time and moss. I came across this beech tree just with the first rays of light in the morning, I was impressed by its extensive roots on top of that hill and its gigantic branches.”

#13 3rd Place In Nature/Wildlife: “An Annual Feast” By Rayhan Mundra

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“Every year hundreds of thousands of sockeye salmon head upstream, to spawn their next generation. This annual migration provides a carnivorous feast for brown bears, who rely on the fish to survive hibernation as well as bringing nutrients from the open ocean inland to support the greater ecosystem. As commercial fishing continues to take a toll on returning populations it is important to preserve this keystone species in order to allow future generations to witness the spectacle of the Alaskan salmon run and preserve the Alaskan organisms whose existence relies on this annual feast.”

#14 3rd Place In Nature/Aerial/Drone: “Veins Of The Earth” By Robert Bilos

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“The rivers of Iceland run from the glaciers to the oceans, creating paths across the volcanic earth which look like the veins of the land when seen from the air. Along the way, they transport vital nutrients for the ecosystem in the form of sediment, which are responsible for the sometimes very unusual colors of the water, sometimes looks like another planet. It is a true paradise for all the photography lovers. When you shot from the air, sometimes can be a big challenge to create a photograph in windy conditions and for short periods of time. Photograph from Iceland rivers and highlands.”

#15 1st Place In Nature/Animals/Pets: “The Prince Of Darkness” By Danica Barreau

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“A beautiful black dog emerges from the shadows to be crowned The Prince of Darkness.”

#16 Nature Photographer Of The Year: “Ice Fantasy” By Barbara And Maciej Noskowski

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“We are absolutely fascinated by these beautiful patterns on the frozen lakes we discovered in February this year. They are like flowers, branches, stars, abstract compositions, minimalistic, fantastic! You can only see them from above. As we later found out, these are holes created as a result of vegetation inside the lake. These sprawling cracks and surrounding shapes are a quite rare sight.”

#17 3rd Place In Nature/Landscape: “Desert Glory” By Babak Mehrafshar

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“Khara desert.”

#18 2nd Place In Nature/Macro: “Menemerus Bivittatus” By Eduardo Modolo

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“Macro fotografia de araña saltarina.”

#19 3rd Place In Nature/Sunrise/Sunset: “Braves Fishermen In The Rough Sea” By Hernani Castro Jr

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“Fishermen at work at sunny day, strong wind and rough sea in the Rio Vermelho neighborhood, at Salvador City, Bahia, Brazil!”

#20 2nd Place In Nature/Other: “Kakhovka Dam 6/06/2023” By Olga Volianska

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“This series of photographs is a way to convey the horror of the events taking place with the help of art installations from black-used engine oil. The series was created during the first days after the tragedy at the Kakhovka dam, which has been under occupation since the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. An ecological catastrophe, the scale of the consequences we can’t know today, and the whole world is unconscious. Life is the greatest value – both humans and the entire planet, every blade of grass on our earth.”