People’s Choice: Wildlife Photographer of the year

These stunning images might show nature in all its glory, but they come at the same time as a dire warning. Nominations for the Lumix People’s Choice Awards, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Fox Meets Fox by Matthew Maran, UK/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Matthew has been photographing foxes close to his home in north London for over a year and ever since spotting this street art had dreamt of capturing this image. After countless hours and many failed attempts his persistence paid off.

1/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Fox Meets Fox by Matthew Maran, UK/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Matthew has been photographing foxes close to his home in north London for over a year and ever since spotting this street art had dreamt of capturing this image. After countless hours and many failed attempts his persistence paid off.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Curious Encounter by Cristobal Serrano, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Any close encounter with an animal in the vast wilderness of Antarctica happens by chance, so Cristobal was thrilled by this spontaneous meeting with a crabeater seal off of Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula. These curious creatures are protected and, with few predators, thrive.

2/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Curious Encounter by Cristobal Serrano, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Any close encounter with an animal in the vast wilderness of Antarctica happens by chance, so Cristobal was thrilled by this spontaneous meeting with a crabeater seal off of Cuverville Island, Antarctic Peninsula. These curious creatures are protected and, with few predators, thrive.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: One Toy, Three Dogs by Bence Mate, Hungary/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. While adult African wild dogs are merciless killers, their pups are extremely cute and play all day long. Bence photographed these brothers in Mkuze, South Africa – they all wanted to play with the leg of an impala and were trying to drag it in three different directions!

3/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: One Toy, Three Dogs by Bence Mate, Hungary/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. While adult African wild dogs are merciless killers, their pups are extremely cute and play all day long. Bence photographed these brothers in Mkuze, South Africa – they all wanted to play with the leg of an impala and were trying to drag it in three different directions!

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Family Portrait by Connor Stefanison, Canada/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. A great grey owl and her chicks sit in their nest in the broken top of a Douglas fir tree in Kamloops, Canada. They looked towards Connor only twice as he watched them during the nesting season from a tree hide 50 feet (15 metres) up.

4/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Family Portrait by Connor Stefanison, Canada/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. A great grey owl and her chicks sit in their nest in the broken top of a Douglas fir tree in Kamloops, Canada. They looked towards Connor only twice as he watched them during the nesting season from a tree hide 50 feet (15 metres) up.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Otherworldly by Franco Banfi, Switzerland/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. A school of Munk’s devil ray were feeding on plankton at night off the coast of Isla Espíritu Santo in Baja California, Mexico. Franco used the underwater lights from his boat and a long exposure to create this otherworldly image.

5/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Otherworldly by Franco Banfi, Switzerland/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. A school of Munk’s devil ray were feeding on plankton at night off the coast of Isla Espíritu Santo in Baja California, Mexico. Franco used the underwater lights from his boat and a long exposure to create this otherworldly image.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: The Extraction by Konstantin Shatenev, Russia/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Every winter, hundreds of Steller’s sea eagles migrate from Russia, to the relatively ice-free northeastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan. They hunt for fish among the ices floes and also scavenge, following the fishing boats to feed on any discards. Konstantin took his image from a boat as the eagles retrieved a dead fish thrown onto the ice.

6/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: The Extraction by Konstantin Shatenev, Russia/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Every winter, hundreds of Steller’s sea eagles migrate from Russia, to the relatively ice-free northeastern coast of Hokkaido, Japan. They hunt for fish among the ices floes and also scavenge, following the fishing boats to feed on any discards. Konstantin took his image from a boat as the eagles retrieved a dead fish thrown onto the ice.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: A Polar Bear’s Struggle by Justin Hofman, USA/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Justin’s whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter’s camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food.

7/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: A Polar Bear’s Struggle by Justin Hofman, USA/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Justin’s whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter’s camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Shy by Pedro Carrillo, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. The mesmerizing pattern of a beaded sand anemone beautifully frames a juvenile Clarkii clownfish in Lembeh strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Known as a ‘nursery’ anemone, it is often a temporary home for young clownfish until they find a more suitable host anemone for adulthood.

8/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Shy by Pedro Carrillo, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. The mesmerizing pattern of a beaded sand anemone beautifully frames a juvenile Clarkii clownfish in Lembeh strait, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Known as a ‘nursery’ anemone, it is often a temporary home for young clownfish until they find a more suitable host anemone for adulthood.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: All That Remains by Phil Jones, UK/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. A male orca had beached itself about a week before Phil’s visit to Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands. Despite its huge size the shifting sands had almost covered the whole carcass and scavengers, such as this striated caracara, had started to move in.

9/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: All That Remains by Phil Jones, UK/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. A male orca had beached itself about a week before Phil’s visit to Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands. Despite its huge size the shifting sands had almost covered the whole carcass and scavengers, such as this striated caracara, had started to move in.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Resting Mountain Gorilla by David Lloyd/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. The baby gorilla clung to its mother whilst keeping a curious eye on David. He had been trekking in South Bwindi, Uganda, when he came across the whole family. Following them, they then stopped in a small clearing to relax and groom each other.

10/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Resting Mountain Gorilla by David Lloyd/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. The baby gorilla clung to its mother whilst keeping a curious eye on David. He had been trekking in South Bwindi, Uganda, when he came across the whole family. Following them, they then stopped in a small clearing to relax and groom each other.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Under the Snow by Audren Morel, France/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Unafraid of the snowy blizzard, this squirrel came to visit Audren as he was taking photographs of birds in the small Jura village of Les Fourgs, France. Impressed by the squirrel’s endurance, he made it the subject of the shoot.

11/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Under the Snow by Audren Morel, France/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Unafraid of the snowy blizzard, this squirrel came to visit Audren as he was taking photographs of birds in the small Jura village of Les Fourgs, France. Impressed by the squirrel’s endurance, he made it the subject of the shoot.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: The Bat’s Wake by Antonio Leiva Sanchez, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. After several months of field research into a little colony of greater mouse-eared bats in Sucs, Lleida, Spain, Antonio managed to capture this bat mid-flight. He used a technique of high speed photography with flashes combined with continuous light to create the ‘wake’.

12/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: The Bat’s Wake by Antonio Leiva Sanchez, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. After several months of field research into a little colony of greater mouse-eared bats in Sucs, Lleida, Spain, Antonio managed to capture this bat mid-flight. He used a technique of high speed photography with flashes combined with continuous light to create the ‘wake’.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Teenager by Franco Banfi, Switzerland/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Franco was free diving off Dominica in the Caribbean Sea when he witnessed this young male sperm whale trying to copulate with a female. Unfortunately for him her calf was always in the way and the frisky male had to continually chase off the troublesome calf.

13/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Teenager by Franco Banfi, Switzerland/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Franco was free diving off Dominica in the Caribbean Sea when he witnessed this young male sperm whale trying to copulate with a female. Unfortunately for him her calf was always in the way and the frisky male had to continually chase off the troublesome calf.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Painted Waterfall by Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. When the sun beams through a hole in the rock at the foot of the La Foradada waterfall, Catalonia, Spain, it creates a beautiful pool of light. The rays appear to paint the spray of the waterfall and create a truly magical picture.

14/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Painted Waterfall by Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. When the sun beams through a hole in the rock at the foot of the La Foradada waterfall, Catalonia, Spain, it creates a beautiful pool of light. The rays appear to paint the spray of the waterfall and create a truly magical picture.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Bond of Brothers by David Lloyd, New Zealand / UK/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. These two adult males, probably brothers, greeted and rubbed faces for 30 seconds before settling down. Most people never have the opportunity to witness such animal sentience, and David was honoured to have experienced and captured such a moment.

15/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Bond of Brothers by David Lloyd, New Zealand / UK/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. These two adult males, probably brothers, greeted and rubbed faces for 30 seconds before settling down. Most people never have the opportunity to witness such animal sentience, and David was honoured to have experienced and captured such a moment.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Ambush by Federico Veronesi, Kenya/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. On a hot morning at the Chitake Springs, in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. Federico watched as an old lioness descended from the top of the riverbank. She’d been lying in wait to ambush any passing animals visiting a nearby waterhole further along the riverbed.

16/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Ambush by Federico Veronesi, Kenya/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. On a hot morning at the Chitake Springs, in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. Federico watched as an old lioness descended from the top of the riverbank. She’d been lying in wait to ambush any passing animals visiting a nearby waterhole further along the riverbed.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Clam Close-up by David Barrio, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. This macro-shot of an iridescent clam was taken in the Southern Red Sea, Marsa Alam, Egypt. These clams spend their lives embedded amongst stony corals, where they nest and grow. It took David some time to approach the clam, fearing it would sense his movements and snap shut!

17/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Clam Close-up by David Barrio, Spain/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. This macro-shot of an iridescent clam was taken in the Southern Red Sea, Marsa Alam, Egypt. These clams spend their lives embedded amongst stony corals, where they nest and grow. It took David some time to approach the clam, fearing it would sense his movements and snap shut!

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Gliding by Christian Vizl, Mexico/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. With conditions of perfect visibility and beautiful sunlight, Christian took this portrait of a nurse shark gliding through the ocean off the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas. Typically these sharks are found near sandy bottoms where they rest, so it’s rare to see them swimming.

18/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Gliding by Christian Vizl, Mexico/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. With conditions of perfect visibility and beautiful sunlight, Christian took this portrait of a nurse shark gliding through the ocean off the coast of Bimini in the Bahamas. Typically these sharks are found near sandy bottoms where they rest, so it’s rare to see them swimming.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Ice and Water by Audun Lie Dahl, Norway/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. The Bråsvellbreen glacier moves southwards from one of the ice caps covering the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Where it meets the sea, the glacier wall is so high that only the waterfalls are visible, so Audun used a drone to capture this unique perspective.

19/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Ice and Water by Audun Lie Dahl, Norway/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. The Bråsvellbreen glacier moves southwards from one of the ice caps covering the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway. Where it meets the sea, the glacier wall is so high that only the waterfalls are visible, so Audun used a drone to capture this unique perspective.

Lumix People’s Choice Award: Isolated by Anna Henly, UK/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Snapped from a helicopter, this isolated tree stands in a cultivated field on the edge of a tropical forest on Kauai, Hawaii. The manmade straight lines of the ploughed furrows are interrupted beautifully by nature’s more unruly wild pattern of tree branches.

20/20Lumix People’s Choice Award: Isolated by Anna Henly, UK/Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018/Natural History Museum. Snapped from a helicopter, this isolated tree stands in a cultivated field on the edge of a tropical forest on Kauai, Hawaii. The manmade straight lines of the ploughed furrows are interrupted beautifully by nature’s more unruly wild pattern of tree branches.

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/photos/peoples-choice-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year/image-gallery/208a595108b9c66beefcd3aa85624fb9

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