Capturing Ecology 2023

The tell-tale eye of a damsel fish hidden amongst a coral reef; a lone tree dominating an empty landscape where a forest once stood, and a guillemot chick taking its first daring leap of faith are among the winners and highly commended images our annual photography competition, ‘Capturing Ecology’.

From coral reefs at risk from climate change to grasslands haunted by the ghosts of past forests. This year’s winners tell a powerful story about the threats facing our natural environment.

Explore this year’s winning images

Capturing Ecology 2023: Winning and Highly Commended Photographers

Overall Winner: Vibrant Sleep by Viktor Nunes Peinemann

Overall Runner Up: Cranes Descending by Doron Talmi

Overall Student Winner: Seemingly Beautiful but Actually Hostile by Fayz Khan

Take a closer look at each of the winning images below. Use the arrows on the lower right hand side, just under the image, to navigate through the gallery, then read on to reveal the photographer behind each image.

Category 1 – Individuals and Populations (Animals)

• Category Winner: Resilience and Recovery by Rebecca Nason
• Student Winner: Cusp of Chaos by Brandon Güell

Category 2 – Individuals and Populations (Plants and Fungi)

• Category Winner: Quiver Tree Forest by Helen Burton
• Student Winner: A Golden Sea by Samantha Suter

Category 3 – Networks in Nature

• Category Winner: Jackfruit thief by SS Suresh
• Student Winner: Garden Jungle by Alicia Hayden

Category 4 – The Bigger Picture

• Category Winner: Nakuru Flamingoscape by Nick Royle
• Student Winner: Chromis and Coral in the Surge by Viktor Nunes Peinemann

Category 5 – People and Nature

• Category Winner: Colour Coordination by Alwin Hardenbol
• Student Winner: Modern Real Estate by Danni Thompson

Category 6 – Ecologists in Action

• Category Winner: Out for a Good Catch by Hans de Kroon
• Student Winner: The Big Count by Danni Thompson

Highly Commended Images:

Nine further images were highly commended by our panel of judges. These include:

• Hatching Inspection by Doron Talmi
• Guillemot Jumping by Samuel Langlois-Lopex
• Colourful Darkness by Alwin Hardenbol
• Shared Apartments by Alwin Hardenbol
• Health Illusions by Sandra Angers Blondin
• Blue Birches by Sandra Angers Blondin
• Fastfood Deliver by Sandra Angers Blondin
• Delicate by Danni Thompson
• The Entomologist by Helen Burton

Want to keep up with the latest news and updates for Capturing Ecology? We’ll shortly be launching a new Capturing Ecology newsletter just for you! In the meantime make sure you’re signed up to our fortnightly newsletter to be the first to hear when we launch.