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A bird on a tree limb sings at sunrise
2ND PLACE, WILDLIFE A chestnut-sided warbler sings out just after sunrise.

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Focus on Nature

A few of our favorites from The Nature Conservancy's 2019 Photo Contest.

February 29, 2020

Spring 2020

The Nature Conservancy’s annual photo contest drew more than 100,000 entries from 152 different nations. Here we offer some of the best: winners, honorable mentions, plus a few favorites we just couldn’t ignore. Nature really is full of wonders, and more than ever it is photographers who help us see them.

Trolltunga rock formation in Røldal, Norway
3rd Place, Landscape Category Trolltunga rock formation in Røldal, Norway.
a man's face breaks the surface of a river
2nd Place, People in Nature Category A refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo bathes in the waters of Guanabara Bay, Brazil.

I use documentary photography as a tool to show the beautiful side of people and nature.

Fabio Teixeira

Blue vipers on a tree branch
Finalist, Wildlife Category White-lipped island pit vipers, Sumatra, Indonesia.
A white-tipped sicklebill hummingbird
Honorable Mention, Wildlife Category A white-tipped sicklebill hummingbird in Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Ecuador.
A dwarf bearded dragon perches on a desert tree
Finalist, Wildlife Category Dwarf bearded dragon perches on a bush-fire-scorched branch in the Great Victoria Desert, Australia.

I hope this photo gives people a sense of how intense life out in the desert can be, and that stunning creatures can be found in the most unexpected places.

Jari Cornelis

The Golden Gate Bridge in fog
1st Place, Cities and Nature Category The Golden Gate Bridge during a low-fog event, California.
A fisher casts his nets.
1st Place, People in Nature Category Fisher in Hon Yen, Phu Yen, Vietnam.
Layers of pink salt in a lagoon
2nd Place, Landscape Category Pink algae in Hutt Lagoon, Western Australia.
A whale shark in the ocean
1st Place, Water Category A whale shark swimming in the depths off of Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia.

This image could only be achieved with rare weather conditions, no wind and perfect visibility. I think photography is one of the most powerful tools in helping people protect and promote the oceans.

Alex Kydd

More Fantastic Photos

Three young people face Victoria Falls while their hair blows in the wind.

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We asked what nature means to you—and you answered.

2019 Winners

Winners of The Nature Conservancy's 2019 Photo Contest.

Purple wildflowers on a green hillside.

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A slideshow of the best nature photos from Colorado that we've selected as our photo of the month.