Canadian Shane Gross has won the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition with his backlit image of tadpoles underwater. Gross beat out stiff competition from a record 59,228 entries to win the award.
A photojournalist specializing in marine conservation, her image shows a swarm of black and gold western toad tadpoles moving through the stems of water lilies. This is the first time that the species has been presented in the competition.
Gross took the photo while swimming in Cedar Lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Only one percent of tadpoles reach adulthood.
Photo: Larry Taylor/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
“The jury was captivated by the mix of light, energy and connectivity between the environment and the tadpoles,” explained Kathy Moran, chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year jury.
Other winners
Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year was awarded to Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas of Germany for his macro photo of a raspberry-colored springtail heading toward slime mold.
Photo: Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Springtails are tiny creatures, only a few millimeters long, known for their fast pace and jumping abilities. To create the final image, Tinker-Tsavalas took 36 images at slightly different focal lengths. He then combined them to create this incredible photo.
“Seeing a macro image of two species photographed on the forest floor, with such skill, is exceptional,” Moran said.
Photo: Theo Bosboom/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
It’s the 60th anniversary of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition organized by the Natural History Museum in London. At the same time as naming the two big winners, the jury of judges rewarded the winner of each of the 18 categories of the competition. An exhibition of 100 images that have won praise and awards is now on display at the museum. “
Photo: Ian Ford/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Photo: Tamara Stubbs/Wildlife Photographer of the Year