Children with their faces painted pose in a field of cempasuchil (marigold) flowers during preparations for the Day of the Dead celebration at Rancho San Juan Diego, in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, Jalisco, Mexico, on October 24, 2026. On November 2, Mexico will celebrate the Day of the Dead to pay tribute to deceased family members and friends.
Gerardo Vieyra / NurPhoto / Getty
A skeleton sculpture, decorated for Día de Muertos, rides on a three-wheeled motorcycle in the southern part of Mexico City, Mexico, on October 25, 2026.
Gilbert Flores / Variety via Getty
An attendee poses at the 2026 Día de Muertos Gala held at the Universal Studios Backlot Old Pueblo Village in Los Angeles, California, on October 27, 2026.
Francisco Canedo / Xinhua / Getty
Revelers take part in the Catrinas Parade in Mexico City on October 25, 2026.
Carl de Souza / AFP / Getty
A woman dressed as a Catrina takes part in the Catrinas Parade, ahead of the Day of the Dead, in Mexico City, on October 25, 2026.
Francisco Canedo / Xinhua / Getty
A child holds a Catrina-shaped ice cream in Mexico City on October 17, 2026.
Alfredo Martinez / Getty
A view of a cempasuchil field on the slopes of the Popocatépetl volcano, seen on October 26, 2026, in Atlixco, Mexico
Ulises Ruiz / AFP / Getty
A couple poses in a field of cempasuchil flowers ahead of Día de Muertos celebrations at Rancho San Juan Diego, in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, Mexico, on October 24, 2026.
Daniel Cardenas / Anadolu / Getty
People in costume participate in the annual Catrina parade in Mexico City on October 25, 2026. Thousands of costumed participants paraded from the Angel of Independence to Zócalo Square during the 2026 Mega Procession of Catrinas.
Daniel Cardenas / Anadolu / Getty
Spectators watch the annual Catrina parade pass by in Mexico City on October 25, 2026.
Francisco Canedo / Xinhua / Getty
A reveler takes part in Mexico City’s Catrinas Parade on October 25, 2026.
Claudia Rosel / AP
A giant Catrina stands on an altar in Zócalo Square, in Mexico City, on October 31, 2025.
Jorge Luis Plata / Reuters
A man lights candles during the annual Day of the Dead celebrations, in Mazatlan Villa de Flores, Mexico, on November 2, 2024.
Dolores Ochoa / AP
People take part in a Day of the Dead procession in Quito, Ecuador, on November 1, 2025.
Eduardo Verdugo / AP
Families gather to keep company with their departed loved ones, celebrating the Day of the Dead at the cemetery in Arócutin, Mexico, on November 1, 2025.
Eduardo Verdugo / AP
A woman sits next to the grave of a loved one, celebrating the Day of the Dead at the cemetery of Tzintzuntzan, Mexico, on October 31, 2025.
Children with their faces painted pose for pictures at a field of cempasuchil (marigold) flowers during preparations for the Day of the Dead celebration at Rancho San Juan Diego, in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, Jalisco, Mexico, on October 24, 2026.
A Seal’s Worst Nightmare. Highly Commended, Mammals. “For many years, I had been planning to photograph the most common hunting technique of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from a seal’s perspective. In the dense pack ice at 83° N, I drilled a hole next to a seal’s breathing hole, installed my camera beneath it, and positioned a motion sensor on the ice above. Eight hours later, I spotted a polar bear in the distance heading straight for the breathing hole. By then, a thin layer of ice had formed on the water. The bear pushed its head through the ice to see what was going on below and looked straight into the camera. The bear then lay down and slept for nine hours, leaving me unable to retrieve my camera. When the animal finally moved on, I rushed over and was over thrilled to discover that I had captured my dream photo of a polar bear.”
Pretty on Pink. Highly Commended, Other Animals. “While staying in the Camargue in the south of France, we came across a group of greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) near Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. They were standing in a ditch and weren’t bothered in the least by the people walking past just a few meters away. Anyone who has ever photographed in the Camargue will know this all too well: You set up your camera, compose your image, and within seconds you are swarmed by mosquitoes. This particular mosquito was perched quite attractively on the neck of a resting flamingo.”
Water Rocket. Highly Commended, Birds. “This photograph was taken in January at the Kiskunság Lakes in Hungary. As these salt lakes are very shallow, they freeze over every winter and dry out completely in summer. They serve as important breeding and resting habitats for numerous bird species. Because of the mild winter, the ice on the lakes started melting in January. Waterbirds appeared almost immediately—mainly ducks and geese. The drone perspective offered an interesting sight as the birds churned up the mud, creating striking shapes and patterns.”
Black Wolf. Highly Commended, Mammals. “This image was taken in Yellowstone National Park in the United States, a place I have visited regularly for many years. One of the main reasons for my repeated visits is that there are few better places to observe and photograph wolves (Canis lupus). Even so, these animals are elusive and encounters are a matter of luck. Around 50 percent of the wolves in Yellowstone are black, and, although I have seen and photographed them many times before, I always felt that I had not yet captured a truly compelling image. During this particular visit, I encountered the Wapiti Pack which had taken down a bison along Firehole River and consists mostly of black individuals. It was an extraordinary experience, given that wolf sightings in Yellowstone typically last only a few minutes.”
Swan Lake. Winner, Youth Category | 14–17 years. “Out walking, I came across a lake with a large number of waterbirds, and decided to return before dawn the next morning. Well hidden, I watched as mute swans (Cygnus olor) rose majestically out of the mist in a scene bathed in gold light.”
Turbulent Feeding Patch. Runner-up, Underwater World. “Marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) are endemic to the Galápagos Archipelago, Ecuador. They are most often seen basking in the sun, their dark bodies perfectly camouflaged against the black lava rocks. As ectothermic reptiles, they rely on external heat to regulate their body temperature. This is particularly important as they dive into the cold waters surrounding the archipelago to forage, primarily on marine algae. I followed this individual into the water and watched with fascination as it propelled itself swiftly and purposefully through the powerful surf with the aid of its muscular tail. While I was tossed about by the waves, the marine iguana clung firmly to a rock with its sharp claws and began methodically grazing on algae.”
Sky Surfer. Highly Commended, Birds. “Each March, tens of thousands of seabirds return to the windswept Arctic island of Hornøya in the Barents Sea for the breeding season. This was my third consecutive visit, as in previous years I had missed this highly synchronized migration event—an experience I was determined to witness at least once. This time, everything came together. The deafening calls and the swirling movements of immense flocks passing just a few meters overhead were truly breathtaking. European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) are giants compared to the smaller auks, and as I watched them weaving through the fast-moving streams of common guillemots (Uria aalge), I realised there was potential for a striking and dynamic image. When a shag came in to land, perfectly framed by countless guillemots, I was finally able to capture the photograph I had long envisioned.”
Hidden Worlds. Overall Winner. “I have been photographing hibernating bats for 13 years in restricted-access mine tunnels in the Börzsöny mountains of Hungary, and yet this particular composition was novel for me. A key characteristic of the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) is that, during hibernation it occasionally wakes and leaves its roost to hunt flying insects. In doing so, the bat leaves behind droppings that gradually accumulate into a continuous dark layer. And this is where the real wonder begins: in the beam of a torch, a whitish coating can be seen on the guano—a small pin mold thriving in this unusual habitat. Using a macro lens, I captured the mold in the foreground with the hibernating bats visible in the background.”
Exit Stage Right. Highly Commended, Mammals. “End of a performance in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska: The scene is over, and the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) has had its moment in the spotlight. The animal leaves the stage without a bow, without a backward glance. Fog hangs like a flowing curtain, and the bokeh glows like fading stage lights. A gull remains behind, watching the main actor’s exit and perhaps wondering what it should do next.”
Secret Paths. Winner, Birds. “During moult, common cranes (Grus grus) lose all their flight feathers at once, rendering them earthbound for several weeks. During this period, they remain extremely vigilant and usually hide in wet forests where they can find food. At dawn, the cranes walk from their roosting sites via secret paths through reed beds to their feeding grounds and typically return via the same route.”
Tiny Giants. Highly Commended, Mammals. “This photograph was taken using a drone near the Ilulissat Icefjord on the west coast of Greenland. It shows two humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) swimming among drifting ice floes and towering icebergs. The drone was deliberately flown at a higher altitude to place the whales in the context of the wider landscape and to convey the immense scale of their Arctic habitat.”
Microcosm. Highly Commended, Other Animals. “Sunlight transforms the underside of a fungus (Pluteus atrotomentosus) into an architectural masterpiece—a tiny illuminated cathedral. Photographed from an extremely low point of view on the forest floor of Mount Olympus in Greece, the scene takes on an unexpected sense of scale and drama. Beneath the glowing gills, an ant makes its way across the fungus, a subtle reminder of the microfauna that inhabits these miniature worlds.”
Helping Hands. Runner-up, Humans and Nature. “During the mating season, capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) sometimes lose their wariness of people, seeing them instead as rivals. That is exactly what happened at a ski resort near my home, where a capercaillie took up position on the ski slope every day throughout the lekking season to defend his patch. The bird soon became something of a local celebrity, even making the news, and crowds came daily to watch and film him. Then, one day, a ski race was held—and the bird chose the middle of the course to display. Not the safest spot. Several people stepped in, gently steering him behind the safety fence and out of harm’s way. A year later, the same bird was accidentally killed by a skier who failed to notice it. Some people care. Others simply don’t.”
Furry Ghost. Highly Commended, Other Animals. “During a nighttime photography expedition along the coast of Sardinia, I discovered this fluorescent hairy crab (Pilumnus sp.) in a rock pool, glowing in the beam of my UV torch like a shaggy ghost in the darkness.”
Rain of Fire. Highly Commended, Nature’s Studio. “During a volcanic eruption, molten lava is thrown out into the dark of night. The glowing arcs trace the paths of liquid rock, hurled skyward by explosive degassing. Shot as a long exposure from a safe distance, these natural movements appear as energy-charged lines. In the lower part of the frame, the ejected fragments cool and begin to solidify within seconds, laying down new crust.”
The Cat and a Thousand Lanterns. Winner, Mammals. “In the wild, romantic mountain landscape of Alto Mugello, Italy, a European wildcat (Felis silvestris) moves silently through the night, framed by the ethereal dance of countless fireflies. Capturing this fleeting encounter required months of preparation and an almost invisible photographic setup: a DSLR camera trap installed with meticulous care to ensure that the wildlife remained entirely undisturbed.”
Be sure to visit the GDT’s website for full coverage of the winners and honorees.
A protester wearing a period costume stands during a demonstration against the high cost of living in Paris, on October 17, 2026, as part of a nationwide call for mobilization, bringing together various groups expressing their anger: former gilets jaunes protesters, secondary-school and university students, climate activists, farmers, and more.
Carl Court / Getty
A police officer wearing riot gear stands in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration near Place de la République on October 17, 2026, during a weekend of protests in Paris, France.
Felix Hörhager / DPA / Getty
A performer in the rotunda of the Pinakothek der Moderne at the start of the Long Night of Munich Museums, on October 17, 2026, in Munich, Germany.
Aaron Chown / AFP / Getty
A soldier wears a bearskin hat during the Household Cavalry’s centenary dedication of the Guards Memorial, at Horse Guards Parade, in central London on October 16, 2026.
Reina / AFP / Getty
A 20-year-old orangutan tries to escape as members of the Natural Resources Conservation Agency, the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, and the World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia evacuate it due to wildfires in Hampangen Village, Katingan Regency, Central Kalimantan, on October 17, 2026.
Jens Büttner / DPA / Getty
A female giraffe calf, born nine days earlier, enjoys a sunny day with her mother, Kahlua, at the Schwerin Zoo on October 22, 2026, in Schwerin, Germany.
Brook Mitchell / Getty
A deer walks through a stand of trees at sunrise in London’s Richmond Park on October 19, 2026.
Kyodo / Reuters
The H3 rocket carrying the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) rover bound for Mars’s moon Phobos lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Minamitane, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, on October 20, 2026.
AFP / Getty
People watch a burning oil terminal following an air attack in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on October 18, 2026. Russia shot down dozens of Ukrainian drones near Saint Petersburg, authorities said on October 18, hitting an oil terminal and disrupting flights at one of the country’s busiest airports.
Evgeniy Maloletka / AP
People look at a crater after a Russian-missile strike in a residential neighborhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 21, 2026.
xCheng Xin / Getty
A man and a woman photograph the densely packed residential blocks of the Monster Building on October 20, 2026, in Hong Kong, China.
Philip Fong / AFP / Getty
The Lotte World Tower (right) and Namsan Seoul Tower (back left), as captured from the observatory area of Namhansanseong in Gwangju city of Gyeonggi province, a suburb of Seoul, South Korea, on October 22, 2026.
Tim Clayton / Getty
Hezly Rivera of the United States performs her beam routine during podium training in preparation for the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2026, on October 15, 2026, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Jia Tianyong / China News Service / Getty
A humanoid robot competitor falls while navigating a slope obstacle during 2026 Robot Warrior Challenge Fall Competition on October 18, 2026, in Beijing, China.
Michael Yanow / NurPhoto / Getty
A mail carrier delivers mail to a house decorated with skeletons for Halloween in Los Angeles, California, on October 21, 2026.
Kin Cheung / AP
Santa and bellhops pose in front of the Selfridges’ Christmas windows during a media preview in London, England, on October 22, 2026.
Lesley Martin / Reuters
Students from St Andrews take part in a foam fight as part of “Raisin Monday” on the lower college lawn, at St Andrews in Scotland, on October 19, 2026.
Eraldo Peres / AP
An electoral worker prepares an electronic voting machine ahead of Brazil’s presidential runoff election in Brasilia, Brazil, on October 20, 2026.
Vadim Ghirda / AP
Romanian Red Cross volunteers hold CPR mannequins before a flash-mob performance to mark World Restart a Heart Day in Bucharest, Romania, on October 16, 2026.
Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert / DPA / Getty
Geese take flight from the Mannhausen shallow-water area in search of food, early on October 21, 2026, in Calvörde, Germany. Thousands of migratory birds are currently stopping there to rest on their way to their wintering grounds.
Mario Tama / Getty
Fairgoers ride a swing ride at the Big Fresno Fair on October 17, 2026, in Fresno, California.
Sachin Kumar / AFP / Getty
An effigy of the mythic demon king Ravana is set on fire on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Dussehra, at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna, India, on October 20, 2026.
Afan Anugerah / AFP / Getty
An aerial view shows thick smoke and haze from regional forest and land fires in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, on October 15, 2026.
Saurabh Sirohiya / NurPhoto / Getty
An aerial view shows more than 50,000 people performing Garba in concentric circles around a stage during the United Way of Baroda Garba Mahotsav 2026 in Vadodara, Gujarat, India, on October 19, 2026. The annual festival draws participants in colorful traditional attire who dance in rhythmic circles as live musicians perform from the central stage, while spectators watch from the stands. Garba, a folk dance of Gujarat performed in honor of the goddess Durga, is the centerpiece of the nine-night Hindu festival of Navratri.
Xue Jun / VCG / Getty
An aerial view of colorful autumn foliage and the Taihang No. 1 Tourist Road winding through a forest in Jinzhong, Shanxi province, China, on October 19, 2026
Narciso Contreras / Anadolu / Getty
A man sits in Djurgården National Park at sunrise among autumn foliage in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 18, 2026.
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty
Capybaras at the Five Sisters Zoo interact with pumpkins in their enclosure ahead of Halloween on October 21, 2026, in West Calder, Scotland.
Martin Bureau / AFP / Getty
A boy plays on rocks on Sillon beach in Saint-Malo, France, at sunset on October 20, 2026.
Center of the Cosmos. Winner, Open-Built Environment. Times Square, New York City. Liu: “Times Square is one of the most photographed places in the world, so my challenge was to find a perspective that could make such a familiar place feel unfamiliar again. From above, the dense architecture, streets, and illuminated billboards seem to radiate around the square.”
The Sleeping Giant. Winner, The Raw Planet Award. Garcia: “Parinacota Volcano was one of the main photographic goals of my trip to Chile. Rising to more than 6,300 meters, the mountain has a distinctive snow-covered cone with an almost perfect symmetry that immediately reminded me of volcanoes such as Mount Fuji. Beside it stands Pomerape, another giant reaching more than 6,200 meters, together forming one of the most impressive landscapes I encountered during the journey.”
Traditional clothes and designs created by designers from across the Turkic world were showcased during the Cappadocia leg of the ninth Türksoy Women and Ethno-Fashion Meeting in Ürgüp, Nevşehir, Turkey, on October 9, 2026.
Hameraldi Agolli / AP
A riot police officer detains an injured protester during clashes near the Ministry of Education in Tirana, Albania, on October 13, 2026, joining a demonstration organized by the Flamingo protest movement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Florion Goga / Reuters
A person walks past a burning kiosk during clashes between police and demonstrators amid an anti-government protest by students in Tirana on October 15, 2026.
Bruno Kelly / Reuters
A deforested area of the Amazon rainforest burns during the dry season in the municipality of Autazes, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, on October 12, 2026.
Kiko Sierich / Reuters
A walkway, closed for safety reasons, photographed during high water flow at Iguazu Falls in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state, Brazil, on October 13, 2026
Jae C. Hong / AP
Waves from Post-Tropical Storm Rachel crash into damaged beachfront homes in Long Beach, California, on October 12, 2026.
Johannes Christo / Reuters
Motorcyclists queue to refuel at a petrol station amid a fuel-supply shortage in Badung, Bali, Indonesia, on October 15, 2026.
Alberto Pizzoli / AFP / Getty
Boats sail past Vittoria Light lighthouse at the start of the 58th Barcolana sailing regatta in the Gulf of Trieste on October 11, 2026.
Edmar Barros / AP
The Jornalista Phelippe Daou Bridge is shrouded in smoke from wildfires in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, on October 9, 2026.
Jeff Chiu / AP
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly during the San Francisco Fleet Week Air Show, on October 9, 2026.
David Swanson / AFP / Getty
An L.A. County Fire helicopter flies above crews fighting the Bike Fire on the outskirts of Santa Clarita, California, on October 11, 2026.
AFP / Getty
Migratory birds perch on a power-transmission tower on the Yellow River floodplain in Yueyahu township in Yinchuan, in China’s northern Ningxia region, on October 10, 2026.
Fernando Llano / AP
The Flying Men of Papantla perform the “Danza de los Voladores” on the beach as Hurricane Simon approaches Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on October 10, 2026.
Halil Sagirkaya / Anadolu / Getty
The Wuppertaler Schwebebahn suspension railway carries passengers above the Wupper River in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on October 11, 2026.
Ellen Schmidt / AP
Bryanna Sarmiento cruises on the Stillwater Lift Bridge in her electric car during the annual Harvest Festival in Stillwater, Minnesota, on October 11, 2026.
AFP / Getty
An aquaculture worker navigates a boat through an abalone-farming area to carry out maintenance work in Guanwu village, Lianjiang county, in China’s Fujian province, on October 13, 2026.
Thein Zaw / AP
Locals row their boats at a local floating bazaar in Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar, on October 13, 2026.
Juni Kriswanto / AFP / Getty
Members of the Australian Defence Force take part in the “Keris Woomera” joint military drills with Indonesian marines at Banongan beach in Situbondo on October 15, 2026.
Khaled Desouki / AFP / Getty
A car-shaped river taxi cruises along the Nile River in central Cairo, Egypt, on October 15, 2026.
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images / Getty
Sparks fly behind Pierre Gasly during sprint qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on October 9, 2026.
VCG / Getty
Tourists visit a workshop at the Shen Guanglong Sword Casting Park to observe traditional sword-forging techniques on October 10, 2026, in Lishui, Zhejiang province, China.
Ian Forsyth / Getty
Red deer stags battle each other during the annual rut at Raby Castle on October 11, 2026, in Staindrop, England.
David Ebener / DPA / Getty
A life-size Camarasaurus made of steel and concrete is transported from its previous location at the Barkhausen dinosaur trails in Bad Essen to Damme, Germany, on October 11, 2026.
Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP / Getty
A rabbit hops over an obstacle as its handler guides it during the long-jump competition at the European Rabbit Jumping Championships in Lysekil, Sweden, on October 9, 2026. The three-day championship featured several disciplines, including straight-course jumping and high jump.
Henry Nicholls / AFP / Getty
Larry the cat, the chief mouser to the Cabinet Office, poses outside 10 Downing Street, the official residence of Britain’s prime minister, on October 14, 2026.
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty
A handler pets a cow at the 129th Highland Cattle Society autumn show and sale on October 11, 2026, in Oban, Scotland.
Ulises Ruiz / AFP / Getty
An aerial view of the Zona Romántica (“Romantic Zone”), a tourist district in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco state, Mexico, seen on October 12, 2026
Sergei Gapon / AFP / Getty
Tourists take a traditional rafting trip on the Dunajec River aboard a wooden raft guided by local raftsmen near the village of Sromowce Niżne, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, on October 13, 2026.
Traditional clothes and designs created by designers from across the Turkic world were showcased during the Cappadocia leg of the ninth Türksoy Women and Ethno-Fashion Meeting in Ürgüp, Nevşehir, Turkey, on October 9, 2026.
The Meeting Place. Winner, Animals in Their Environment. James Lewin watched a young bull elephant spray a group of zebra as they congregated in the Kenyan Chyulu Hills. Although there was no shortage of subjects and action around this waterhole, James had to deal with the harsh, unforgiving light. He chose to soften the light using a camera converted to infrared, creating this dreamlike scene.
Protective Pose. Winner, Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles. Anton Sorokin found a California newt laying its eggs as it clasped vegetation that already held another newt’s egg clutch.
The Great Divide. Winner, Wetlands: The Bigger Picture. Alex Visbal documented how a single engineered line can reshape an entire wetland in Utah’s Great Salt Lake. The distinctive pink color on the left is caused by bright-pink microbes that thrive in extremely saline water, which happens when an area is cut off from a supply of fresh water. The lake’s ecology is in sharp decline because of industrial use, upstream diversions, and climate change. Since this image was taken, the State of Utah has brought the area under conservation management.
On the Outskirts. Winner, Photojournalist Story Award. A coyote pads along a trail in Bernal Heights Park, overlooking the city and bay of San Francisco. This individual is part of a resident pack that Loren Elliott observed hunting rodents in the park, which is also popular with people and dogs.
Making Morays. Winner, Under Water. Tony Wu provides a first-time glimpse into the mating ritual of Abbott’s moray eels. Wu has been working with biologists to address a knowledge gap of the social behavior of this eel species. Guided only by a dim red-light source to minimize disturbance, and using a customized fisheye camera lens, he has studied this male since 2024 as it visits females that dwell in crevices on the reef.
Tiny Dancers. Winner, Portfolio Award. Kutub Uddin reveals a magical and often surreal world of slime molds that can barely be seen with the naked eye. Fine threads, known as capillitium, emerge on the round, yellow-green bodies, which will eventually help disperse reproductive spores.
Warning Sign. Winner, Photojournalism. Francisco Negroni recorded this scene of a dead puma amid the rugged, windswept beauty of Argentine Patagonia. Tied to the fence and presented as a hunting trophy, this display was one that Francisco had “never witnessed or photographed before.” In 2025, Santa Cruz banned the hunting of pumas, but illegal persecution continues.
A Watchful Eye. Winner, Animal Portraits. Aaron Sanders glimpsed a common octopus behind a curtain of kelp in the waters off southwest England. Sanders was diving off Porthkerris Beach when he noticed the footprints of octopus suckers through a thin blade of kelp, and a single eye slowly emerging. “We remained perfectly still, watching one another with a seemingly shared curiosity,” Sanders said.
Labour of Love. Winner, 11-14 Years, Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026. Oscar Whitfield noticed the arduous exertion of this dung beetle pushing its precious cargo. Using a fast shutter speed and high light sensitivity, Oscar lay flat on the ground to photograph the beetle at eye level, with the sunshine and heat creating dry dust all around him.
Night-Time Catch. Winner, Oceans: The Bigger Picture. Alex Lindbloom found a whale shark investigating the catch of a “bagan,” or mobile net-fishing platform, in the inky waters off Papua. Alex started searching for sharks around dawn when the nets were still in the water. Initially lacking natural light for his drone’s camera, he found these sharks illuminated by the bagan’s bright lights.
Scenes from the Swamp. Winner, Behaviour: Birds. Isak Pretorius chanced across two elusive shoebill storks among wetland vegetation. Exploring the swamp in a narrow canoe with a guide, Isak felt exceptionally lucky to see not one but two shoebills. The birds pulled out vegetation, dropped it, and then repeated the process several times. It’s likely that this was a breeding pair gathering nesting material.
The Aftermath. Winner, Behavior: Mammals, and Overall Winner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026. Federico Veronesi witnessed this powerful moment of an elephant carrying a dead calf, a rare glimpse into complex animal behaviors. Veronesi was tracking elephants when he came across an unusual pattern of drag marks in the sand of a dry riverbed. The source became clear when he caught up with a family group. A female emerged with the calf, its leg wedged between her tusk and trunk. Behaviors centering on death have been observed in both Asian and African elephants, including vocalizations, guarding the dead, inspecting and handling bones, and carrying the deceased. Some researchers suggest these behaviors could indicate an elephant’s journey to understanding death, while others interpret these actions as possible displays of grief.
Escape Artistry. Winner, Natural Artistry. Michał Michalski used a slow shutter speed to create the illusion of trees still swathed in autumn foliage. Michalski was in a field of unharvested sunflowers that had attracted mixed flocks of birds, especially goldfinches and bramblings. As they took to the sky, startled by a sparrowhawk, Michalski blurred the movement against a backdrop of leafless birches.
Shifting Sand. Winner, Behavior: Invertebrates. Sitaram Raul encountered a scorpion burrowing into one of the shifting dunes of the Thar Desert in India. Exploring the dunes at night near the village of Sam, Raul saw many scorpions searching for prey. But as sunrise approached, they started burrowing to avoid the intense heat. Raul timed the exposure so that the excavated sand was suspended in midair.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London. Captions are provided by the photographers and WPY organizers, and are lightly edited for style.
“The Meeting Place.” Winner, Animals in Their Environment. James Lewin watched a young bull elephant spray a group of zebras as they congregated in the Kenyan Chyulu Hills.
A bull moose emerges from the deep woods somewhere in northern Maine, on September 26, 2026.
VCG / Getty
Trees display autumn colors in Huanggangliang, in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on September 18, 2026.
Ellen Schmidt / AP
Laura Fairchild paddles a giant pumpkin to the finish line in the Pumpkin Regatta, part of the annual Harvest Fest in Stillwater, Minnesota, on October 11, 2026.
Libby March / The Buffalo News / Getty
Siblings Charlotte and E. J. Taylor run into the corn maze at Bippert’s Farms outside Buffalo, New York, on September 27, 2026.
Annika Hammerschlag / AP
Fall colors along a hiking path in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, near Mazama, Washington, on October 8, 2026
Thomas Warnack / DPA / Getty
Spiderwebs in a meadow glisten in the early-morning light, in Uttenweiler, Germany, on September 26, 2026.
Anna Moneymaker / Getty
A person fishes at the base of Ithaca Falls in Ithaca, New York, on October 12, 2026.
Gerd Harder / DPA / Reuters
A red squirrel peeks out from behind a mossy tree trunk, somewhere in Germany, on October 8, 2026.
Markus Schreiber / AP
Visitors take photos of a King Kong figure made of pumpkins and wood at the “Pumpkin Goes to Hollywood” exhibition at the Asparagus and Adventure Farm in Klaistow, near Berlin, Germany, on September 17, 2026.
Fabrice Coffrini / AFP / Getty
Alpacas follow a shepherd during the traditional Alpabzug, in German, or Désalpe, in French, a Swiss festival to mark the return of herds from mountain pastures, in the Griesalp area above Kiental, on September 22, 2026.
Benjamin Fanjoy / Getty
Brian Evans with his family’s entry at the 53rd Annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off on October 12, 2026, in Half Moon Bay, California
Larry Clouse / CSM / ZUMA Press Wire / Reuters
A cyclist rides the Golden Gravel Trail through brilliant autumn colors along the western slope of the Great Divide in the Uncompahgre National Forest, near Paradox, Colorado, on September 24, 2026.
Peter Byrne / PA Images / Getty
The Tu Hwnt I’r Bont Tea Rooms is covered in bright Virginia creeper, in Llanrwst, North Wales, on October 2, 2026.
Jim Franco / Albany Times Union / Getty
Benjamin Bojadzija looks for the perfect pumpkin at Engelke Farm in Troy, New York, on October 7, 2026.
Owen Humphreys / PA Images / Getty
The northern lights above the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, on the Northumberland coast of England, on October 11, 2026
Brook Mitchell / Getty
A deer stag bellows at sunrise during the annual rut in Richmond Park, London, on October 8, 2026.
Patrick Pleul / DPA / Getty
Sunflowers and purple-flowering phacelia glow in the autumn sun in a field near Jacobsdorf, Germany, on October 12, 2026.
Lokman Vural Elibol / Anadolu / Getty
An aerial view of vibrant red, orange, and yellow leaves transforming the landscape in Westmore, Vermont, on October 3, 2026
Thomas Warnack / DPA / Getty
Illuminated “beet ghosts” outside a house in Riedlingen, Germany, on October 11, 2026. The fall tradition uses the vegetable as pumpkins are used for jack-o’-lanterns.
Thomas Warnack / DPA / Getty
A grey heron flies above the Danube in morning fog near Riedlingen, Germany, on October 11, 2026.
Joaquin Corchero / Europa Press / Getty
A person tosses autumn leaves into the air in Seville, in the Andalusia region of Spain, on September 23, 2026.
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