The Nature Conservancy’s 2023 Photo Contest showcased some of the most breathtaking images of wildlife, landscapes, oceans, and the natural world captured by photographers around the globe. With over 80,000 submissions from more than 150 countries, the competition highlighted both the beauty of the planet and the urgent need to protect its fragile ecosystems. Below is a complete and detailed overview of the major winners and their extraordinary work.
Grand Prize Winner
Tibor Litauszki (Hungary)
Photo: “Between the Stars”
Tibor’s stunning underwater photograph of a smooth newt swimming gracefully above its eggs stood out for its clarity, composition, and emotional impact. The shot reveals a dreamlike world beneath the water’s surface, making it the top image of the 2023 contest.
Celebrity Judge’s Choice
Hermis Haridas (United Arab Emirates)
Photo: “Dawn’s Whispers”
Chosen by actor and photographer Cole Sprouse, this beautifully lit silhouette of a hoopoe bird at sunrise blends elegance with perfect timing.
Category Winners
Below are the first, second, and third place winners for each category, along with notable honorable mentions.
Aerials
- 1st Place: Agnieszka Wieczorek (Poland)
- 2nd Place: Neelutpaul Barua (India)
- 3rd Place: Derek Robertson (USA)
- Honorable Mentions:
- Maman Sukirman (Indonesia)
- Mostafijur Rahman Nasim (Bangladesh)
Birds
- 1st Place: Grzegorz Długosz (Poland) — “Busy Builder”
- 2nd Place: Mike Krehbiel (USA)
- 3rd Place: Juan Jose Murillo (Colombia)
- Honorable Mentions:
- Mario Labado (USA)
- Petr Bambousek (Czech Republic)
Climate
- 1st Place: Raphael Alves (Brazil) — “Stranded”
- 2nd Place: Mustafa Binol (Turkey)
- 3rd Place: Luisa Lynch Harris (Spain)
- Honorable Mention: Adra Pallón (Spain)
Lands
- 1st Place: Alessandro Carboni (Italy) — “Sound and Vision”
- 2nd Place: Roberto Valdez (Ecuador)
- 3rd Place: Adam Mowery (USA)
- Honorable Mentions:
- Cosmin Ovidiu Stan (Romania)
- Bruce Hogle (USA)
Mammals
- 1st Place: Siddhartha Ghosh (India) — “Wolf Trinity”
- 2nd Place: HJ Yang (USA)
- 3rd Place: Luisa Pericoli (USA)
Oceans
- 1st Place: Estebane Rezkallah (France) — “The Rangiroa Gang”
- 2nd Place: Bambang Wirawan (Indonesia)
- 3rd Place: Giovanni Allievi (Italy)
People & Nature
- 1st Place: Michael Hegyi (USA) — “Wildebeest Breakfast Balloon Safari”
- 2nd Place: Mano Aliczki (Hungary)
- Honorable Mentions:
- Fatih Yilmaz (Turkey)
- Md. Safayet Hossain Shanto (Bangladesh)
Plants & Fungi
- 1st Place: Jose Pereyra Lucena (Argentina) — “Lunático”
- 2nd Place: Vittorio Ricci (Italy)
- 3rd Place: Ashley Sykes (Australia)
- Honorable Mentions:
- Gero Heine (USA)
- Mohammed Salman (India)
Reptiles & Amphibians
- 1st Place: Irina Petrova Adamatzky (UK) — “Alien Portrait”
- 2nd Place: Petr Bambousek (Czech Republic)
Underwater Life
- 1st Place: Russell Laman (USA) — “Phantoms Adrift”
- 2nd Place: Cai Jialing (China)
- 3rd Place: Daniel Nicholson (Australia)
- Honorable Mention: Juan Carlos Huitrón Baca (Mexico)
Africa Regional Winner
Helen Walne (South Africa) — “Hitching a Ride”
A surreal image of a juvenile fish seeking shelter inside the bell of a jellyfish, captured with artistic detail and storytelling.
