Unveiled: The Mesmerizing Nature Photos That Stole the 2023 International Photography Awards Spotlight
“Getting bored of a black background, which is typical when shooting macro in the field in the dark, I secured a pink background card behind this damselfly for some extra POP. The 63 image focus stack of a wild, living subject is one of my favorites of 2023.”
1st Place In Nature/Trees: “Tree Of Life” By Rafael Garcia Luna
“This photograph was taken in the Gorbeia natural park. Walking among its shapes is a delight for any nature lover and especially for hunters of curves and angles to translate into photography. Everything is suggestive, everything is delicate, poetic and wild at the same time. The paths disappear among the undergrowth, eaten away by time and moss. I came across this beech tree just with the first rays of light in the morning, I was impressed by its extensive roots on top of that hill and its gigantic branches.”
3rd Place In Nature/Wildlife: “An Annual Feast” By Rayhan Mundra
“Every year hundreds of thousands of sockeye salmon head upstream, to spawn their next generation. This annual migration provides a carnivorous feast for brown bears, who rely on the fish to survive hibernation as well as bringing nutrients from the open ocean inland to support the greater ecosystem. As commercial fishing continues to take a toll on returning populations it is important to preserve this keystone species in order to allow future generations to witness the spectacle of the Alaskan salmon run and preserve the Alaskan organisms whose existence relies on this annual feast.”
