These Entries In Nat Geo’s Nature Photographer Of The Year Contest Are Stunning

Photo and caption by Todd Kennedy / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Entries for the 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest are here and every landscape photo we’ve ever Instagrammed is sad and boring in comparison. 

Seriously, these photographers are so talented at showcasing the natural wonders of our world. Take a look at these 15 contenders for the top prize — being published in the print edition of Nat Geo’s magazine, featured on the publication’s Instagram and $10,000.

Kvitøya — Svalbard

“Two walruses on an ice floe in front of Kvitøya (White Island) in the Svalbard Archipelago. The remote island is located above 80 degrees north in the high Arctic and is almost completely covered by a thick ice cap.” — Photo and caption by Christian Aslund / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Konduki 

“The middle of Russia, Tula region, near Konduki village. Among plains, cornfields and copses lays abandoned Ushakovsky coal cut. During the Soviet era there was mined lignite, but in the 90s mining was closed due to unprofitability. Now 50 meters high clay heaps are overgrown with birches and aspens, forming landscape very unusual for this region.” — Photo and caption by ALEXEY KHARITONOV / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Great Gray Owl

“A great gray owl hunting rodents in a field in New Hampshire, US. This bird was a rare visitor to this area and was worth the 7 1/2 hour drive to see it. The owl was not baited or called and this photo is during a natural hunt. Baiting has become a hot topic recently and it is very unfortunate that many people do it for the sake of a photo. With these owls in particular if you are patient enough you will see them hunt. They are not shy nor very intimidated by people.” — Photo and caption by Harry Collins / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Cordulia Aenea

“A freshly emerged downy emerald a few minutes before its first flight. Cordulia aenea │ Downy Emerald │ Linnaeus 1758” — Photo and caption by Łukasz Prajzner / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Fireworks

“School of Munk’s devil ray, pygmy devil ray, (Mobula munkiana), feeding on plankton at night, photographed on a long exposure.” — Photo and caption by Franco Banfi / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Arctic Reflection

“It is difficult to get a sense of purity and calm in our modern hectic world, unless you are in Arctic, watching icebergs floating by… reflection of an iceberg (about 100-120m tall), Scoresby Sound, 🇬🇱 Greenland’17” — Photo and caption by Andro Loria / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Great Bear Surf Scoters

“A raft of thousands of surf scoters takes flight from the water’s surface in The Great Bear Sea of British Columbia, Canada.” — Photo and caption by Sam Edmonds / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Rock Pool

“A rock pool in sydney, Australia at high tide. Waves crash over the edge. a long swimmer is undeterred.” — Photo and caption by Todd Kennedy / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Decisions

“A young bald eagle tentatively feeds on a chum salmon carcass in the Nooksack River. Hundreds of eagles come to feed on these inland waters every winter, coinciding with the annual run. The eagle spent several minutes picking indecisively at the fish, often looking around to determine a clear path to fly out with the fish. Ultimately it opted to surrender the prize and fly back up to the cottonwoods reflected in the water. Soon a dozen seagulls would come and finish the meal.” — Photo and caption by Carolyn Watson / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

At The Crossroads

“When we come to an unknown crossroad, we have different paths in front of us: hardest or easier. We have to decide which way to go. It is up to us to choose our destiny, our destination in alignment with our authentic self. Nature is here to warn us every day these moments of choice in our life. In a way, every second in one’s life is a tiny little crossroad, sometimes surrounded by beautiful and powerful colors, like here, in the salin of Aigues-Mortes, in Southern France.” — Photo and caption by Magali CHESNEL / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Volcano

“There is a rumor that you can watch forever on two things: fire and water, but when it comes to exploding lava fountains, – it is sempiternity multiplied to infinity. The eruption of Klyuchevskaya sopka. Kamchatka.” — Photo and caption by Vladimir Voychuk / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Courage

“This photo was taken in amboseli, kenya. a group of hyenas were the aggressors in attempting to take on two female lionesses who they had sensed to be old or injured. The standoff lasted about 30 minutes, but in the end the hyenas were no match for the two lionesses who were able to get away unscathed.” — Photo and caption by Adam Zaff / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Flamingos And Their Nests 

“Tanzania’s natron lake is the breeding ground for flamingos, and the flamingos match will produce eggs every year.in the meantime, the flamingo will carefully hatch the eggs until the birds break the shell out.” — Photo and caption by Ge Xiao / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Beautiful Countryside

“Half is a building materials shopping mall color tile ceiling, half of farmland, color is particularly dazzling.” — Photo and caption by GuangHui Gu / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Prairie Dancer

“Rotating supercell thunderstorm dances across the Kansas farmland.” — Photo and caption by Derek Burdeny / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year