Life on Earth: Meet the BigPicture Natural World Photo Contest Winners

From a bear in the backyard, to a wolf crossing a city highway to even a chimpanzee who looks more like human babies, these were some of the winning photos in the competition. BigPicture Natural World – One of the world’s largest wildlife conservation competitions. In 2023, the competition celebrates 10 years of depicting life on Earth and some of the many threats our planet faces. Since its existence, more than 7,300 images have been submitted from all over the world.

BigPicture announced this year’s finalists and the main prize went to the photo “Backyard friend” American photographer Cory Arnaldo, who was also honored in the Reportage Photography category. The picture illustrates the story of a retired couple who live in the suburbs of Asheville, North Carolina, USA. They often find four-legged visitors on their back porch, such as an American black bear. The work highlights that through such close coexistence with humans, these animals may become smarter and bolder.

In all, the images were recognized in seven categories: Aquatic life, wild wildlife, winged life, landscapes, waterscapes and plants, nature art, human/nature and photo report. Below, see the winners!