Each year, the OurNature Environmental Photography Awards celebrates the photographers who capture the Earth at its most vulnerable and most breathtaking. This curated selection of 15 award-winning, powerful images showcases the emotional and visual impact of environmental storytelling through the lens.
From sweeping landscapes untouched by human hands to stark portrayals of climate change and environmental injustice, these photos embody the mission of OurNature: to highlight both the beauty worth protecting and the urgent need for action.
What sets these images apart is their ability to balance artistry with advocacy. They don’t simply document the natural world—they give it a voice. Whether it’s a glacier collapsing into the sea, wildlife thriving in unexpected places, or communities living in harmony with nature, each photograph reveals a layer of the global environmental narrative. These powerful moments, frozen in time, remind us that photography remains one of the most compelling tools in the fight to protect our planet.
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#1. Our Nature – Image of the Year: "The bitter death of birds" by Mehdi Mohebi Pour, Iran
"In the years 2021 and 2022, tens of thousands of migratory birds died in the Miankala wetland located in the north of Iran, which was caused by the dumping of sewage into the wetland and disease."
#2. Nature: Winner – "Goliath in lilliput" by Tom Shlesinger, Israel
"Decades ago, following a severe decline in the population of the Goliath Grouper, Florida banned their fishing, leading to an increase in the population. Now, there are new plans to reopen fishing, which may put their future in danger once again."
#3. Nature: Finalist – "Unreal atmosphere" by Alexandre Bès, France
#4. Nature: Finalist – "Looking around from a porthole" by Federica Cordero, Italy
#5. Nature: Finalist – "Dawn’s whispers" by Hermis Valiyandiyil, United Arab Emirates
#6. Our Footprints: Winner – "Stuck in Life" by Alex Pansier, Netherlands
"This photo of a seal, taken on the island of Dune, touches me. The animal seems to have cataracts and has also become entangled in a fishing net. Literally Stuck in Life. Yet it is as if the creature has a smile on his face and he seemed used to the net. This contrast really appealed to me. Taking the photo in high-key allowed me to approach this contrast even more."
#7. Our Footprints: Finalist – "The last two" by Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia
#8. Our Footprints: Finalist – "Flamingos in lagoon" by Matjaz Krivic, Slovenia
#9. Our Footprints: Finalist – "Plastic collector" by Mithail Afrige Chowdhury, Bangladesh
#10. Solutions: Winner – "Black soldier fly – sustainability and food security" by Maurizio di Pietro, Italy
"Insects are rich in high-quality proteins and highly sustainable due to their minimal environmental impact both in terms of greenhouse gases and water and soil consumption. As a result, researchers are studying the most sustainable and cost-effective ways to promote the use of these insects as human food or as feed for fish, poultry, and pigs."
#11. Solutions: Finalist – "Injured himalayan griffon vulture" by Alain Schroeder, Belgium
#12. Solutions: Finalist – "Bird eating flowers" by Alex Pansier, Netherlands
#13. Solutions: Finalist – "Floating vegetable farming" by Azim Khan Ronnie, France
#14. Our Nature: Story of the Year, Winner – "The Last Two" by Matjaz Krivic
"The northern white rhino is all but extinct. The two last males died several years ago. Two females are still with us, but too feeble to bear babies.Their names are Najin and Fatu. In an Italian lab their eggs are now artificially fertilised by sperm from the three late males, and kept at minus 196 celsius, in hopes that surrogate rhinos from another sub species can carry the northern white back from the brink of extinction."
#15. Our Nature: Story of the Year, Runner Up – "Africa Blues" by Edoardo Delille / Giulia Piermartiri, Italy
"Despite contributing only 5% of pollutant emissions, Africa is the continent that pays the highest price for climate change. In 2019 only, extreme climate change has generated 2.5 million refugees. Mozambique, in particular is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries. Droughts, floods and sudden storms are episodes that now alternate and repeat themselves every year, affecting and destroying entire villages and compromising the agricultural harvest. It is mainly the poorest communities that pay the price."
