The 1839 Photographer of the Year Awards just dropped its Nature category winners, and oh boy — these shots don’t just “capture” nature, they straight-up freeze time. This year’s lineup is packed with wild drama, quiet poetry, and those “no way that’s real” moments that only happen when patience meets pure instinct.
Taking the crown this year is Alexander Tasho, whose winning image “Blue Hour Guardian” looks like it was pulled straight from a dream. Just before sunrise, a lone cheetah sat perfectly still, sizing him up, deciding whether he was friend or threat, before lowering its head to drink. The air was so still, he said it felt like time itself paused to stare. Trust me — this is the kind of frame that makes you forget to blink.
The remaining winners bring that same jaw-dropping energy — glowing forests lit like movie sets, mountains wrapped in pastel skies, rare creatures caught in raw, unfiltered moods. From brutal snowstorms to golden-hour calm, each photo shows how insanely beautiful and unpredictable our planet is. And honestly? These photographers are storytellers as much as they are artists. Their images remind us that even in a noisy world, nature still whispers, roars, and stuns.
If you’re into wild adventures, earthy palettes, soulful animal moments, or just want a good dose of “wow,” this year’s Nature winners will hit you right in the heart. Mother Earth showed off. And the photographers? They absolutely delivered.
You can find more info about 1839 Awards:
#1. 1st Place: "Blue Hour Guardian" by Alexander Tasho
"Just before sunrise, this cheetah lay perfectly still, deciding whether I was a threat or not before taking a drink. It felt like I’d stumbled into a painting, where even time had stopped to look."
#2. Silver: ‘SUPERCELLS – Mother Nature Unleashed" by David Baxter III
"Tornado Alley across the United States of America can produce some of the most wild weather across planet Earth. Supercells traverse Tornado Alley during the Spring and Summer Seasons bringing breath taking views as Mother Nature creates unbelievable atmospheric sculptures."
#3. Silver: "Into the Wild" by Luiza Michalewicz
"Into the Wild represents the very raw of nature. Nothing pre planned, nothing staged or arranged. Just the place and the right moment…"
#4. Bronze: "Naturally Unfolding" by Michael Mihaljevich
"At the foot of Wyoming’s Tetons the waning day brings a cast of characters together to mingle for a moment of refreshingly untouched nature."
Honorable Mentions
#5. "The Fast and the Furriest" by Deena Sveinsson
"On a December day in Grand Teton National Park, these bull moose were playing as young bull moose do. They walked briskly toward the water’s edge, entered the water and started playing like children. I slowly got into the mushy, muddy water. I got soaked and covered in mud while I photographed them."
#6. "Beginnings and Endings" by Katie Brockman
"Two tanagers — often considered symbols of hope, growth, and new beginnings — sit atop the remains of a deer carcass."
#7. "Dragonfly" by Robyn Finlayson
#8. "Round Up" by Eric Goh
#9. "Silently Thunder" by Matteo Redaelli
"A lightning bolt strikes down from a dark, cloudy sky over a snow-covered mountain range. The image creates a dramatic and intense atmosphere, with strong contrasts between the dark clouds, the bright lightning, and the illuminated peaks. It captures a thunderstorm in a high-altitude landscape."
#10. "Lost in the Beauty of Nature" by Jerry Jose
"The Conolly Canal, also known as the Canoly Canal, is a historic and scenic man-made waterway located in the Malabar region of Kerala, India."
Nominees
#11. "Kakadu Wetland Designs" by Stuart Chape
"Photographed from a helicopter, these images record part of the complex wetland ecosystems that cover a large part of the vast wild Kakadu landscape in the Northern Territory, Australia."
#12. "Flowing Tales" by Barbara Milavec
"The waves weave their own tales—flowing with a smooth, surreal rhythm as the golden hues of the sunset paint the sky. A moment of contrast and beauty, where the sea’s allure meets the warmth of sunset."
#13. "Double" by Eric Goh
#14. "Boris The Giant Tusker" by Luiza Michalewicz
"Boris, one of the largest tuskers in Africa. Incredible luck in finding this beautiful giant freely roaming wilderness of Zimbabwe."
#15. "Precision in Flight" by Jan-Tore Oevrevik
"Captured at water level, this image freezes the exact moment a pelican lifts off with wings and beak aligned in symmetry. Shot at dusk in Clearwater Beach, it highlights the precision, strength, and motion of flight in a single commanding frame."
#16. "Bobby Socks Trees in the Mist" by David Breslauer
"The Bobby Socks trees are stand of dead trees in Yellowstone National Park. They get their name from the bleached trunks that stand in acidic water from nearby geysers."
#17. "The Amazing Night" by Ngar Shun Victor Wong
"This is a series of night skies from my last two years showcasing the amazing beauty of the universe."
#18. "Nature by the way" by Claudia ALBISSER HUND
#19. "Wasatch Aspen in the Mist" by David Breslauer
#20. "The Top of the World" by Daryl Benson
A mountain goat traverses the top of the mountain.
#21. "Weave" by Mark Gray
"A colourful braided river on the South Island of New Zealand, captured from the sky."
#22. "Turquoise Perfection" by Daryl Benson
"A turquoise alpine lake reflects the suns rays and the snow capped peaks."
#23. "The Trees" by Seppo Kerkelä
"Because the fog was so thick and the landscape disappeared into the white, I started looking for details in the terrain. That’s when I found these two trees, their shapes echoing one another as if in silent conversation. Captured early in the morning at Riisitunturi National Park in Posio, Finland."
#24. "Burner" by Mark Gray
"An aerial photo of a braided river meeting a glacial lake on the south island of New Zealand."
