Nature doesn’t care if you’re ready for it—and that’s exactly what makes these images hit so hard. The Capturing Ecology Photo Contest 2025, conducted by the British Ecological Society, delivers a front-row seat to the wild, messy, breathtaking reality of life on Earth. No filters. No fluff. Just raw ecology doing what it does best—existing unapologetically.
This year’s overall winning image says it all. An American crocodile locks eyes with the camera, golden stare steady and unbothered, while blood-sucking horse flies feast on its snout. It’s brutal, calm, and oddly beautiful. That single frame captures the entire spirit of the competition: nature doesn’t perform for us—it endures. And when we’re lucky, we get to witness it.
Selected from more than 1,100 submissions by ecologists and photographers around the world, the 27 winning images span over 80 countries and all seven continents. From fragile plant systems to apex predators, from microscopic soil life to sweeping ecosystems, these photographs tell stories bigger than aesthetics. They show balance, tension, survival, and connection—often all in one frame.
2025 also marked the contest’s most collaborative year yet, with category partners and sponsors who live and breathe conservation. Organizations like ZSL, Plantlife, Soil Association, iNaturalist, and NHBS helped push the competition beyond a photo contest and into a global conversation.
These images aren’t just about beauty—they’re about awareness. They remind us that ecology isn’t an abstract concept. It’s alive, watching back, and deeply connected to our own survival. Scroll slowly. These photos deserve your full attention.
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#1. Overall Winner: "Wouldn’t Hurt a Fly" by Zeke Rowe
"Coiba National Park, Panama"
Category Winners
In addition to Rowe’s top honor, the Capturing Ecology jury awarded standout images across eight categories, with a special Ecologists’ Choice Award decided at the 2025 British Ecological Society Annual Meeting in Edinburgh.
#2. Animals Winner: "Wallace’s Flying Frog" by Jamal Kabir
"Peninsular Malaysian lowland forests, near Kuala Lumpur"
#3. Ecologists in Action Winner: "Ready for Everything" by Roberto García-Roa
"Cameroon"
#4. Interactions Winner: "Lioness One Eye Behind Birds" by Willem Kruger
"Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa"
#5. Nature, Food and Farming Winner: "Jute Processing" byJoy Saha
"Natore, Bangladesh"
#6. Mobile Ecology Winner: "Amanita Nothofagi" by Hui Syn Chan
"New Zealand"
#7. People and Nature Winner: "Unusual Backdrop" by Guido Villani
"Philippines"
#8. Plants and Fungi Winner: "Miniature Encounter" by Francisco Gamboa
"Altos de Cantillana Natural Park, Chile"
#9. Up Close Winner: "Emerging Life" by Sritam Kumar Sethy
"Balasore, Odisha, India"
#10. Ecologists’ Choice Winner: "The False Eye" by Sritam Kumar Sethy
"Balasore, Odisha, India"
Highly Commended Photos
In addition to the category winners, judges selected 17 highly commended photographs, all showcased below.
#11. Animals: "Path of the Panther" by Brandon Guell
#12. Animals: "Prairie Chicken Jump-Off" by Peter Hudson
#13. Animals: "On the Hunt" by Guillaume Lespagnol
#14. Animals: "Silence in Ambush" by Jamal Kabir
#15. Nature, Food and Farming: "Green Sheen" by Oliver Thomas
#16. Ecologists in Action: "A Fistful of Frogs" by Ryan Wagner
#17. Interactions: "Jackal Close Catch Eye" by Ryan Wagner
#18. Interactions: "Hanging in the Balance" by Stewart Finlayson
#19. Nature, Food and Farming: "Catch of the Day" by Joy Saha
#20. Plants and Fungi: "Woodland Gems" by Ben James
#21. People and Nature: "Painted Rattle" by Ryan Wagner
#22. Plants and Fungi: "Not a Red Flag" by Roberto García-Roa
#23. Plants and Fungi: "Glass Vases" by Willow Bloomfield
#24. Up Close: "Dune" by Ben James
#25. Ecologists in Action: "Bighorn Swab and Go" by Peter Hudson
#26. People and Nature: "Fading Giants" by Ashane Marasinghe
#27. Ecologists in Action: "Intertidal Education" by Liam Brennan
In Summary
What is the Capturing Ecology Photo Contest 2025?
- It’s an international nature photography competition organized by the British Ecological Society.
Who won the overall prize in 2025?
- An image of an American crocodile staring into the camera while horse flies feed on its snout.
How many photos were submitted for the contest?
- Over 1,100 photographs were submitted by ecologists and photographers worldwide.
How many countries and continents are represented?
- The winners span more than 80 countries across all seven continents.
Who were the key partners and sponsors in 2025?
- ZSL, Plantlife, Soil Association, iNaturalist, and NHBS supported and sponsored categories.
