{"id":6730,"date":"2026-04-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/?p=6730"},"modified":"2026-08-23T12:38:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T11:38:35","slug":"scifri-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/scifri-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"#SciFri: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year<\/a> exhibition has become one of the Natural History Museum\u2019s most successful annual exhibitions, bringing together some of the most remarkable images of the natural world from across the globe. The 2025 exhibition (the sixty-first edition of the competition) was particularly impressive in the breadth of stories it told about wildlife, from intimate behavioural encounters to powerful images of human impacts on nature. Displaying 100 awarded photographs selected from a record 60,636 entries from 113 countries and territories, the exhibition ran at the Natural History Museum in London from 17 October 2025 until 12 July 2026. For anyone interested in reptiles and amphibians, however, the exhibition offered a particularly rewarding experience. These groups are sometimes overshadowed in popular wildlife photography by charismatic mammals and birds, yet the 2025 competition demonstrated just how visually compelling, behaviourally fascinating and ecologically important they can be. Several of the strongest images featured frogs, turtles and snakes, while reptiles also appeared in photographs dealing with conservation, human-wildlife conflict, urban environments and even medicine. Together, they demonstrated that herpetofauna can provide powerful subjects for both artistic photography and environmental storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A quick introduction to Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 which just goes to show how popular this competition has become!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The sheer number of entries makes the final selection remarkable. More than 60,000 photographs were submitted for the 2025 competition, and the winning images were selected by an international judging panel with expertise spanning photography, wildlife, conservation and science. The photographs on display are not simply a collection of attractive wildlife pictures, one that I’m not sure my photos will ever stand up to the competition against. They represent a highly competitive process in which judges have had to identify images that combine technical excellence with originality, storytelling and emotional or scientific impact. The overall winner, Wim van den Heever’s Ghost Town Visitor<\/em>, is an excellent example. The photograph shows a brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea<\/em>) moving through the abandoned diamond-mining town of Kolmanskop in Namibia. The ghostly remains of the buildings provide an extraordinary backdrop for an animal that appears almost to be reclaiming a landscape once dominated by people. The photograph works on several levels. At first, it is simply visually arresting: the abandoned architecture, encroaching sand and nocturnal animal create an almost surreal scene. But it also suggests a much larger story about the temporary nature of human occupation and the resilience of wildlife. The human-built environment is deteriorating, while the hyena continues to occupy the landscape. That tension between nature and human activity is one of the strongest recurring themes throughout the 2025 exhibition.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Wim van den Heever’s Ghost Town Visitor<\/em> the overall winner of Wildlife Photographer of Year 2025 which shows a brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea<\/em>) moving through the abandoned diamond-mining town of Kolmanskop in Namibia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One of the most successful aspects of Wildlife Photographer of the Year is its ability to move between beauty and discomfort. A photograph can initially attract a visitor because of its colour, composition or subject and then reveal a much more serious story. This is particularly important at a time when wildlife photography is increasingly used as a tool for conservation communication. A scientific paper about habitat fragmentation, pollution or species decline may reach a relatively specialised audience. A compelling photograph can communicate the same problem almost instantaneously. The competition’s own description of its purpose reflects this broader ambition. Wildlife Photographer of the Year aims to use photography to advance scientific knowledge, spread awareness of important issues and nurture a global love of nature. The exhibition therefore avoids being simply celebratory. Wildlife is beautiful, but the photographs repeatedly remind visitors that beauty exists within ecological systems that are under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Wildlife Photographer of the Year used photos and information boards to introduce visitors to the Natural History Museum’s Biodiversity Intactness Index<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Another strength of the 2025 exhibition is the emphasis placed on animal behaviour. A technically perfect portrait of an animal can be impressive, but photographs showing behaviour often tell a much richer story. This is where the competition differs from a conventional natural-history collection. Rather than simply showing what an animal looks like, many photographs reveal what it does: hunting, feeding, reproducing, interacting with members of its own species, responding to people or adapting to changing environments. Such images can be particularly valuable from an educational perspective. Behaviour is often what makes a species memorable. A visitor might forget the precise markings of a particular animal, but remember an image of it performing an unusual or unexpected action. The photographers’ patience and fieldcraft are also evident. Wildlife photography frequently involves spending long periods in difficult conditions for the possibility of a single successful image. The resulting photograph can appear effortless, concealing hours, days or even years of preparation. Photographers now have access to remote cameras, camera traps, drones, specialised underwater equipment, sophisticated autofocus systems and techniques such as ultraviolet illumination. Yet an interesting lesson from the 2025 competition is that technology does not necessarily determine photographic success. The overall winner, for example, was captured using a Nikon D810, a camera introduced more than a decade ago. This is a useful corrective to the assumption that successful wildlife photography requires the newest equipment. Technical innovation undoubtedly expands what photographers can achieve, but the decisive factors remain patience, knowledge of wildlife, fieldcraft, composition and the ability to recognise a remarkable moment. In many respects, understanding the subject remains more important than owning the most sophisticated camera.<\/p>\n\n\n

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One of my favourite categories is always Animals in their Environment as the entries help illuminate the ecology of their subjcts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A particularly strong theme throughout the exhibition is the relationship between people and wildlife. Humans are rarely absent from modern conservation stories, even when they are not physically present in the photograph. Some images show animals living in or around human settlements. Others reveal the consequences of habitat destruction or exploitation. Still others show conservationists attempting to repair damage or protect threatened species. This is an increasingly important direction for wildlife photography. The traditional wildlife photograph often attempted to create the impression that the animal existed in a pristine wilderness untouched by people. Such an approach can produce beautiful images, but it can also give an incomplete picture of the modern natural world. Wildlife increasingly exists in fragmented landscapes, agricultural environments, cities, industrial areas and modified ecosystems. Photographers who document these environments are recording an important aspect of contemporary natural history. Some images generate wonder. Others produce amusement. Some are unsettling or even distressing. This variety prevents the exhibition from becoming repetitive and encourages visitors to engage with photographs in different ways. The emotional response is not simply a by-product of the photography. It is central to the competition’s ability to communicate environmental messages. People rarely become passionate about biodiversity because they have memorised a list of species. They become passionate because they have developed an emotional connection with living things and the places in which they occur. A photograph can create that connection in seconds. This is particularly valuable for species that do not normally receive much public attention. Large mammals and spectacular birds naturally attract photographers and audiences, but insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish and other less conventionally charismatic organisms can be equally important components of ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The best photographs in the exhibition challenge the viewer to reconsider what constitutes a worthy wildlife subject such as those in the Photojournalism category<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Okay, now onto the best bits! The standout amphibian image of the exhibition was undoubtedly Quentin Martinez\u2019s Frolicking Frogs<\/em>, which won the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles category. The photograph depicts lesser treefrogs (Dendropsophus minutus<\/em>) gathering at a temporary pool in French Guiana during a spectacular breeding event. Martinez, a French evolutionary biologist with a particular interest in amphibians, encountered the frogs during persistent rain after following a flooded forest path to a temporary pool. The photograph succeeds because it captures something that is both biologically important and visually extraordinary. Rather than presenting a single frog as a conventional portrait, Martinez uses a wide-angle perspective to place the viewer inside the breeding aggregation. Lesser treefrogs gather in large numbers after heavy rainfall, and their breeding events can last only a few hours. Males call to attract females, producing short, shrill vocalisations as the temporary pool becomes the centre of an intense reproductive event. This makes Frolicking Frogs<\/em> much more than a beautiful photograph. It captures a critical moment in the life history of an amphibian species: the brief convergence of suitable weather, water and reproductive behaviour. Temporary aquatic habitats can be remarkably important for amphibians, and their seasonal nature makes them especially vulnerable to changes in rainfall patterns, land use and climate.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Quentin Martinez\u2019s Frolicking Frogs<\/em> depicting lesser treefrogs (Dendropsophus minutus<\/em>) which won the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles category<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If Frolicking Frogs<\/em> presents amphibians in one of their most spectacular moments, Nick Kanakis’s A Big Helping<\/em> provides a much darker view of amphibian behaviour and ecology. The highly commended image shows a diamond-backed watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer<\/em>) swallowing an American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus<\/em>). The photograph is remarkable due to the intimacy of the encounter. Kanakis regularly encounters both species while night-hiking but rarely sees them together. The resulting photograph captures the snake in the process of consuming the frog, while the frog’s burnished colouring and partly raised translucent third eyelid are visible in remarkable detail. There is an important ecological message here. Frogs are not simply subjects for conservation photography; they are functioning components of food webs. The image reverses the conventional role of the frog in wildlife photography. Instead of being presented as a charming, colourful animal, the frog becomes prey. The snake, meanwhile, is transformed from a potentially feared animal into a predator performing a fundamental ecological function. Kanakis is himself particularly interested in amphibians, insects and reptiles and has described his aim as bringing audiences into the lives of wildlife that is often under-appreciated. A Big Helping<\/em> demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach. It asks the viewer to confront the reality of predation while simultaneously appreciating the extraordinary morphology of both predator and prey. Wildlife is not simply picturesque. It involves competition, predation, reproduction, death and recycling. After all, it is a battleground. A successful wildlife photograph therefore can communicate these processes without needing extensive scientific interpretation.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Nick Kanakis’s A Big Helping<\/em> in the middle with Quentin Martinez\u2019s Frolicking Frogs<\/em> to the left and Isaac Szabo’s Musk Turtle Motel<\/em> to the right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Reptiles were represented particularly effectively by Isaac Szabo’s Musk Turtle Motel<\/em>, which was highly commended in the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles category. The image shows three loggerhead musk turtles (Sternotherus minor<\/em>) sheltering in a soft clay bank beside a spring-fed swamp in Florida. Szabo encountered the turtles while snorkelling. After rounding a submerged tree, he unexpectedly came face-to-face with them. Rather than approaching rapidly, he moved slowly to avoid disturbing the sediment and captured the moment before the turtles retreated into their refuge. The result is an unusually intimate portrait of a species that is generally much less familiar to the public than larger and more visually conspicuous turtles. The photograph draws attention to the secretive freshwater habitats occupied by musk turtles and, importantly, to the relationship between animals and their physical environment. The title Musk Turtle Motel<\/em> is playful, but the image has a serious conservation dimension. Loggerhead musk turtles inhabit parts of the southeastern United States, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana. Their freshwater habitats are threatened by pollution and increasing water extraction. Although their populations are currently considered stable, the photograph provides a reminder that stability does not necessarily mean security. The image also highlights one of the great strengths of wildlife photography: the ability to reveal animals in places where people rarely encounter them. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Isaac Szabo’s Musk Turtle Motel<\/em> which shows three loggerhead musk turtles (Sternotherus minor<\/em>) sheltering in a soft clay bank<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Reptiles and amphibians featured in some of the entries from other categories, such as Hira Punjabi\u2019s A Nip to the Tail<\/em> which was highly commended in the Behaviour: Birds category. The photograph captures a brief but dramatic confrontation between two very different inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent: a rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri<\/em>) and a Bengal monitor (Varanus bengalensis<\/em>). The image was taken in Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan, India, a renowned wetland and bird sanctuary. Punjabi had been following the Bengal monitor for four days when he observed it investigating a tree cavity, apparently searching for bird eggs or chicks. The monitor’s behaviour attracted the attention of nearby rose-ringed parakeets, which repeatedly mobbed the reptile. On occasions, as many as twelve parakeets attacked or harassed the monitor simultaneously. The title, A Nip to the Tail<\/em>, immediately communicates the photograph’s central action. A parakeet is caught biting the monitor’s tail, transforming what might otherwise have been a conventional wildlife portrait into an image of confrontation and movement. The viewer is presented with a moment of intense interaction rather than simply being shown two species sharing the same habitat. What makes the photograph particularly effective is the contrast between the protagonists. The Bengal monitor is a substantial predatory lizard, while the rose-ringed parakeet is a relatively small bird. Yet the apparent imbalance in size does not prevent the parakeet from confronting the much larger reptile. The behaviour illustrates the effectiveness of mobbing, in which birds harass a potential predator or nest raider to drive it away. In this case, the parakeets’ behaviour appears to have been motivated by the threat posed to their nesting site or offspring.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Hira Punjabi\u2019s A Nip to the Tail<\/em> which was highly commended in the Behaviour: Birds category which shows a confrontation a rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri<\/em>) and a Bengal monitor (Varanus bengalensis<\/em>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Jake Stout\u2019s The Welcoming Turtle<\/em> is a striking underwater photograph that challenges one of the most familiar perceptions of one of North America\u2019s most distinctive freshwater reptiles. Highly commended in the Underwater category, the photograph shows a common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina<\/em>) gliding through aquatic vegetation in a lake in Greenfield, New Hampshire. The title immediately establishes the photograph\u2019s central idea. Common snapping turtles have acquired a reputation for being aggressive and intimidating animals, particularly when encountered on land. Their powerful jaws, long necks and robust bodies certainly give them an imposing appearance. Yet Stout\u2019s photograph presents a very different animal. Beneath the surface, the turtle appears calm and inquisitive as it moves through its aquatic environment. This contrast between reputation and reality is what gives the image much of its appeal. Stout has photographed snapping turtles in this particular lake for more than four years. This prolonged engagement with the animals has allowed him to become familiar with their individual personalities and behaviours. Such experience is an important but often overlooked component of successful wildlife photography. Rather than simply encountering an animal by chance, Stout has developed an understanding of its environment and behaviour, allowing him to anticipate encounters and photograph the turtle at close range without apparently disturbing it. The underwater perspective is particularly effective. The turtle is photographed almost head-on as it moves above the vegetation, giving the viewer the impression of encountering the animal within its own world. Instead of looking down at a turtle from above the water, as people commonly experience these animals, the photograph places us at the same level. This changes the relationship between viewer and subject and helps explain the welcoming character suggested by the title. The wide-angle lens was particularly appropriate because it allowed Stout to work close to the turtle while retaining the surrounding aquatic vegetation, ensuring that the animal is presented within its habitat rather than as an isolated portrait. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Jake Stout\u2019s The Welcoming Turtle<\/em> which was highly commended in the Underwater category showing a common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina<\/em>) among aquatic vegetation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Snakes feature particularly strongly in the 2025 exhibition, and some of the most interesting reptile photography concerns the complicated relationship between snakes and their environments. In my mind, Gabriella Comi\u2019s Wake-up Call<\/em> is one of the most immediately dramatic photographs in the exhibition. Highly commended in the Behaviour: Mammals category, the photograph captures an extraordinary confrontation between a lion (Panthera leo<\/em>) and an Egyptian cobra (Naja haje<\/em>) in Tanzania\u2019s Serengeti National Park. It is an image built around tension: a large African predator, apparently relaxed in the heat of the day, suddenly finds itself confronted by a potentially dangerous reptile. The circumstances behind the photograph are almost as compelling as the finished image. Comi and her guide, David, had been watching two lions during the scorching midday heat. The lions were inactive, conserving energy in the way that lions commonly do during the hottest part of the day. Lions can sleep or rest for much of a 24-hour period, with estimates suggesting they may spend up to 20 hours sleeping or otherwise inactive (and you thought your pet cat was lazy!). The lethargy of the animals was abruptly interrupted when David noticed a cobra moving towards them. Within seconds, one of the lions had raised its head and was confronting the approaching snake. The title Wake-up Call<\/em> is therefore particularly appropriate. It is humorous on one level, but also accurately describes the sudden change in the scene. What had been a peaceful period of rest became an encounter requiring the lion’s immediate attention. The photograph freezes this transition between relaxation and alertness. Visually, the power of the image comes from the contrast between the two animals. The lion’s size and physical strength are immediately apparent, yet the cobra represents a very different kind of threat. Rather than relying on size or brute force, a cobra possesses venom capable of causing serious injury or death. The encounter consequently lacks an obvious victor. The lion may be considerably larger, but the snake cannot simply be dismissed as harmless prey. This ambiguity gives the photograph much of its tension. The viewer is left wondering what will happen next. Will the lion attack the cobra? Will the snake retreat? Will the encounter escalate? Wildlife photography is particularly effective when it captures such moments of uncertainty, because the photograph becomes a single frame within a much longer behavioural story.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Gabriella Comi\u2019s Wake-up Call<\/em> which was highly commended in the Behaviour: Mammals category which shows a confrontation between a lion (Panthera leo<\/em>) and an Egyptian cobra (Naja haje<\/em>) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Javier Aznar Gonz\u00e1lez de Rueda\u2019s Rattled<\/em> formed part of his winning Photojournalist Story Award<\/em> portfolio, End of the Round-up<\/em>, which examines the complicated and often contradictory relationship between people and rattlesnakes in the United States. Rather than simply celebrating the beauty of a snake, Aznar uses the image to challenge the fear and misconceptions surrounding one of North America’s most recognisable groups of reptiles. The photograph depicts a black-tailed rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus<\/em>) encountered at night on a road outside Fort Davis, Texas. The snake has raised its tail and is actively rattling, responding to the perceived threat posed by a snake handler who has rescued it from the road. The title is therefore both literal and metaphorical: the rattlesnake is ‘rattled’ in response to an immediate disturbance, while the word also reflects the wider unease and tension surrounding these animals. One of the photograph’s greatest strengths is that it captures defensive behaviour rather than aggression. Rattlesnakes have acquired a powerful reputation as dangerous animals that actively attack people, yet their characteristic rattle is fundamentally a warning signal. The snake is communicating that it feels threatened. This distinction is important because it challenges the popular perception of rattlesnakes as inherently aggressive predators. Aznar’s image instead presents the snake as an animal attempting to avoid escalation by advertising its presence. The circumstances in which the photograph was taken are also significant. The snake was found on a road, an environment created by people and one that can expose wildlife to considerable danger. The snake handler’s intervention prevented it from remaining in a potentially hazardous location, while the photograph records the uneasy moment immediately afterwards. This creates an interesting ambiguity: humans are simultaneously part of the threat to the animal and part of the effort to protect it. The composition also encourages the viewer to confront the snake rather than simply observe it. Its defensive posture makes the animal appear alert and powerful, but the photograph does not portray it as a monster. Instead, the viewer is encouraged to recognise the behaviour for what it is: communication.<\/p>\n\n\n

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I wish this was available as a print, Javier Aznar Gonz\u00e1lez de Rueda\u2019s Rattled<\/em> which depicts a black-tailed rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus<\/em>) in a defensive posture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The tension that our misunderstanding of snakes can generate is central to Aznar’s wider End of the Round-up<\/em> story. His portfolio explores rattlesnake collecting, festivals, snake handling, venom extraction and the complex relationships people have developed with these reptiles. The broader project won the Photojournalist Story Award because its images combine individual photographic quality with a wider narrative about how human attitudes and actions affect wildlife. Rattlesnake round-ups have taken place in parts of the United States since the 1930s, traditionally involving the collection of large numbers of snakes, with competitions based on the weight or number of animals captured. The practice has become increasingly controversial, and some events have declined in popularity. Nevertheless, the images demonstrate that hostility towards rattlesnakes remains embedded in some communities. One of the portfolio’s most confronting photographs, Seething Pit<\/em>, shows visitors looking at hundreds of western diamond-backed rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox<\/em>) gathered at the annual Sweetwater round-up in Texas. Many of the snakes will subsequently be killed, with their skins and meat sold. The photograph is particularly effective because children are visible among the spectators, highlighting how attitudes towards rattlesnakes can be transmitted culturally between generations. The portfolio also considers the more positive ways in which rattlesnakes intersect with human society. Education Outreach<\/em>, for example, documents a Pennsylvanian festival that celebrates the ecological importance of rattlesnakes and encourages hunters to return captured animals to the wild. Similarly, The Collector<\/em> portrays a rattlesnake enthusiast who keeps legally permitted snakes in carefully constructed enclosures, illustrating that human fascination with these reptiles is not necessarily incompatible with appreciation and conservation. Perhaps the most unexpected aspect of the series is its exploration of venom. From Venom to Medicine<\/em> shows an eastern diamondback rattlesnake being milked for its venom, which can be used to produce antivenom and has potential medical applications. This introduces another dimension to the story: an animal that is frequently regarded as dangerous can also provide material of considerable value to human medicine. The portfolio challenges simplistic assumptions about both snakes and people. Snake keeping can be controversial, particularly when collecting animals from the wild threatens populations or involves species with conservation concerns. Yet the photographs also reveal fascination, expertise and appreciation. Rather than presenting a straightforward narrative of villain and victim, the series explores the complicated cultural relationships humans develop with reptiles.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Javier Aznar Gonz\u00e1lez de Rueda\u2019s End of the Round-up<\/em> for which he won the Photojournalist Story Award<\/em> portfolio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One of the strengths of the 2025 exhibition is that reptiles and amphibians were not confined to a single section. Their stories intersected with broader themes running throughout the exhibition: human-wildlife coexistence, behaviour, conservation and environmental change. This is particularly significant because the Amphibians, Reptiles and Fish categories can sometimes create the impression that these animals are a specialist interest. The 2025 photographs instead demonstrate their relevance to much broader questions. Frogs can illustrate the extraordinary timing of reproduction; turtles can expose the importance of freshwater habitats; and venomous reptiles can become part of stories about medicine and human culture. The exhibition’s wider conservation context reinforces this approach. The 2025 exhibition incorporated the Natural History Museum’s Biodiversity Intactness Index, providing information about how much natural biodiversity remains within different regions. The index was included to help visitors understand the environmental pressures affecting the habitats represented in the photographs. For amphibians and reptiles, this is particularly relevant. These animals frequently depend upon highly specific habitats and environmental conditions. Amphibians are especially dependent upon the availability and quality of freshwater, while many reptiles require particular combinations of temperature, vegetation, prey and shelter. As a quick reminder, 41% of all amphibian species are currently threatened with extinction. Photography can therefore provide a powerful gateway into discussions of habitat degradation and biodiversity loss. Perhaps the most significant contribution of the reptile and amphibian photographs in Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 is that they challenge the hierarchy of wildlife photography. <\/p>\n\n\n

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I was hopeful that amphibians would also feature in Wetlands: The Bigger Picture but I am impressed with the entries in this category this year<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There is an understandable tendency for wildlife photography to focus on large mammals, spectacular birds and mammals that immediately attract public attention. Yet some of the most memorable images in the 2025 exhibition demonstrate that size and familiarity are poor measures of biological importance. A gathering of tiny treefrogs can be as visually spectacular as a herd of mammals. Three small musk turtles hiding in a freshwater bank can provide a more intimate encounter with nature than a conventional portrait of a large animal. A snake swallowing a frog can reveal more about the complexity of a food web than a beautiful but static animal portrait. This is where the exhibition succeeds particularly well. It does not require viewers to be specialists in herpetology. Instead, the photographers use composition, timing, colour, scale and narrative to make unfamiliar animals compelling. Ultimately, this is what Wildlife Photographer of the Year does at its best. The competition is not simply about producing beautiful photographs. The Natural History Museum describes the exhibition as a way to pause, reflect and reconnect with the natural world, while using photography to encourage greater awareness of the need to protect it. For families and younger visitors, the exhibition offers an accessible introduction to biodiversity. The photographs do not require specialist knowledge to appreciate, but the accompanying information provides opportunities for deeper learning. This educational potential is particularly important because many visitors will encounter species they have never previously seen. A photograph can provide the initial spark of curiosity, while the caption supplies enough information to encourage further investigation. It demonstrates how scientific information can be communicated visually. It also provides examples of how composition, lighting and timing can transform a biological observation into an effective piece of visual storytelling. After all, a photograph can speak a thousand words. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Thankfully, plants and fungi also have their own category to try to help reduce our inherent plant blindness and highlight the beauty of these often overlooked organisms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One striking issue from my perspective was the lack of representation of reptiles and amphibians in the gift shop compared with some previous years. This is particularly noticeable given the competition\u2019s long-standing Amphibians, Reptiles and Fish categories and the extraordinary diversity of images featuring these groups in earlier competitions. Despite the images I have shared above, reptiles and amphibians do not appear to occupy the same visual prominence as they have in some previous years exhibitions. There are certainly notable exceptions. Quentin Martinez\u2019s Frolicking Frogs<\/em> won the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles category, while Nick Kanakis\u2019s A Big Helping<\/em> and Isaac Szabo\u2019s Musk Turtle Motel<\/em> were highly commended. Nevertheless, the overall impression is one of relative scarcity, however I also think it is one of marketing. Prints, posters, postcards and magnets that feature well-known species or those that are more aesthetically pleasing are more likely to sell. However, this is especially interesting when compared with 2024, when Shane Gross\u2019s The Swarm of Life<\/em> (a photograph of western toad tadpoles) won the overall Wildlife Photographer of the Year title. You couldn’t move in the gift shop without seeing tadpoles adorned on everything you could imagine, it was not a fun time to be my bank balance! This upsets me as we need more ways to try to breakdown the misconceptions surrounding amphibians and reptiles with the general public, and I was hoping to add another print to my wall of Wildlife Photographer of the Year awardees.<\/p>\n\n\n

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We can’t forget about the oceans and how they are being impacted by our activities. Just because they are out of sight, they should not be out of mind, the submissions to Oceans: The Bigger Picture help to highlight both our positive and negative impacts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There is also something inherently appropriate about Wildlife Photographer of the Year being hosted by the Natural History Museum. Photography and natural history have a long relationship. Before the development of modern digital media, photographs became essential tools for documenting species, landscapes and scientific expeditions. Before the advent of this technology, art and science were more intimately linked. I am happy that photography still has a place in science although I am still upset that we’re not all creating amazing piece of art to illustrate our study organisms such as Lear, Audubon or Hooker. Today, wildlife photography serves another important function: it creates a visual record of a rapidly changing planet. Many of the habitats and behaviours represented in wildlife photography may become increasingly difficult to find in the future. Photographs therefore have documentary value in addition to their aesthetic qualities. They can record species, habitats and ecological relationships at particular points in time. The exhibition consequently occupies an interesting space between art and science. The photographs are judged partly as works of art, yet they are also records of real organisms behaving in real environments. That combination is one of the reasons the exhibition remains so compelling.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Nature is the original designer and that is very evident in the Natural Artistry category<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

No photographic competition can represent the natural world in its entirety. The very nature of judging means that photographs with exceptional visual impact are more likely to attract attention. Some ecological realities such as slow population declines, subtle behavioural changes or complex ecosystem processes, are difficult to compress into a single spectacular image. There is also an inevitable emphasis on dramatic encounters and unusual behaviour. This is not necessarily a weakness, but it is worth remembering when interpreting the exhibition. The natural world is not constantly performing for the camera. The combination of exceptional technical skill, extraordinary encounters and stories about the changing relationship between humans and nature creates an exhibition that is considerably more substantial than a conventional photography display. Its greatest strength is its ability to make visitors look. A successful photograph encourages the viewer to stop, examine details and wonder about what happened immediately before and after the shutter was pressed. The best images then encourage a second level of thought: Where does this animal live? Why is it behaving like this? What threats does it face? How much of this habitat remains? What role do humans play in its future? For anyone interested in wildlife, photography, conservation or natural history, the exhibition is therefore more than a visual spectacle. It is an invitation to look more carefully at the living world. In a period when biodiversity is under unprecedented pressure, that invitation has considerable importance. The photographs may last only a few seconds in the viewer’s attention, but the stories behind them have the potential to remain much longer. I’m looking forward to seeing what awaits me at Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026, maybe I’ll see you there too?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition has become one of the Natural History Museum\u2019s most successful annual exhibitions, bringing together some of the most remarkable images of the natural world from across the globe. The 2025 exhibition (the sixty-first…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[14],"tags":[19,31,25,34,38,333,334,72],"class_list":["post-6730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-scifri","tag-scifri","tag-conservation","tag-natural-history","tag-natural-history-museum","tag-photography","tag-wildlife-photographer-of-the-year","tag-wpy","tag-zoology"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pafnrI-1Ky","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/WPY2025-2-scaled.jpeg?fit=2560%2C1920&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6730"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6756,"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6730\/revisions\/6756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevenallain.co.uk\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}