One fox is captured curled up sleeping in a straw nest. (SWNS)
[Yahoo News}- These enchanting images capture a rare glimpse into the lives of wild foxes who trusted a wildlife photographer to enter their forest lair.
The bushy-tailed creatures look almost like characters from a fairy tale as they’re pictured playing, hunting and feeding their young.
Ossi Saarinen, 21, spent months growing close to the foxes before being rewarded with the set of pictures which truly capture their natural beauty.
He said: ‘Getting close to foxes is difficult. I prefer is to let them see me and learn I’m not a threat to gain their trust.
‘I try to shoot in a beautiful morning or evening light that makes the photos looks different than if they were taken in normal daylight.
‘I believe I became some kind of “friend” with them as they started to let me closer and closer all the time.’
Ossi said: ‘I think they are very beautiful animals and their behaviour and life is interesting, however they are also very challenging subject.’ (SWNS)
But Ossi also pointed out that his methods of approaching the creatures slowly doesn’t always work. (SWNS)
The bushy-tailed creatures look almost like characters from a fairy tale as they’re pictured playing, hunting and feeding their young. (SWNS)
Each time Ossi attempts to photograph a new fox, he has to start the whole process of familiarisation again. (SWNS)
One fox is captured curled up sleeping in a straw nest. (SWNS)
‘Usually they let me be around if I act calm and don’t make any sudden moves or high noises’ (SWNS)
Ossi tries to familarise himself with the foxes over a period of time so that they begin to recognise and not fear him. (SWNS)
‘I believe I became some kind of “friend” with them as they started to let me closer and closer all the time,’ he said. (SWNS)
The photo, taken in early 1995 during a flight over the English Coast (southern Antarctic Peninsula) at about 74 degrees south, illustrates the scale of unusual bi-directional crevassing as an ice sheet is stretched in two directions over an underlying rise, with a Twin Otter aeroplane as scale. It was named as Overall winner and winner in the Earth Science and Climatology category. (PA)
[Yahoo! News}- From bear-shaped embryos to Antarctic glaciers and sleepy polar bears, the Royal Society photography competition shows the wonders of science like never before.
The annual competition saw a record-breaking 1,100 entries this year.
‘Icy sugar cubes’ by Peter Convey was judged the overall winner, as well as claiming first place in the Earth Science and Climatology category.
Mr Convey said: ‘It’s been an incredible privilege to work in the Antarctic for nearly 30 years now, every time I go there it takes my breath away.’
The aim of the competition is to use images to make science accessible to a wide audience.
Entrants could put forward their images for six different categories: Astronomy, Behaviour, Earth Science and Climatology, Ecology and Environmental Science, and Micro-imaging.
Judge Ulrike Muller said: ‘The winning image epitomises the aims of this competition – celebrating the power of photography to communicate science.
‘The image shows the stunning beauty of a rare geological phenomenon, bi-directional crevassing in an ice sheet, and invites the viewer to wonder at the scale and the mechanisms creating such patterns.’
The photo, taken in early 1995 during a flight over the English Coast (southern Antarctic Peninsula) at about 74 degrees south, illustrates the scale of unusual bi-directional crevassing as an ice sheet is stretched in two directions over an underlying rise, with a Twin Otter aeroplane as scale. It was named as Overall winner and winner in the Earth Science and Climatology category. (PA)
Killer whales suddenly enter a small bay at Subantarctic Marion Island, surprising a small huddle of King Penguins busy preening themselves in the water. This image was named as the winner in the Ecology and Environmental Science category. (PA)
The skies above ESO’s Paranal Observatory resemble oil on water as greens, yellows and blues blend to create an iridescent skyscape. The rocky, barren landscape below evokes an alien world, complementing the cosmic display above. This photo was given an Honorable mention in the Astronomy category. (PA)
The American Eclipse of 2017 seen from the part of the path of totality that went through northern Georgia. This is the diamond ring lighting up some very thin cloud structures, looking almost like space clouds (i.e. a nebula). It was named as runner up in the Astronomy category. (PA)
Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants, which draw nutrients from trapped and digested insects. The species shown here (Nepenthes bicalcarata) secretes sweet nectar on the rim and fang-like structures, which are very slippery for most insects except for one specialised ant (Camponotus schmitzii). The ants live in the curled hollow tendrils of the plant and manage to climb in and out of the pitcher without any difficulties to steal a bit of nectar, as shown here. This image was named as runner up in the Ecology and Environmental Science category. (PA)
The image shows the 61G lava flow at the Pu’u O’o eruption site of the active Kilauea volcano in Hawaii’s Volcano National Park. It was given an honorable mention in the Earth Science and Climatology category. (PA)
This photograph was taken while crossing the Fram Strait near the eastern Greenland coast. The polar bear found a portion of fast ice which rapidly became his home. It was named as the winner in the Behaviour category. (PA)
Ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere create a rare optical phenomenon: a light pillar underneath the Moon. Daniel Michalik which was named as the winner in the Astronomy category. (PA)
This simple shot of yellowy droplets was the winning image in the Micro-imaging category. (PA)
The Russian research vessel Akademik Tryoshnikov leans the bow against the Mertz Glacier’s snout in Eastern Antarctica. The photo was taken moments before deploying ROPOS, a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) under the glacier tongue to investigate the melting of the ice-sheet after a piece of ice protruding 100 kilometres (62 miles) out into the Southern Ocean broke away from the main body of the tongue in 2010. It was named as runner up in the Earth Science and Climatology category. (PA)
Photographer Don Komarechka says, “But I lost my childhood curiosity for snowflakes when I had to clear them by the trillions off my driveway.” (Photo: Don Komarechka/Caters News)
[Caters News}- These incredible images capture the intricate details of minuscule snowflakes, moments before they melt. The brilliant shots were taken by Don Komarechka, 31, who has had a lifelong fascination with all things macro — especially snowflakes.
The professional photographer says people often don’t believe that his pictures are real because they’re so perfect. The Canadian said, “These photos were all taken 2 feet from my back door over the past two winters.”
We’re looking at the intricate details of ice crystals that form in the atmosphere and fall to earth. Snowflakes can possess unending beauty and detail even in a single crystal measuring only a few millimeters in diameter.
Komarechka has had a lifelong fascination with all things macro — and especially snowflakes. (Photo: Don Komarechka/Caters News)
Photographer Don Komarechka says, “But I lost my childhood curiosity for snowflakes when I had to clear them by the trillions off my driveway.” (Photo: Don Komarechka/Caters News)
The Canadian said, “These photos were all taken 2 feet from my back door over the past two winters. (Photo: Don Komarechka/Caters News)
“I’ve always had an interest in macro photography and seeing these hidden details,” Komarechka says. (Photo: Don Komarechka/Caters News)
The brilliant macro shots were all taken by Komarechka, 31. (Photo: Don Komarechka/Caters News)
All these snowflakes are photographed on the same homemade black mitten as a background. (Photo: Don Komarechka/Caters News)
As the drought in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park stretched on, the waterholes dwindled to pools. Flocks of Lilian’s lovebirds congregated together and when the coast was clear they descended to this pool. They shuffled forward, taking it in turns to drink and bathe, as if on a conveyor belt.
[Yahoo! News}- Majestic birds and colourful sea creatures are only some of the breathtaking animals to make the shortlist for the People’s Choice award in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year annual competition.
This year, almost 50,000 submissions from 92 countries were entered for the prestigious award.
The shortlisted images are currently on display at the highly-acclaimed exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, until the vote closes on 5 February 2018.
The winner of the vote will then be showcased until the exhibition closes on 28 May 2018.
The ‘People’s Choice’ annual award recognises exceptional competition entries as chosen by the public.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the longest-running competition of its kind.
The competition is a vital part of the Natural History Museum’s mission to inspire a love for the natural world and unlock answers to the big issues facing humanity and the planet.
As the drought in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park stretched on, the waterholes dwindled to pools. Flocks of Lilian’s lovebirds congregated together and when the coast was clear they descended to this pool. They shuffled forward, taking it in turns to drink and bathe, as if on a conveyor belt.
Lakshitha was on safari in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, when he spotted an unusual sight – a lilac-breasted roller riding a zebra. Normally they prefer to perch high up in the foliage, but this roller spent an hour or more riding around and enjoying the occasional insect meal. Lakshitha waited for the surrounding zebras to form the perfect background before taking this tight crop.
The Arctic is beautiful all year-round, but in the late winter, when temperatures reach -30 ̊C (-22 ̊F) and everything is white and the sun stays low on the horizon, it’s stunning. Josh was on a boat in a fjord across from Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, and encountered this polar bear walking along the edge of the ice. She was curious, walking past the boat twice – just long enough for Josh to take a shot with her white coat glowing in the setting sun. After satisfying her curiosity, she silently walked off into the distance.
When polar bear mothers and cubs emerge from their dens in the early spring, the cubs stay close to their mothers for warmth and protection. Once the cubs are strong and confident enough, they make the trek to the sea ice with their mother so that she can resume hunting for seals. Debra waited six days near the den of this family, in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada, before they finally emerged. In the most challenging conditions she has ever faced, temperatures ranged from – 35 ̊C (-31 ̊F) to -55 ̊C (-67 ̊F) with high winds, making it almost impossible to avoid frostbite and keep her camera gear functioning properly. (Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
Jan spotted this small southern whitefaced owl in a tree at a campsite in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. These owls have black-tipped ‘ear’ tufts and usually lay their eggs in the old nests of other birds. Jan was able to frame a shot of this striking bird looking down at him as it didn’t seem bothered by the comings and goings of the campsite.
Luciano had to climb the cecropia tree, in the protected Atlantic rainforest of southern Bahia, Brazil, to take an eye-level shot of this three-toed sloth. Sloths like to feed on the leaves of these trees, and so they are often seen high up in the canopy.
Hell is Here: The heat from the fire scorches their delicate skin as mother and child attempt to flee the mob. In the lead, the cow’s expansive ears are angled forward as she stoicly ignores the crowd of jeering men. Behind her, her calf screams in confusion and fear as the fire licks at her feet. Flaming tar balls and crackers fly through the air to a soundtrack of human laughter and shouts. In the Bankura district of West Bengal this sort of humiliation of pachyderms is routine, as it is in the other elephant-range states of Assam, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and more. India is the world’s stronghold for the Asian elephant and boasts over 70 per cent of the global population of the species. But this achievement rings hollow as vital elephant habitats and routes continue to be ravaged, and human-elephant conflict escalates to a fatal degree. The ignorance and bloodlust of mobs that attack herds for fun, is compounded by the plight of those that actually suffer damage to land, life and property by wandering elephants and the utter indifference of the central and state government to recognise the crisis that is at hand. For these smart, gentle, social animals who have roamed the sub-continent for centuries, hell is now and here.
[AOL.com}- A horrific photo of a mother and baby elephant fleeing an angry mob in West Bengal, India, has won the top award in a wildlife photography competition.
The hard-to-look-at image, taken by photographer Biplab Hazra, shows the two panicked pachyderms desperately trying to flee a large group of laughing men who are hurling flaming tar balls and firecrackers at the creatures.
Hazra’s photo captures the exact moment one of the flaming weapons makes contact with the baby elephant, lighting the helpless animal’s hind legs on fire while it screams out in pain.
In his entry to Sanctuary Wildlife’s Photography awards, Hazra writes that this is sadly not an uncommon scene in India, “the world’s stronghold for the Asian elephant.”
The heat from the fire scorches their delicate skin as mother and child attempt to flee the mob. In the lead, the cow’s expansive ears are angled forward as she stoicly ignores the crowd of jeering men. Behind her, her calf screams in confusion and fear as the fire licks at her feet. Flaming tar balls and crackers fly through the air to a soundtrack of human laughter and shouts. In the Bankura district of West Bengal this sort of humiliation of pachyderms is routine.
Hazra said that, although India boasts 70 percent of the global population of the Asian elephant, vital elephant habitats and routes are often ravaged by human beings and the “human-elephant conflict” has escalated to a fatal degree.
“The ignorance and bloodlust of mobs that attack herds for fun, is compounded by the plight of those that actually suffer damage to land, life and property by wandering elephants and the utter indifference of the central and state government to recognize the crisis that is at hand,” he wrote. “For these smart, gentle, social animals who have roamed the sub-continent for centuries, hell is now and here.”
It remains unknown what became of the two elephants seen in the award-winning photo.
Hazra’s devastating image was recognized by Sanctuary, India’s leading nature and conservation portal. The organization says it aims to “communicate to readers the rationale for wildlife conservation and environmental protection with a focus on the Indian subcontinent.”
In the years since its inception, the group claims to have been at the fulcrum of innumerable wildlife conservation campaigns, conservation project and serves as a forum for wildlife groups, concerned individuals and non-profit organizations in the country.
Below are the photos of some of the winning photos.
Hell is Here: The heat from the fire scorches their delicate skin as mother and child attempt to flee the mob. In the lead, the cow’s expansive ears are angled forward as she stoicly ignores the crowd of jeering men. Behind her, her calf screams in confusion and fear as the fire licks at her feet. Flaming tar balls and crackers fly through the air to a soundtrack of human laughter and shouts. In the Bankura district of West Bengal this sort of humiliation of pachyderms is routine, as it is in the other elephant-range states of Assam, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and more. India is the world’s stronghold for the Asian elephant and boasts over 70 per cent of the global population of the species. But this achievement rings hollow as vital elephant habitats and routes continue to be ravaged, and human-elephant conflict escalates to a fatal degree. The ignorance and bloodlust of mobs that attack herds for fun, is compounded by the plight of those that actually suffer damage to land, life and property by wandering elephants and the utter indifference of the central and state government to recognise the crisis that is at hand. For these smart, gentle, social animals who have roamed the sub-continent for centuries, hell is now and here.
Smoke on Water: Mystic plumes of smoke seem to waft across the waters of a lake in Lalbagh, Bengaluru. But it wasn’t mists that Vishruth Cavale was witness to that October evening, it was Cattle Egrets. Those ubiquitous herons that can be seen around waterbodies across the Indian countryside and urban nature escapes. Capturing the movement of these commonplace birds along the water’s edge in a milky smear, Cavale has made an enigmatic frame.
An Ephemeral Masterpiece: On Chivla beach in Malwan, Maharashtra, a starfish collaborates with pea crabs and sea shells to create a fleeting masterpiece that will soon be washed away by the tide. The delicate whorls and loops traced in the sand by the scuttling crabs emphasise the firmer movement of the starfish whose body imprints deeply but momentarily on the beach. These gentle, placid delights of being outdoors weren’t lost on Abhishek Nandkishor Neelam Satam, who found these artists at work while on a survey for the National Institute of Oceanography.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The image tells an inspirational story of a leopard that fell into a well in Nashik, Maharashtra, where it swam for an incredible 30 hours before being discovered alive, but barely. The cat would undoubtedly have died had it not been for local villagers, who once informed, swung instantly into action by alerting and pitched in to help forest officials. Using the remarkable ingenuity for which rustic people in India are renowned and at great risk to life and limb, villagers and officials worked in unison against all odds to save the leopard.
Valparai Vagrant: Are our closest cousins getting too close for comfort? At a pitstop on the drive up to Valparai in the Anamalai Hills, Sitara A. Karthikeyan observed a bonnet macaque perched on the tyre of a tourist vehicle. As various states in India lobby to cull or sterilise monkey populations, and grapple inefficiently with chronic monkey-human conflict, the simians continue to adapt as best as they can to live alongside their human neighbours. Unfortunately, root problems – shrinking wild habitats, an abysmal lack of waste management systems and the annoying penchant that tourists have for feeding monkeys – remain ignored. The soft tones of this image, the monkey’s pronounced bonnet and its disconcertingly expressive eyes call for a moment of introspection and the realisation that this is yet another species that’s trying to survive the age of the Anthropocene.
Forsaken: Death is inevitable. A spotted deer struggles furiously and helplessly as a bask of crocodiles enter into a feeding frenzy. It turns its eyes heavenwards, but seconds later is ripped to shreds by the ravenous reptiles. The acute desperation evident in this image captured on the banks of the Buthawa tank in Yala National Park is enough to trigger one’s fight-or-flight response. The ill-fated deer was originally felled by just one crocodile, but the others were quick to join in. Last year, we compared Milinda Wattegedara’s equally well-timed special mention image to a Monet painting, this year it’s reminiscent of a twisted, jungle-themed Botticelli. With his steady hand, he has framed a staggering, action-packed image that depicts the gory, no rules apply rule of Mother Nature.
“The image was taken from Hallstat Village in Austria right after sunrise. I had to walk some distance to reach this village view point.” (Shanof K. / National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest)
[Yahoo News}- From the heights of the Arctic to the depths of Africa, week two of the National Geographic Nature photographer of the year contest features a range of Earth’s most fascinating and beautiful creatures and landscapes.
The annual competition is split into four subsections: Wildlife, Landscapes, Underwater and Aerials.
A winner will be selected from each category at the end of November, before one overall winner is selected in December.
Patrick Witty, National Geographic’s Deputy Director of Digital Photography, said of the competition so far: “The strength and diversity of the submitted photos are always astounding, and this contest gives those incredible entries a platform that is seen by millions – including National Geographic’s photo editors.”
Here are some of the best entries so far.
“My daughter and her best friend on their backs in a clearing, just between planted fir forest and natural beech forest.” (Anders Andersson / National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest)
“Went to the very north of Denmark, skagen, at sunrise and found this willing model.” (Lars Lykke / National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest)
“Morning at Koruldi Lakes in Georgia (country).” (Witold Ziomek / National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest)
“Every summer, a thousands of belugas come back in the shallow whater of Nunavut. The photo was taken during a wildlife reportage in Nunavut and Greenland during Summer 2017.” (Florian Ledoux / National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest)
“A spectacular sunrise at the old man of storr, on the isle of skye, scotland.” (neil@njphotographic.co.uk JACKSON/ National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest)
“Kalsoy island and Kallur lighthouse in sunset light, Faroe Islands.” (Wojciech Kruczyński / National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest)
“The image was taken from Hallstat Village in Austria right after sunrise. I had to walk some distance to reach this village view point.” (Shanof K. / National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest)
Cameron Highlands is not only about strawberries and flower gardens, the beautiful scenery and landscapes, and the greenery is something we cannot easily find in the city.
Unfortunately, the commercial farms have somehow spoilt the greenery of the highlands.
These photos are taken during my brief visit to Cameron Highlands two days ago.
[Yahoo News}- Exploding volcanoes, sprawling urban landscapes and eerie underwater scenes are among the staggeringly beautiful moments captured by the winners of the 2017 National Geographic Travel photographer of the year competition.
A once-in-a-lifetime moment provided the subject for the winning image, taken by photographer Sergio Tapiro Velasco.
As he stood just 12 kilometres away from the molten summit of Mexico’s Volcán de Colima volcano, a bolt of lightning snapped from the sky onto the crater.
When he realised what he had managed to capture, Sergio was shocked.
‘When I looked on the camera display, all I could do was stare,’ he said.
‘What I was watching was impossible to conceive, the image showed those amazing forces of nature interacting on a volcano, while the lightning brightened the whole scene.
‘It’s an impossible photograph and my once in a lifetime shot that shows the power of nature.’
His picture was crowned the winner out of more than 15,000 entries submitted by photographers hailing from 30 countries.
This year’s competition was judged by Molly Roberts, senior photography editor at National Geographic; Benjamin Lowy, award-winning adventure and underwater photographer; and Jody MacDonald, award-winning adventure sport and documentary photographer.
Molly said: ‘The quality of submissions in the 2017 Travel Photographer of the Year contest was wonderfully eclectic.
‘I was inspired by the variety of locations and creativity of the photographers in their quest to make compelling images.’
Fireflies light up a forest in Japan with their pinpricks of light (Yutaka Takafuji/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
Caribbean reef sharks bump up against the camera as it takes photos using a remote trigger. (Shane Gross/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
A lightning strike hits the exploding crater of the Colima volcano in Mexico as smoke pours from the crater. (Sergio Tapiro Velasco/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
Pro surfer Donovan Frankenreiter plunges beneath the waves in Fiki. (Rodney Bursei/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
A father and son share a tender moment in front of a bright blue sky in New Delhi. (Michael Dean Morgan/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
The marbled walls of caves in Patagonia are reflected in water (Clane Gessel/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
An aerial shot captures the unusual set-up of the Henningsvær football pitch in the Lofoten Islands (Misha De-Stroyev/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
New buildings spring up from the desert in the United Arab Emirates. (Andrzej Bochenski/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
The Mount Bromo volcano in Indonesia belches thick, orange smoke into the sky. (Reynold Riksa Dewantara/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
Giant crocodiles lounge on the muddy banks of a river in Costa Rica, while yet more cool off in teh shallows. (Tarun Sinna/National Geographic travel photographer of the year)
Click here to see some of the submissions for the Cities Category.
This spectacular view of Frankfurt is the perfect example of the modern city at night. (Pic: Vitaly Pankratov)
[Yahoo News}- Cities can often be looked at negatively, full of unsightly buildings and coloured by smog.
However, they can also be dazzling, scenic sights that provide stunning backdrops good enough to be framed.
National Geographic has compiled a group of photos taken in cities across the globe – and the sights on display are jaw-dropping.
From sprawling urban jungles to dazzling lights to incredible examples of modern architecture, each photo is vying to be crowned the cities photo of the year.
Here are just some of the entries in this year’s contest:
A New York sunset is captured from Queens across the East River, with the central building blocking out the light. (Pic: Lars Sivars)
The new city in the desert in Muhafazat al Buraymi, Oman, shows the same design repeated across the entire area. (Pic: Andrzej Bochenski)
Siena in Tuscany provides this filmic, sepia-toned shot that captures the morning sunlight. (Pic: Takeshi Ishizaki)
This spectacular view of Frankfurt is the perfect example of the modern city at night. (Pic: Vitaly Pankratov)
Taken from the highest residential building in Asia – the Zenith in Busan – the photographer had to hang over the edge to capture this incredible view. (Pic: Albert Dros)
This all island in Greenland is home to just 1,200 people – and what lucky people they are to live somewhere this beautiful. (Pic: Rayann Elzein)
Sea fog at the Kwai Chung Container Terminal in Hong Kong makes only the tops of buildings visible. (Pic: Edward Tin)
There are only 2-3 times to capture this view of the tallest building – ICC Mal – in Hong Kong every year. (Pic: CP Lau)
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