6. First Place, Wildlife: Flying At The Crossing, Pim Volkers
Layering of dust, shade and sun over the chaos of wildebeests crossing Tanzania’s Mara River contributed to the surreal scene captured by the photographer. The otherworldly aesthetic was enough to convince the judges to crown it the overall winner in the wildlife category.
7. Curiosity, Marcus Hennen
A curious little burrowing owl came up to the photographer to take a look at what was going on. It seemed so trusting that he managed to capture this creative portrait.
8. Uhhs & Ahhs, Lilian Koh
A lizardfish tries to ingest a grouper that, according to the photographer, eventually managed to break free just after she captured this photograph. The poor grouper broke away only for it to be eaten by a snapper fish that was prowling nearby.
9. People’s Choice: An Astonishing Chase, Thomas Vijayan
Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals on Earth, so it’s pretty remarkable to capture one on the hunt like in this photo. It was chasing a gazelle fawn, but astonishingly, it proceeded to play with it as if it was its own cub. The cheetah actually set the gazelle fawn free in the end.
10. People’s Choice: Van Gogh Baobabs, Maggie Machinsky
Some one-third of the entire world’s population live in areas that are so light polluted, it’s no longer possible for them to see the Milky Way with the naked eye. Luckily, Madagascar is an exception to this rule. This photograph was captured during a 47-minute exposure that trails over the country’s iconic 800-year-old baobab trees.