In November we revealed a subset of the Top 250 images from our annual photo competition, reminding the world that being in nature—and even simply looking at images of nature—reduces anxiety and stress. This month we’re unveiling more wow-worthy images by some of North America’s most accomplished nature photographers.
The images featured below are winners in the Top 100 of the 2021 NANPA Showcase. The Top 24, including Best in Show awards, will be published in mid-December.
Showcase is an annual photo competition that recognizes the best nature images produced by NANPA members, including both hobbyists and professional photographers. More than 3,750 images were submitted to the 2021 competition earlier this fall.
2021 Showcase Top 100, Scapes
The “Scapes” category encompasses landscapes, plantscapes, seascapes, atmosphere, weather, and more.
Passing Cars Light Paint Boulders, Joshua Tree National Park, California © Ian S. Frazier 
Cloud Surge, White Sands National Park, Alamogordo, New Mexico © Tim Bryan 
Shades of Spring, Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California © Russ Bishop 
The Aurora Borealis over a Glacier, Juneau, Alaska © Peter Nestler 
Frozen Reflection of El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California © Michael Shane 
Solar Eclipse, Red Fish Lake, Idaho © Mark Hayward 
Wetland Reeds, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, California © Irene Reti 
Reflections in Small Pools on Beach, Three Sisters, New Zealand © Ian S. Frazier 
Hidden Lake Overview Alternative View, Glacier National Park, Montana © Christopher de Souza 
White Dome Geyser Erupts With Aurora and Milky Way, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming © Don Grall 
Elowah Falls, Columbia Gorge, Oregon © Don Larkin Peak Fall Colors along the SeongJae-Gil Trail, Oedaesan National Park, South Korea © Geoffrey Schmid Light Painting at Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Park, California © Ian S. Frazier
2021 Showcase Top 100, Birds
Birds have long been a favorite subject for nature photographers, and Showcase is rich with examples why. From birds-in-flight and feeding behavior to nesting and territorial disputes, the winning images prove both beautiful and informative.
Indigo Bunting Marking His Territory, Maryland © Stan Bysshe Buff-Collared Nightjar, Southeastern Arizona © Brian E. Small 
Wood Duck Landing on a Cold January Day, Livingston, Montana © Carol Grenier 
Pair of Catbirds in My Backyard Apple Tree, Warren, Pennsylvania © Sandra Rothenberg American White Pelican Landing in the Truckee River, Pyramid Lake, Nevada © Carol Grenier Royal Tern Chased by a Laughing Gull, Jacksonville, Florida © Michael J Cohen Male Allen’s Hummingbird Stretches and Shows off, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California © Corey Raffel 
Prairie Warbler Forages for Insects, Long Island, New York © Grace Scalzo Rufous Hummingbird Turf Dispute, Near Aztec, New Mexico © Jim Ramakka Crested Caracara Battle, Texas © Kim Meisinger 
Female Baltimore Oriole Selects Horsehair for Nesting Material, Warren, Pennsylvania © Sandra Rothenberg Black Vultures Vie for Space on Pilings, Manatee Springs State Park, Florida © Kirsten Hines 
Northern Hawk Owl Hunkered Down, Schomberg, Ontario, Canada © Mary Lundeberg Least Tern Faceoff with Fish, Sebastian, Florida © Michael J Cohen 
A Snail Kite Rises with an Apple Snail, Vero Beach, Florida © William Pully 
Three Willets Making Tracks, Melbourne Beach, Florida © Steven Long 
A Female Baltimore Oriole Strikes a Pose, Warren, Pennsylvania © Sandra Rothenberg 
Male Snail Kite, Lake Kissimmee, Florida © Nancy Elwood Snowy Owl on a Post against a Sunset Sky, Ottawa, Canada © Michael J Cohen
2021 Showcase Top 100, Mammals
This category includes all types of mammals, including marine mammals.
Lion Cubs Playfully Biting Mother’s Tail, Serengeti, Tanzania © Yaron Schmid Curious Ermine, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado © Fi Rust 
Leap of Faith, Mara River, Maasai Mara, Kenya © Vicki Jauron 
Otter Family Takes a Break, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming © Savannah Rose Wildlife Spotted Hyena Cub Nursing, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya © Michael Milicia 
A Safe Moment of Rest for a Harbor Seal and Pup, Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, Alaska © Mark Kelley Mother Cheetah Protecting Cubs while Drinking, Namibia © Kevin Dooley 
Bull Elk in a Beam of Light, Estes Park, Colorado © Dawn Wilson Photography 
Young Rhino Seems to Shed a Tear, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa © Barbara Fleming 
Bobcat Playing with Prey, Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, Savannah, Georgia © Deborah Roy An Illusion of Endangered Grevy’s Zebra, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya © Yaron Schmid A Whale of a Meal, Katmai National Park, Alaska © Jennifer Smith 
Sea Lion Ballet, Los Islotes, Baja California Sur, Mexico © Bill Klipp Surprise! East Bethel, Minnesota © Svetlana VanKempen Sunset Silhouettes, Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe © Vicki Jauron Pika Leap, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California © Alice Cahill
2021 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other Wildlife
This category includes images of non-bird, non-mammal wildlife as well as close-ups of any subject. Close-ups are intimate views, tightly framed, or close examinations of subjects in nature.
Father Calling, Amboli, Maharashtra, India © Karthik Arasalai Kalyana Sundaram Lion’s Mane Jellyfish Moves through a Moon Jellyfish Smack, Port Fidalgo, Valdez, Alaska © Jennifer Idol 
Cactus Close-Up, Sherman Gardens, Corona del Mar, California © Charles Needle False Clown Anemonefish and Magnificent Anemone Tentacles, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia © Matthew Meier Green and Black Poison Dart Frog, Sarapiqui, Costa Rica © Hector D. Astorga Diamondback Water Snake Eating American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), North Texas © Nick Kanakis 
Apple Snail Laying Eggs, Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize © William Sutton Banded Crab Spider and Honey Bee Prey, PoLoChe, Sai Kung, Hong Kong © Robert Ferguson 
Pink Puckered Lips, Solomon Islands © Jim Squires Chevron Manta Ray, San Benedicto Island, Mexico © Matthew Meier 
Spider Shedding Exoskeleton, Cloud Forest, Chaco, Ecuador © Larry Litke Dangling danger! San Patricio County, Texas © Cissy Beasley Spring Flowers, Snohomish, Washington © Steve Whisnant 
Black-Speckled Palm-Pit Viper, Costa Rica © Cathy DesRochers Spectacular Waterlilies, Chicago Botanic Gardens, Glencoe, Illinois © Adriana Greisman
2021 Showcase Top 100, Altered Reality
The unconventional “Altered Reality” category may be confusing to some. All images in this category are designated as “photo illustrations,” indicating that they display a change in natural color, form, shape or any combination of these that deny the photographic process. The images haven been enhanced or transformed beyond the way the subjects appear in nature.
Great Blue Heron With Chicks Revisited, Venice Rookery, Venice, Florida © Cheryl Medow Mushroom in the Mist, Durham, North Carolina © Frank Clemmensen Crane Chaos, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama © Thomas Yackley 
Lilac-Breasted Roller Taking Flight, Ndutu Conservation Area, Tanzania © Christopher Ciccone Circularized Photograph With Cat’s Eye and Beaded Water on Glass, USA © Melissa Fraser The Hand of Man: Rescuing an Endangered Species, Lee’s Ferry, Arizona © Jim Shane 
Dance of the Snowy Egret, Millsboro, Delaware © Bob Coates Photography, coatesart.net Just an Old Dead Tree © Thomas Yackley
2021 Showcase Top 100, Conservation
The conservation category was added to Showcase in 2020 and recognizes images that illustrate a conservation issue—positive or negative—and the value of conserving a species, place, or ecosystem for the benefit of wild and/or human communities. Entries in this category cannot be designated as photo illustrations—nothing added, removed, or altered. Click on an image below to view it in full.
Condominiums Loom over Juvenile Manta Ray, Jupiter, Florida © Bryant Turffs 
Still a Stump Field after 130 Years, Kingston Plains near Munising, Michigan © Tom Haxby Threatened Western Snowy Plover Settles down Her Eggs, Monterey, California © Joshua Asel Girls Petting a Frightened Newborn California Sea Lion Pup as It Tries to Escape, La Jolla, California © Jennifer Warner Endangered Greater Adjutant Storks Atop Boragaon Landfill, Guwahati, India © Carla Rhodes
About Showcase
NANPA’s annual Showcase competition began in 2005. In 16 years, the competition has recognized more than 800 of North America’s most accomplished nature photographers. Nearly 2,500 photographers have entered the competition during that time.
Winning images are published each year in NANPA Expressions, a full-color journal that also includes articles on a wide variety of topics within nature photography, written by nature photographers for nature photographers. NANPA members can access free digital editions of Expressions dating back to 2011 in the Members Area of nanpa.org.
Past digital and print editions of Expressions are also available for sale. The new 2021 edition will be released in late winter.
Come back to nanpa.org on December 16 to see the 2021 Showcase Top 24 prize-winning images.
