If you have an insatiable appetite for compelling nature images, you’ve come to the right place. In November we unveiled the Top 24 prize-winning images from NANPA’s 2022 Showcase competition. Today we’re back to reveal the full Top 100 images from the competition.
Birds
Birds are a favorite subject among many nature photographers, and the number of entries in this category in the 2022 Showcase competition is certainly evidence of that.
As announced last month, prize winners in the Birds category include (pictured below, from left) Royal Tern Preening Its Tail Feathers on the Beach by Jeremy Burnham (Best in Category), Dining at Dawn by Cameron Azad (Runner-up), Cuteness Overload by Brian Caldwell (Judges’ Choice), and Competition by Dana Henry (Judges’ Choice).
Sixteen additional images from the Birds category placed among the Top 100 in the competition. These include American White Pelican Bathing as the Setting Sun Hits the Water by Elizabeth Yicheng Shen, Couch’s Kingbird Performing Breeding Display by Tom Ingram, Mirror, Mirror by Sharon Wada, Juvenile Least Tern, Waiting for Breakfast by Rajan Desai, Barred Owl Affection by Michael Cohen, Tricolored Heron on the Hunt as the Sun Rises by Kelley Luikey, A “Goat Rodeo” by Jim Burns, Snow Geese Blast Off by Janice Rosner, Lilac-breasted Roller with Scorpion by Hector D. Astorga, Snowy Plover Chick Calling Out for Parents within 24 Hours of Hatching by Harry Lerner, Hanging on for Dear Life by Glenn Nelson, Northern Cardinal Pair Perch in the Top of a Pine Tree During a Snow Shower by David Hammond, Chestnut-breasted Coronets Jockey for Position Around a Single Flower by Charles Gangas, Willet Watching the Waves Coming In by Barbara White, Dressed to Impress by Anita Ross, and Ruby Eyes by Janeen Sullivan.
American White Pelican Bathing as the Setting Sun Hits the Water, Baylands Nature Preserve, Palo Alto, California © Elizabeth Yicheng Shen 
Couch’s Kingbird Performing Breeding Display, Rio Grande Valley, Texas © Tom Ingram 
Mirror, Mirror: A Male Wood Duck Seems to Sneak a Peek at His Beautiful Self, Juanita Bay Park, Kirkland, Washington © Sharon Wada 
Juvenile Least Tern, Waiting for Breakfast, North Shore Beach, Massachusetts © Rajan Desai 
Barred Owl Affection, Dade County, Florida © Michael Cohen 
Tricolored Heron on the Hunt as the Sun Rises, Beaufort, South Carolina © Kelley Luikey 
A “Goat Rodeo,” Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona © Jim Burns Snow Geese Blast Off, Central Valley, California © Janice Rosner Lilac-breasted Roller with Scorpion, Samburu Game Reserve, Kenya © Hector D. Astorga 
Snowy Plover Chick Calling Out for Parents within 24 Hours of Hatching, Fort De Soto Park, St. Petersburg, Florida © Harry Lerner 
Hanging On for Dear Life: A Great Blue Heron Captures a Gopher, Fir Island Farm Reserve, Mt. Vernon, Washington © Glenn Nelson 
Northern Cardinal Pair Perch in the Top of a Pine Tree During a Snow Shower, Johnson County, Illinois © David Hammond 
Chestnut-breasted Coronets Jockey for Position Around a Single Flower, Casa Simpson, Reserva Tapichalaca, Ecuador © Charles Gangas Willet Watching the Waves Coming In, Emerald Bay Beach, Laguna Beach, California © Barbara White 
Dressed to Impress: Snowy Egret Showing Off His Breeding Plumage, Escondido, California © Anita Ross 
Ruby Eyes: A Male Bronzed Cowbird Takes a Break from Looking for a Mate and Enjoys a Drink at a Waterhole, South Texas © Janeen Sullivan
Altered Reality
All the images in the Altered Reality category display a change in natural color, form, shape, or any combination of these. The images have been enhanced or transformed beyond the way the subject appears in nature.
As announced last month, prize winners in the Altered Reality category include (pictured below, from left) The Badlands—Flipped and Reflected by Wendy Kaveney (Best in Category), Northern Carmine Bee-eater and Grevy’s Zebras by Cheryl Medow (Runner-up), Showy Snowy by Dave Hattori (Judges’ Choice), and Out of the Mist of Time by Sylvia A. Hosie (Judges’ Choice).
Six additional images from the Altered Reality category placed in the 2022 Showcase Top 100. These include Summer Swirl, captured in Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France, by Marie Bush; Mirrored Mallard, captured in Austin, Texas, by David Cook; Pink Peony Abstract, captured in Indianapolis, Indiana, by Wendy Kaveney; Water Lily, captured with a smartphone at Lilypons Water Gardens in Adamstown, Maryland, by Alton Marsh; Roseate Spoonbill Coming In for a Landing, captured in Fellsmere, Florida, by Marty Purdy; and Bald Eagle on Iceberg, captured in Endicott Arm, Southeast Alaska, by Betty Sederquist.
Summer Swirl, Monet’s Garden, Giverny, France © Marie Bush Mirrored Mallard, Austin, Texas © David Cook 
Pink Peony Abstract, Indianapolis, Indiana © Wendy Kaveney 
Water Lily, Lilypons Water Gardens, Adamstown, Maryland © Alton Marsh 
Roseate Spoonbill Coming In for a Landing, Fellsmere, Florida © Marty Purdy 
Bald Eagle on Iceberg, Endicott Arm, Alaska © Betty Sederquist
Scapes
The Scapes category includes landscapes, seascapes, plantscapes, atmosphere, and weather images.
Top prize winners announced last month include (pictured below, from left) Balsamroot at Sunrise by Greg Vaughn (Best in Category), Low Clouds and Conifers by Robb Hirsch (Runner-up), Lenticular Cloud Over Volcán de Fuego by Hector D. Astorga (Judges’ Choice) and Star Swept by Alice Cahill (Judges’ Choice).
An additional 15 photos in the Scapes category placed in the Top 100 images of the competition. These include Spring Flow Through Oirase Gorge by Alyce Bender, Falls Creek Falls by William Sutton, Sentinels of the West by Russ Bishop, The Flow by Russ Bishop, Sunset from Under a Glacier Ice Arch by Peter Nestler, Whelk on the Beach Enveloped by a Wave by Patricia Bauchman, Rare Astral Phenomena STEVE Swirling above Aurora Borealis and the Big Dipper by Naona Wallin, Fall Aspens by Judy Kramer, Diamond Beach, Iceland by Jeff Vanuga, Nature’s Evening Paint Brush by Hans Arnold, Star Trails over Granite Creek by Dave Ryan, The Twisting Branches and Autumn Canopy of the Sourwood Tree by Cynthia Lockwood, The Sun’s Rays Break through Morning Fog by Bob Watson, Smoky Mountains Autumn Sunrise by Bob Watson, and The Mask by Andrea Wolcott.
Spring Flow Through Oirase Gorge, Aomori, Japan © Alyce Bender Falls Creek Falls, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington © William Sutton Sentinels of the West: Giant Sequoia in the Congress Grove in Winter, Sequoia National Park, California © Russ Bishop The Flow: Lava Entering the Ocean at Dawn, Hawai‛i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii © Russ Bishop 
Sunset from Under a Glacier Ice Arch, Juneau, Alaska © Peter Nestler Whelk on the Beach Enveloped by a Wave, Outer Banks, North Carolina © Patricia Bauchman Rare Astral Phenomena STEVE Swirling above Aurora Borealis and the Big Dipper, Settlers Cove State Recreation Site, near Ketchikan, Alaska © Naona Wallin Fall Aspens, Sparks Highway near Fairbanks, Alaska © Judy Kramer Diamond Beach, Iceland, Famous for Diamond-Appearing Icebergs on a Black Sand Beach Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland © Jeff Vanuga 
Nature’s Evening Paint Brush, Sasagiu Rapids, Thompson, Manitoba, Canada © Hans Arnold 
Star Trails over Granite Creek, Gros Ventre Mountains, Wyoming © Dave Ryan The Twisting Branches and Autumn Canopy of the Sourwood Tree, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee © Cynthia Lockwood The Sun’s Rays Break through the Morning Fog, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park, California © Bob Watson Smoky Mountains Autumn Sunrise, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee © Bob Watson 
The Mask: Cracked Lava Tube, Geldingadalur, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland © Andrea Wolcott
Conservation
The Conservation category was added to Showcase in 2020. Each entry in this category illustrates 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 altered in any way—no elements added, removed, or changed to affect the meaning or integrity of the scene.
The four top prize winners in this category, as announced last month, include (pictured below, from left) Tule Elk Paces the 8-Foot Fence Line at Point Reyes National Seashore by Edgar Molina (Best in Category), Feral Apple Snail Is Gripped Tightly in the Talons of a Snail Kite by Corey Raffel (Runner-up), The Dangerous Toy by Celia Kujala (Judges’ Choice), and Lean On Me by Christina Selby (Judges’ Choice).
Seven additional images placed in the Top 100 of the Showcase competition, helping to raise awareness about various habitat threats, endangered species, and rehabilitation efforts. These images include Live Dolphin Swimming Under Oil and Trash in the Caribbean by Barry Brown, Pronghorn Watches Earthmovers by Shane Morrison, The Stand-off by Sarah Killingsworth, Brave Little Grizzly Bear by R. Craig Wallace, Raptors and their Guardian Angels by Julian Jacobs, Trash Owl by Janeen Sullivan, and Purple Martins Drawn to Strip Mall Lights by Heather Valey.
Live Dolphin Swimming Under Oil and Trash in the Caribbean, Curaçao © Barry Brown Pronghorn Watches Earthmovers © Shane Morrison The Stand-off © Sarah Killingsworth 
Brave Little Grizzly Bear © R. Craig Wallace Raptors and their Guardian Angels © Julian Jacobs Trash Owl © Janeen Sullivan Purple Martins Drawn to Strip Mall Lights © Heather Valey
Mammals
Mammals is another highly competitive Showcase category based on the number of entries alone. The top four prizes, announced last month, include (pictured below, from left) Long-tailed Weasel Playing Peekaboo in Field of Flowers by Tom Ingram (Best in Category), The Magician by Celia Kujala (Runner-up), When They Think No One Is Watching, Bears Dance in the Forest by Jennifer Hadley (Judges’ Choice), and Shake it Off by Anita Ross (Judges’ Choice).
Eighteen additional images from the Mammals category placed among the Top 100 in the competition. These include Tower of Giraffes Looking Towards a Leopard by Yaron Schmid, Sparring Into the Night by Marcia Walters, Annoyed Too Many Times While Searching for Clams, One Bear Decides Other Must Go by Julie Picardi, Besties by Marcia Walters, A Young Giraffe Stands Tall Beside Family Members by Sophia Balunek, Prismatic Wolf by Kevin Monahan, Winter Bighorn Ram by Ken Archer, Fox Air by Shane Morrison, Porpoising Transient Killer Whale by Jodi Frediani, Pastel Paw Licker by Jeremy Burnham, Long-tailed Weasel Pops Out of Ground Squirrel Hole on a Snowy Day by Dawn Wilson, Mountain Goat Kids Backlit at Sunrise by Harry Lerner, Cub Breath by Jeremy Burnham, Sparring Bulls by Edgar Molina, Moose Drinking with Reflection of the Tetons by Deena Sveinsson, Bear in Flight by Dave Ryan, Scratching an Itch by Jeremy Burnham, and Bison Silhouetted Against Geyser Steam Vent by Ashfaq Marghoob.
Tower of Giraffes Looking Towards a Leopard, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya © Yaron Schmid Sparring Into the Night: Red Fox Kits Backlit at Sundown, Friday Harbor, Washington © Marcia Walters 
Annoyed Too Many Times While Searching for Clams, One Bear Decides Other Must Go, Cook Inlet, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska © Julie Picardi Besties, Friday Harbor, Washington © Marcia Walters 
A Young Giraffe Stands Tall Beside Family Members, Olerai Conservancy, Kenya © Sophia Balunek Prismatic Wolf, Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming © Kevin Monahan Winter Bighorn Ram, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming © Ken Archer Fox Air, Short-grass Prairie, Southeastern Colorado © Shane Morrison Porpoising Transient Killer Whale, Monterey Bay, California © Jodi Frediani 
Pastel Paw Licker, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska © Jeremy Burnham Long-tailed Weasel Pops Out of Ground Squirrel Hole on a Snowy Day, Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado © Dawn Wilson Mountain Goat Kids Backlit at Sunrise, Mt. Evans, Clear Creek County, Colorado © Harry Lerner 
Cub Breath, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska © Jeremy Burnham 
Sparring Bulls, Point Reyes National Seashore, California © Edgar Molina Moose Drinking with Reflection of the Tetons, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming © Deena Sveinsson Bear In Flight: Grizzly Bear Cub Running on Snow, Togwotee Pass, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming © Dave Ryan Scratching an Itch, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska © Jeremy Burnham 
Bison Silhouetted Against Geyser Steam Vent, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming © Ashfaq Marghoob
Macro/Micro/All Other Wildlife
The Macro/Micro/All Other Wildlife category includes all non-bird, non-mammal wildlife as well as close-ups of any subject.
Four top prize winners in Macro/Micro/All Other Wildlife were announced last month, including Fireworm Seen Under Blue Light by Barry B. Brown (Best in Category), Thorn Bugs on Branch of Wild Tamarind by Kevin Barry (Runner-up), Love Knot: Calico Pennants Photographed on Equisetum by James Zablotny (Judges’ Choice), and School of Sardines Enveloped the Island of Los Islotes and then Parted, Exposing a Diver by Alex Rose (Judges’ Choice).
Additionally, 14 images in this category placed among the Top 100 in the competition. These include Giant Anemone Seen Under Blue Light by Barry B. Brown, Center of a Lotus Blossom by Mary Louise Ravese, Frost on Window Pane by Marie Bush, Two Swallowtail Butterflies Seemed to be Engaged in a Race by Judith Malloch, Universe in a Tridacna Clam by Jim Squires, Blue Dasher Dragonfly by Deborah Roy, Two Southern Smoothhead Glass Blennies Sleeping in a Brain Coral by Barry B. Brown, Tiny Fish, Big Home by Sharon Wada, A Goby’s Meadow by Sharon Wada, Emerald Glass Frog with Crossed Fingers by Rick Beldegreen, Icicles Hanging from Ice Ledge Over River’s Edge by Ray Bulson, A Green Lynx Spider Captures a Fly by Peter Brannon, A Tiny Regal Jumping Spider Feasts on a Small Fly by Peter Brannon, and Leafcutter Ant Carrying Leaf and Hitchhiker by Michael Shane.
Giant Anemone Seen Under Blue Light, Something Special, Bonaire © Barry B. Brown 
Center of a Lotus Blossom Reveals Interesting Juxtaposition of Colors, Shapes and Textures, Water & Garden Creations, Raleigh, North Carolina © Mary Louise Ravese 
Frost on Window Pane, Seeley Lake, Montana © Marie Bush Two Swallowtail Butterflies Seemed to be Engaged in a Race, Oxford, Florida © Judith Malloch 
Universe in a Tridacna Clam, Solomon Islands © Jim Squires 
Blue Dasher Dragonfly, Charlotte, North Carolina © Deborah Roy Two Southern Smoothhead Glass Blennies (Emblemariopsis bottomei) Sleeping in a Brain Coral, Something Special, Bonaire © Barry B. Brown Tiny Fish, Big Home: A Pink Anemonefish Skirts the Edge of Its Magnificent Sea Anemone, Halmahera, Indonesia © Sharon Wada A Goby’s Meadow: Soft Coral Goby Surrounded by Polyps Blooming in the Current, Halmahera, Indonesia © Sharon Wada Emerald Glass Frog with Crossed Fingers, Costa Rica © Rick Beldegreen 
Icicles Hanging from Ice Ledge Over River’s Edge, Eagle River, Alaska © Ray Bulson A Green Lynx Spider Captures a Fly, Temple Terrace, Florida © Peter Brannon A Tiny Regal Jumping Spider Feasts on a Small Fly, Tampa, Florida © Peter Brannon 
Leafcutter Ant Carrying Leaf and Hitchhiker, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica © Michael Shane
About NANPA’s Showcase
NANPA’s annual Showcase competition began in 2004. In 19 years the competition has recognized nearly 1,000 of North America’s most accomplished nature photographers. More than 2,500 photographers have entered the competition during that time. Winners receive a combination of cash prizes and publicity opportunities.
“NANPA members include some of the finest photographers in the world. They don’t all have recognizable names, but their images deserve recognition, and Showcase provides an opportunity for that,” said competition coordinator Wendy Shattil. Shattil fully understands how winning a prestigious photo competition can impact a photographer’s career. She was the first woman to win a grand prize in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in 1990.
Still More to Come
We’ll reveal another 150 images—to complete the 2022 Showcase Top 250—on December 16, 2021.
Want to see your image here next year? The Showcase entry window opens every year on August 1, so watch for it in 2022.
