Photo by (clockwise from top): Jennifer Smith, Kristin Rahn, Betty Sederquist and Elizabeth Holmes.
If you have an appetite for compelling nature images, you’ve come to the right place. Recently, we unveiled the Top 26 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 always a favorite subject for many nature photographers, and the number of entries in this category in the 2023 Showcase competition certainly bears that out
Prize winners in the Birds category include Scott Wolff, Angela McCain, Kevin Lohman and David M. Young, whose images appear below.
Sandhill cranes returning to roost against a backdrop of a full moon., Crex Meadows, Grantsburg, Wisconsin, 2023 Showcase Best in Category, Birds, © Scott Wolff
Night-Hawk Take Off, Northern Colorado Plains, 2023 Showcase First Runner-up, Birds © Angela McCain
A Flock of Elegant Terns Takes Off, Moss Landing, California, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Birds © Kevin Lohman
Black-Capped Chickadee with Snow Crown, Ipswich River 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Birds © David M. Young,
Twenty-three additional images from the Birds category placed among the Top 100 in the competition and appear in the slideshow below. They include images by Ken Archer, Letitia Ballance, Rick Beldegreen, Todd DeWald, Mark Drawbridge, Carol Grenier, Elizabeth Holmes, Sarah Killingsworth, Kevin Lohman, Kelley Luikey, Patrick Pevey, James Picardi, Corey Raffel, Melissa Rowell, Vicki Santello, John Singleton, Thomas Trogdon, Stephen Vaughan and Sharon Wada.
Rattling this great blue heron’s nerves, a bald eagle jets over him to grab a meal in the water just beyond. Washington 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Ken Archer
Male Roseate Spoonbill Fight, St. Augustine, Florida 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Letitia Ballance
Flamingo Medley, Rift Valley, Lake Magadi, Kenya, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Rick Beldegreen
Duel of Siblings: Two juvenile peregrine falcons test out their wings and their talons. Waterford, Connecticut, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Todd DeWald
Kermit Meets Big Bird: A green heron snatches a young bullfrog, who surrenders to its fate among the lily pads. San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Mark Drawbridge
Eurasian Jay Taking off from Snow-Covered Branch, Finland, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Carol Grenier
Siberian Jays Backlit at Sunset, Finland, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Carol Grenier
Fresh Morning Catch: Osprey with fish directly after sunrise. Tierre Verde, Florida, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Elizabeth Holmes
Lunch: A barn swallow comes in to feed her fledglings, who noisily beg for the insect clamped in her beak. Point Reyes National Seashore, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Sarah Killingsworth
Adult Elegant Tern Feeding a Juvenile: A reflection of a tern feeding a fish to a juvenile on a glassy smooth pond. Moss Landing, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Kevin Lohman
Cedar Waxwing with a Berry: A cedar waxwing grabbed a cotoneaster berry and tossed it in the air before swallowing it. Santa Cruz, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Kevin Lohman
Hummingbird Flare: An Allen’s hummingbird flares his feathers before flying off to chase other hummingbirds away. Santa Cruz, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Kevin Lohman,
Happily Perched: A painted bunting perched atop summer sunflowers. Edisto Island, South Carolina, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Kelley Luikey
Beach Beauty: Great egret basking in my favorite light, the atmospheric condition known as the Belt of Venus. Beaufort, South Carolina, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Kelley Luikey
A neotropic cormorant repositions a suckermouth catfish in order to swallow it. Pantanal, Brazil, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Patrick Pevey
Dancing Western Grebes at the Crossroads, North Park, Jackson County, Colorado, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © James Picardi
A male mountain bluebird has caught a dragonfly and looks around before flying to his nest hollow to feed his nestlings. Central British Columbia, Canada, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Corey Raffel
Flamingoes Swooning Over One Another On A Lake Shore, Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Melissa Rowell
A female ostrich suddenly interrupted her leisurely dust bath when frightened by the appearance of a jackal. Hoanib River, Namibia, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Vicki Santello
Misty Vigil: Blue heron in the early morning fog doing some breakfast hunting. James River, Richmond, Virginia, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © John Singleton
Decisions, Decisions, Kane County, Illinois, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Thomas Trogdon
Northern pygmy-owl adult male at nest with ornate tree lizard. Southern Arizona, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Stephen Vaughan
Bugstache: A song sparrow heads back to its nest with a beak full of juicy bugs. Port Townsend, Washington, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Birds © Sharon Wada
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 previously announced, prize winners in the Altered Reality category include Thomas Yackley, Lois Hild, Wendy Kaveney and Charles Needle, whose images appear below.
Flight of the Fritillary, Cumming, Georgia, 2023 Showcase Best in Category, Altered Reality © Thomas Yackley
Ithumba Elephant, Ithumba, Tsavo National Park, Kenya, 2023 Showcase First Runner-up, Altered Reality © Lois Hild
Quiver Tree Photo Montage (Aloe dichotoma), Quiver Tree Forest, Keetmanshoop, Namibia, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Altered Reality © Wendy Kaveney
In-camera, multiple-exposure image of a tree in a wildflower meadow., Great Dixter House and Gardens, East Sussex, England, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Altered Reality © Charles Needle
Six additional images from the Altered Reality category placed among the Top 100 in the competition and appear in the slideshow below. They include images by Hector Astorga, Frank Clemmensen, Charles Janson, Bruce Leventhal, Kristin Rahn and Betty Sederquist.
White Rhino Congregation , Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Altered Reality © Hector Astorga
Intimate Offering: A cedar waxwing offers a treat to its mate. Durham, North Carolina, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Altered Reality © Frank Clemmensen
Explosive Energy: Six images of a running bear cub taken about 1/4 second apart on an Arctic beach. Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Altered Reality © Charles Janson
Screech Owl in Nesting Cavity, Southeast Texas, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Altered Reality © Bruce Leventhal
Lunar Eclipse Cycle: May 2022 full moon with full lunar eclipse cycle. Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Altered Reality © Kristin Rahn
Brown Pelican with Textures Added, Moss Landing, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Altered Reality © Betty Sederquist
Conservation
The Conservation category was added to Showcase back 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 previously announced, include images by Elizabeth Shen, Jann Ledbetter, Brennon Hensley and Nicollet Overby. Their images appear below.
Dilemma, Alameda County, California, 2023 Showcase Best in Category, Conservation © Elizabeth Shen
America’s Covid Cleanup, Driftwood Beach, Coupeville, Washington, 2023 Showcase First Runner-up, Conservation © Jann Ledbetter
Please … Help!, Saint Paul Island, Alaska, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Conservation © Brennon Hensley
A Toxic Treat, San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, Irvine, California, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Conservation © Nicollet Overby
Three additional images from the Conservation category placed among the Top 100 in the competition and appear in the slideshow below. They include images by Frank Clemmensen, Karen Povey and Corey Raffel.
Beach Re-Nourishment Project: Short-Term Bonus for Gulls, Long-Term Questions. Most studies of beach re-nourishment and its impact on the environment are performed by project promoters or interested parties. These reports lack rigorous scientific parameters and ignore or understate the environmental impacts associated with these projects. The sudden input of sand, at a minimum, interrupts and disturbs the natural order of sea life. , Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Conservation © Frank Clemmensen
As part of the Cascades Butterfly Project, this Arctic fritillary was captured for identification and is about to be released back into its mountain meadow home. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Conservation © Karen Povey
A male southern white rhino, with his horn removed, wanders in the Kalahari Desert. These animals are a conservation success story, increasing from less than 100 individuals at the start of the 20th century to more than 20,000 individuals today. Numbers are again declining due to the killing of adults for their horns. To prevent poaching, horns are being removed with chain saws. Unbelievable that the illegal trade in rhino horns has forced this to be a potential solution. Kalahari Desert, Botswana, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Conservation © Corey Raffel
Scapes
The Scapes category includes landscapes, seascapes, plantscapes, atmosphere, and weather images.
Top prize winners previously announced include Ian S. Frazier, Gero Heine, Don Larkin and Ronald Santini. Their images appear below.
Islands of Seaweed, Point Lobos Natural Reserve, California, 2023 Showcase Best in Category, Scapes © Ian S. Frazier
A Face inside the Dunes, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia, 2023 Showcase First Runner-up, Scapes © Gero Heine
Ocean in Motion, Cape Disappointment, Washington, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Scapes © Don Larkin
After the Storm, Badlands National Park, South Dakota, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Scapes © Ronald Santini
Twelve additional images from the Scapes category placed among the Top 100 in the competition and appear in the slideshow below. They include images by Russ Bishop, Greg Duncan, Carol Grenier, Gero Heine, Stephanie Hogue, Robert Mance, Matthew Moses, Steve Munch, Jane Scott Norris and Joanne Wells.
Rainbow Falls and Fern, Wailuku River State Park, Hawaii, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Russ Bishop
Fagradalsfall volcano erupted again, when a fissure opened up in Reykjanes Peninsula. Iceland, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Greg Duncan
Deep snow blankets the landscape in mid-winter, bending trees into fantastic shapes. Lapland, Finland, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Carol Grenier
Namib Dunes and Fog: Sand dunes are formed by the wind in proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Gero Heine
Magnificent Beauty, Texas, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Stephanie Hogue
Purple Mountains’ Majesty, Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Robert Mance
Fire and Ice, Duluth, Minnesota, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Matthew Moses
Foamy Flute, Hollywood Beach, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Steve Munch
Fire and Water, Hawaii, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes© Steve Munch
Aldeyjarfoss in Winter: The Most Beautiful of Iceland’s Many Waterfalls. Iceland, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Jane Scott Norris
Colorful Night, Vestrahorn, Iceland, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Jane Scott Norris
Autumn in a Cypress Swamp, George Smith State Park, Twin City, Georgia, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Scapes © Joanne Wells
Mammals
Mammals is another highly competitive Showcase category based on the number of entries alone. The top four prizes, previously announced include Craig Elson, Vicki Jauron, Belinda Bridwell and Corey Raffel. Their images appear below.
Gemsbok in Light – The Descent, Skeleton Coast, south of Walvis Bay, Namibia, 2023 Showcase Best in Category, Mammals © Craig Elson
Impala In Golden Light, Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, 2023 Showcase First Runner-up, Mammals © Vicki Jauron
Clamming on the Mudflats, Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Mammals © Belinda Bridwell
Mother and Child Bush Elephants Drinking in Silhouette, Chobe National Park, Kakoaka, Botswana 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Mammals © Corey Raffel
Twenty additional images from the Mammals category placed among the Top 100 in the competition and appear in the slideshow below. They include images by Ken Archer, Hector Astorga, Angie Birmingham,Ralph Clevenger, Jacqueline Deely, Carol Grenier, Torie Hilley, Charles Janson, Vicki Jauron, Bill Klipp, Harry Lerner, Kevin Lohman, Tom Nicholson, James Ramakka, Yaron Schmid, Jennifer Smith, Deena Sveinsson and Kathy West.
The playful mood rubs off on the adult red foxes as their young kits play and rough house nearby. Washington, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Ken Archer
Mother’s Love, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Hector Astorga
Need a Toothpick?, South Africa, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Angie Birmingham
Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, Santa Barbara Channel, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Ralph Clevenger
Beautiful reflections of Peale’s dolphins as they accompany us en route through the Beagle Channel. Beagle Channel, South America, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Jacqueline Deely
African elephant uses its trunk to delicately hold a water lily. , Chobe National Park, Botswana, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Carol Grenier
Giants Ballet: Two young bull giraffes practice necking (fighting)., Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Nature Preserve, South Africa, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Torie Hilley
Reassurance of Mother Bear: The cub sought protection from its mother as a large male bear approached them. Lake Clark National Park, Alaska, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Charles Janson
A lioness carries one of her two cubs gently in her mouth., Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Vicki Jauron
Pack of Wild Dogs Taking down a Warthog, Okavango Delta, Botswana, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Bill Klipp
Spider Monkey Baby Waving, Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Harry Lerner
Red Fox with Squirrel: A red fox trying to grab a squirrel tosses it in the air when the squirrel kicked the fox. San Jose, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Kevin Lohman
Hitching a Ride, Ranthambhore National Park, India, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Tom Nicholson
Cavorting Cottontails, near Aztec, New Mexico, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © James Ramakka
A baby elephant is trying to keep up with the rest of the herd. Amboseli National Park, Kenya, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Yaron Schmid
A young cub of the year has a discussion with his mother. Katmai National Park, Alaska, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Jennifer Smith
Family: A cow muskox keeps close tabs on her calves. Nome, Alaska, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Jennifer Smith
Ice Bear! As the temperature drops an Alaskan brown bear becomes engulfed in ice. Kodiak, Alaska, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Jennifer Smith
Two bull moose decide the best way to spar on a warm winter day is to play in the water with the Tetons as a backdrop. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Deena Sveinsson
Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) silverback resting, Katwe family. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Mammals © Kathy West
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. The six top prize winners in Macro/Micro/All Other Wildlife, announced last month, are Mark Drawbridge, Jennifer Idol, Alexandre Andes Gascon, Karen Campbell, Dee Langevin and Luke Roman. Their images appear below.
An occupied spider’s web casts an iridescent glow as light from the setting sun is refracted by the web. Encinitas, California, 2023 Showcase Best in Category, Macro/Micro/All Other © Mark Drawbridge
Lemon sharks swim past the boat at the surface during dawn. Bahamas, 2023 Showcase First Runner-up, Macro/Micro/All Other © Jennifer Idol
Adult stink bug exhibiting parental care over its eggs. , Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Macro/Micro/All Other © Alexandre Andes Gascon
Cecropia Caterpillar’s “Blue Croquet Shoes”, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Macro/Micro/All Other © Karen Campbell
Glacial Debris, Le Conte Bay, Alaska, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Macro/Micro/All Other © Dee Langevin
Paper Wasp Foraging on a Beautiful Day, Markham, Ontario, Canada, 2023 Showcase Judges’ Choice, Macro/Micro/All Other © Luke Roman
Ten additional images from the Macro/Micro/All Other category placed among the Top 100 in the competition and appear in the slideshow below. They include images by Alyce Bender, Karen Campbell, Laura M. Eppig, Steven Long, Kerri Murphy, Tom Myers, Jim Squires, Claire Waring and Barbara White.
Two to Tango, Hill Country, Texas, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Alyce Bender
Spittle Bug Nymph’s Bubbly Froth Transformed to Dew Drop, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Karen Campbell
Courting Dragonflies, Backyard Pond , Bay Shore, New York, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Laura M. Eppig
Hemidactylus garnotii, an Indo-Pacific Gecko, Rear Foot, Lady Lake, Florida, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Steven Long
A pink-tipped satyr sleeps under a leaf where the iridescence of its wings is accentuated by the light of the flash., Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Ecuador, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Kerri Murphy
Bumble Bee Feeding, North Carolina, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Tom Myers
Two-marked Treehopper, Enchenopa binotata, Kentucky, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Tom Myers
Eye of the Turtle: Closeup of Caribbean Green Sea Turtle, Cozumel, Mexico, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Jim Squires
A quick squeeze of a puffball releases millions of spores. Capturing the moment is tricky. Aigas Field Centre, Scotland, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Claire Waring
Dragonfly in Love, Laguna Beach, California, 2023 Showcase Top 100, Macro/Micro/All Other © Barbara White
