Among all the numerous nature photography contests in the world, The BigPicture photography awards are kind of special, and it shows. Funded by the California Academy of Sciences, the photo competition aims to show the full picture of nature, including its beauty, surprises, and rawness.
The contest celebrates natural biodiversity to the fullest, and this is reflected in the selection of the 2022 contest’s shortlist of winners and finalists. This year's winning image belongs to Karine Aigner, who depicted a group of bees rolling into a ball as part of a strange mating ritual. Enjoy a look at this and 10 other stunning photos from this year’s competition, and visit the BigPicture contest website, Instagram, and Facebook page for a closer look and more information on each picture.
Winner - “Bee Balling” by Karine Aigner
Artist's comment: A female cactus bee (Diadasia rinconis) was swarmed by males and rolled into a “mating ball” in South Texas. This mating ritual only lasts around 20 seconds.
“Spider Web” by Bence Máté
Artist's comment: The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) gnawing on a tree in the first rays of the morning sun at the Kiskunsag National Park in Hungary.
“Tunnel Vision” by Tom Shlesinger
Artist's comment: Atlantic goliath groupers (Epinephelus itajara) arrived off the east coast of Florida to spawn. These massive fish often congregate around shipwrecks or rocky reefs during the breeding season.
“Frame Within a Frame” by Sitaram May
Artist's comment: An opening in a custard apple tree revealing a bat searching for fruits among the lush, green foliage.
“Face to Face” by Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar
Artist's comment: An elusive jaguar (Panthera onca) facing a domesticated pig at the “Maya Riviera” of the Yucatán Peninsula.
“Embryology” by Jaime Culebras
Artist's comment: The rare wiley’s glass frog's (Nymphargus wileyi) embryos at the tip of a fern frond near Yanayacu Research Station in Ecuador.
“Into the Light” by Pål Hermansen
Artist's comment: A collection of insects drawn to an outdoor light that became their demise.
“After the Fall” by David Slater
Artist's comment: A fallen California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) stretched out on the sea floor covered by dozens of bat stars (Patiria miniata). Bat stars are omnivorous and are known to feed on carcasses.
“Shooting Star” by Tony Wu
Artist's comment: A Leach’s sea star (Leiaster leachi) in the middle of broadcast spawning — a process when the male releases sperm and the female releases eggs into the water at the same time — in a bay near Kagoshima, Japan.
“The Stoat’s Game” by Jose Grandío
Artist's comment: A stoat (Mustela erminea) displaying so-called dancing, a mysterious behavior mustelids demonstrate either when they are excited or to confuse their prey. Grandío describes this fun dance as “something like a game for him.”
“Hidden Beauty” by Tom St George
Artist's comment: A diver exploring the endemic plankton and crustaceans that live in this sculptural cenote at the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
