The British Ecological Society has announced the winners of its annual photography competition, which for the first time was open to everyone.
The competition – Capturing Ecology – celebrates the brilliance and intricacies of the natural world with the selected winning and highly commended images capturing the diverse ecology of flora and fauna from across the globe.
Entries from ecologists, photographers, and students were submitted from 23 countries and six continents. The category-winning images represent captivating stories about 'a life-and-death arms race played out on the smallest scales, the damage alien species can inflict, and the plight of one of our closest relatives against the combined threats of poaching and habitat loss'.
The overall winner and recipient of the title British Ecological Society Photographer of the Year was awarded to Damien Esquerre, a biologist at the University of Wollongong, Australia. Esquerre won for his image titled The Dragon and the Sun, which depicts a bearded dragon basking in the midday sun.
Speaking on the win, Esquerre said, "It is a massive honour to win this important competition and I’m very happy to have my photo showcased to an international audience".
He continued, "I took the photos while doing a bushwalk in Canberra where I lived at the time. I always carry my camera with me and look for interesting photo opportunities. I saw this dragon basking on the tree, and thought I could use a fish-eye lens, which is an extreme wide angle, to and get close to have the dragon as the main subject but include the tree and the sun in the composition. By including the sun the photo was obviously backlit, so I used a flash to fill the strong shadows and bring some detail into the dragon."
The full list of winners can be found below:
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Overall Winner: Damien Esquerre
Overall Runner-Up: Danni Thompson
Individuals and Populations (Animals): Filip Jarzynski
Individuals and Populations (Plants and Fungi): Jenn Rose
Networks in Nature: Roberto García-Roa
People and Nature: Roberto García-Roa
Ecologists in Action: Tim Jackson-Bué
Regenerative Agriculture: Lindsay Banin
Speaking on the incredible level of winning images in this year's competition, Professor Bridget Emmett, President of the British Ecological Society, said: "The British Ecological Society is a truly global community, so it brings me great joy to see ecosystems from across the world celebrated in this year’s Capturing Ecology. 2024’s winners showcase the breadth and beauty of biodiversity - spanning Sumatra to Switzerland, and from the Red Sea to The Skerries - all captured through the ever-questioning lens of the ecologist."
A full list of winners and runners-up and their images can be found on the official British Ecological Society website – congratulations to all of the winners!
You may also be interested in our guides to the best cameras for wildlife, the best cameras for landscapes, and the best fisheye lenses.
