Originally published at: https://www.naturephotographers.network/2020-yearly-editors-picks/
2020 will go down as one of the most challenging of our time. This year has been filled with tragedy and anxiety. We were happy to hear that NPN was a place of respite for many, somewhere to escape the never-ending barrage of bad news and focus only on nature photography.
Even though nearly everyone was stuck at home, you all managed to flex your creative muscles and have shown what is possible even without travel. Thank you all for the inspiration and positivity in the face of a global pandemic.
This year I couldn’t help myself to add a new category: NPN Nature Photographer of the Year! Scroll to the bottom to see who was awarded this year…
Thank you to all the moderators for their tireless work picking the Editors Pick each week and helping me make the final selections for the Yearly Editors Picks; without further ado, here are the 2020 awards!
Avian
First Place
Bald Eagle Lift Off by Allen Sparks (@Allen_Sparks)
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Second Place
Close Moorhen of the 3rd Kind by Hans Overduin (@Hans_Overduin)
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Third Place
Contact! by Mark Muller (@Mark_Muller)
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Flora
First Place
Purple Iris by Kathy Snead (@Kathy_Snead)
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Second Place
Spray by Ian Wolfenden (@Ian_Wolfenden)
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Third Place
Fuji Hybrid Tea by Larry Lynch (@Larry_Lynch)
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Human & Fauna
First Place
Southern Bald Ibis by Marc Brawer (@Marc_Brawer)
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Second Place
Left Behind by Jenaya Launstein (@Jenaya_Launstein)
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Third Place
Guard Cat by David Schoen (@David_Schoen)
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Landscape
First Place
Startle by Eugene Theron (@Eugene_Theron)
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Second Place
Ghosts of Forests Past by Bonnie Lampley (@Bonnie_Lampley)
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Third Place
Snow and Fog Arches NP by Ed McGuirk (@Ed_Mcguirk)
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Macro
First Place
Zoanthids by Jim Zablotny (@Jim_Zablotny)
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Second Place
Carolina Mantis with prey by Mark Seaver (@Mark_Seaver)
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Third Place
Butterfly Canvas by Balan Vinod (@Balan_Vinod)
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Wildlife
First Place
Tayra by Max Waugh (@Max_Waugh)
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Second Place
Head Shake by Cheryl Kuhl (@cheryl1)
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Third Place
Yellowstone Coyote by Jenaya Launstein (@Jenaya_Launstein)
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Weekly Challenge
First Place
The Lone Cirro by Igor Doncov (@Igor_Doncov)
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Second Place
Hope Rising by Mark Muller (@Mark_Muller)
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Third Place
Captured by the Wind by Patricia Brundage (@Patricia_Brundage)
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Nature Photographer of the Year
Bonnie Lampley
Bonnie’s incredible body of work this year is nothing short of astounding. She embodies the essence of creative nature photography that we encourage here at NPN.