Behind the scenes of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s People’s Choice Award winner was announced on Thursday: The honor went to German photographer Sascha Fonseca for his gorgeous sunset shot of a snow leopard — an elusive species known as “ the ghost of the mountains .” A staggering 60,466 people voted on 25 photos this year, taken by photographers around the globe and whittled down from a pool of nearly 39,000 submissions. The competition, which is developed and produced by the National History Museum in London, announced the grand title winners, chosen by the judges, this past October. To capture the “dream” image of the snow leopard, a notoriously hard-to-photograph animal due to its dwindling population , furtiveness, and ability to blend in with the remote landscape, Fonseca undertook a three-year “bait-free” camera trap project in the Indian Himalayas.
In a statement released by the National History Museum, Fonseca shared he was “incredibly proud” to win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award and elaborated on the significance behind his art form. “Photography can connect people to wildlife and encourage them to appreciate the beauty of the unseen natural world,” he shared. “I believe that a greater understanding of wildlife leads to deeper caring which hopefully results in active support and greater public interest for conservation.” Highly Commended Fox affection by Brittany Crossman, Canada Brittany Crossman / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Among the flowers by Martin Gregus, Canada Martin Gregus / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Portrait of Olobor by Marina Cano, Spain Marina Cano / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Holding on by Igor Altuna, Spain Igor Altuna / Wildlife Photographer of the Year See below for the other stunning shots that were in the running.
This is part of a growing movement where (Please note that voting has ended.) The frog with the ruby eyes by Jaime Culebras, Spain Jaime Culebras / Wildlife Photographer of the Year The World Wildlife Fund shares that these primates “are regarded as monogamous,” and they “pair up for life and form a family that stays together until the offspring grow up and leave home.” They stay bonded by spending hours grooming their mates. Bertie Gregory / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Caribbean crèche by Claudio Contreras Koob, Mexico Claudio Contreras Koob / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Life and art by Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal, Spain Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Red and yellow by Chloé Bès, France Chloé Bès / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Heads or tails? by Jodi Frediani, USA Jodi Frediani / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Fishing for glass eels by Eladio Fernandez, Dominican Republic Eladio Fernandez / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Caught by the cat by Michał Michlewicz, Poland Michał Michlewicz / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Covid litter by Auke-Florian Hiemstra, Netherlands Auke-Florian Hiemstra / Wildlife Photographer of the Year A golden huddle by Minqiang Lu, China Minqiang-Lu / Wildlife Photographer of the Year A tight grip by Nicholas More, UK Nicholas More / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Head to head by Miquel Angel Artús Illana, Spain Miquel Angel Artús / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wasp attack by Roberto García-Roa, Spain Roberto García-Roa / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Hyena highway by Sam Rowley, UK Sam Rowley / Wildlife Photographer of the Year That’s the spot!
By Richard Flack, South Africa Richard Flack / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Night encounter by Sami Vartiainen, Finland Sami Vartiainen / Wildlife Photographer of the Year A fox’s tale by Simon Withyman, UK Simon Withyman / Wildlife Photographer of the Year The elusive golden cat by Sebastian Kennerknecht, USA Sebastian Kennerknecht / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Snowshoe hare stare by Deena Sveinsson, USA Deena Sveinsson / Wildlife Photographer of the Year Unlucky for the cat by Sebastian Kennerknecht, USA Sebastian Kennerknecht / Wildlife Photographer of the Year RELATED: Award-Winning Photographer Laurent Ballesta Showcases Diverse Sea Life Under Antarctic Ice: Photos
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