Overview

• Organizers received a record 60,636 submissions from photographers worldwide, reflecting unprecedented interest in the competition.
• Judges are now narrowing the field to 100 images for the museum exhibition, with category and Grand Title winners to be announced on October 14.
• Conservation narratives feature prominently, from Lakshitha Karunarathna’s Toxic Tip showing an Asian elephant at a Sri Lankan rubbish site to a sloth clinging to a fencepost in Costa Rica.
• Photographic craft and risk are on display, including Bertie Gregory’s two months with an emperor penguin colony and Ralph Pace using petroleum jelly to reduce jellyfish stings while shooting underwater.
• Youth talent is highlighted by highly commended entries such as Jamie Smart’s red deer in the under-10s category and Leana Kuster’s flamingo in the 15–17 category.