Photographers From 14 Countries Capture Nature—Each Through a Unique Lens (26 Photos)

We often think we know what makes a great nature photo: a fiery sunset, a grizzly by the river, or mist clinging to mountain peaks. But AAP Magazine’s 60th issue, dedicated to “Nature,” challenges those clichés. Featuring the work of 25 photographers from 14 countries across three continents, the issue reveals just how personal our definition of the natural world can be. Fireflies and pelicans, jagged coastlines and delicate leaf veins, a snoozing leopard and a hornbill—they all share the spotlight in this striking curation. Here is a look at the winners and the stories behind the shots.





Beyond Landscapes: What Nature Means to 25 Photographers

When the editors of AAP Magazine announced the theme for their 60th issue, they deliberately kept it wide open. No subcategories, no fine print. The result was predictable in the best possible way: photographers submitted their own, deeply personal interpretations of the natural world.

Some leaned into epic scale—endless horizons, sweeping coastlines, and ancient forests. Others zoomed in close: the intricate veins of a leaf, the compound eye of an insect, a single dewdrop poised on a petal. Still others chose the middle distance—just far enough for wildlife to appear authentic and undisturbed, rather than framed like trophies or symbols.



A Bengal tiger in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, captured by Indian photographer Anuj Rawla, one of 22 merit prize winners

The collection makes room for everything from primates and pelicans to intricate botanical studies. Yet the real magic lies in the pacing: the perspective is constantly shifting. A sweeping panoramic view gives way to extreme macro photography, and a quiet, contemplative scene is followed by something borderline surreal. The visual rhythm keeps viewers continually on their toes.





From the series “Kerkini Pelicans” by Finnish photographer Seppo Tuomaala. Lake Kerkini in northern Greece is one of Europe’s premier wintering grounds for pelicans

The Three Winners: What They Shot and Why It Worked

First place went to Dev Kumar of Malaysia for his series “Unspoken.” Second place was awarded to Thibault Gerbaldi (France/USA) for “Living Coastlines,” while Italian photographer Luca Pederneschi took third with “Lost Worlds.”

Three winners, three vastly different perspectives. Kumar works with silence and gaze: his imagery hinges on an intimate connection between photographer and subject, capturing that unspoken dialogue between two living beings. Gerbaldi approaches coastlines not as pretty postcards, but as dynamic, living systems where ocean, land, and wildlife continually negotiate space. Pederneschi ventures deep into the wild—his “lost worlds” remind us of fragile ecosystems thriving right alongside us, unnoticed by most.



“Dreams,” from the series “A Day in the Life of a Leopard Cub” by Turgay Uzer (USA), which earned a merit award



“Relative No. 7” from the series “The Gaze” by Spanish photographer Jose Antonio Azcutia. Primates staring dead into the lens make for some of the collection’s most arresting portraits



“Crocodile,” from the series “What Remains” by Thaddaeus Biberauer (Germany). The predator melts into the murky water, revealing nothing but a single, piercing eye

Alongside the top three winners, merit awards were presented to 22 photographers from Germany, Spain, the United States, Finland, Romania, France, Ireland, South Korea, Italy, India, and Portugal.

Photos That Demand a Closer Look

The merit award selections feature images that stop you in your tracks. Germany’s Oleksii Sachov created the series “Starships”—though his subjects aren’t spacecraft, but botanical seeds that, through macro lenses, look remarkably like an interstellar fleet. Romania's Carmen Vranceanu presented a series of nocturnal studies titled “Nocturne,” transforming the forest at night into painterly compositions.



“Eyes Beyond the Frame,” from the series “Unspoken” by grand prize winner Dev Kumar (Malaysia), the body of work that earned him first place



“Nocturne III” by Romanian photographer Carmen Vranceanu. A solitary white blossom against inky darkness—a minimalist study where negative space plays a leading role

Sean Rosinski (USA) turned his camera on fireflies—a nostalgic sight many of us remember from childhood summer nights. His series “Fireflies!” brings that quiet wonder back to life: dancing pinpricks of light in the dark, and nothing more, yet infinitely captivating. French photographer Thibault Andrieux took an entirely different approach to scale, focusing on sea urchins and their spines in “Art’scalaphe”—a playful portmanteau echoing the French word *scarabée* (beetle).



“Living Coastlines” by Thibault Gerbaldi—second place. The shoreline presented not as a scenic backdrop, but as a living, breathing ecosystem



From the series “Fireflies!” by Sean Rosinski (USA). Fireflies, part of the beetle family Lampyridae, are renowned for their bioluminescence and are a common fixture across the eastern United States

Nature in Motion: Photography That Grasps the Passage of Time

One underlying motif tying these diverse portfolios together is movement—not fast-paced action or theatrical drama, but slow, almost imperceptible evolution. Light shifting over the course of an hour. Plants bending toward a sunbeam. One season bleeding into the next. An animal quietly vanishing from the frame.

South Korea’s Young Mo Lee photographed mountain peaks shrouded in haze for his series “The Slow Undoing.” The title is apt: mountains feel permanent, yet they are constantly shifting—just on a geological timescale far beyond our everyday perception.



“Hidden Peak,” from the series “The Slow Undoing” by Young Mo Lee (South Korea). Mist-wrapped peaks may be a landscape staple, but here they read as a philosophical statement rather than mere scenery



“Frozen in Time” by Jeremy Janus (USA). Ice literally preserves a passing instant, turning a physical occurrence into visual poetry

American photographer Jeremy Janus captured botanical shapes and reflections trapped in ice. It’s another meditation on time: nature itself has a way of preserving moments far more permanently than any camera ever could.



“Shuttle,” from the series “Starships” by Ukrainian-German photographer Oleksii Sachov. Under the macro lens, plankton particles look uncannily like deep-space vessels—less metaphor, more visual reality

Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Perhaps the greatest gift of nature photography is its power to reawaken a sense of wonder toward the familiar. A birch tree might be something you pass every day on your commute. But seen through the right lens at the perfect moment, it commands your undivided attention.



“Madrone Tree,” from the series “And the Sun Will Rise” by Christine So (USA). The Pacific madrone is an evergreen native to the western coast of North America, famed for its rich, reddish-orange bark



“Vortex,” from the series “Art’scalaphe” by Thibault Andrieux (France). The series title playfully nods to *scarabée*, the French word for beetle



This shot earned the Italian photographer third place. Nighttime peaks from the Dolomites to Iceland: swirling fog, starry skies, and a hush so deep the mountains look entirely untouched by humankind.

That’s precisely why so many artists in this issue work in series rather than standalone singles. A series provides essential context: you see not just a solitary bird, but that bird within its ecosystem; not just a flower, but how it shifts from dawn to dusk. A body of work demands a bit more time and attention—and rewards you generously in return.



“Watcher in the Mist,” from the series “On the Edge of Darkness” by Rivka Katvan (USA). An animal cloaked in fog, where the boundary between the visible and invisible dissolves



“Elements of Life” by James Krajicek (USA). Abstract plant forms up close, resembling cartography of an uncharted continent



“Vase,” from the series “Nature in Color” by Beemi Yang (USA). A bloom styled like a designer centerpiece—and vice versa



“Twilight Nature” by Aline Taieb (France). Twilight transforms everything: tone, texture, and mood



“Bird Island, Culiacán, Mexico,” from the series “The Unknown Landscape of Mexico” by Brian Overcast (USA/Mexico)



“Pause,” from the series “The Color of Presence” by Teri Figliuzzi (USA). Pausing to truly observe—the single greatest lesson these images offer



“Branching,” from the series “Nature’s Traces” by Ciarán Willmore (Ireland). The mesmerizing geometries drawn by the earth itself



“Apparent Motion” by Dario Bonetto (Italy). Through long exposure and intentional defocusing, the camera reveals motion invisible to the naked eye

The Art of Looking Closer

AAP Magazine #60 doesn’t preach a singular message—and deliberately so. Nature does not speak in a single voice. But if there is one common thread weaving these 25 perspectives together, it is this: nature isn’t some distant, pristine wilderness. It is everywhere around us, provided we take the time to pause and truly look.



“Seeing Again” by Julie Van (USA). A dahlia rendered in sepia tones: a bloom you’ve seen countless times suddenly reveals its hypnotic, mathematical precision

A firefly lives for just a short while. A seed takes root. Morning fog burns off in less than an hour. Most of these events unfold without an audience. Great photographers are simply those who show up, stay patient, and resist the urge to rush.

Nature doesn't always have to mean monumental vistas. Sometimes, wonder reveals itself in a single leaf, an insect, or a shaft of sunlight cutting across a surface. All it takes is the willingness to notice.

Which shot captivated you the most—the intimate macro details or the sweeping landscapes?

22 Photos Proving Nature Has a Wild Sense of Humor

Stunning Nature Landscapes — 20 Photos

Breathtaking Nature Photography by Landscape Master James Appleton