Image description
We had bid farewell to our São Lourenço River lodge, marking the end of our Pantanal adventure, but as we were leaving we heard that a jaguar had been spotted roughly 30 minutes away. We raced to the scene and encountered this sleek female jaguar stalking her prey. Our boat – and my camera – was perfectly positioned as she pounced on an unsuspecting caiman.
Shortlist
Jesus Frias
Saludo Sony
A mother elephant greets her daughter. I called the little one Sonia, or Sony.
© Jesus Frias, Spain, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Christopher Ratcliff Iverson
The Fiery Fox
This was taken in Washington, and my main goal was to photograph foxes in their natural environment. As the light was fading I got very lucky, as a parent and pup appeared on the path with a brilliant sunset glow behind them.
© Christopher Ratcliff Iverson, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan
The Alpha Male Orangutan
On my last trip to Indonesia we were looking for orangutans to photograph. They are mostly arboreal and rarely come down to the ground, but this male was foraging for ant nests.
© Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan, India, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Chris Schmid
Musketeers
A close-up portrait of three male muskox captured during a snowstorm. The muskox is perfectly adapted to cold environments and is covered with an underlayer of qiviut – a wool as warm as cashmere – and a dark fur of about 50 cm long.
© Chris Schmid, Switzerland, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Pedro Jarque Krebs
The Scream
There are two characteristics that clearly distinguish bats from other mammals: they are the only ones that can fly and they rest hanging upside down. Unlike birds, bats cannot take flight from the ground because their wings are not strong enough, so they hang from trees to facilitate their flight.
© Pedro Jarque Krebs, Peru, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Jonathan McSwain
Otters at Play
Two otters playing together just under the surface of the water. The photograph was taken during golden hour, as the sun was setting behind the otter enclosure at Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas.
© Jonathan McSwain, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Christopher Baker
Down the Hatch
A great blue heron swallows its early morning catch at the base of a small spillway that flows into wetlands in Madison, Alabama.
© Christopher Baker, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Thien Nguyen Ngoc
Mother Love
A rare scene of a sperm whale calf nursing from its mother in the Indian Ocean. The young calf pushes its lower jaw into the nipple cavity and the mother squirts milk into the baby's mouth underwater. As young whales cannot breathe and nurse at the same time, these feeding events are typically quite short.
© Thien Nguyen Ngoc, Vietnam, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Stuart James
Splish Splash Muscovy
This Muscovy duck was painting with water. Taken in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at a lake where these ducks thrive.
© Stuart James, United States, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Francis Principe-Gillespie
Bumblebee
A close-up portrait of a bumblebee. This shows part of the right side of the bee’s face with the eye and antenna clearly visible.
© Francis Principe-Gillespie, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Chee Kin Wong
Leap of Faith
These horses in Inner Mongolia, China, decided to take a short-cut from the high ground, running through the thick snow.
© Chee Kin Wong, Malaysia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Rina Saito
Plate Coral Spawning
Before sunrise, a large number of coral reefs spawned and the entire area became completely white, as if shrouded in mist. Photographed in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
© Rina Saito, Japan, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Elodie Ruelleux-Dagorne
Of Walruses and Bears
This well-fed male bear had been feasting on a whale carcass for several weeks, so it was surprising to see him approach this walrus colony and assess the situation – walruses are dangerous animals to prey on, as their tusks can deliver a fatal blow to bears. Sure enough, the bear only had a quick look before he decided it was wiser to move on.
© Elodie Ruelleux-Dagorne, France, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
Pui Sun Tang
Untitled
This zebra was walking peacefully among a group of wildebeest in Kenya’s Masai Mara during the Great Migration.
© Pui Sun Tang, Malaysia, Shortlist, Open Competition, Natural World & Wildlife, 2024 Sony World Photography Awards
LAST CHANCE! SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS EXHIBITION, CLOSES 4 MAY