Every year, the International Garden Photographer of the Year selects photos from around the world that beautifully showcase gardens, forests, flowers and wildlife. The organization has partnered with the world-renowned Kew Gardens in the U.K., which hosts exhibitions highlighting botanical photography.
These photos are simply stunning, and surprisingly, some of the winning photos were taken by amateur photographers. The annual competition is open to everyone around the world.
This year’s overall winner was Marcio Cabral for his photo entitled “Cerrado Sunrise.” Cerrado is a vast savannah in Brazil that once covered one-fourth of the country. According to the World Wildlife Federation, the cerrado contains 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity, including 11,000 plant species and 800 bird species.
“Marcio has captured a spectacular vision of plant life in the cerrado, displaying the beautiful flowers of Paepalanthus chiquitensis, stretching out on countless filaments towards the first light of the rising sun. It is artistically and technically brilliant, deploying superb use and understanding of equipment, post-capture processes, color and exposure. It has the ability to make us feel novelty and wonder, as if experiencing plant life on this planet for the very first time,” IGPOTY Managing Director Tyrone McGlinchey said on the organization’s website. “As ecosystems such as the Brazilian cerrado are under threat, this image urges us all to document, understand and protect our vulnerable landscapes, with even greater passion.”
The winner of the Abstract Views category, Cathryn Baldock took this photo in Northumberland, U.K. and created this look by layering different images of lily pads to “emphasize their beauty and intricacy.”
This photo almost looks like a painting, doesn’t it? Nicky Flint’s “Through the Garden” was taken at a home in East Sussex, U.K. in the early morning hours when “a gentle mist softened the light and created a magical atmosphere.”
Andrea Pozzi was taken in the scenery at Tombstone Territorial Park in the Yukon Territory, Canada when she was inspired to snap this photo. “Serendipity” won the Breathing Spaces category.
Not every category focuses on natural settings, the Greening the City category highlights urban green spaces. Photographer Annie Green-Armytage took this photo at the University of Hong Kong to show how important greenspace is in one of the world’s most densely populated cities.
Morning seems to be best time to take captivating photos. Clare Forbes captured this winning photo in the Outdoor Living category showing the morning sunlight hitting the mist off the natural pool at Ellicar Gardens in Doncaster, U.K.
At the Aberglasney Gardens in Wales, flowers, fruit trees and herbs are arranged by color to create a serene atmosphere. The vibrant colors and morning mist in this photo made it a standout. It won in The Bountiful Earth category.
Autumn could compete with spring in terms of colorful foliage. Dave Fieldhouse waited hours at Peak District National Park in the U.K. to capture this image. His patience paid off, and he won the Trees, Woods & Forests category.
This year’s winner in the Beauty of Plants category actually shows frozen plants leaving an icy impression on a greenhouse wall.
This blackbird was on a mission to carry this leafy green back to her nest when Alan Price captured this moment. His photo won the Wildlife in the Garden Category.
The International Garden Photographer of the Year also hosts three other competitions throughout the year: Black & White, Macro Art and Still Life.
