1ST PRIZE: DEE POTTER

The shape and repetition of the terraced rice fields are as alluring as the vibrant color. Forested mountains have been transformed into a pleasing landscape that sustains human population. I am mesmerized by this image where the compositional beauty is enhanced by the vantage point sweeping down into a vast valley. Houses and the windy road give scale and are a reminder that we can live in harmony with nature. – MELISSA FARLOW

A vista of agricultural wonder draws the viewer into this scene, generations of rice farmers carving out these unusual but geometrically satisfying sculptures across the mountains they live and work off. The scene is rich in greens and blues as the photographer ensures as much detail from these fascinating fields is captured in one frame as possible. It’s a reminder of the extremities humans have reached to not just survive but thrive off the land. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Sunrise on La Pan Tan. Ascending steep mountain roads on motorcycle taxis in the dark, we reached the enchanting Raspberry Hill, in Mu Cang Chai. Here, under the first light, we marvelled at the breath-taking terraced rice fields, a sight that becomes especially captivating when the rice is ripe as it was here in late September. Nestled in Han Chong village, La Pan Tan commune, these hills are aptly named for their terraced fields, resembling the round shape of ripe raspberries, attracting tourists seeking the beauty of Mu Cang Chai.

2ND PRIZE: DAVIDE BARZAGHI

I am intrigued by the ambiguity and irony of a stately saguaro mirrored in a pool of water reflecting pastel hues. The cactus grows arms after it reaches 75 to 100 years, so this towering sentinel has stored water many years to survive a dry desert and drought. The photograph leaves questions and makes one want to know more. – MELISSA FARLOW

The image is both striking and unusual as the simple and familiar shape of the cactus stands strong, while the surrounding waterscape creates a juxtaposition within the scene. The photographer’s low angle gives this organic, solo sculpture its dominance and allows the sunset tones to take full effect, adding an enchanting aspect to an already special photograph. – LIFE FRAMER

FRANCES BRUCHEZ

This photograph could easily be mistaken for a painting, as its flowing form, detailed pattern and complimenting colors create an elegant composition. This view allows for the full vista of this unique and glorious landscape to be realized. As the birds fly in unison above this natural wonder, crossing the full width of the scene, their formation is both engaging and meditative for the viewer – and no doubt the photographer – to witness. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Lake Logipi is located in Kenya at the northern end of the arid Suguta Valley in the Rift Valley. This saline and alkaline lake is often inhabited by flamingos, who leave traces in the mineral and algae rich water whenever they take flight.

PAOLO MANCA

From the inside out, a perspective of the world we’re not as familiar with as much as the views often captured when exploring the natural landscape. However, there is another layer depicted here: one of human endeavours to discover and uncover parts of the planet still relatively untouched, full of natural wonders and of course organic resources. The framing of this scene allows the viewer to really consider the magnitude of these cave networks below us, and almost insignificance of humans in such vast and untamed terrain. It’s an image that will conjour a reaction in every viewer: awe for some, and fear in others. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Earth inside. The photo was taken in Canin MT, inside the ‘Sisma’ cave, on of the most famous Abyss of the area. Canin massif is considered one of the most important karst of the world, for its hypogean and external karst geomorphology.

VYTAUTAS BUTKUS

For some these remnants of conflict seem to have become a familiar, if not mundane, part of their coastal culture. The subjects enjoy their leisurely beach excursion seemingly without interest or curiosity in the abandoned building jutting out of the shoreline – as if it fell from the sky and landed there without anyone noticing. This of course isn’t a fair relection on these people, but the slightly unusual scene highlights how some countries have had no choice but to normalize the legacy of horrific and scarring conflicts. A thought provoking image. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Fortifications built in Karosta, Latvia in 1894 – 1900, by order of the Russian Tsar Alexander III with the aim of defending the port city from the German Empire. The fortifications were never used for military purposes. During the First World War, in 1915 in the summer, the forts were blown up to prevent them from being used by the Germans. In this candid photo, we see vacationers on the coast of the Baltic Sea in Karosta. summer 2023.

CRAIG EBEL

A striking and atmospheric scene awaits the viewer’s observations, one full of anticipation and knowing of the drastic change that only a storm can create. However, the most intriguing element of the scene is the field of cows standing and staring back in unison like they are all possessed by some unseen force. The image is full of drama and energy – an exciting capture from a no doubt exciting pursuit. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Documented on July 4th as the storm gathered strength before wreaking havoc on Calgary and neighboring communities.

MARK ALVAREZ

The photographer has given apt title for this solitary tree, standing fierce in its natural environment and embodying resilience and cohesion all at once. Capturing the scene in black and white allows the significance and the power of this tree to take center focus, encouraging the viewer to contemplate the significance of its placement and its cycle within the natural landscape. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Sentinel.

NICOLAS CASTERMANS

The photographer has captured an immense and endlessly detailed cityscape, one that captivates all the senses as the viewer attempts to engage in the sights, smells and tastes of this mountain city. There is an overwhelming aspect to this image as the amount of buildings and structures comes into full focus, and the relationship between the surrounding environment and this sprawling urban scene isn’t immediately clear. A detailed picture that is both intense and intriguing. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – La Paz, Bolivia.

LEWIS ABLEIDINGER

Symmetry and a sense of the surreal immediately engage the viewer’s attention, as they study both subjects immersed in their important task. The grey sky looms and closes in overhead as if to create an immediacy around the actions at the center of the scene. The photographer has clearly considered their frame and created a well timed and exposed picture of an interesting activity. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Employees of Danzig Honey collecting honey from bee hives near Wishek, ND.

HAJIME HIRANO

A spectacular view unfolds before the viewer, as the wheat field turns into a canvas and this regular agricultural undertaking is turned into a large-scale artwork to be considered in all its form. However, there is an uneasy aspect to the scene with the sizable black figure scorched into the landscape, like an additional deeper scar to the already worked soil. One hopes this is a regenerative farming practice. The image is engaging in both a fascinating and sobering way. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – “PHOENIX” was named after the phoenix, which miraculously captured the final image of wheat returning to the soil after being burned and revived by a drone.

SAMUEL BLAND

This nighttime seascape gives a subtle and unfamiliar insight into the British coastline. There is a quiet welcoming aspect to the image, something that contrasts the accompanying text. The photographer explores the coast as if in search of an intriguing scene to capture but additionally looking for some solace from the unknown future our environment faces. The coastline has symbolic of our time – of borders, sea-level rises, isolationism – but pointing a torch out into the waters there is something hopeful here. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Setting out on this project, I wanted to make a documentary portrait of the landscape of Great Britain. But somewhere along the way, while travelling the length and breadth of the island, it became more a subjective, poetic representation of the feelings and preoccupations of our time – of climate anxiety, of alienation from the natural world and from each other. Disillusionment, distrust, despair, decay – a sense that the paradigm we’ve been living in is coming to an end. The fear of the unknown future paradigm we must now face.

PANAYOTIS PAVLEAS

The perspective and framing of this scene makes for one that is both visually arresting and aesthetically pleasing. The surrounding ‘negative space’ of the golden field is uniformly patterned and textured, while the little rough patch of trees fits neatly into the rectangular form – as if the custodian of the land attempts to preserve and protect the little area of forest and foliage amongst the vastness of manicured agricultural land, it under threat on all sides. A well observed and captured landscape that speaks to role of farming in shaping our rural landscapes. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Fields of wheat with geometric figures.

HOLLY CHAFFIN

Pattern immediately engages the viewer in this detailed scene of cultural tradition and uniformity. The captionless scene invites the viewer to ponder the purpose and origins of this seemingly choreographed gathering. The subjects are either unaware or uninterested in the photographer’s presence as they take position along the ascending red cliff face – a structure that appears both natural and manmade. A magnetic moment that we’d love to understand more about. – LIFE FRAMER

HEATHER CRANE

A scene busy with nature, boundlessly brimming from every edge of the frame. The green and brown tonal ranges allow for organic patterns to form and layers of detail to be captured for the viewer to get lost in. The plants and foliage appear distinctive to their location, standing as proud natives in their corner of the earth. A wonderfully elaborate photograph that would work well as a double page spread of an editorial or a large print to be observed and appreciated at scale. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Enchanted Forest Reflections – This image was taken at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary in Titusville, FL. This small creek was originally part of a deep canal dug over a hundred years ago to connect the St. Johns River to the Indian River Lagoon. However, the excavation machines were not capable of cutting through the coquina that makes up Florida’s bedrock and so the canal was left unfinished and overgrown.

HOWARD RANKIN

This layered mountainscape is full of atmosphere, pulling the viewer straight into the wilderness. The photographer seems to have effortlessly captured this dramatic scene, allowing both the subtle and strong elements to embody the picture without conflict. There is a beautiful and traditional aspect to this photograph, aesthetically pleasing and respectful of the natural landscape. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Recession, The Quiraing, Isle of Skye.

BRETT WRIGHT

Simultaneously terrifying and awe-inspiring, the photographer bravely captures a moment of pure natural force unfolding before them. The composition is balanced beautifully with color and tone, allowing the energy of the moment to take focus without over saturating the scene. The image is carefully presented, as if the photographer hopes to achieve a similar reaction from those who view it – one of appreciation and respect for planet Earth. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – With lightning landing all around me, I knew with the composition in front of me, I had to try and capture natures fireworks in the form of powerful cloud to ground lightning. When I realized what I have had captured in the Oklahoma panhandle that late June evening, I felt a new appreciation for the planet we live on.

TANAËL GIOVANETTI

There is a sombre tone to this straightforward but sad scene, as the photographer depicts a harrowing moment without being overly graphic. It stands as a stark recording of human interference with the natural world, how our actions have a direct impact on the species that coexist with us on this planet. The accompanying text seems personal and painful, full of emotion, disappointment but respect for the deceased dolphin. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – I found your dolphin, I think a net got him. This image was captured on the beaches of Hossegor, France, and shows a baby short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) drowned by a fisherman’s net.

ANNA KIRCHNER

A striking scene of perspective and pattern awaits the viewer, the rich earthy colors emphasizing the unique elements of this natural coastline. The bird’s-eye perspective allows the seascape to take on an abstract quality, inviting the viewer to appreciate the scene as an image of form and texture – simple, and yet almost infinitely complex, and with the uneven landscape taking on a serpent-like appearance. An engaging landscape, and an example of aerial photography at its best. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Seacobra Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Australia.

JAKOB VEGERFORS

This portrait of a landscape is full of raw and powerful energy, giving the viewer a full scope of the surrounding environment from sky to ground, without compromising on detail and balancing each earthly element. The fiery river runs through the heart of the picture, reminding us of the untameable aspect of this planet we inhabit. A remarkable photograph that effortlessly holds the viewer’s attention. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – Living in Iceland leads to moments I have never before experienced.

ANDREA KÜNSTLE

A stark image of desolation, destruction and despair – every inch of the frame echoes the photographer’s words and experience of the environmental crisis we have created. Although a beautifully captured photograph of earthy colors and muted tones, the subject matter is bleak and undesirable – a symbolic indication of the irreversible damage done to our planet. A deeply thought provoking image, very well executed. – LIFE FRAMER

Photographer statement – “Heaven on earth”. Unfortunately, the idea that we have heaven above us and on earth is no longer quite true. Yes, we can continue to look at the glossy brochures with pictures of our beautiful earth and simply not want to know what is happening to it. We can look at this amazing beautiful drone pictures which do not show the cruelty we do to our earth. I’ve been out on my bicycle for 2 years now and, sad as it is, there has rarely been this heaven on EARTH. Yes, our earth is fascinating, all the worse how we treat it, its destruction. Sorry, for not finding nicer words. But being out there for such a long time makes it almost impossible to find other words. To feel the heat, to see and smell the trash, to get in touch with all this destruction, it leaves me sad. I’m 56 by now and I’m ashamed what we leave for the next generation. But of course I do know, it is always only the point of view how to take the photo.