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BigPicture 2016
Featuring the work of award-winning photographers from around the world—and the perspectives of Academy scientists—BigPicture trains its lens on our mission to explore, explain, and sustain life on Earth.
BigPicture, the Academy’s annual major photography exhibit, illustrates and celebrates the incredible diversity of life on Earth through 48 stunning works by award-winning nature, wildlife, and conservation photographers from 33 countries. Selected from more than 5,000 competition entries, the featured photos reveal fascinating stories from the depths of the ocean to our own backyards.
Throughout the exhibit, valuable insights from Academy scientists accompany the striking moments captured by photographers and help explain how vital these images are in efforts to protect our planet.
Enter your nature, wildlife, and conservation images in the 2017 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition for a chance to win a share of $12,000 in cash prizes! bigpicturecompetition.org
Winners Gallery
Explore the images that earned top prizes and honorable mentions across the competition's seven categories.
Behind the Lens
Learn more about the winning photographers—and the moments they captured—in a closer look at the stories behind BigPicture's prize-wining images.
2014-15 Competition Winners
See all the winners from the first two years of our BigPicture competition.
2016 BigPicture Judges
We invited a panel of esteemed nature photographers and photo editors, chaired by award-winning wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas, to judge and select from this year's competition entries.
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BigPicture Competition
Our annual BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition seeks to inspire environmental stewardship through the power of imagery. Professional-level photographers are encouraged to submit work that celebrates and illustrates the diversity of life on Earth.