Environmental Photographer of the Year 2022 winners announced
posted Friday, December 2, 2022 at 12:15 PM EDT
The 2022 Environmental Photographer of the Year competition winners have been announced. The competition is in its 15th year, and its focus is to "tell stories of the climate and ecological emergencies the world is facing, and of the people rising to the challenge." This year's contest received more than 3,000 photos entered from over 115 countries. Entrants included amateur and professional photographers from ages 7 to 90 years old.
The Environmental Photographer of the Year competition is partnered with CIWEM (a water and environmental management charity), WaterBear (free streaming platform dedicated to the future of Earth), Arup (sustainable development professional services firm), and Nikon. The panel of judges includes award-winning photographers and photo editors Matilde Gattoni, Daisy Gilardini, Victor Moriyama, Wacera Njagi, and Roie Galitz.
Without further ado, let's check out the primary award winners, including the overall Environmental Photographer of the Year. Taking home the top honors is photographer Mehdi Mohebi Pour for a distressing photo titled "The Bitter Death of Birds." The image shows three of the many birds that died due to habitat contamination and a lack of clean water, along with workers who needed to collect the dead birds to prevent the spread of disease.
Of the winning image, Mehdi Mohebi Pour said, "I was born in a very green and beautiful province in Iran and photographing nature and wildlife has been something I have loved ever since I picked up the camera. For several years now, I have been photographing and researching the Miankaleh Wetland Project and photographing all the good and bad events that occur in the Wetland."
"The Miankaleh wetland is being destroyed by changes in the climate and it is my duty as a photographer to highlight these problems and create a record for history. I want to prevent the complete destruction of the wetland and the potential environmental disaster by showing the issues and threats to these beautiful natural places. The death of the wetland is equal to the death of the earth and the death of humans."
"I believe 'The Bitter Death of Birds' was noticed by the judges because the image shows a scary perspective and the possibility of this happening all over the world. The photo highlights the danger to the planet."
Judge and photojournalist Victor Moriyama commented, "This is the image that most connects me with my training base, which is photojournalism. It shows a very impactful and shocking situation. I believe in the power of sensitizing global society through the images made by journalists and this image brings together all the elements for that."
16-year-old photographer Fayz Khan received the Nikon Award, awarded to the Young Environmental Photographer of the Year. Khan's image, "Beautiful but Hostile Colors on Earth," depicts Lesser flamingoes over Lake Magadi and Lake Natron in Kenya. The two lakes were once a single freshwater lake but have become two separate, alkaline, and highly toxic bodies of water. Lesser flamingoes are among the few species that aren't harmed by the lakes, instead safely feeding on the algae that live on the water's surface. While the colors are interesting and visually stunning, they belie the changing and hazardous makeup of the lakes.
Stefan Maier, General Manager Marketing, Nikon Europe, said of Khan's winning image, "We are thrilled that Fayz Khan has been selected as the recipient of the 2022 Young Environmental Winner of the Year award. Nikon has been behind some of the most important stories told through photography over the last century, and we're delighted to support such a young talent as he contributes to the impact photography will continue to have in the future and hones his photography skills."
The remaining winners are showcased below. To see the full details for each image, visit the Environmental Photographer of the Year website. You can also view the many excellent shortlisted photos here.
Image credits: Photos are credited to the photographers and courtesy of the Environmental Photographer of the Year competition