The image of a buzzing ball of cactus bees spinning over the hot sand on a Texas ranch has helped its creator to win the coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
The bee-level close-up was captured by US photographer Karine Aigner and makes her the fifth woman in the competition’s 58-year history to claim the grand title award.
The other main title of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 was won by 16-year-old Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn, of Thailand, for his image about the beauty of a whale.
Ms Aigner’s image was praised for its “sense of movement and intensity” by the judges at London’s Natural History Museum, who develop and produce the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
All except one of the bees in the close-up are males, who are intent on mating with the single female at the centre.
Like most bees, they are threatened by habitat loss, pesticides and climate change, as well as farming practices that disrupt their nesting grounds.
Chairwoman of the judging panel, Roz Kidman Cox said: “Wings whirring, incoming males home in on the ball of buzzing bees that is rolling straight into the picture.
“The sense of movement and intensity is shown at bee-level magnification and transforms what are little cactus bees into big competitors for a single female.”
The success of Thai teenager Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn in winning the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year title was due to his fascination with the colours of a baleen whale.
17. Out of the fog by Ismael Dominguez Gutierrez, winner of the Young Wildlife Photography of the Year 11-14 years category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Out of the fog. Winner of the Young Wildlife Photography of the Year 11-14 years category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The image of an osprey sitting on a dead tree as it waits for the fog to lift was caught by Ismael Dominguez Gutierrez, of Spain. Photo: Ismael Dominguez Gutierrez/Wildl
18. The Cuban connection by Karine Aigner, overall winner and winner of the Photojournalist Story Award category
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. The Cuban connection by Karine Aigner, overall winner and winner of the Photojournalist Story Award category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Photo: Karine Aigner/Wildlife Photograp
19. The dying lake by by Daniel Nunez, winner of the Wetlands
The dying lake by by Daniel Nunez, winner of the Wetlands - The Bigger Picture category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Daniel Nunez, of Guatemala, used a drone to capture the contrast between a forest and the algal growth on Lake Amatitlan. He hopes the photograph will raise awareness of the impact of contamination on the lake which takes in about 75,000 tonnes of waste from Guatemala City every year. Photo: Daniel Nunez/Wildlife Photograph