11 brilliant images from the British Wildlife Photography Awards
A bus passes a swan in London, a blue shark swims near Cornwall, and a group of pigeons eyes a tasty snack in Essex. The post 11 brilliant images from the British Wildlife Photography Awards appeared first on Popular Science.
When you think of wildlife photography, you might conjure thoughts of cheetahs sprinting across the open savanna or polar bears feasting on a whale carcass, but nature is everywhere. Nature is in your backyard, your city, and even inside a bag of discarded fries.
The British Wildlife Photography Awards documents this fact each year with compelling images from a fascinating variety of locations. Yes, even inside a fries bag (seen below).
15-17 years | Winner
When I found a packet of fries someone had abandoned, I knew that it wouldn’t be long until it attracted opportunistic pigeons. I set up a small GoPro camera in the back of the packet, and after some very weird looks from people passing by, the birds finally started to show up. As they approached the food, I triggered the camera with voice commands so I didn’t put the birds off their meal and I pulled off this shot. Our carelessness removes the natural food for many species and provides for others. These birds are truly the vultures of the streets.
Credit: Ben Lucas / British Wildlife Photography Awards
Photographer Simon Withyman was named British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 and winner in the Urban Wildlife category for his image (seen below) of a female fox navigating the streets of Bristol, England.
“I had been photographing this vixen for three years,” Withyman said in a statement. “This streetwise fox was a successful mother and had a family of young mouths to feed. I was instantly drawn to the interesting perspective effect of these railings and wanted to showcase some beauty in this everyday urban scene.”
British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 and Winner of Urban Wildlife
For approximately three years, I had been photographing this vixen and was able to track her movements across the city. Surprisingly, she covered large distances, eventually moving over a mile away from her original parental territory. In the city, that means a lot of roads, hazards, and other fox territories to contend with. This streetwise fox was a successful mother and had a family of young mouths to feed. She would patrol the streets and the area near her den searching for food for herself and her young family. She would opportunistically hunt rodents and birds, as well as scavenge takeaway leftovers dropped on the floor. I wanted to capture a creative environment portrait as she went about her daily routine. I was instantly drawn to the interesting perspective effect of these railings and wanted to showcase some beauty in this everyday urban scene.
Credit: Simon Withyman / British Wildlife Photography Awards Simon Withyman
More than 13,000 photographs were submitted across 10 categories to the 2025 British Wildlife Photography Awards. Submissions are now open for the 2026 awards.
Animal Portraits | Runner-up
I spent several days photographing the red grouse that frequent the Yorkshire moors. Positioned near a male grouse feeding on heather, I was focused on capturing its behavior when I noticed a second bird flying in. With just enough time to reposition myself, I managed to capture the moment it landed on the heather with its wings outstretched.
Credit: Ben Hall / British Wildlife Photography Awards 
Coast & Marine | Winner
This slow-shutter speed portrait of a blue shark was captured 10 to 15 miles southwest of Penzance, Cornwall. Blue sharks are summer visitors to UK waters, known for their bold and curious nature, often interacting with snorkelers. They primarily feed on small fish and squid and are easily attracted to boats using Rubby Dubby—a mixture of fish carcasses, oils, and bran. As apex predators, they are highly vulnerable to long-line fishing and, with no catch limits or quotas, are overexploited for their fins in the production of shark fin soup. These beautiful oceanic animals deserve our protection.
Credit: Nicholas More / British Wildlife Photography Awards 
Coast & Marine | Runner-up
A young grey seal breaks the surface in the clear turquoise waters of a coastal cave on Bardsey Island, North Wales. This cave hosts up to 30 or more seals hauling out within its depths, accessing it through a hidden seaward passage beneath the water. Sitting quietly above offers a unique opportunity to observe their movements, behaviors, and remarkable vocalizations up close. Occasionally, the perfect combination of light, tide, and seal activity aligns to create an image like this—one of my favorites from my visits to this extraordinary site.
Credit: Ben Porter / British Wildlife Photography Awards 
Animal Portraits | Winner
The late artist Robert Gillmor created a beautiful linocut of a running hare, depicting the different positions a hare’s legs take as they run. I thought it would be interesting to recreate this piece of art in a photograph by using a slow shutter speed of 1/10 sec as a hare ran. It took many attempts, photographing hares as they moved up and down a field of winter wheat, but I finally achieved this image of a hare in motion.
Credit: David Tipling / British Wildlife Photography Awards 
Young British Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 and 11 and under | Winner
It was a very early morning start and a four-hour drive to try to get the early morning light on the plains. As the sun was just coming up over the hill, I noticed how it caught the dandelion clocks and lit them up like little fuzzy lamps everywhere. I was lining up my camera out of the car window, ready to capture a photo, when I heard a curlew nearby. I scanned the area to try to find where they were and found this one wading through the dandelions just in front of me.
Credit: Jamie Smart / British Wildlife Photography Awards 
Urban Wildlife | Runner-up
A small South London pond provided an unexpected yet ideal setting for a swan study. A resident pair had nested there for years, successfully raising cygnets each spring. The cob ruled the water like a medieval baron, driving away all but the ducks—geese, crows, and other intruders were swiftly evicted. At times, he would even wander onto the main London road, stopping traffic as he stood watch over his family just inches from passing cars and lorries. Capturing this urban avian family required an early start and a unique approach—standing knee-deep in the pond’s thick mud before the fountain switched on, using a tripod, a long lens, a two-second delay, a slow shutter speed, and, of course, a passing bus.
Credit: Paul Goldstein / British Wildlife Photography Awards
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