Drone image wins Nature TTL Photographer of the Year competition

The winners of the inaugural Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2020 competition have been announced.

The international competition saw 7,000 entries from wildlife, landscape, and macro photographers across 117 different countries, with two Australian photographers, Jesslyn Saw and Caitlin Henderson, recognised. 

French photographer Florian Ledoux took the £1,000 grand prize with his image Above the Crabeater Seals, taken with a drone flying above ice floats in Antarctica.

“I am so excited to be chosen as the overall winner, I was never expecting this,” said Ledoux.

“For me, it is very important to show the state of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and to have an image from there win this award is important exposure.

“It is important that anyone inspired by this style of drone image understands the importance of wildlife and being ethical in your approach. Ensure that your drone does not spook animals or disturb them, and always conduct yourself within accordance of local regulations.”

Wildlife cameraman, and organiser of the competition, Will Nicholls said, “Florian’s image provides a unique angle that is not often seen in wildlife photography. The judges had a tough choice to make, but the detail and strong composition of the seals surrounded by the broken ice made it stand out from the crowd.”

Photographer Marek Biegalski won the Landscape category, also with a shot taken from a drone, showing a flock of sheep sheltering from the heat under a tree. The Macro category was won by Chinese photographer Minghui Yuan with a simplistic, two-tone image of a damselfly resting on some grasses.

The Youth category was won by 15-year-old Saptarshi Guyen from India with his image “Phoenix”. His image shows a drongo on the hunt for insects fleeing grassland fires set by farmers to clear the land.

You can see all the winners and finalist images below.