We invited a panel of esteemed nature photographers, writers, and photo editors—chaired by award-winning wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas—to judge and select from this year's competition entries.
“BigPicture has become one of the most prestigious nature photography contests in the world. Every year, the judging panel has the privilege of seeing thousands of exquisite images from all corners of the globe, so many of which just blow your mind.”
—Suzi Eszterhas, BigPicture Jury Chair
Suzi Eszterhas is an award-winning wildlife photographer who is best known for her work documenting newborn animals and family life in the wild. Her photographs have been published in over 100 magazine cover and feature stories. She has 21 books in print and another three in progress. A dedicated conservationist, Suzi lends her images and expertise to help raise funds and awareness for several environmental organizations around the globe. Suzi is also the Founder and Executive Director of Girls Who Click, a nonprofit dedicated to encouraging young women to enter the male-dominated profession of wildlife photography.
Fernando Faciole is a conservation photographer and National Geographic Explorer 24' based in São Paulo. With a background in Biological Sciences, his deep connection with nature and wildlife was fostered early in life, having spent much of his childhood in a trailer surrounded by nature. He is a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), becoming the youngest Brazilian to join and only the third from his country to be part of this prestigious group.Faciole's work has taken him around the globe, documenting critical conservation stories focused on endangered species and threatened ecosystems. From capturing the plight of flamingos held in captivity in the Dominican Republic to highlighting the devastating drought and wildfires in the Pantanal wetlands, his compelling photo stories have been licensed by prominent media outlets, including National Geographic and BBC Wildlife Magazine. He has received numerous awards in international contests, including the Environmental Photography Award from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in 2024 and the Panda Award at the Wildscreen Festival in 2022. As a National Geographic Explorer, Faciole is currently documenting the Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus), an endangered species vital to its ecosystem
Born and raised in Germany and currently based in the UK, Britta Jaschinski is a photographer investigating human’s relationship with the natural world and our impact on planet Earth. Documenting crimes against wildlife and nature, she is known for her unique style in photojournalism and works with international authorities and environmental organizations. Jaschinski has won numerous international awards, and her work has been published by Geo, National Geographic, Stern, Spiegel, The Guardian, WWF Media and numerous other magazines, newspapers and books worldwide. Her work is exhibited at festivals and in galleries and museums across the globe and she is the creator of global, award winning, photography-led book campaigns revolving around environmental issues. Especially in 2023/24 Jaschinski has been able to present her photographs successfully to politicians and decision makers to call for changes in law to bring positive change. Her work was recently showcased in the BigPicture book, Seeing It All.
Peter Mather loves soccer, photography, his family, healthy living and McDonalds, in that order. Peter grew up in Northern Canada and his photo stories revolve around life in the North, with a focus on wildlife, the environment and community culture. He lives and works in Whitehorse, Yukon, where he was raised playing soccer and hockey during the school year, and then hiking, canoeing, hunting, and fishing in the summer months.
Mather’s stories include how a changing climate will affect wolverines on Alaska’s North Slope, the fight to protect caribou calving grounds on Alaska’s Arctic Refuge by the Gwich’in people, and the world’s largest Hand Games tournament hosted by the small Dene community of Bechoko. He is a fellow with the International League of Conservation photographers and has worked with National Geographic, the New York Times, Smithsonian, Audubon, Canadian Geographic, and Geo magazine on telling important wildlife stories from the North.
Anthony is a National Geographic Explorer, iLCP Emerging Fellow, and NEWF Fellow. His work is focused on creating content that will inspire conservation action across all ages and races. In addition to serving as a Board Member of the Conservation Alliance of Kenya (CAK), he is the Executive Director and Founder of TonyWild Foundation, a platform for promoting conservation action by creating awareness of wildlife conservation through photography, film, and science.
He is an InfoNile-EverydayNile Photojournalism Fellow 2021, Jackson Wild Media Lab Fellow 2020 and Emerging Filmmaker Scholar 2019, Nature Environment Wildlife Filmmakers (N.E.W.F) Pitch Winner 2020, WWF Education for Nature Grantee, Top 100 Youth in Conservation 2021.
His images have been featured in National Geographic Espana and Africa, Sustainable Travel International, and Global Landscape Forum, as well as exhibited at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London, Dalby Forest; North Yorkshire, Moors Valley Country Park; Forest, Dorset; Grizedale, Cumbria. Currently, Anthony is working on a photo story documenting the positive stories of bycatch protocols implemented by fishermen in Ghana to support the conservation of the critically endangered Hammerhead Sharks.
A National Geographic Explorer, Aishwarya Sridhar is a wildlife filmmaker and photographer. From filming big cats across India to going undercover in the wildlife markets of Bangkok, she’s worked on diverse stories. A Canon EOS Influencer and an Emerging League Fellow at the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP), Aishwarya has contributed photos to renowned publications like National Geographic magazine, BBC Wildlife, Guardian, Mongabay, Digital Camera, Times of India, Sanctuary Asia among others. In 2020, she became the first Indian woman to win at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards in London. As a filmmaker & director, her productions have been broadcast on leading television networks including National Geographic WILD, Arte, KBS, NHK and CCTV China. Her work has received global recognition in the form of numerous awards and accolades such as the Princess Diana Award for Young Changemakers. She was also named one of the 50 Explorers changing the world by the Explorer's Club, NYC. Through her work, she aims to illuminate critical issues like wildlife trafficking and conservation, inspiring people worldwide to become passionate stewards of our planet.
Sophie Stafford is a passionate conservationist and charity communication consultant who has judged many of the world’s nature photography competitions. As Editor of BBC Wildlife Magazine, she judged and co-managed the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for nearly 10 years. She has traveled the world to join the juries of natural history photo contests, and has been part of the BigPicture team since its inception in 2014, including serving as contributing editor of the competition's 2023 publication, Seeing It All: Women Photographers Expose Our Planet. Sophie is an affiliate of the International League of Conservation Photographers, and reviews and judges photography for a myriad of natural history magazines that she produces for international conservation charities. Since its inception, Sophie has been a Contributing Photo Editor and feature writer for bioGraphic, the California Academy of Science’s nature storytelling magazine. She currently serves as a consulting editor to The Tree Council, helping them to transform their loyalty communications into powerful voices for their brand values, and improve supporter engagement and loyalty through the power of visual storytelling.
