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2024 People’s Choice Award

Announcing The 2024 People’s Choice Award Winner!

BigPicture is delighted to announce our first-ever People’s Choice Award Recipient: Wayne Lai for his image, Hunting Cape Gannet. Scroll down to learn more about this incredible image!

This inaugural People’s Choice competition featured 20 contending images from 12 countries and garnered nearly 5,000 votes! You can see the winning and finalist images below, as well as in the interactive in the 2024 BigPicture Exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences opening on September 28th.

Thank you to everyone who participated!

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Nicole Land | Kerens, Texas

Tall Tales

UTSWMC Rookery, Dallas, Texas 
An incredibly provocative shot: A pair of Great egrets (Arden alba) mating in a rookery in the middle of downtown Dallas, Texas.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Takuya Ishiguro | Osaki, Miyagi, Japan

Un-bee-leaf-able

Osaki, Miyagi, Japan
As though riding a magic carpet, a leafcutter bee (Megachile rotundata) is carrying a leaf. This photographer creates his own custom lens to capture these tiny creatures up close. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Barrett Hedges | Canmore, Canada

Massive Migration

Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States
In a time of salmon run shortages, an amazing birds-eye view reveals a massive congregation of sockeyes (Oncorhynchus nerka) migrating around a brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Katmai National Park. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Henley Spiers | Exeter, United Kingdom

Puffer Playtime

Los Islotes Rookery, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Famously playful, California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are prone to using rocks, sticks, feathers, and sea stars as props in their games. In this case, they have chosen an unlucky guinea-fowl puffer fish (Arothron meleagris) to play with along the water column. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Savannah Rose | Jackson, Wyoming, United States

Down the Bank

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
An American beaver (Castor canadensis) drags a fallen sapling down a snowy hill to the water below. It was unclear to the photographer how it planned to get the sapling all the way down, noting that the beaver tumbled into the water soon after this image was snapped!

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Katherine Lu | Singapore

Pyrosome Zone

Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom 
Taken during a blackwater dive, a barely one-inch juvenile Mototi octopus (Amphioctopus mototi) sits on a Pyrosome (genus Pyrosoma), a colony composed of thousands of tiny organisms called zooids. It’s rare to see these creatures in the Pelagic zone at all, let alone using debris, trash or other animals for transportation, camouflage, and safety.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Sirachai Arunrugstichai | Bangkok, Thailand 

Diversity in Death

Bangkok, Thailand
Using skeletal images of various fish captured through x-ray, this image symbolizes the potential loss of marine biodiversity due to degraded reef ecosystems. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Buddhilini de Soyza | Sydney, Australia

A Turbulent Swim

Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, Africa 
Southeast African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) attempting to  cross a river were carried downstream by the flooding, likely caused by torrential rains due to climate change. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Armand Sarlangue | Caden, France

Icy Nap

Petersberg, Alaska, United States
While freshly fallen ice is a worrying sign of global warming, ironically, these small icebergs—set against the backdrop of massive glaciers—provide good resting spots for the local seals (family Phocidae).

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Armand Sarlangue | Caden, France

Big Bang

Fagradalsjfall Volcano, Iceland
Surrounded by fiery patterns caused by storm winds and rain, a 1,200 degree lava fountain erupts from a secondary fissure during the 2021 Icelandic volcano. This dramatic shot was captured via drone, only moments before authorities closed off access due to the storm’s danger. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Anton Sorokin | Felton, California, United States

The Diversity of an Oak

Contra Costa County, California, United States
This composition showcases the hidden Gall wasp (family Cynipidae) biodiversity that can be found in Oak trees (genus Quercus). Each gall pictured is specific to a different species of wasp and they all depend on oaks to complete their life cycles. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Dennis Corpuz | Mabini Batangas, Philippines

Whistle Blower

Valparai range of Anamalai Tiger Reserve, TamilNadu, India
In an unusual gesture, a tiny Combtooth blenny (family Blenniidae)  appears to call out while resting inside a glowing green coral. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Pravin Shanmughanandam | Coimbatore, India

In the Arms of Mother Nature

Valparai range of Anamalai Tiger Reserve, TamilNadu, India 
A herd of Indian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) rest at the edge of a Shola forest patch. Though they are peacefully napping, they choose this place to rest in order to withdraw from danger quickly and remain touch-connected to each other so that each member can be quickly alerted in case of threat. Given that elephants rely on forest covers to rest and take shelter, these last remnant forest patches are crucial and pivotal to sustain the wildlife in the region.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Milan Radisics | Budapest, Hungary

Plunge Pool Laps

Vértes Natural Park
A Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) captured with an underwater camera mounted in a pool. Without  natural water in the nearby mountains, and puddles frozen during the winter, this fox—and all manner of animals—come to this yard and regularly drink from the small plunge pool.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Morgan Heim | Astoria, Oregon, United States

Tower Birds

Middleton Island, Alaska, United States 
A biological research station set up on a decommissioned air force base is now home to a long-running seabird study. This astonishing image was taken through a one-way mirror used to observe Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) nesting on a former radar tower, allowing the photographer to stand unseen, inches away.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Manuel Enrique González Carmona | Olivares, Sevilla, Spain

Fallen Angel

Tintillo River, Spain
A dead Stone pine (Pinus pinea) appears to be struck by a lightning bolt and sinking into a fountain of lava. In reality, it’s planted within the Tintillo, the most acidic river in the world, with its riverbed edges defined in bright orange. This heavily mined river is brimming with heavy metals such as iron, copper, and sulfur dioxide, giving it a fiery red hue. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Jessica Hadley | Moran, Wyoming, United States

Alpine Grizzly

Absaroka Mountain Range, Wyoming, United States
It’s unexpected to see a Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) at such a high elevation peak, but some grizzlies in Wyoming spend their summers on high alpine talus slopes. Here, they feast on army cutworm moths (Euxoa auxiliaris), one of the highest calorie foods available to bears here—some bears eating as many as 40,000 moths to get their 20,000 calories per day!

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Richard Herrmann | Poway, California, United States

Star Garden

Channel Islands, California, United States
Standing out in the vast gardens of Brittle sea stars (Ophiothrix spiculata) is a Two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculatus), which is curious as this particular species is capable of color-changing camouflage, allowing it to blend in perfectly with its surroundings. 

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Wayne Lai | Zhuhai, China

Hunting Cape Gannet

The Wild Coast, Port St John’s, South Africa
While sardine (family Clupeidae) runs are often in murky water, a strobe light helped illuminate the moment a Cape gannet (Morus capensis) dove straight into a school of unlucky fish. Not only were the cormorants attacking the bait ball from the air, dolphins were circling down below, driving the fish to the surface.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE FINALIST

Massimo Giorgetta | Latina, Italy

Life Protected

North Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Encountered during a black water dive (aka night dive), a one-inch Salp (family Salpidae) hosts crabs, shrimps, and lobster larvae, both attached to it and resting inside. Though mistaken for jellyfish, salps are not venomous and feed on plankton, allowing small fish and other critters to hide within them to avoid predators.

Step 1: View the 2024 People’s Choice images

View nominees

people's choice Finalist

Nicole Land | Kerens, Texas

Tall Tails

UTSWMC Rookery, Dallas, Texas
An incredibly provocative shot: A pair of Great egrets (Arden alba) mating in a rookery in the middle of downtown Dallas, Texas.

people's choice Finalist

Takuya Ishiguro | Osaki, Miyagi, Japan

Un-bee-leaf-able

Osaki, Miyagi, Japan
As though riding a magic carpet, a leafcutter bee (Megachile rotundata) is carrying a leaf. This photographer creates his own custom lens to capture these tiny creatures up close.

people's choice Finalist

Barrett Hedges | Canmore, Canada

Massive Migration

Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States
In a time of salmon run shortages, an amazing birds-eye view reveals a massive congregation of sockeyes (Oncorhynchus nerka) migrating around a brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Katmai National Park. 

people's choice Finalist

Henley Spiers | Exeter, United Kingdom

Puffer Playtime

Los Islotes Rookery, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Famously playful, California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are prone to using rocks, sticks, feathers, and sea stars as props in their games. In this case, they have chosen an unlucky guinea-fowl puffer fish (Arothron meleagris) to play with along the water column.

People's choice Finalist

Savannah Rose | Jackson, Wyoming, United States

Down the Bank

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, United States
An American beaver (Castor canadensis) drags a fallen sapling down a snowy hill to the water below. It was unclear to the photographer how it planned to get the sapling all the way down, noting that the beaver tumbled into the water soon after this image was snapped!

people's choice Finalist

Katherine Lu | Singapore

Pyrosome Zone

Anilao, Philippines
Taken during a blackwater dive, a barely one-inch juvenile Mototi octopus (Amphioctopus mototi) sits on a Pyrosome (genus Pyrosoma), a colony composed of thousands of tiny organisms called zooids. It’s rare to see these creatures in the Pelagic zone at all, let alone using debris, trash or other animals for transportation, camouflage, and safety.

People's choice Finalist

Sirachai Arunrugstichai | Bangkok, Thailand

Diversity in Death

Bangkok, Thailand
Using skeletal images of various fish captured through x-ray, this image symbolizes the potential loss of marine biodiversity due to degraded reef ecosystems .

people's choice Finalist

Buddhilini de Soyza | Sydney, Australia

A Turbulent Swim

Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, Africa
Southeast African cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) attempting to cross a river were carried downstream by the flooding, likely caused by torrential rains due to climate change.

people's choice Finalist

Armand Sarlangue | Caden, France

Icy Nap

Petersberg, Alaska, United States
While freshly fallen ice is a worrying sign of global warming, ironically, these small icebergs—set against the backdrop of massive glaciers—provide good resting spots for the local seals (family Phocidae).

people's choice Finalist

Armand Sarlangue | Caden, France

Big Bang

Fagradalsjfall Volcano, Iceland
Surrounded by fiery patterns caused by storm winds and rain, a 1,200 degree lava fountain erupts from a secondary fissure during the 2021 Icelandic volcano. This dramatic shot was captured via drone, only moments before authorities closed off access due to the storm’s danger.

people's choice Finalist

Anton Sorokin | Felton, California, United States

The Diversity of an Oak

Contra Costa County, California, United States
This composition showcases the hidden Gall wasp (family Cynipidae) biodiversity that can be found in Oak trees (genus Quercus). Each gall pictured is specific to a different species of wasp and they all depend on oaks to complete their life cycles.

people's choice Finalist

Dennis Corpuz | Mabini Batangas, Philippines

Whistle Blower

Anilao Mabini Batngas, Philippines
In an unusual gesture, a tiny Combtooth blenny (family Blenniidae) appears to call out while resting inside a glowing green coral.

people's choice Finalist

Pravin Shanmughanandam | Coimbatore, India

In the Arms of Mother Nature

Valparai range of Anamalai Tiger Reserve, TamilNadu, India 
A herd of Indian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) rest at the edge of a Shola forest patch. Though they are peacefully napping, they choose this place to rest in order to withdraw from danger quickly and remain touch-connected to each other so that each member can be quickly alerted in case of threat. Given that elephants rely on forest covers to rest and take shelter, these last remnant forest patches are crucial and pivotal to sustain the wildlife in the region.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Milan Radisics | Budapest, Hungary

Plunge Pool Laps

Vértes Natural Park, Hungary
A Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) captured with an underwater camera mounted in a pool. Without natural water in the nearby mountains, and puddles frozen during the winter, this fox—and all manner of animals—come to this yard and regularly drink from the small plunge pool.

people's Choice Finalist

Morgan Heim | Astoria, Oregon, United States

Tower Birds

Middleton Island, Alaska, United States
A biological research station set up on a decommissioned air force base is now home to a long-running seabird study. This astonishing image was taken through a one-way mirror used to observe Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) nesting on a former radar tower, allowing the photographer to stand unseen, inches away.

people's choice Finalist

Manuel Enrique González Carmona | Olivares, Sevilla, Spain

Fallen Angel

Tintillo River, Spain
A dead Stone pine (Pinus pinea) appears to be struck by a lightning bolt and sinking into a fountain of lava. In reality, it’s planted within the Tintillo, the most acidic river in the world, with its riverbed edges defined in bright orange. This heavily mined river is brimming with heavy metals such as iron, copper, and sulfur dioxide, giving it a fiery red hue.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Jessica Hadley | Moran, Wyoming, United States

Alpine Grizzly

Absaroka Mountain Range, Wyoming, United States
It’s unexpected to see a Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) at such a high elevation peak, but some grizzlies in Wyoming spend their summers on high alpine talus slopes. Here, they feast on army cutworm moths (Euxoa auxiliaris), one of the highest calorie foods available to bears here—some bears eating as many as 40,000 moths to get their 20,000 calories per day!

people's choice Finalist

Richard Herrmann | Poway, California, United States

Star Garden

Channel Islands, California, United States
Standing out in the vast gardens of Brittle sea stars (Ophiothrix spiculata) is a Two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculatus), which is curious as this particular species is capable of color-changing camouflage, allowing it to blend in perfectly with its surroundings.

People's Choice Finalist

Massimo Giorgetta | Latina, Italy

Life Protected

North Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Encountered during a black water dive (aka night dive), a one-inch Salp (family Salpidae) hosts crabs, shrimps, and lobster larvae, both attached to it and resting inside. Though mistaken for jellyfish, salps are not venomous and feed on plankton, allowing small fish and other critters to hide within them to avoid predators.

People’s Choice

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

Hunting Cape Gannet

The Wild Coast, Port St John’s, South Africa

While sardine (family Clupeidae) runs are often in murky water, a strobe light helped illuminate the moment a Cape gannet (Morus capensis) dove straight into a school of unlucky fish. Not only were the gannets attacking the bait ball from the air, dolphins were circling down below, driving the fish to the surface.

Wayne Lai

Zhuhai, China

Wayne Lai began his underwater photography on a macro-imagery focused trip to Anilao in 2016. Deeply impressed by the beauty and behavior of their creatures under the focus light, his enthusiasm for underwater macro photography has escalated. In just under two years, and after frequent visits to Lembeh, Romblon and Anilao, Wayne was able to hone his skills in wide-angle photography. Since 2017, Wayne’s photos have been recognized in top underwater and nature and wildlife photography competitions such as Spotlight UW Macro Photographer 2017; Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year 2021; DPG/Wetpixel Masters 2021; Nature Photographer of the Year 2021; Art of Nature, Glanzlichter 2024.

Aquatic Life winner

Of Blades & Spines

Kate Vylet | Santa Cruz, United States
Carmel Bay, United States

July – October 2020