Photo and Caption by Denis Budkov/2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, Aladdin's Cave. "Snow cave on the slopes of the volcano Mutnovsky. Due to global warming, glaciers have begun to decline. As a result, the ceiling of the cave became thin and the sunlight creates a wonderful picture of the different colors."
The Olympics of nature photography is nearly here, as National Geographic gears up to name the winner of the National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest. After sifting through thousands of entries, they've released a selection of the best images to pass over their desks, including mesmerizing Pacific island horizons, frozen flocks of water fowl, and bug best-buddies. Professional and amateur photographers alike express the natural beauty of untouched landscapes, highlight humankind's transgressions on those spaces, and humanize the animals whose homes are at stake.The images are beautifully-framed works of art, but they also inherently prompt the viewer to think about environmental issues. It's one thing to read statistics about ice caps melting, and it's another to see that they're so thin in some areas that light pours through like stained glass. National Geographic is still accepting entries to the contest, so if you can do better than these offerings, submit your own work here.Entries to the National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest are open through November 4. Submit your photos here.Related:Cities Are Stunning in NatGeo's Travel PhotographyContestThe Surveillance Artist Turning Landscape Photography Inside Out6 Artists Highlight New African Photography
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