Gut-wrenching image of a wild cat killing a flamingo wins Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022

Nature TTL Photographer of the Year has just announced its 2022 winners. Seen as a group, the photos show all sides of nature and wildlife: from tender and magical, to raw and threatening. And when we look at the individual photo that won this year’s contest: it’s all about the latter.

The winning image of Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2022 shows a caracal carrying a dead flamingo in its jaws. While we all know this is normal in the wild, the photo isn’t for the faint-hearted. Still, all of the category winners are absolutely stunning, so I invite you to go through this year’s winners and discover both the beauty and the dangers of the world around us.

This year, over 8,000 images were entered into the competition. But the overall winner is Dennis Stogsdill from the USA. His image A Cat and Its Prize made me and my DIYP buddy Alex sick, so we’re among those faint-hearted I mentioned above. However, the judges were apparently stronger than us, awarding David with the title of the overall winner and the £1,500 cash prize. In addition, his image also won the Animal Behaviour category.

“This is nature at its most raw. The caracal is soaked from chasing the flamingos through the waters, but has come out on top,” says Will Nicholls, Founder of Nature TTL. “The contrasting colors against the dark surroundings really make this image pop. A wonderful scene to have been able to observe no doubt, let alone capture exquisitely on camera.”

The contest also recognizes the Young Nature TTL Photographer of the Year. This year, the winner is 13-year-old Achintya Murthy from India with his photo of two malabar parakeets fighting.

Photographers competed in eight different categories celebrating the natural world: Animal Behaviour, Camera Traps, Landscapes, Small World, The Night Sky, Underwater, Urban Wildlife, and Wild Portraits. You can take a look at the category winners below, and make sure to check out the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year’s website to learn more about the competition.