Mystical portrait of Helena’s tree frog wins Capturing Ecology 2022 contest

British Ecological Society has published the 2022 winners of its annual photo contest, Capturing Ecology. And like every year, the selected images feature different subjects and convey different emotions: from the thrilling chase of a hungry leopard, to the blissful calm of a bird floating on water.

This year’s overall winner is a portrait of a Helena’s tree frog and its glowing golden eyes of piercing through the darkness. Other than this incredibly artistic frog close-up, the contest showcases plenty more stunning images, so let’s check them out!

The 2022 overall winner is Roberto Garcia Roa, a conservation photographer and evolutionary biologist at Lund University. Striving to combine the power of images and the scientific knowledge behind them to spark conversation and understanding around the interactions of human beings and our planet, Roberto said:

“Winning the British Ecological Society’s Capturing Ecology photography competition with this image has a special significance to me for many reasons. First, it links two powerful allies, science, and photography, which have emerged hand in hand during the last two centuries as key tools for deciphering the natural world around us.”

Describing the hidden beauty of his photograph, Roberto added:

“Like two beacons in the dark, the striking eyes of a Helena’s treefrog (Osteocephalus helenae) seem to glow in the darkness of the night. This image reveals the beauty of nature hidden in Tambopata, a region that is currently threatened by gold mining. It is paradoxical to see the eyes of this frog as small golden pearls, because in reality, the true treasure lies in ensuring the protection of this area and its inhabitants.”

The overall runner up of the 2022 contest is Peter Hudson for his image Leopard Surprise! Frozen in time, it captures a Steenbok’s last futile attempt not to become prey, while a mother Leopard is determined to feed her cub. “Leopards don’t often hunt during the day, but demand from her cub meant, Luluka had to have a go,” the photographer explains. “The Steenbok are not easy, they exhibit multiple adaptations to avoid predation, so the hunt was long and careful – taking this leopard four attempts to secure her prey.”

Capturing Ecology also recognizes the overall winner in Student category, and this year the title was awarded to Sam Eberhard. The winning image in this category shows a bald eagle navigating the harrowing process of escaping from Haystack Rock with a common murre that it snatched from the top of the rock.

The Capturing Ecology contest recognizes category winners and an additional seven highly commended photos. Taken by ecologists and students from all over the world, they all have one thing in common: they celebrate the diversity of ecology, capturing flora and fauna from across the globe. So, take a look at the rest of the images below, and make sure to visit the British Ecological Society’s website for more information.