Spirit of the Forest. Branches and vines entangle the antlers of a grazing elk. 📷 John Hafner

A long-tailed tit perches in the fading afternoon light, framed by a luminous bokeh ball formed from the river’s reflections. 📷 Filip Blaauw

A European rabbit rises on hind legs to reach late-season rose hips, stretching for winter’s last sweetness. 📷 Julian Rad

Morning Reverie. In the hush of dawn, a horned grebe glides across misty still waters, barely leaving a ripple. 📷 Niclas Hälberg

The striking beauty and elegance of a leopard shark dancing in the sunlight. 📷 Dani Escayola

In India’s dry forests, two Indian Rat Snakes rise in a breeding-season contest. They do not bite. Selection rewards strength displayed without self-damage. 📷 Vishal Lokare

Emerald Elegance. A peacock's iridescent train cascades down a gnarled branch. 📷 Magdalena Sanchez

A Maasai giraffe stands beneath a break in storm clouds, as shafts of evening light spill onto the savanna of Kenya’s Maasai Mara. 📷 Andy Rouse

Flooded Forest. A drone traces glowing arcs above the flooded trees of Tonlé Sap, Cambodia, revealing the pulse of a lake that swells ten meters each monsoon. 📷 Reuben Wu

A battalion of king penguins gathers at the tide line as fractured light pierces a retreating squall in the Falkland Islands. 📷 Sara Jenner

Flamingos wade through the golden shallows of Entinas Point as the sun sinks behind the reeds. 📷 Juan Martin Soto

Verdant Veil. Moss-laden rocks and delicate ferns frame a cascading waterfall, hidden within the temperate rainforests of Tasmania. 📷 Stefan Hefele

A regal jumping spider reveals its iridescent scales and crystal eyes in extraordinary macro detail. 📷 Ben’s Small World