The Phenomenal Photos from the Audubon Photography Awards 2023
By
July 1, 2023
The National Audubon Society has announced the winners of its annual Audubon Photography Awards. This year’s competition marks the 14th edition and garnered entries from professional, amateur and youth photographers that capture the beauty of birds.
There were 2,200 entrants from all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, and eight Canadian provinces and territories. From the massive prize collection of submissions, a panel of judges selected eight across five divisions, plus honorable mentions.
Photos are judged on technical quality, originality, and artistic merit and must follow Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography.
The National Audubon Society also notes that its climate report, “Survival by Degrees,” reveals that two-thirds of North American birds are threatened by extinction as a result of climate change, including species featured in this year’s winning photos, including the Dunlin, Short-eared Owl, and Baltimore Oriole.
The Grand Prize-winning photograph seen above earned Canadian photographer Liron Gertsman a $5,000 payday. Gertsman’s photo of a pair of rock pigeons was captured in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada. The pigeon on the right is preening the other, showing a serene moment between a pair of colorful birds.
This isn’t Gertsman’s first success in the Audubon Photography Awards, as the photographer took home the Professional Award in last year’s contest.
Additional winning images below offer prizes ranging from $1,000 to $2,500. Youth prizes don’t pay a cash prize but instead include six days at Audubon’s Hog Island Audubon Camp during the 2024 season.
Further, all winners and honorable mentions will be featured in the Summer 2023 issue of Audubon magazines.
Professional Award Winner
Amateur Award Winner
Plants for Birds Winner
Youth Winner
Fisher Prize Winner
Female Bird Prize Winner
Professional Honorable Mention
Amateur Honorable Mention
Plants for Birds Honorable Mention
Youth Honorable Mention
More Winning Images
The video award winner and honorable mentions can be seen on the National Audubon Society competition website, which also reveals more details about how each photo was taken.
Image credits: All photos are individually credited and provided courtesy of the Audubon Photography Awards.