Red Sprites: this year’s big winner
The first prize went to photographer Wang Xin from Shanghai for his impressive image of red sprites
ephemeral electrical discharges appearing above storm clouds. This rare and difficult-to-capture phenomenon was captured in a four-second exposure, revealing a dance of reddish lights in the night sky. The judges praised the patience of the photographer and the quality of the image which reveals an exceptional number of spritesa sight rarely seen due to their short lifespan.
Prize for smartphone and young photographers
In the Smartphone category, Nur Syaireen Natasya Binti Azaharin from Malaysia won first prize with a photo of smoking volcanoes in Indonesia. This image, taken at daybreak, shows a serene landscape of volcanic peaks emerging from low clouds. Meanwhile, the Young Photographer prize was awarded to Angelina Widmann for her photograph of an outdoor performance of Madame Butterfly in the rain on Lake Constance, Austria. These images, captured with a smartphone or by young photographers, show how much the photo sensors of our devices have evolved in recent years.
Inauguration of the Climate Prize and special mention
For the first time, a Climate Prize has been introduced to highlight the effects of climate change. Gerson Turelly, Brazilian photographer, won this prize with Rowing
a photo showing a young man paddling through the flooded streets of Porto Alegre, following the devastating floods of 2024. This powerful image, which was also acclaimed by the public, illustrates the increasingly frequent and intense impacts of bad weather on local populations.an effect aggravated by global warming.
Raising awareness about climate change
This year's winning photos show the diversity and complexity of weather phenomena, from storms and floods to frost formations and rainbows. Professor Liz Bentley, director of the Royal Meteorological Society, says these images reveal how weather patterns are interconnected on a global scale. As the climate continues to change as a result of human activities, these works remind us, at their own level, of the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow down climate change..
Take the opportunity to also discover our latest publications with other equally impressive photos : the most beautiful panoramic photos of 2024, the funniest animal photos of 2024 and the most beautiful architecture photos of 2024, the most beautiful dog photos, and the most beautiful Macro photos of 2024.
