Discover Today's Top Photographers with My Modern Met - https://mymodernmet.com/category/photography/ The Big City That Celebrates Creative Ideas Thu, 21 May 2026 19:08:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-My-Modern-Met-Favicon-1-32x32.png Discover Today's Top Photographers with My Modern Met - https://mymodernmet.com/category/photography/ 32 32 Amazing Winners of This Scientific Microscopic Imaging Contest Capture the Unseen Beauty of Life https://mymodernmet.com/evident-image-of-the-year-contest-2026/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Thu, 21 May 2026 19:20:58 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=825025 Amazing Winners of This Scientific Microscopic Imaging Contest Capture the Unseen Beauty of Life

The microscopic world is full of wonders. Luckily for us, scientists around the world work tirelessly to document it all; not only to study it, but to also share its beauty with us. Evident Scientific, a top microscope manufacturer, has shared the results of its 6th Image of the Year Award, which celebrates the best […]

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Amazing Winners of This Scientific Microscopic Imaging Contest Capture the Unseen Beauty of Life
The Global Winner. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurospheres. Captured by Katie Holden of the United Kingdom.

The Global Winner. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurospheres. Captured by Katie Holden of the United Kingdom.

The microscopic world is full of wonders. Luckily for us, scientists around the world work tirelessly to document it all; not only to study it, but to also share its beauty with us. Evident Scientific, a top microscope manufacturer, has shared the results of its 6th Image of the Year Award, which celebrates the best in scientific microscopic imaging. The winning images are both breathtaking and insightful.

Katie Holden of the United Kingdom was named the Global Winner for her image of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurospheres. “It reveals how neuronal cells self-organize into structures that mirror the layered complexity of the human brain, blending scientific insight with striking visual beauty,” explains Evident. Holden will receive an Evident SZX7 stereo microscope and a DP23 digital camera, or a set of X Line UPLXAPO objectives as a prize.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Tahir Khan of Ireland won the Materials Science category for an image of lignin fiber that looks like an aerial shot of orange-purple hued sand dunes. In the regional awards, Igor Siwanowicz from the United States won the Americas category for his image of Mallow pollen on stigma; Germany’s Gerd Günther won the expansive Europe, the Middle East, and Africa category for his image of Stigma of chicory with pollen grains; and Kentaro Mochizuki from Japan won in the Asia-Pacific competition with a hypnotic shot of sarcomere structures within cardiomyocytes in a rat heart.

Evident also revealed that this year’s winners were selected out of submissions from 34 countries. “Entries were evaluated by a distinguished panel of experts from the global scientific community. This year’s judges possess a wealth of knowledge in fields ranging from life sciences to materials science, ensuring a fair and comprehensive review of every submission.”

Scroll down to see the winning images, as well as the honorable mentions from this year’s competition. To stay up to date with this contest, follow Evident on Instagram.

Evident Scientific, a top microscope manufacturer, has shared the results of its 6th Image of the Year Award, which celebrates the best in scientific microscopic imaging.

Materials Science Winner. Lignin fiber. Captured by Muhammad Tahir Khan of Ireland.

Materials Science Winner. Lignin fiber. Captured by Muhammad Tahir Khan of Ireland.

Regional Award Winners: Americas. Mallow pollen on stigma. Captured by Igor Siwanowicz (USA).

Regional Award Winners: Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Stigma of chicory with pollen grains. Captured by Gerd Günther (Germany).

Regional Award Winners: Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Stigma of chicory with pollen grains. Captured by Gerd Günther (Germany).

Regional Award Winners: Asia-Pacific. Sarcomere structures within cardiomyocytes in a rat heart. Captured by Kentaro Mochizuki (Japan).

Regional Award Winners: Asia-Pacific. Sarcomere structures within cardiomyocytes in a rat heart. Captured by Kentaro Mochizuki (Japan).

Honorable Mention. Pollen grains on a jumping spider. Captured by Javier Rupérez (Spain).

Honorable Mention. Pollen grains on a jumping spider. Captured by Javier Rupérez (Spain).

Honorable Mention. Mouse embryonic fibroblast. Captured by Joe McKellar (France).

Honorable Mention. Mouse embryonic fibroblast. Captured by Joe McKellar (France).

Honorable Mention. GFP-positive Thy1 neuron in a tissue-cleared mouse brain. Captured by Marko Pende (Austria).

Honorable Mention. GFP-positive Thy1 neuron in a tissue-cleared mouse brain. Captured by Marko Pende (Austria).

Honorable Mention. Commissural axons navigating across the midline of a developing central nervous system in a chick embryo. Captured by Alexandre Dumoulin (Switzerland).

Honorable Mention. Commissural axons navigating across the midline of a developing central nervous system in a chick embryo.
Captured by Alexandre Dumoulin (Switzerland).

Honorable Mention. Fluorescent immunostained brain tissue from an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. Captured by Bettina Rákóczi (Hungary).

Honorable Mention. Fluorescent immunostained brain tissue from an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model. Captured by Bettina Rákóczi (Hungary).

Honorable Mention. Two anterior median eyes of a jumping spider. Captured by Walter Ferrari (Argentina).

Honorable Mention. Two anterior median eyes of a jumping spider. Captured by Walter Ferrari (Argentina).

Honorable Mention. Adult zebrafish brain. Captured by Hannah Somers (United States).

Honorable Mention. Adult zebrafish brain. Captured by Hannah Somers (United States).

Honorable Mention. Crab zoea. Captured by Tong Zhang (Canada).

Honorable Mention. Crab zoea. Captured by Tong Zhang (Canada).

Honorable Mention. Bidens pilosa attached to a pair of stockings. Captured by Hange Du (China).

Honorable Mention. Bidens pilosa attached to a pair of stockings. Captured by Hange Du (China).

Honorable Mention. Fairyfly. Captured by Hanyang Xue (China).

Honorable Mention. Fairyfly. Captured by Hanyang Xue (China).

Honorable Mention. Diatom arrangement. Captured by Jan Rosenboom (Germany).

Honorable Mention. Diatom arrangement. Captured by Jan Rosenboom (Germany).

Evident: Website | Instagram

All images via Evident.

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Hubble Space Telescope Celebrates 36th Anniversary With Stunning Image of Trifid Nebula https://mymodernmet.com/nasa-hubble-space-telescope-trifid-nebula-picture/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Wed, 20 May 2026 19:20:04 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=824616 Hubble Space Telescope Celebrates 36th Anniversary With Stunning Image of Trifid Nebula

Last month, on April 24, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope marked an exciting milestone: its 36th anniversary. To celebrate, the telescope once again set its sights on the Trifid Nebula, a star-forming region located about 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. Hubble had captured the area 29 years earlier, in 1997, but its newest photograph […]

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Hubble Space Telescope Celebrates 36th Anniversary With Stunning Image of Trifid Nebula
NASA celebrates Hubble’s 36th anniversary with a new image of the Trifid Nebula, a star-forming region it first captured in 1997. The telescope leveraged almost its full operational lifetime to show us changes in the nebula on human time scales with an improved camera

NASA celebrated Hubble’s 36th anniversary with a new image of the Trifid Nebula, a star-forming region it first captured in 1997. The telescope leveraged almost its full operational lifetime to show us changes in the nebula on human time scales with an improved camera. (Photo: NASA, ESA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale)

Last month, on April 24, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope marked an exciting milestone: its 36th anniversary. To celebrate, the telescope once again set its sights on the Trifid Nebula, a star-forming region located about 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. Hubble had captured the area 29 years earlier, in 1997, but its newest photograph of Trifid offers an even more mesmerizing glimpse into the iconic nebula.

The anniversary image depicts a small portion of Trifid, peppered with rust-colored dust trails, shimmering stars, and an enormous bubble formed by powerful winds. At the center of the scene is what NASA describes as the “head” and “undulating body” of a cloud of gas and dust. The bulbous form resembles a “marine sea lemon or sea slug” gliding through the cosmos, and is complete with two “horns” that reveal critical information not just about the nebula, but stars as a whole. The cloud’s left horn is part of a plasma jet known as Herbig-Haro 399, which is periodically launched by a young protostar ejecting excess matter. By comparing the 1997 and 2026 pictures, scientists can deepen their understanding of the protostar, the speed of its jet, and how it interacts with the greater environment, especially in terms of the amount of energy it dispenses into its surrounding regions.

By contrast, the head’s right horn bears a darker, more triangular appearance. Embedded at its tip is another young star, which, upon closer inspection, appears in the image as a faint red dot with a tiny jet. A green arc enshrines the star, possibly suggesting the presence of a circumstellar disk. A rotating cloud of gas, dust, rocky or icy fragments, and larger objects orbiting a star, circumstellar disks orbit stars and, when circling the youngest of stars, these disks serve as cocoons in which planets may eventually form.

Aside from these astronomical observations, the Trifid photograph also holds clues within its “prismatic sea of color,” as NASA claims. Based on its color palette alone, the composition is naturally divided into two halves, with its top-left corner vibrating with a deep blue hue, while its bottom-right corner is shrouded in total darkness. This pitch black is the result of dense patches of dust, where stars may very well be forming (though perhaps not in Trifid’s star-forming region). The blue tint, on the other hand, is caused by ionized gas, cleared away by ultraviolet light emitted by massive stars. The image illustrates this effect beautifully—at the top of the “sea slug’s” head, a bright yellow glow seems to be streaming upward.

“This is an example of ultraviolet light plowing into the dark brown dust, stripping and dismantling the gas and dust,” NASA explains. “Many ridges and slopes of dark brown material will remain for a few million years, as the stars’ ultraviolet light slowly eats away at the gas.”

To date, Hubble has taken more than 1.7 million observations and almost 29,000 astronomers have published peer-reviewed science papers featuring Hubble data. In that way, this anniversary image isn’t simply a testament to Hubble’s evolving capabilities. It’s also a celebration of its enduring importance.

To learn more about the Hubble Space Telescope, visit NASA’s website.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 36th anniversary by capturing a stunning new photograph of the Trifid Nebula, located 5,000 light years away in the constellation Sagittarius.

NASA: Website | Instagram

All images via NASA’s press office.

Sources: NASA’s Hubble Dazzles With Young Stars in Trifid Nebula; The Day of the Trifid Nebula; Hubble turns 36 with a dazzling Trifid Nebula portrait; Hubble Telescope celebrates 36th anniversary with gorgeous new image of famous Trifid Nebula

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Ghostlike Hare at the Edge of a Cave Wins GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026 https://mymodernmet.com/gdt-nature-photographer-of-the-year-2026/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Tue, 19 May 2026 16:35:14 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=824266 Ghostlike Hare at the Edge of a Cave Wins GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

A ghostlike scene has won photographer Luca Lorenz the title of GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026. Captured by the 20-year-old wildlife photographer from Berlin, the lauded image depicts a rugged slope in the Swiss Alps, high above the tree line. The photo has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it quality, in which a white mountain hare is […]

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Ghostlike Hare at the Edge of a Cave Wins GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026
GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“White on White,” by Luca Lorenz. Overall Winner.
“High above the tree line in the Alps, a mountain hare sat still for hours at the entrance to a small cave, only partially sheltered from the icy winds.”

A ghostlike scene has won photographer Luca Lorenz the title of GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026. Captured by the 20-year-old wildlife photographer from Berlin, the lauded image depicts a rugged slope in the Swiss Alps, high above the tree line. The photo has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it quality, in which a white mountain hare is perched at the entrance of a small cave. It blends in so well with its surroundings that it’s hard to spot at first glance.

“For a long time, I observed the hare as it sat practically motionless, perfectly camouflaged with its white winter coat, gazing out across the distant Alpine peaks,” explains Lorenz. He used a long exposure and limited his camera movements to avoid disturbing the creature.

It’s nearly impossible to separate nature photography from the greater messaging inherent in each image—that we must do what we can to protect this world so that photographers can continue to capture Earth’s beauty. The underlying message of Lorenz’s image does just that. The Alpine mountain hare is threatened by climate change. Every year, its coat changes from brown to white, becoming the perfect camouflage for either season. But increasingly, the hare will have a white coat while the ground is still brown, making it easier to spot by predators and decreasing its population.

“It means a great deal to me that an image of such an unassuming species can draw so much attention,” Lorenz continues. “Alpine hares are deeply important to me and, in light of the significant challenges facing the species, raising awareness and supporting research into these extraordinary animals is more important than ever.”

Lorenz’s photo was selected from nearly 9,000 entries to the competition. He won out among 546 members of the German Society for Nature Photographers (GDT). A jury first made a primary selection from the thousands of images, and then GDT members were invited to vote on 10 images in each of the seven categories: Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Plants and Fungi, Landscapes, Nature’s Studio, and, introduced as a special category for 2026, Biodiversity: The Beauty and Significance of Natural Diversity.

Scroll down to see some of our favorite winners and finalists from the 2026 contest.

Check out the winners of the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year contest 2026.

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Practice makes perfect,” by Jens Cullmann. Category Winner, Other Animals.
“A young African bullfrog fails to catch its prey.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“The grand return” by Lars von Ritter Zahony. 2nd Place, Birds.
“Each evening, large groups of gentoo penguins return from their foraging areas at sea to their colonies on land. With remarkable speed and elegance, they dance through the icy waters.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Rice fields in Madagascar,” by Uwe Hasubek. 3rd Place, Landscapes.
“The day's first rays of sun bathe the rice fields of Madagascar in an extraordinary display of color.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Small world,” by Anja Mickel. 2nd Place, Plants and Fungi.
“The snake’s head fritillary never makes it easy for me, but this time I succeeded! Photography has taught me to look ever more closely.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Eurasian curlew in front of the lights of JadeWeserPort,” by Christian Kosanetzky. 2nd Place, Birds.
“A Eurasian curlew in Jade Bight as the tide rises. The lights of the container cranes at JadeWeserPort glow in the background.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Fragments of light,” by Beate Oswald. Category winner, Nature’s Studio.
“Reeds and dancing sun glitter reflect in the cool, blue waters of Lake Starnberg.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Black-headed gull” by Radomir Jakubowski. Category Winner, Birds.
“A black-headed gull in backlight during its landing approach in the Camargue.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Frozen forest,” by Eike Christian Wolff. Category Winner, Landscapes.
“This natural spectacle formed after a river flooded the forest, the water surface froze, the water underneath retreated, and the ice then broke up.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Green lines,” by Tobias Richter. Category Winner, Plants and Fungi
“Spring fever in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains when mosses, ferns, and wood sorrel bring the rock ledges of cool, dark gorges to life.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Mosquitoes on fire,” by Noah Marcheel. 2nd Place, Other Animals.
“I found these mosquitoes standing on a stone along a stream. The reflected sunlight in the background resembles a blazing fire.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Lava dragon,” by Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove. 2nd Place, Nature’s Studio.
“Aerial view of an eruption on an active lava field, reminiscent of a dragon.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Shelter,” by Preeti John. 2nd Place, Mammals.
“An elephant calf seeks shelter from the blazing sun in the only available shade—the body of its mother. Photographed in Amboseli National Park, Kenya.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Rich in structure,” by Dieter Damschen. Category Winner, Special Category.
“Cranes departing from their roosting site in Lower Oder Valley National Park.”

GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

“Ancient Rivals,” by Amit Eshel. 2nd Place, Special Category.
“An Arctic wolf bearing traces of a recent hunt. A nearby herd of musk oxen stands alert in its iconic defensive formation.”

German Society for Nature Photographers (GDT): Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by GDT.

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READ: Ghostlike Hare at the Edge of a Cave Wins GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

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Haunting and Hopeful Images Win the 2026 Environmental Photography Award https://mymodernmet.com/2026-environmental-photography-award-winners/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Wed, 13 May 2026 19:20:25 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=823317 Haunting and Hopeful Images Win the 2026 Environmental Photography Award

The winners of the 2026 Environmental Photography Award reveal a planet caught between fragility and resilience. Organized annually by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the competition celebrates photographers using their cameras to spotlight the urgent environmental issues shaping the world today. Selected from roughly 10,000 submissions, this year’s winning images span five categories—Changemakers, […]

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Haunting and Hopeful Images Win the 2026 Environmental Photography Award
“Handprint on Sea Turtle” by Britta Jaschinski. Category Winner, Changemakers, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Handprint on Sea Turtle” by Britta Jaschinski. Category Winner, Changemakers, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Combating illegal wildlife trade with forensic science, United Kingdom, 2025. Every crime leaves a trace. On the hunt for smugglers with wildlife forensics: the work that aims to disrupt or even dismantle illegally run wildlife trade chains. At first glance this may appear to be an underwater photograph of a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), but can you spot the human handprint? This scene demonstrates a method for securing forensic evidence that can help to catch poachers and animal traffickers. Special fluorescent powder dyes, photographed under ultraviolet light, reveal traces of hand and fingerprints, blood and other bodily fluids, and gunpowder residues, among others. Wildlife forensic experts Dr. Alexandra Thomas and Dr. Louise Gibson from the ZSL Wildlife Forensic Lab, London, are developing such methods to assist law enforcement. Six of the world’s seven sea turtle species are classified as threatened, endangered, or critically endangered due to human persecution, habitat destruction, or marine pollution.

The winners of the 2026 Environmental Photography Award reveal a planet caught between fragility and resilience. Organized annually by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the competition celebrates photographers using their cameras to spotlight the urgent environmental issues shaping the world today.

Selected from roughly 10,000 submissions, this year’s winning images span five categories—Changemakers, Forests, Humanity vs Nature, Ocean, and Polar Regions. Together, they document everything from wildlife trafficking and climate disasters to moments of breathtaking beauty in the natural world.

Taking the competition’s top honor is wildlife photojournalist Britta Jaschinski for Handprint on Sea Turtle, which also won the Changemakers category. At first glance, the image feels almost peaceful. A green sea turtle glides through dark water illuminated by an eerie neon glow. But under ultraviolet light, a faint human handprint becomes visible across the turtle’s shell.

The photograph was created using forensic techniques developed to help combat wildlife trafficking, transforming scientific evidence into something hauntingly poetic. Rather than showing direct violence, Jaschinski’s image quietly reveals the traces humans leave behind on vulnerable species.

The Forests category winner, Spirits of the Falls by Arnaud Farré, offers a very different mood. Wrapped in mist and cascading water, the rainforest scene feels almost mythical. Dense greenery disappears into soft fog while waterfalls cut through the landscape, emphasizing both the beauty and vulnerability of forest ecosystems threatened by climate change and deforestation.

One of the competition’s most emotional images won the Public Award. Koalas are Dying for You to Slow Down by Doug Gimesy shows a fallen koala stranded on a road after a tragic hit and run situation. This heartbreaking image is a haunting reminder of human impact in natural environments. Speeding and reckless driving are huge threats to the iconic Australian marsupials.

Fernando Faciole’s Born for the Ocean, Fated to the Flames won the Humanity vs Nature category with its eye-opening image of shark fins being scorched. The hunting and trading of shark fins is both illegal and devastating to the balance of the ocean ecosystem. As one of the main threats to marine biodiversity, shark fins are confiscated by authorities. In this image, they were taken in Brazil and since they are biological materials, they have to be burned.

Henley Spiers earned the Ocean category prize for Shearwater’s Dilemma, an image bursting with movement beneath the surface of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. At the center of a swirling school of lanternfish, a wedge-tailed shearwater appears nearly swallowed by the chaos of the feeding event unfolding around it. Silver fish ripple through the water in dense formations while predators circle from every direction, creating a scene that feels both frantic and strangely elegant.

Meanwhile, Vadim Makhorov’s The Gathering, winner of the Polar Regions category, captures wildlife surviving in one of Earth’s harshest environments. Animals cluster together across a vast snow-covered landscape that stretches endlessly into the distance. The immense scale of the frozen terrain emphasizes both the isolation of polar ecosystems and their growing vulnerability as global temperatures continue to rise.

In Up is Down, which received both an Ocean category runner-up distinction and the Student’s Choice Award, Arnaud Farré photographs a humpback whale and calf from above as they dive beneath the ocean surface. Only their tails remain visible inside a circular ripple known as a “fluke print,” creating an image that feels almost abstract.

Another standout photograph, Shane GrossBetter than Gold, transforms a dense underwater feeding event into something painterly. Thousands of fish shimmer beneath the surface, blurring the line between documentary photography and abstraction.

Now in its sixth year, the Environmental Photography Award continues to demonstrate how photography can turn environmental crises into deeply human stories. Rather than relying solely on spectacle, many of this year’s winning images draw power from quieter moments—small gestures, fleeting encounters, and subtle traces of humanity’s impact on the natural world.

The shortlisted works will be exhibited in Monaco before traveling internationally as part of the award’s touring exhibition. A companion book featuring all selected photographs will also be published later this year.

Scroll down to view the complete set of winning images and some worthy runners up from the 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

This year’s Environmental Photography Award is organized into five categories: Changemakers, Forests, Humanity vs Nature, Ocean, and Polar Regions.

“Spirits of the Falls” by Arnaud Farré. Category Winner, Forests, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Spirits of the Falls” by Arnaud Farré. Category Winner, Forests, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Iguazu Falls, Argentina and Brazil, 2024. The Iguazú Falls (“great water” in the indigenous language) have the distinction of being split between two countries, Argentina and Brazil. They consist of a system of 275 waterfalls spanning nearly three kilometres and are protected by a national park in both countries. On the Argentine side, Iguazú National Park covers 67,000 hectares. It was created in 1934 to protect one of the country’s most beautiful and most visited natural sites, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The park is home to more than 450 bird species, including the toco toucan (Ramphastos toco), an iconic bird native to the subtropical forest. It is the largest species in the toucan family and can be identified byits long bright orange bill. These birds feed on fruit and inhabit the upper canopy.

“The Gathering” by Vadim Makhorov. Category Winner, Polar Regions, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“The Gathering” by Vadim Makhorov. Category Winner, Polar Regions, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Pacific walruses, Russia, 2025. The Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) is the largest species of walrus – males can reach up to four metres in length and weigh as much as 1.5 tons. This photograph shows a walrus haulout on Ratmanov Island, on the maritime border between Russia and the United States. The entire southern coastline of the island is occupied by walruses, most of them males. Females only come ashore during the breeding season. They may appear immobile on land, but are fast and agile in the water. Understanding how they use the coastline helps keep encounters safe for both wildlife and people.

“Koalas are Dying for You to Slow Down” by Doug Gimesy. Public Award Winner, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Koalas are Dying for You to Slow Down” by Doug Gimesy. Public Award Winner, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Koala hit by a car, Australia, 2025. With koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) often crossing roads to access food, mates, or shelter, road trauma is sadly a major threat to this iconic Australian species, with high traffic volumes, inappropriate high speed limits—especially between dusk and dawn—and inconsiderate driving all playing a part. But vehicle strikes are not just a conservation issue, they are a huge wildlife welfare issue, resulting in crippling injuries such as fractured jaws, broken limbs, or spinal damage. Whilst a few may be found, rescued and treated, many crawl off into the bush to die slow horrible deaths, or live crippled and in pain. Drivers slowing down could help prevent so much death, pain and suffering.

“Insects, Architects of a Sustainable Future” by Maud Delaflotte. Runner-Up, Changemakers, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Insects, Architects of a Sustainable Future” by Maud Delaflotte. Runner-Up, Changemakers, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Collection of black soldier fly eggs inside an aviary, France, 2024.

Winning photographs document everything from mist-covered rainforests to fragile marine ecosystems and human impact on nature.

“Born for the Ocean, Fated to the Flames” by Fernando Faciole. Category Winner, Humanity vs Nature, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Born for the Ocean, Fated to the Flames” by Fernando Faciole. Category Winner, Humanity vs Nature, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Incineration of shark fins after seizure, Brazil, 2025. The hunting and trade of shark fins are among the main threats to marine biodiversity and the balance of ocean ecosystems. In Brazil, enforcement authorities have revealed a recurring pattern of fraud, with shipments repeatedly containing protected and critically endangered species. In 2023, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) carried out the largest shark-fin seizure ever recorded in the country, 28.7 tonnes, corresponding to the death of at least ten thousand sharks, including threatened species. As biological materials, these fins are required to be incinerated after official processing. This photograph records the incineration carried out in São Paulo in 2025, under IBAMA supervision. The act symbolises both the enforcement of environmental law and the urgent need for public policies capable of ending a trade that turns apex predators, essential to the health of the oceans, into waste consigned to flames. In a historic milestone, IBAMA announced a nationwide ban on the export of shark fins on Thursday, 26 March 2026. Brazil also banned the import of any shark classified as a threatened species on its official list.

“Predator’s Gaze” by Luca Eberle. Runner-Up, Forests, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Predator’s Gaze” by Luca Eberle. Runner-Up, Forests, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Female puma peers through the forest canopy, Costa Rica, 2023.

“Parakeet Bitting Monitor Lizard” by Hira Punjabi. Runner-Up, Forests, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Parakeet Bitting Monitor Lizard” by Hira Punjabi. Runner-Up, Forests, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Parakeet versus monitor lizard, India, 2024.

Together, the award-winning images reveal a world shaped by both environmental destruction and the resilience of wildlife struggling to survive it.

“Sinking Hopes” by Alain Schroeder. Runner-Up, Humanity vs Nature, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Sinking Hopes” by Alain Schroeder. Runner-Up, Humanity vs Nature, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Flooding in the heart of Java Island, Indonesia, 2024.

“Curlew Man” by Morgan Heim. Runner-Up, Changemakers, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Curlew Man” by Morgan Heim. Runner-Up, Changemakers, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Raising awareness of curlew conservation, United Kingdom, 2025.

“Penguin Feast” by Lucas Bustamante. Runner-Up, Polar Regions, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Penguin Feast” by Lucas Bustamante. Runner-Up, Polar Regions, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Brown skuas, Antarctica, 2023.

“The Explorers” by Panos Laskarakis. Runner-Up, Polar Regions, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“The Explorers” by Panos Laskarakis. Runner-Up, Polar Regions, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Polar bear mother and cub, Norway, 2025.

“Shearwater’s Dilemma” by Henley Spiers. Category Winner, Ocean, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Shearwater’s Dilemma” by Henley Spiers. Category Winner, Ocean, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Wedge-tailed shearwater in a school of lanternfish, Costa Rica, 2023. Off the Eastern Pacific coast, a wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) plunges into a football-pitch-sized school of lanternfish, struggling to single out a target. The fish move as one, their schooling defence working perfectly. The bird surfaced without catching anything and circled back for another dive. Shearwaters are exquisitely adapted for life at sea and depend on healthy fish stocks. This encounter captures a rarely witnessed moment of open-ocean abundance, and one of the most extraordinary days of my career as an underwater photographer. Lanternfish are thought to be the most numerous vertebrates on Earth, accounting for up to 65% of deep-sea fish biomass. They form a critical link in the ocean food web, sustaining predators from seabirds and dolphins to tuna and devil rays. The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement (BBNJ), which came into force at the beginning of 2026, is the first international legal framework to protect scenes like this across the roughly half of our planet that lies beyond national waters.

“Conservation vs Tourism” by Peter McGee. Runner-Up, Humanity vs Nature, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Conservation vs Tourism” by Peter McGee. Runner-Up, Humanity vs Nature, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Whale shark tourist site, Philippines, 2025.

“Up is Down” by Arnaud Farré. Runner-Up, Ocean, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Up is Down” by Arnaud Farré. Winner, Student’s Choice & Runner-Up, Ocean, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
Humpback whale and her calf, Réunion Island, 2023. From June to October, large numbers of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) gather along the west coast of Réunion Island, especially in the Bay of Saint-Paul, to breed and give birth. Cap La Houssaye marks the southern limit of the bay and the starting point of the Marine Nature Reserve, consisting of 35 square kilometres of protected reefs. It is an ideal location for whale watching. Drone flights are prohibited inside the marine reserve without prior permission, but this mother and her calf were spotted just 200 meters from the beach, outside the boundary of the reserve. The mother is diving, followed by her calf, just before sunset. Only their flukes (tails) are visible as the pair begins their plunge to the depths, leaving behind a circular ring called a “fluke print.” This striking, rare scene illustrates the harmonythat exists between these marine mammals and the ocean.

“Better than Gold” by Shane Gross. Runner-Up, Ocean, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.

“Better than Gold” by Shane Gross. Runner-Up, Ocean, 2026 Environmental Photography Award.
A school of bigeye trevally, Seychelles, 2022.

Environmental Photography Award: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco.

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Feisty Felines Captured by the “Godfather of Cat Photography” in New Photo Book https://mymodernmet.com/walter-chandoha-family-cats-damiani-book/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Fri, 08 May 2026 18:25:47 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=822330 Feisty Felines Captured by the “Godfather of Cat Photography” in New Photo Book

There were very few subjects that photographer Walter Chandoha loved more than cats. For decades, the late photographer, who died in 2019 at 99 years old, captured felines with a remarkable sense of whimsy, humor, and, perhaps most of all, adoration. Next month, Damiani will publish a new book with dozens of these delightful images, […]

READ: Feisty Felines Captured by the “Godfather of Cat Photography” in New Photo Book

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Feisty Felines Captured by the “Godfather of Cat Photography” in New Photo Book
Black-and-white portrait of a kitten by Walter Chandoha

Long Island, 1952

There were very few subjects that photographer Walter Chandoha loved more than cats. For decades, the late photographer, who died in 2019 at 99 years old, captured felines with a remarkable sense of whimsy, humor, and, perhaps most of all, adoration. Next month, Damiani will publish a new book with dozens of these delightful images, all curated from Chandoha’s vast photographic archive.

As its title suggests, Family Cats from the Archive 1949–1962 mostly revolves around Chandoha’s own pets, including his very first feline muse: Loco. The gray kitten, which the photographer rescued in 1948 during a New York snowstorm, quickly transformed from domestic companion to creative influence, sparking Chandoha’s long fascination with cats of all stripes (literally). The paperback volume carefully traces that evolution, demonstrating how Chandoha’s signature wit and intimate compositions made him a pioneer of cat photography not only during his time, but in the present as well. A testament to his enduring popularity, Wired dubbed him the “godfather of cat photography” in 2015, lauding his work as a predecessor to iconic memes like Grumpy Cat and I Can Haz Cheeseburger.

“When I started taking pictures 70 plus years ago, it was film and heavy metal or even wooden cameras. Film was expensive and you had to know what you were doing with your equipment,” Chandoha mused in his interview with Wired, adding that he was pleased with how the Internet “made it possible for all cat owners to share their love of these wonderful animals.”

Family Cats from the Archive boasts plenty of photographs that, in our day and age, could’ve easily gone “viral.” One picture from 1950, for instance, depicts a white kitten with a black-tipped nose, its mouth widened into a grin. The cat’s smile is nearly toothless with the exception of its front fangs, which only adds to its overall charm. Another image features two white kitties, one of which is poised, as if aware of the camera’s presence, while the other appears to be caught in a yawn that almost looks intentional. Each scene evokes the essence of the cats and their individual personalities—but, at the same time, these moments are familiar, if not universal, to pet owners. The photographer’s whimsical work poses a rhetorical question: Who wouldn’t want to photograph their cat in the middle of playing, of yawning, of teasing irritation?

In Chandoha’s mind, cats were singular, a creature so distinct that, even once he began photographing dogs later in life, he remained uniquely smitten with felines. “[Cats] are more expressive than dogs,” he told artnet in 2015. “They get into more situations than dogs would ever dream of getting into and they vocalize so much differently. They have so much more variety in their postures.” That variety unquestionably emerges across Family Cats from the Archive, in which furry companions bat at their reflections in mirrors; hesitantly approach Chandoha’s camera; run alongside and chase one another; and, of course, snuggle, cuddle, and purr.

“Dogs are said to be man’s best friend, but cats are really attractive animals and appealing companions,” Chandoha remarked. “At least that’s what I think, and I’ve been around them long enough to know!”

It’s true—throughout his career, Chandoah accumulated a collection of more than 200,000 photographs, including some 90,000 images of cats in particular. In that way, Family Cats from the Archive celebrates not just a photographer’s oeuvre, but also the beloved creatures that inspired it.

Family Cats from the Archive is currently available for pre-order via Bookshop.org and Damiani’s website.

In the late photographer Walter Chandoha’s Family Cats from the Archive, the whimsy, humor, and singularity of cats are on full display.

Black-and-white portrait of a tabby cat by Walter Chandoha

New Jersey, 1960

Black-and-white portrait of two white kittens by Walter Chandoha

Long Island, 1957

Black-and-white portrait of a white kitten by Walter Chandoha

New York, 1950

Black-and-white portrait of a black cat by Walter Chandoha

Long Island, 1952

Black-and-white portrait of a cat by Walter Chandoha

Long Island, 1952

Black-and-white portrait of a kitten by Walter Chandoha

Long Island, 1954

The book, which is forthcoming from Damiani, features dozens of black-and-white photographs from Chandoha’s kitten-filled archive, spanning 1949 to 1962.

A spread from “Walter Chandoha: Family Cats From the Archive 1949–1962,” published by Damiani Books

Spread from “Walter Chandoha: Family Cats From the Archive 1949–1962,” published by Damiani Books. ($20.50 via Bookshop.org)

A spread from “Walter Chandoha: Family Cats From the Archive 1949–1962,” published by Damiani Books

Spread from “Walter Chandoha: Family Cats From the Archive 1949–1962,” published by Damiani Books. ($20.50 via Bookshop.org)

The cover of “Walter Chandoha: Family Cats From the Archive 1949–1962,” published by Damiani Books

“Walter Chandoha: Family Cats From the Archive 1949–1962,” published by Damiani Books. ($20.50 via Bookshop.org)

Damiani Books: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Damiani Books.

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READ: Feisty Felines Captured by the “Godfather of Cat Photography” in New Photo Book

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Gaze at the Breathtaking Astrophotography in the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Contest https://mymodernmet.com/2026-milky-way-photographer-year/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Thu, 07 May 2026 14:45:01 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=821835 Gaze at the Breathtaking Astrophotography in the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Contest

The Milky Way is an undeniable source of inspiration for many astrophotographers. This collection of stars, dust, and gas offers awe-inspiring vistas visible only in the night sky. One photography contest highlights the very best in this niche with a curated collection of Milky Way images. Aptly titled the Milky Way Photographer of the Year, […]

READ: Gaze at the Breathtaking Astrophotography in the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Contest

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Gaze at the Breathtaking Astrophotography in the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Contest
Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Geminid Symphony Over La Palma’s Guardian of the Sky” by Uroš Fink
“This winter Milky Way panorama captures a sky filled with Geminid meteors above the Gran Telescopio Canarias, the largest optical telescope in the world.”

The Milky Way is an undeniable source of inspiration for many astrophotographers. This collection of stars, dust, and gas offers awe-inspiring vistas visible only in the night sky. One photography contest highlights the very best in this niche with a curated collection of Milky Way images. Aptly titled the Milky Way Photographer of the Year, the competition is hosted by the travel photography blog Capture the Atlas, and it recently released its winning images from more than 6,500 submissions—a record for the contest.

The Milky Way is visible no matter where you are in the world, and the 2026 collection features images scattered across 12 countries and regions, such as Australia, Spain, the United States, Poland, Italy, Botswana, and more. Photographers trekked through the Southern Alps of New Zealand to the deserts of Argentina, all to capture a glimpse of the galaxy. It’s the throughline within all of the images, which has a secondary benefit of highlighting Earth’s biodiversity.

The lauded images are nothing short of impressive, and this year’s selection is made even more notable because it features several “rare and difficult-to-capture scenes.” This includes photographing the Milky Way above the Very Large Telescope in Paranal, Chile, and from restricted Valle de la Luna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Argentina. Beyond the access that these required, the winning images also feature Perseids and Geminids meteor showers, giant fireballs, and the galaxy above sea clouds.

“Every year, this collection reminds us that photographing the Milky Way is not only about technique or planning. It is about curiosity, patience, and the desire to experience the night sky in places where it still feels wild,” says Dan Zafra, editor of Capture the Atlas. “Many of these skies are becoming increasingly rare, and we hope these images inspire people not only to admire them, but also to value and protect them.”

Scroll down to see a selection of winning images from the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year. Then, visit the Capture the Atlas for the entire collection.

Check out some of the amazing winning images from the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year.

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“My Perfect Night” by Daniel Viñé Garcia
“Reaching this location required traveling deep into the Argentine Puna, a remote region accessible only by 4×4 vehicles along rough dirt tracks, far from any source of light pollution. The nearest settlement was Antofalla, a small village of around 60 inhabitants, where electricity is generated locally and turned off at night. Beyond that, the closest towns are several hours away, surrounded by vast and isolated landscapes. Situated between 3,500 and 4,000 meters above sea level, the altitude and remoteness make this an exceptional environment for night sky photography.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Firewater” by Baillie Farley
“Framed by the vibrant colors and drifting steam of Grand Prismatic Spring, the Milky Way rises above one of the most unique geothermal landscapes on Earth. It is a rare moment where the raw energy of the planet meets the quiet vastness of the night sky.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Night at the Remarkables” by Tom Rae
“The winter Milky Way arch sets above the rugged Remarkables Range in the Southern Alps, while the lights of Queenstown, New Zealand, glow far below. It is a rare alignment of galaxy, alpine terrain, and human presence, all captured in a single moment.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Fireball in Paradise” by Jason Rice
“This single-exposure image became a reminder to always expect the unexpected in astrophotography. I had not even planned to visit this beach, as the forecast called for clouds and rain throughout the night. The capture was part of a larger day-to-night time-lapse that I began shooting at golden hour, working through biting insects and the intense tropical humidity of Florida. After setting up the sequence, I left the camera running and returned to my vehicle.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Botswana Baobabs by Night” by Stefano Pellegrini
“I spent ten days traveling through Botswana, living out of my car and moving through remote desert landscapes in complete isolation, focused entirely on photographing the night sky. This location became the highlight of the trip: a small, ancient island rising from the middle of a vast salt pan.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Galactic Spine” by Andrew Imhoff
“I am drawn to Milky Way photography because of its ability to spark curiosity. It offers a perspective that feels entirely different from other forms of photography, often revealing a world that many people have never experienced.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Salto del Agrio” by Alejandra Heis
“This image was captured during a night at Salto del Agrio, in the province of Neuquén, Argentina. It’s a place that invites reflection on the immense sequence of events, both on Earth and in the sky, that shaped this landscape. The 45-meter waterfall plunges into a canyon carved by ancient lava flows from the Copahue volcano. Surrounded by basalt, the scene is enriched by the vivid colors left behind by minerals, particularly iron and sulfur carried by the Agrio River.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Double Milky Way Over Monfragüe National Park” by Luis Cajete
“I am always drawn to traveling to remarkable natural landscapes to capture their essence through night photography. This image, which represented a significant challenge for me, was taken in Monfragüe National Park during one of the few nights of the year when both the winter and summer Milky Way can be seen in the same sky.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Caldera Galaxy Panorama” by Max Terwindt
“This panorama was captured at the highest point of the volcanic island of La Palma, a location defined by its unique terrain and exceptional night sky conditions. The lack of ambient light made the process more demanding, requiring extensive focus stacking to achieve sharpness across the entire scene, but it also provided ideal conditions for astrophotography.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Valle de la Luna, Universo Triasico Ischigualasto” by Gonzalo Javier Santile
“This photograph captures the first full Milky Way arch ever taken at this location, a site of exceptional scientific and cultural significance. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its geological importance lies in being the only place on Earth where the complete sequence of the Triassic Period can be observed, preserving key fossils from the earliest dinosaurs and earning its place among the most valuable geological heritage sites in the world.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Sodium Milky Way” by Julien Looten
“This scene was captured at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) on Cerro Paranal, in Chile’s Atacama Desert, under exceptionally pure observing conditions where the boundary between Earth and sky feels almost seamless.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Milky Way Over Syme Hut and Mt Taranaki” by Brendan Larsen
“Reaching this location required a demanding ascent to Fanthams Peak on Mount Taranaki, involving over five hours of hiking through deep snow and ice in extreme conditions. With windchill dropping to around -15°C and a heavy 20kg pack, progress was slow and physically taxing, with each step forward often followed by sliding back in the soft snow. The journey culminated at what is known as the coldest hut in New Zealand’s North Island, making this one of the most challenging hikes I have ever undertaken.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” by Nacho Peláez
“This photograph was captured in the heart of the Sierra La Giganta, in Baja California Sur, following a two-day expedition from the small village of San Juan Londo. The final approach required an ascent of more than 800 meters by mule along a long-forgotten section of the historic Camino Real, once used by vaqueros and their donkeys to transport goods between remote settlements. This path has remained largely untouched for nearly 80 years.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Galaxy on the Rise” by Anastasia Gulova
“I’m always drawn to locations that feel unique and relatively undiscovered, and this cave was a perfect example. Although it was only a few minutes from the parking area, it took me nearly four hours of scouting to finally locate it.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Lost in the Ripples of Space and Time” by Leonel Padrón
“There’s something uniquely powerful about a calm, windless night in the Pinnacles Desert, a place that never fails to remind me how fortunate we are to have such pristine dark skies so close to home, just a short drive away. As the sun sets beyond the Indian Ocean, a profound stillness settles over Nambung, transforming the landscape into an almost otherworldly scene and drawing me back here time and time again.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Celestial Light Over Sea Cliffs” by Anthony Lopez
“The night sky takes on a distinctly different character during this time of year, especially with the arrival of the winter constellations. The tones feel cooler, the air sharper, and Orion rises prominently above the horizon, becoming the centerpiece of the scene. It’s a season that brings a quiet, almost meditative atmosphere to nightscape photography.”

Milky Way Photographer of the Year

“Aoraki Mt Cook” by Owain Scullion
“My goal with astrophotography has always been to combine my passion for mountains, adventure, and the landscapes of New Zealand. Capturing the Milky Way arch above Aoraki / Mount Cook, the central peak of the national park, became one of the most demanding challenges I had set for myself.”

Capture The Atlas: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Capture the Atlas.

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READ: Gaze at the Breathtaking Astrophotography in the 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year Contest

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These Remarkable Photos of Planet Earth Were Taken 50 Years Apart by NASA https://mymodernmet.com/earth-photos-50-years-apart/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Thu, 07 May 2026 13:50:51 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=821508 These Remarkable Photos of Planet Earth Were Taken 50 Years Apart by NASA

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by NASA Earth (@nasaearth) Last month, NASA’s Artemis II mission marked a historic milestone as its crew safely splashed down after traveling to the far side of the moon. While journeying through space on the Orion spacecraft, Commander Reid Wiseman captured a stunning high-resolution image […]

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These Remarkable Photos of Planet Earth Were Taken 50 Years Apart by NASA

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by NASA Earth (@nasaearth)

Last month, NASA’s Artemis II mission marked a historic milestone as its crew safely splashed down after traveling to the far side of the moon. While journeying through space on the Orion spacecraft, Commander Reid Wiseman captured a stunning high-resolution image of Earth—only the second time a human has photographed our planet from such a distance since the 1972 Apollo 17 mission.

NASA recently shared both images—taken 50 years apart—side by side, offering a glimpse of how Earth appeared through the eyes of astronauts on two historic missions. While some people noted that the newer image of Earth looks dimmer than the one taken half a century ago, NASA pointed out that the difference is “literally night and day.”

The earlier image, taken by Harrison H. Schmitt from the Apollo 17 mission, was captured while the crew was on its way to the moon. Known as The Blue Marble, the historic image shows Earth’s daytime face, lit by sunlight. It stretches from the Mediterranean down to Antarctica’s ice cap, marking the first time that region was photographed from this trajectory. Africa’s coastline is clearly visible, along with the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, and even parts of Asia on the horizon, all beneath swirling clouds over the Southern Hemisphere.

The more recent image, captured by Reid Wiseman on April 2, 2026, reveals Earth’s night side, illuminated only by moonlight. Like the Apollo 17 photo, it was taken en route to the moon, but the technology has come a long way. While Schmitt shot the original 1972 image using a modified Hasselblad 500 EL camera, Wiseman used a DSLR with long-exposure settings, revealing details that would’ve otherwise remained hidden in darkness.

In the Artemis II mission image, titled Hello, World, the South Pole appears near the top, while the North Pole sits toward the lower left. If you look closely, auroras shimmer at both poles. The soft glow in the lower right is zodiacal light—caused by sunlight scattering off interplanetary dust—with the sun positioned just behind Earth, creating the glow effect.

Check out Earth, in all its beauty, in both images below.

Taken 50 years apart, these images show how Earth looked to astronauts on the historic Apollo 17 and Artemis II missions.

Photos of Earth Taken 50 Years Apart

“The Blue Marble,” photographed on December 7, 1972, by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft
(Photo: Harrison Schmitt / Apollo 17 via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Photos of Earth Taken 50 Years Apart

Image of Earth taken by Reid Wiseman from the Artemis II spacecraft on April 2, 2026
(Photo: Kevin M. Gill, Artemis II via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

Source: NASA Earth

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READ: These Remarkable Photos of Planet Earth Were Taken 50 Years Apart by NASA

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NASA Releases Over 12,000 Unseen Images From the Artemis II Mission https://mymodernmet.com/nasa-releases-12000-unseen-images-artemis-ii/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Wed, 06 May 2026 16:35:09 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=821718 NASA Releases Over 12,000 Unseen Images From the Artemis II Mission

We were lucky to follow the Artemis II mission live, getting real-time updates of the astronauts as they flew around the moon. And thanks to the advanced tech that surrounded the mission, NASA was able to share some high-res images taken by the astronauts before they even returned to Earth. These included Earthset, a solar […]

READ: NASA Releases Over 12,000 Unseen Images From the Artemis II Mission

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NASA Releases Over 12,000 Unseen Images From the Artemis II Mission

Artemis II mission

We were lucky to follow the Artemis II mission live, getting real-time updates of the astronauts as they flew around the moon. And thanks to the advanced tech that surrounded the mission, NASA was able to share some high-res images taken by the astronauts before they even returned to Earth. These included Earthset, a solar eclipse from their perspective, and detailed images of the dark side of the moon.

Now, NASA has released an additional 12,000 images spanning the whole mission. While the original batch will surely go down in history, these are more candid, showing the human side of the mission. They evoke how the astronauts spent most of their time above; documenting the experience for us, devoting their time for the greater good, and making us part of the trip.

While the amount of images may seem unimaginable, many are bursts of images that are almost identical to each other, or taken a few seconds before the camera focused on the desired subject, resulting in blurry images. Still, there’s something powerful in the more imperfect shots, as they candidly capture the kind of images anyone would take during their travels. (Ultimately, the astronauts were similar to tourists; instead of traveling to an exotic location on Earth, they took a trip to the moon.) In these photos, you can see the astronauts’ reflections, the edge of a window, or even a slightly out-of-focus image showing the view of the stars from the ship.

The Artemis II crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen—took these images with a Nikon D5 SLR, Nikon Z9 mirrorless, and iPhone 17 cameras they brought on board. They also forwent individual credits, with the images being attributed to the whole group.

You can check out the images on the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth website, but beware that between the number of pictures and the people who want to browse them, the site can be slow. That’s why we’ve gathered a selection of some of the most memorable images, which you can check out below. While you’re at it, make sure to revisit the first images NASA shared from Artemis II.

Check out some of the best images of NASA’s newly released images taken by astronauts of the Artemis II mission.

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

This new batch includes 12,000 previously unseen pictures.

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

The images capture candid shots taken by the astronauts during the flyby.

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

The photos include equipment from inside the spacecraft and reflections seen on the windows.

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

Artemis II mission

NASA: Website | Instagram

All images via NASA.

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READ: NASA Releases Over 12,000 Unseen Images From the Artemis II Mission

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Swirling Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity in the Desert https://mymodernmet.com/light-cone-photography-einstein-relativity/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:30:39 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=819924 Swirling Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity in the Desert

In the stillness of the American Southwest, sandstone arches frame the cosmos while the night sky stretches into apparent infinity. Against this vast backdrop, spiraling cones of light rise from the earth like apparitions. At first glance, they resemble ephemeral land art. They appear precise, luminous, and almost impossibly geometric. However, these radiant forms are […]

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Swirling Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity in the Desert

Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

In the stillness of the American Southwest, sandstone arches frame the cosmos while the night sky stretches into apparent infinity. Against this vast backdrop, spiraling cones of light rise from the earth like apparitions. At first glance, they resemble ephemeral land art. They appear precise, luminous, and almost impossibly geometric. However, these radiant forms are not traditional sculptures. Instead, they visualize one of the most profound ideas in modern physics: the nature of spacetime.

To achieve this, physicist and fine art photographer Elliot McGucken translates the abstract mathematics of Einstein’s theory of relativity into something visible. Specifically, he programs drones to fly spiraling paths for long-exposure photographs. As the camera records their motion, the drones leave continuous trails of light. In this way, he quite literally writes with light, echoing the original meaning of photography.

More broadly, the project draws from ideas developed by Albert Einstein and mathematician Hermann Minkowski. In 1908, Minkowski introduced the concept of spacetime, uniting three dimensions of space with one dimension of time. Within this framework, the “light cone” describes how light moves through spacetime and how events relate to one another. In particular, it distinguishes which events can influence each other and which cannot, based on the constant speed of light.

At the same time, McGucken situates his work within a broader scientific lineage centered on light itself. Both relativity and quantum mechanics emerged from attempts to understand how light behaves. Max Planck’s work on energy quantization and Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect reshaped modern physics, revealing that light can behave as both a wave and a particle. McGucken’s images do not simply depict light; they reflect its central role in shaping our understanding of reality.

Visually, the images do more than illustrate theory. Instead, they place it within the natural world. For example, McGucken captures these scenes in remote deserts in Utah and along the coast of California. In each setting, glowing cones appear suspended over rock formations and open landscapes. As a result, the compositions merge observation with artistic intention. In this context, he echoes Rembrandt van Rijn’s advice to “choose only one master: Nature.” Similarly, Einstein encouraged careful observation of the natural world as a path toward understanding.

Equally important is the process behind the images. Each photograph relies on long exposure, often lasting several minutes. During that time, a drone follows a carefully programmed spiral path. Meanwhile, the system depends on Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. Notably, GPS systems must account for relativistic effects predicted by Einstein’s theories in order to remain accurate. Therefore, the method itself reinforces the concept. Relativity does not remain abstract but instead operates within everyday technology.

McGucken’s approach also reflects the physics of light in a more classical sense. The behavior of light captured in photography can be traced to principles such as wave propagation, first described by Christiaan Huygens. These ideas help explain reflection, refraction, and image formation through lenses. By working directly with light over time, McGucken engages both the physical properties of light and its conceptual significance.

His work bridges art and science, connecting mathematical theory with visual experience. In doing so, McGucken follows a lineage that includes photographers such as Ansel Adams, who emphasized clarity, intention, and emotional depth in landscape photography. Here, however, the subject extends beyond the landscape to include the structure of reality itself.

The images also invite philosophical reflection. By placing precise geometric forms within vast natural settings, they suggest a relationship between human knowledge and the natural world. In fact, Minkowski expressed this shift clearly when he argued that space and time must be understood together as a unified whole. Consequently, his insight remains central to modern physics.

For McGucken, this exploration is also deeply personal. “Landscape photography is not only about how far we travel to explore the world,” he says, “but how far we travel to explore within.” In this sense, his nighttime journeys through the desert parallel his investigations into physics. Both seek to understand the unseen structures that shape experience.

Ultimately, these light cone images operate on several levels. On one hand, physicists recognize a visualization of spacetime structure. On the other hand, artists encounter studies of form, light, and duration. Meanwhile, general viewers experience something more immediate: a sense of wonder.

Fine art photographer Elliot McGucken used drones to visualize the geometry of Einstein’s theory of relativity in the desert.

Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

Rooted in the physics of light, the project connects Albert Einstein and Hermann Minkowski to contemporary long-exposure photography.

Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

By merging science and nature into spectacular light cones in the sky, the images transform spacetime into a shared experience of wonder.

Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

Light Cone Photography Visualizes Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

Elliot McGucken: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Elliot McGucken.

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This Year’s Photography Show Proved Just How Irreplaceable Its Titular Medium Is https://mymodernmet.com/aipad-the-photography-show-2026-recap/?adt_ei={{ subscriber.email_address }} Tue, 28 Apr 2026 17:25:50 +0000 https://mymodernmet.com/?p=819571 This Year’s Photography Show Proved Just How Irreplaceable Its Titular Medium Is

Last week, a tree-lined block in uptown Manhattan buzzed with visitors. They were filtering in and out of the Park Avenue Armory, where, from April 22 to 26, the 2026 Photography Show was being held. Organized annually by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) since 1980, the fair has consistently championed its titular […]

READ: This Year’s Photography Show Proved Just How Irreplaceable Its Titular Medium Is

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This Year’s Photography Show Proved Just How Irreplaceable Its Titular Medium Is
Steve McCurry, “Times Square in Winter, NY,” 1994. (Courtesy of Polka Galerie)

Steve McCurry, “Times Square in Winter, NY,” 1994. (Courtesy of Polka Galerie)

Last week, a tree-lined block in uptown Manhattan buzzed with visitors. They were filtering in and out of the Park Avenue Armory, where, from April 22 to 26, the 2026 Photography Show was being held. Organized annually by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD) since 1980, the fair has consistently championed its titular medium, but the 45th edition refined its scope to offer a more complete, if unexpected, glimpse into photography’s history and its subsequent evolution.

As in previous years, the Photography Show once again gathered countless exhibitors from around the globe, ranging from Taiwan’s Be Fine Art Gallery to Madrid’s Gregory Leroy Photographs to Brooklyn’s Higher Pictures. This year, though, Latin American practices arose as the fair’s most resonant throughline, with presentations spotlighting a diverse range of voices from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, among others. Rolf Art, for instance, showcased works by Alicia D’Amico, an Argentine photographer whose images capture the distinct mood and atmosphere of 20th-century Buenos Aires. Ruiz-Healy Art, on the other hand, celebrated Graciela Iturbide, who, for the past five decades, has produced imaginative portraits of the people, cultures, and landscapes that define Mexico and its surrounding regions. Taken together, it’s a fitting moment to acknowledge and explore Latin America’s rich photographic traditions, especially considering that art from the region has enjoyed tremendous success at auction in recent years.

“ I feel like [AIPAD] made a conscious effort this year to showcase more Latin American, Latinx, Chicano-focused galleries,” Ruiz-Healy told Hyperallergic in a recent interview.

Beyond this, contemporary photographers also received significant attention throughout the fair. For its debut at the Photography Show, Leica Gallery unveiled several recent images, including Sara Messinger’s Teenagers 6 and Ismail Ferdous’s Barbe à Papa from 2022. Both photographs play with new conventions emerging within the medium, incorporating striking yet tight compositions, bold colors, and scenes that center rather than obscure the everyday. In contrast, Echo Fine Arts demonstrated how photographers continue to revisit the past. Frédéric David may embody this impulse best, contributing prints that, despite being from 2025, betray a vintage sheen in their weathering, soft contours, and muted palettes. This “remixing” becomes all the more exciting when considered alongside the work of early pioneers like Dorothea Lange, Brassaï, and Ansel Adams, whose work was also on display.

Jackson Fine Art, however, might just have been the star of the show. Aside from featuring Gail Albert Halaban and Sally Mann, the Atlanta-based gallery dedicated several walls to Gordon Parks and his landmark Segregation Story. Created for a 1956 Life magazine article, the series follows Black families living in Alabama during the Jim Crow era. The collection is as devastating as it is essential, contending with the legacy of segregation with startling clarity.

In an age defined by AI and, in turn, the increasing devaluation of creative labor, this year’s Photography Show proved just how singular—and irreplaceable—the medium is and always has been.

At the 2026 Photography Show, held April 22–26 at the Park Avenue Armory, exhibitors from around the world proved how diverse, innovative, and exciting photography is and always has been.

Julie Blackmon, “August,” 2025. (Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery)

Julie Blackmon, “August,” 2025. (Courtesy of Robert Mann Gallery)

Ansel Adams, “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico,” 1941 / c. 1960s

Ansel Adams, “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico,” 1941 / c. 1960s. (Courtesy Catherine Couturier Gallery)

Gordon Parks, “Untitled, Shady Grove, Alabama,” 1956. (Courtesy of Jackson Fine Art)

Gordon Parks, “Untitled, Shady Grove, Alabama,” 1956. (Courtesy of Jackson Fine Art)

Alicia D’Amico, “Juremos ser felices,” Buenos Aires, 1965. (Courtesy of Rolf Gallery)

Alicia D’Amico, “Juremos ser felices,” Buenos Aires, 1965. (Courtesy of Rolf Gallery)

Mickalene Thomas, “Tell Me What You’re Thinking, Shinique,” 2022. (Courtesy of Yancey Richardson)

Mickalene Thomas, “Tell Me What You’re Thinking, Shinique,” 2022. (Courtesy of Yancey Richardson)

Sebastião Salgado, “Paris,” 1975. (Courtesy of Polka Galerie)

Sebastião Salgado, “Paris,” 1975. (Courtesy of Polka Galerie)

Edward Burtynsky, “Rock of Ages #17, Abandoned Section, Adam-Pirie Quarry, Barre, Vermont,” 1992. (Courtesy of Robert Koch)

Edward Burtynsky, “Rock of Ages #17, Abandoned Section, Adam-Pirie Quarry, Barre, Vermont,” 1992. (Courtesy of Robert Koch)

Paul Outerbridge, “Glass and Fan,” 1921

Paul Outerbridge, “Glass and Fan,” 1921. (Courtesy Paul Outerbridge Estate Collection)

Held annually by AIPAD, the 45th edition of the fair maintained a special focus on Latin American voices, both historic and contemporary.

Joseph Rodriguez, “Lookout on E. 117th Street,” 1987. (Courtesy of Galerie Bene Taschen, Leica Gallery NY)

Joseph Rodriguez, “Lookout on E. 117th Street,” 1987. (Courtesy of Galerie Bene Taschen, Leica Gallery NY)

Graciela Iturbide, “Rosario y Boo Boo, East Los Ángeles,” 1986. (Courtesy of Ruiz-Healy Art)

Graciela Iturbide, “Rosario y Boo Boo, East Los Ángeles,” 1986. (Courtesy of Ruiz-Healy Art)

Dean West, “Isaac Silhouette #1, American West,” 2024

Dean West, “Isaac Silhouette #1, American West,” 2024. (Courtesy C+C Photography)

Astrid Verhoef, “Sea,” 2024. (Courtesy of the artist and Echo Fine Arts)

Astrid Verhoef, “Sea,” 2024. (Courtesy of the artist and Echo Fine Arts)

Brian Adams, “Marie Rexford of Kaktovik, Alaska, preparing maktak for the village’s Thanksgiving Day feast,” 2015. (Courtesy of Obscura Gallery)

Brian Adams, “Marie Rexford of Kaktovik, Alaska, preparing maktak for the village’s Thanksgiving Day feast,” 2015. (Courtesy of Obscura Gallery)

Mathieu Bitton, “The Affair, Jardin des Tuileries, Paris,” 2023. (Courtesy of Leica Gallery NY)

Mathieu Bitton, “The Affair, Jardin des Tuileries, Paris,” 2013. (Courtesy of Leica Gallery NY)

Jeff Mermelstein, “New York City,” 1993. (Courtesy of Leica Gallery NY)

Jeff Mermelstein, “New York City,” 1993. (Courtesy of Leica Gallery NY)

Taken in its entirety, the Photography Show provided a welcome reprieve in the AI era, showcasing the humanity inherent to its titular medium.

Laurie Simmons, “Small Walking Camera, 1991. (Courtesy of Edwynn Houk Gallery)

Laurie Simmons, “Small Walking Camera, 1991. (Courtesy of Edwynn Houk Gallery)

Tania Franco Klien, “Scream (self-portrait),” 2025. (Courtesy of Yancey Richardson)

Tania Franco Klien, “Scream (self-portrait),” 2025. (Courtesy of Yancey Richardson)

Jess T. Dugan, “Early morning light, Boston,” 2020

Jess T. Dugan, “Early morning light, Boston,” 2020. (Courtesy of the artist)

Stanley Kubrick, “Life and Love on the New York City Subways,” 1945. (Courtesy of Duncan Miller Gallery)

Stanley Kubrick, “Life and Love on the New York City Subways,” 1945. (Courtesy of Duncan Miller Gallery)

Alicia D’Amico, Salida del Subterráneo Lacroze, Buenos Aires, 1968. (Courtesy of Rolf Gallery)

Alicia D’Amico, Salida del Subterráneo Lacroze, Buenos Aires, 1968. (Courtesy of Rolf Gallery)

Flor Garduño. Canasta de Luz, Guatemala, 1989.

Flor Garduño. Canasta de Luz, Guatemala, 1989. (Courtesy of Galerie Sophie Scheidecker)

Kati Horna, “Untitled,” from the “Oda a la necrofiia” series, Mexico, 1962.

Kati Horna, “Untitled,” from the “Oda a la necrofiia” series, Mexico, 1962. (Courtesy of Galerie Sophie Scheidecker)

Joel Meyerowitz, “New York City,” 1975. (Courtesy of Polka Galerie)

Joel Meyerowitz, “New York City,” 1975. (Courtesy of Polka Galerie)

AIPAD: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by ALMA Communications.

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READ: This Year’s Photography Show Proved Just How Irreplaceable Its Titular Medium Is

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