These images are the best of the best. Literally.
They were selected from more than 500,000 images submitted over 20 years by photographers from around the globe for the annual Nature’s Best Photography: Windland Smith Rice International Awards.
The 100 best-of-the-best photos will be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History through October 2016, in an exhibit called "Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards Presents: The Best of the Best."
The Smithsonian shared this selection of images with us, and they are presented here with permission.
Scroll down for the images, and a description of how they were caught from the photographers.
Megan Lorenz caught this image of an Atlantic puffin in Newfoundland, Canada. She won the 2015 Grand Prize in the competition.
"Perched precariously on the edge of a cliff trying desperately to overcome my fear of heights, I watched this Atlantic Puffin pull a Wild Iris from the ground and walk along the cliff toward me. He stopped for a moment and I had enough time to capture him with the blue sky in the background before he dropped the Iris over the side where his mate was waiting at the burrow entrance."
Stuart Porter caught this image of an African bush elephant in Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
“We encountered a blanket of haze and through this misty curtain we could make out two bulls feeding. I focused on one that had the rising sunlight behind him. A pair of cattle egrets perched on him as he fed. Without warning, the elephant began to lie down, startling the birds and causing one to take flight. It was thrilling to witness such an event.”
Cheryl Opperman caught this image of Dall’s sheep in Denali National Park in Alaska.
“Photographing mountain sheep can be a daunting task typically starting with a long hike straight up a steep, rocky slope. This pair was found high above a valley during autumn. Rams may be best known for their horn clashing, signaling the rut. But on this day, they seemed more interested in companionship than establishing order. It is endearing moments like these that make the arduous hikes worthwhile."
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