Nature Picture Library

Throughout the years, wildlife photography has been seen to be a typically male-dominated industry. But that is changing!

In collaboration with , we have put together a blog celebrating some up and coming female wildlife photographers, as well as those who have spent a long time in the industry!

Read about their experiences using the link in our Bio!

Whoops!

This clumbsy mountain hare appears to have had a fall! But all is not what it seems. To dry their fur after heavy snow-storms, mountain hares will roll in the snow, which causes any that has accumulated on their fur to clump with that on the ground.

Once they are done with their snow-bath, their fur should be glossy, soft and warm once again!

📸Andrew Parkinson

Happy from Charlotte and Amy, media researchers at Nature Picture Library!

For this day, we wanted to shed the light on some fantastic female animals and wonderful women photographers!

From the tyrannic rule of the alpha female hyena, to the motherly love of elephant matriarchs, we are sharing stories from across the animal kingdom in our Girls Gone Wild article! In Women in the World of Wildlife Photography we interviewed some of our female contributers, to gather information on how the industry has changed over the years and what tips they have for women trying to get in to the field of wildlife photography! To access these articles, click the link in our bio!

📸 Ann and Steve Toon

Helloooooooo! Happy international Polar Day!⁠
⁠
Polar bears skin is black beneath their coat, which is actually tanslucent and appears white due to the reflection of sunlight. This optical illustion allows this top predator to remain camouflaged against the bright sea ice as it hunts. ⁠
⁠
The sea ice that it relies upon for hunting seals is shrinking every year, endangering this animal, which now needs to swim further and further distances between the ice and the mainland. Whilst this may be doable for a health adult bear (polar bears are regarded as a marine mammal due to their incredible swimming ability!), it is incredibly taxing for younger bears. Which is why this day was created. Check out more incredible polar bear imagery on our website! ⁠
⁠
📸 Steven Kazlowski

Can you guess what animated character this seaslug is named after? ⁠
⁠
If you guessed Shaun the Sheep, you would be correct! This is a Shaun the Sheep sea slug and it lives around the islands of Japan, Indonesia and the Philoppines! Much like its terrerstrial namesake, these 'sea sheep' feed on leafy greens, stealing their chloroplasts and placing them within their own green filaments. This gives the slugs the ability to photosynthesise energy from the sun, giving them another food source!

📸 Alex Mustard.⁠
⁠

Want to make a splash this World Hippopotamus Day?

Us too! And that is why we are sharing these amazing splashing hippo's! Which is your favourite?

Did you know that hippo's are actually one of the most dangerous african animal, despite being herbivorous? That is right, hippos eat grass, which they leave the water at night to forage.

📸 Tony Heald, Staffan Widstrand, Ole Jorgen Liodden, Anne & Steve Toon and Will Burrard-Lucas.
⁠

Did you remember what day it is today? Of course you did, its World Bonobo Day! ⁠
⁠
That is right, there is an entire day dedicated to our cheeky closest relatives, and it happens to cooincide with valentines day? Do you know why? ⁠
⁠
Bonobo's are well known for for making love, not war. Compared to their chimpanzee cousins, Bonobo's show less agression to members within their group and even members of other groups. They also mate a lot. ⁠
⁠
But our peace-loving cousins are now endangered, threatened by bushmeat hunting, agricultural encroachment and deforestation. ⁠

📸 Fiona Rogers
⁠

Who 'nose' this nose?

Did you know the UK contains 40% of all grey seals in the world? Over 120,000 of these charasmatic animals swim off our coastline, from the frigid waters of the Outer Hebrides to the warmer seas of Cornwall.

📸 Lewis Jeffries

Did you know that today is International Zebra Day? ⁠
⁠
That is right! There is an entire day dedicated to this stripy animal, which lives in the Savannah's of the African Continent. There are three different existing species of Zebra, one one extinct species known as the Quagga. One species, the Grévy's zebra is so endangered that there are only under 3000 individuals left in the wild! ⁠
⁠
Did you know that Zebras can run at speeds of up to 40mph? How fast can you run? ⁠
⁠
📸 Ole Jorgen Liodden
⁠

Look at this seal's face when it's freezing outside and you're wrapped up and can’t stop shivering... 🥶❄️ It’s freezing here in the UK this week, but Mr. Seal over here is living his best life, smiling in the ice-cold water. Maybe we should take some tips on how to embrace the chill with that level of enthusiasm!

📸 Doug Allan

What happened at COP28?

As we move into the new year, we may all be wondering what positive impacts we can have on our planet. 2023 ended with the significant COP28 Climate Summit; a conference where world leaders came together to create a roadmap towards keeping the planets climate from warming above 1.5'C.

So what did they decide? Check out the link to our blog in the description to find out:

📸 Ole Jorgen Liodden
⁠

Happy New Years everyone! We are making it our resolution to share more incredible nature imagery with you in 2024!⁠
⁠
⁠
📸 Anup Shah, Andy Rouse, Stephen Dalton and Guy Edwardes⁠
⁠
#2024

Happy Christmas from Nature Picture Library! Or crabby christmas?

However you spend the 25th of December, this Christmas Island red crab hopes you enjoy it!

📸 Ingo Arndt

As it's coming up to the Christmas period, we have decided to give a gift! We are giving away on copy of the new edition of David Attenborough's Life of Birds book, which contains images from our library!

In order to enter this giveaway:

1. Follow this account
2.Share this image on your story whilst tagging us in it.
3. Comment your favourite bird!

Giveaway ends on the 25th of December and winner will be announced on boxing day!

Good luck!

Brown bears are found throughout North American and Eurasia, making them a species of least conservation concern. In many european countries though, this species has become endangered or has even been driven to extinction in some places. With a current population of around 17,000 there are estimated to be around 83,000 less bears than were in the continent 2000 years ago. This is a result of habitat loss and hunting. In some countries though, bears are making a return.

In Finland, the brown bear is the nation's national animal and the country contains over 2000 individuals. It was here that photographer Andy Rouse captured this captivating portrait of an adult bear standing on the edge of a pool.

📸 Andy Rouse

We all know someone like this right? Tag your best friend below!

📸Mateusz Piesiak
⁠

We all know someone like this right? Tag them below!

Nature photography can be funny too! Explore our collection for funny wildlife images!

Is minimalism your household theme? Do you pefer open space over clutter? Then you should like the minimalism collection on our print site!

These images have been specially chosen for their use of space and shape, creating beautiful compositions that would benefit any minimalist colour scheme. Scroll through white plumaged Egrets, the rolling sand dunes of the saharah desert, Brown hares on a snowy field, Great creasted grebes displaying on a misty lake, a Goldeneye swimming through autumn colours and a Blackbird in a snow flurry. We hope you will enjoy these images.

📸Bence Mate, Enrique Lopez-Tapia, Andrew Parkinson, Andres M. Dominguez, Peter Cairns / 2020VISION and Danny Green
⁠

Want to add a bit of colour to your home? ⁠
⁠
Our vibrant prints will be sure to add some excitement to any room. Watch bejeweled hummingbirds take flight in warm mexico, witness the earths dramatic power with images of volcanic eruptions in La Palma and be awe-inspired by falmingo's flying over high Chilean Mountains, all from the other side of the world. ⁠
⁠
To find out what kind of prints would best fit you and your home, check out our prints quiz in the link in our account description!⁠
⁠
📸Claudio Contreras, Chris Mattison, Eduardo Blanco, Ben Hall and Sergey Gorshkov
⁠

How would you like to make your home feel?

If you are looking for a peaceful vibe, somewhere you can relax and de-stress, some of our nature imagery can help you to achieve this tranquility. Be transported to the calm salt flats of the Yucutan Peninsula, the cool waters of Lake Csaj and the remote beaches of the Falkland islands, all from the comfort of your home.

Whatever your colour scheme, we are sure to have an image that fits your theme! Visit our peaceful print gallery for more ideas (Link is in our bio!)

⁠ 📸Claudio Contreras, Bence Mate, Solvin Zankl and Edwin Geisbers

Its the 5th of November, bonfire night. Whilst fireworks may in UK skies tonight, their are also fireworks beneath the oceans too. The fireworks anemones!

These anemones are found between 10 and 30 metres deep, mainly confined to coldwater lochs in scotland. The anemone lives in a tube in the sediment, which can be up to a metre long! The long spindly arms of this anemone are used to capture floating plankton in ints deep water environment. Unfortunately, the species is listed as one of conservation concern, meaning this incredible underwater fireworks display is becoming much harder to see.

📸 SCOTLAND: The Big Picture
⁠

⁠
# marinelife

Do you want to learn how to photograph fabulous fungi?

These striking images taken by Guy Edwardes illustrate the magical woodland worlds of mushrooms and toadstools. With vibrant colours and striking shapes, these images capture fungi as you have never seen them before!

If you want to learn how to capture images like these yourself, visit the link in our description and read Guy's latest blog 'How to Photograph Fungi with Guy Edwardes'. It contains many more wonderful images and we can assure you it won't disappoint.

📸 Guy Edwardes
⁠

⁠

Ever wondered what wings could be used for, other than flying? ⁠
⁠
Our new photostory about the Grey-headed flying foxes of Australia explores the many ways that these special animals use their wings. With captivating images by photographer Doug Gimesy, our mocked up magazine article shows just how useful a bats wings can be! ⁠
⁠
Check out the photostory in the link in our description!

📸 Doug Gimesy
⁠

⁠

The plucky little Drakensberg rockjumper certainly lives up to its name in this image!⁠
⁠
Endemic to the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa, this species is often seen hopping around skree slopes. There it forages for invertebrates such as caterpillars, moths and butterflies. Instead of flyinging, it prefers to jump from rock to rock with its ling spindley legs!⁠
⁠
📸 Richard Flack


⁠

The season of orange leaves, crisp frosty mornings and red berries is here (at least in the northern hemisphere). In autumn, the orange, red and brown hues that were disguised by the green of chlorophyll are uncovered. This change can make for a colourful subject for landscape photographers like Jack Dykinga, who captured the cheerfully yellow canopies of these American Aspen trees.

What is your favourite thing about Autumn?

📸 Jack Dykinga
⁠

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a tadpole?

Well never wonder again! This collection of stunning images by Shane Gross perfectly capture the small world inhabited by these young Western Toads.

During the day, Western toad tadpoles swim to the shallowest areas of their wetland pools, where the water is warmest. The warmth allows their cold-blooded bodies to metabolise faster, speeding up the process of metamorphosis. But they can't stay here for too long. Predators like Water scorpions also prefer these shallow waters. Once the day has ended, the tadpoles return to the colder depths of the lake. This migration repeats daily until the tadpoles have grown four limbs and lost their tails, becoming toadlets.

📸 Shane Gross

Its International Vulture Awareness Day! So here is a post about the Rupell's griffon vulture!

This critically endangered species lives in the Sahel and East Africa, where it feeds on the carcasses of dead animals. They can often be seen circling in thermals, looking for their next meal. Sometimes these thermals can take these gliders to unbelievable hights. The highest flying bird is the Rupell's griffon vulture, recorded at a whopping 11277 metres up! Unfortunately this bird came into contact with an airplane, bringing its high-flying adventure to a quick end.

Alongside being inspiring flyers, vultures have a very important role in our gloabl ecosystems. They clean up decvaying matter, helping to spread it's nutrients further around the ecosystem. Their presence at feeding sites also helps to drive away other scavengers like feral dogs, which can help to regulate their population numbers. This can limit the spread of disease.

Unfortunately vultures face persecution and habitat loss, which is causing a loss in numbers in many species. The Ruppell's vulture has also started to follow its smaller Griffon vulture cousins to the mediterranean sea, over which it cannot cross. This error is resulting in the loss of some of the younger population of this species.

📸 Charlie Hamilton-James

What will this baby grow into? Swipe ➡️ to see!⁠
⁠
This small hairless puggle will grow into a big spiny Short-beaked echidna! These australian endemics look a lot like hedgehogs and porcupines but are completely unrelated to both. Echidna's are monoteremes, which means that they are mammals who lay eggs. Their closest living relative is the Duck-beaked platypus. After an echidna lays an egg, she will keep it in a pouch for over fifty days. After this, she will deposit the youngster in a burrow and return to feed it periodically. ⁠
⁠
Sometimes things go wrong though, such as the mother dying or the burrow being disturbed, leaving puggles orphaned. This baby is being raised by wildlife rehabilitators at the Joey and Bat Sanctuary in Victoria, Australia. As you can see by how helpless it is, this baby would not have survived without their help. ⁠
⁠
📸Doug Gimesy and Bruce Thomson⁠
⁠