And here’s announcing our final finalist!

The Nature India photo contest 2017 finalist number ten:

Hinnerk Feldwisch-Drentrup, Karlsruhe, Germany

Photo caption: Unclear vision

{credit}Hinnerk Feldwisch-Drentrup{/credit}

Hinnerk Feldwisch-Drentrup

Hinnerk, a science journalist based in Germany, shot this picture in the Chinese capital.

“One morning in April 2017 in Beijing, when I looked out of my window, thick smog obstructed the view of the central business district.

Next to the headquarters of China’s Central Television on the left, the CIVIC tower is under construction. Nicknamed ‘China Zun’, or ‘China’s dignity’, it could hardly serve as a reliable lighthouse or a watchtower, thanks to the smog cover that hazes out everything in sight.”

Well done Hinnerk, and great to have you in the top ten!

And with that we come to the end of this long list for this year’s contest! The Nature India photo contest 2017 brought to us some wonderful entries from around the world. The theme this year was ‘Grand Challenges’, and needed more thought and creativity than our earlier themes.

Despite the challenge, the quality and novelty of some of the entries has been breathtaking. We have had a mix of amateur and professional photographers, scientists and non-scientists, mobile cameras and high-end DSLRs — all vying to portray the complex global problems we face — the world’s grand challenges — and to look for solutions for a healthy and sustainable future.

Tough job as usual for the Nature India editorial and design team in selecting just three winners. The winners stand a chance of seeing their entries grace the cover page of one of our forthcoming print publications. The winner and two runners-up will receive a copy of the latest Nature India Special Annual Volume and an enviable bag of goodies from Springer Nature.

As a run up to the final announcement, we will be rolling out the top 10 finalists of the photo competition (in no particular order of merit) over the next few days on the Indigenus blog as well as our social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). The final results will be announced somewhere in late December 2017.

Nature India’s final decision to chose the winner will be partly influenced by the engagement and reception he/she receives here at the Indigenus blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. To give all finalists a fair chance, we will take into consideration the social media engagement of each picture only during the first seven days of its announcement.

Watch out for our other finalists and feel free to promote, share and like your favourite entries with the hashtag #NatureIndphoto.

Two more to go in the longlist!

Announcing the Nature India photo contest 2017 finalist number nine:

Nirmal Balakrishnan, Chennai, India

Photo caption: Environment refugees

{credit}Nirmal Balakrishnan{/credit}

Nirmal Balakrishnan

Nirmal, a digital marketer, finds a human parallel in this symbolic picture of a crab living inside a conch shell on the shores of the Pulicat Lake in Tamil Nadu, India:

“These crabs are faced with the challenge of destruction of their species due to overfishing, as also destruction of their habitats – the seas – due to human-induced pollution. They are forced to travel from one place to another, carrying their belongings on their back, in search of tranquil shores.

This crab lives in a borrowed dwelling inside a conch shell, like an environment refugee. To address the world’s grand challenges, we may need similar skilled crabbing – reaching beyond our comfort zones, collaborating across disciplines and across the seas, and focusing on better, sustainable solutions. Like this crab shows, we are all in it together!”

Congratulations Nirmal for the wonderful catch, and welcome to the top ten!

As we slowly come to a close this year, the Nature India photo contest has regaled us with some wonderful entries from around the world. The theme this year was ‘Grand Challenges’, and needed more thought and creativity than our earlier themes.

Despite the challenge, the quality and novelty of some of the entries has been breathtaking. We have had a mix of amateur and professional photographers, scientists and non-scientists, mobile cameras and high-end DSLRs — all vying to portray the complex global problems we face — the world’s grand challenges — and to look for solutions for a healthy and sustainable future.

Tough job as usual for the Nature India editorial and design team in selecting just three winners. The winners stand a chance of seeing their entries grace the cover page of one of our forthcoming print publications. The winner and two runners-up will receive a copy of the latest Nature India Special Annual Volume and an enviable bag of goodies from Springer Nature.

As a run up to the final announcement, we will be rolling out the top 10 finalists of the photo competition (in no particular order of merit) over the next few days on the Indigenus blog as well as our social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). The final results will be announced somewhere in late December 2017.

Nature India’s final decision to chose the winner will be partly influenced by the engagement and reception he/she receives here at the Indigenus blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. To give all finalists a fair chance, we will take into consideration the social media engagement of each picture only during the first seven days of its announcement.

Watch out for our other finalists and feel free to promote, share and like your favourite entries with the hashtag #NatureIndphoto.

Drum rolls for the Nature India photo contest 2017 finalist number eight:

Preethi Krishnamoorthy, Bengaluru, India

Photo caption: Poverty inherited

{credit}Preethi Krishnamoorthy{/credit}

Preethi Krishnamoorthy

Preethi was sitting with her morning cup of tea at her window in a quiet Bengaluru neighbourhood when she saw this little kid running along the street.

“I watched as he ran confident and carefree without the fear of the moving vehicles. I found myself smiling when he was naughty, and gasping at the thought of an imminent fall. I wanted to capture his innocence. He walked over to a woman, perhaps his mother, among some workers mending the road, tugged on her sari for attention and made a sad face when she refused. For her, leaving work to attend to him would probably mean no dinner for him that night. My heart sank as I captured this irony.

She went back to work and he to play. He found a little girl to chat up with and sit next to. She readily shared a packet of chips with him. All was well again in his little world, but there were a lot of questions in mine. Would he grow up to get formal education or a healthy life? Would the underprivileged ever be able to break their inherited cycle of poverty? The burden of these questions should weigh heavy on our collective conscience.”

Well done Preethi, and congratulations for getting into the top ten of the contest!

In its fourth year, the Nature India photo contest continues to receive some wonderful entries from around the world. The theme this year was ‘Grand Challenges’, and needed more thought and creativity than our earlier themes.

Despite the challenge, the quality and novelty of some of the entries has been breathtaking. We have had a mix of amateur and professional photographers, scientists and non-scientists, mobile cameras and high-end DSLRs — all vying to portray the complex global problems we face — the world’s grand challenges — and to look for solutions for a healthy and sustainable future.

Tough job as usual for the Nature India editorial and design team in selecting just three winners. The winners stand a chance of seeing their entries grace the cover page of one of our forthcoming print publications. The winner and two runners-up will receive a copy of the latest Nature India Special Annual Volume and an enviable bag of goodies from Springer Nature.

As a run up to the final announcement, we will be rolling out the top 10 finalists of the photo competition (in no particular order of merit) over the next few days on the Indigenus blog as well as our social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). The final results will be announced somewhere in late December 2017.

Nature India’s final decision to chose the winner will be partly influenced by the engagement and reception he/she receives here at the Indigenus blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. To give all finalists a fair chance, we will take into consideration the social media engagement of each picture only during the first seven days of its announcement.

Watch out for our other finalists and feel free to promote, share and like your favourite entries with the hashtag #NatureIndphoto.

The contest is now hotting up!

Here is the Nature India photo contest 2017 finalist number seven:

Samrat Mukherjee, Mumbai, India

Photo caption: Home alone

{credit}Samrat Mukherjee{/credit}

Samrat Mukherjee

Samrat explains his photo thus:

“Every year the rains are getting unpredictable. Traditional ways of living are unable to cope up with this change.

This image was taken in the Nadia District in West Bengal crippled after a spell of heavy cyclonic rains, a phenomenon that’s more frequent in the Bay of Bengal in recent times.”

Congratulations Samrat for this macro view. And welcome to the long list of the contest!

The Nature India photo contest is in its fourth edition continuing to receive some breathtaking entries from around the world. The theme this year was ‘Grand Challenges’, and needed more thought and creativity than our earlier themes.

Despite the challenge, the quality and novelty of some of the entries has been breathtaking. We have had a mix of amateur and professional photographers, scientists and non-scientists, mobile cameras and high-end DSLRs — all vying to portray the complex global problems we face — the world’s grand challenges — and to look for solutions for a healthy and sustainable future.

Tough job as usual for the Nature India editorial and design team in selecting just three winners. The winners stand a chance of seeing their entries grace the cover page of one of our forthcoming print publications. The winner and two runners-up will receive a copy of the latest Nature India Special Annual Volume and an enviable bag of goodies from Springer Nature.

As a run up to the final announcement, we will be rolling out the top 10 finalists of the photo competition (in no particular order of merit) over the next few days on the Indigenus blog as well as our social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). The final results will be announced somewhere in late December 2017.

Nature India’s final decision to chose the winner will be partly influenced by the engagement and reception he/she receives here at the Indigenus blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. To give all finalists a fair chance, we will take into consideration the social media engagement of each picture only during the first seven days of its announcement.

Watch out for our other finalists and feel free to promote, share and like your favourite entries with the hashtag #NatureIndphoto.

Time now to roll out the Nature India photo contest 2017 finalist number six:

Jessy Varghese, South Carolina, USA

Photo caption: No expiry date

Jessy Varghese

Jessy, a PhD student in pharmaceutical sciences at the University of South Carolina, has this to say about her picture:

“Some things just don’t have an expiry date! Love and compassion, for example, don’t. Ageing is a challenge. It is a challenge for the person as it comes with functional decline, diseases and mental illness. It is also challenging for the society as an ageing population tells on its economic stability and growth. As a research student in pharmaceutical sciences, I was looking at the growth in availability of medication to help the elderly achieve a healthy and happy old age. Beyond all interventions, I realized, ‘all they need is love.’

I took this photo in May 2017 at a farmer’s market in Columbia, South Carolina, USA.”

Congratulations Jessy for the deep thought that got you into the top ten of this contest!

In its fourth year, the Nature India photo contest continued to receive some breathtaking entries from around the world. The theme this year was ‘Grand Challenges’, and needed more thought and creativity than our earlier themes.

Despite the challenge, the quality and novelty of some of the entries has been breathtaking. We have had a mix of amateur and professional photographers, scientists and non-scientists, mobile cameras and high-end DSLRs — all vying to portray the complex global problems we face — the world’s grand challenges — and to look for solutions for a healthy and sustainable future.

Tough job as usual for the Nature India editorial and design team in selecting just three winners. The winners stand a chance of seeing their entries grace the cover page of one of our forthcoming print publications. The winner and two runners-up will receive a copy of the latest Nature India Special Annual Volume and an enviable bag of goodies from Springer Nature.

As a run up to the final announcement, we will be rolling out the top 10 finalists of the photo competition (in no particular order of merit) over the next few days on the Indigenus blog as well as our social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). The final results will be announced somewhere in late December 2017.

Nature India’s final decision to chose the winner will be partly influenced by the engagement and reception he/she receives here at the Indigenus blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. To give all finalists a fair chance, we will take into consideration the social media engagement of each picture only during the first seven days of its announcement.

Watch out for our other finalists and feel free to promote, share and like your favourite entries with the hashtag #NatureIndphoto.

And here is Nature India photo contest 2017 finalist number five:

Deepak Bhau Kumbhar, Maharashtra, India

Photo caption: Just one world

{credit}Deepak Bhau Kumbhar{/credit}

Deepak explains his shot thus:

Deepak Bhau Kumbhar

“These beautiful caterpillars face severe competition from one another, trying to nibble into a single piece of leaf. That’s what is happening to mankind – we are greedily consuming the world’s limited resources. It is time we realise that soon there won’t be enough left for all of us. Though that realization has dawned among many, out of sheer habit we continue to nibble into the same leaf.

I am a science teacher at a high school, passionate about micro wildlife photography. I photograph nature’s amazing creations and show them to my students with various messages.”

Congratulations Deepak for the lovely composition. Welcome to the top ten!

The Nature India photo contest is in its fourth year and continues to receive some breathtaking entries from around the world. The theme this year was ‘Grand Challenges’, and needed more thought and creativity than our earlier themes.

Despite the challenge, the quality and novelty of some of the entries has been breathtaking. We have had a mix of amateur and professional photographers, scientists and non-scientists, mobile cameras and high-end DSLRs — all vying to portray the complex global problems we face — the world’s grand challenges — and to look for solutions for a healthy and sustainable future.

Tough job as usual for the Nature India editorial and design team in selecting just three winners. The winners stand a chance of seeing their entries grace the cover page of one of our forthcoming print publications. The winner and two runners-up will receive a copy of the latest Nature India Special Annual Volume and an enviable bag of goodies from Springer Nature.

As a run up to the final announcement, we will be rolling out the top 10 finalists of the photo competition (in no particular order of merit) over the next few days on the Indigenus blog as well as our social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). The final results will be announced somewhere in late December 2017.

Nature India’s final decision to chose the winner will be partly influenced by the engagement and reception he/she receives here at the Indigenus blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. To give all finalists a fair chance, we will take into consideration the social media engagement of each picture only during the first seven days of its announcement.

Watch out for our other finalists and feel free to promote, share and like your favourite entries with the hashtag #NatureIndphoto.

Presenting Nature India photo contest 2017 finalist number four:

Avinash Surendran, Bengaluru, India

Photo caption: Children of the Sun

{credit}Avinash Surendran{/credit}

Avinash Surendran

Avinash tells us the thought behind this picture:

“Enough sunlight hits the earth in an hour to power it for a year. Why aren’t we using this resource enough? Even five years ago, powering homes or industries using solar power would be considered a billionaire philanthropist’s dream. However, in the last five years, the cost of solar energy has fallen by a fifth, making it cheaper than fossil fuels in many countries around the world. The story of solar energy is not just about sunlight. Its success includes sound technology, innovation and the political will to solve the grand challenge of cheap sustainable energy. It is a story of democratization of energy and leaving the planet a better place for our children. The next generation should inherit this energy from the sun – they should be the children of the sun.

This photo was taken from the terrace of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore. I am a PhD student there and contributed to the installation of a solar rooftop power plant which offsets the energy usage of the entire institute, while providing cheaper electricity than that available from the grid. This photo for me is symbolic of the opportunity we have in solving the problem of cheap sustainable energy for all.”

Congratulations for a brilliant capture Avinash, and welcome to the top ten of this contest!

The Nature India photo contest is in its fourth year and continues to receive some breathtaking entries from around the world. The theme this year was ‘Grand Challenges’, and needed more thought and creativity than our earlier themes.

Despite the challenge, the quality and novelty of some of the entries has been breathtaking. We have had a mix of amateur and professional photographers, scientists and non-scientists, mobile cameras and high-end DSLRs — all vying to portray the complex global problems we face — the world’s grand challenges — and to look for solutions for a healthy and sustainable future.

Tough job as usual for the Nature India editorial and design team in selecting just three winners. The winners stand a chance of seeing their entries grace the cover page of one of our forthcoming print publications. The winner and two runners-up will receive a copy of the latest Nature India Special Annual Volume and an enviable bag of goodies from Springer Nature.

As a run up to the final announcement, we will be rolling out the top 10 finalists of the photo competition (in no particular order of merit) over the next few days on the Indigenus blog as well as our social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). The final results will be announced somewhere in late December 2017.

Nature India’s final decision to chose the winner will be partly influenced by the engagement and reception he/she receives here at the Indigenus blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. To give all finalists a fair chance, we will take into consideration the social media engagement of each picture only during the first seven days of its announcement.

Watch out for our other finalists and feel free to promote, share and like your favourite entries with the hashtag #NatureIndphoto.

And now for Nature India photo contest 2017 finalist number three:

Ricky Patel, West Bengal, India

Photo caption: Cleaning up my abode

{credit}Ricky Patel{/credit}

Ricky Patel

Ricky thought from the animal’s point of view while shooting this photo:

“Can we please use biodegradable material or adopt safer waste disposal practices, at least inside the national parks? My friends and I living in the Ranthambore National Park ( Rajasthan, India), have a hard time cleaning up after careless tourists .” This Royal Bengal Tiger, with a plastic bottle in its mouth, would probably say something similar if it could speak to you. Incessant use of non-biodegradable polymers makes a mockery of our national programme of ‘Clean India’, even in highly protected zones.

A rare catch Ricky! Welcome to the top ten.

In it’s fourth year, the Nature India photo contest continues to receive fantastic response with entries from around the world. The theme this year was ‘Grand Challenges’, and needed more thought and creativity than our earlier themes.

Despite the challenge, the quality and novelty of some of the entries has been breathtaking. We have had a mix of amateur and professional photographers, scientists and non-scientists, mobile cameras and high-end DSLRs — all vying to portray the complex global problems we face — the world’s grand challenges — and to look for solutions for a healthy and sustainable future.

Tough job as usual for the Nature India editorial and design team in selecting just three winners. The winners stand a chance of seeing their entries grace the cover page of one of our forthcoming print publications. The winner and two runners-up will receive a copy of the latest Nature India Special Annual Volume and an enviable bag of goodies from Springer Nature.

As a run up to the final announcement, we will be rolling out the top 10 finalists of the photo competition (in no particular order of merit) over the next few days on the Indigenus blog as well as our social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). The final results will be announced somewhere in late December 2017.

Nature India’s final decision to chose the winner will be partly influenced by the engagement and reception he/she receives here at the Indigenus blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. To give all finalists a fair chance, we will take into consideration the social media engagement of each picture only during the first seven days of its announcement.

Watch out for our other finalists and feel free to promote, share and like your favourite entries with the hashtag #NatureIndphoto.

Rolling out Nature India photo contest 2017 finalist number two:

Dipankar Ghosh, Oakdale, Minnesota, USA

Photo caption: Fishy tales

{credit}Dipankar Ghosh{/credit}

Dipankar Ghosh

Here’s Dipankar’s description of his picture:

A dramatic increase in population and climate change are depleting global natural resources at an alarming rate. Fishermen on the Puri coast in Odisha, India depend on the ocean’s natural resource for their livelihood. But meeting daily targets of fish haul to earn a living is often a big challenge.

Congratulations Dipankar for making it to the longlist!

In it’s fourth year, the photo contest continued to receive fantastic response with entries from around the world. The theme this year was ‘Grand Challenges’, and needed more thought and creativity than our earlier themes.

Despite the challenge, the quality and novelty of some of the entries has been breathtaking. We have had a mix of amateur and professional photographers, scientists and non-scientists, mobile cameras and high-end DSLRs — all vying to portray the complex global problems we face — the world’s grand challenges — and to look for solutions for a healthy and sustainable future.

Tough job as usual for the Nature India editorial and design team in selecting just three winners. The winners stand a chance of seeing their entries grace the cover page of one of our forthcoming print publications. The winner and two runners-up will receive a copy of the latest Nature India Special Annual Volume and an enviable bag of goodies from Springer Nature.

As a run up to the final announcement, we will be rolling out the top 10 finalists of the photo competition (in no particular order of merit) over the next few days on the Indigenus blog as well as our social media platforms (Twitter and Facebook). The final results will be announced somewhere in late December 2017.

Nature India’s final decision to chose the winner will be partly influenced by the engagement and reception he/she receives here at the Indigenus blog, on Twitter and on Facebook. To give all finalists a fair chance, we will take into consideration the social media engagement of each picture only during the first seven days of its announcement.

Watch out for our other finalists and feel free to promote, share and like your favourite entries with the hashtag #NatureIndphoto.