A Decade Of Nature’s Best: 12 Winning Shots From Siena Awards’ “Beauty Of Nature” Category

Get ready to feast your eyes on some jaw-dropping images that showcase the sheer beauty of our planet. We're diving into the Siena International Photo Awards, where photographers from all over the world have captured Mother Nature at her finest.

For this article, we've gathered the winning images from 2015 to 2023 in the category of "The Beauty of Nature." So sit back, relax, and let's take a stroll through the best of nature's wonders.

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12 PHOTOS

#1 "The Awakening Of A Giant" By Francisco Negroni

2nd place winner of 2023

"Villarrica is the most active and dangerous volcano in Chile. After 7 years of dormancy, it has started showing signs of activity, prompting authorities to declare a Yellow Alert. The photo captures a stunning lenticular cloud illuminated by the glowing lava from the crater, which is now close to the surface."

#2 "Show Time" By Hasan Baglar

1st place winner of 2015

"It's a normal behavior of mantis. They're doing defense. When they're afraid of; raising their arms and spreading their wings. They look like smiling dancers."

#3 "Lonely Island Sunrise" By Aya Okawa

3rd place winner of 2022

"Morning calm at the lonely island, just after sunrise and before the world wakes up. Only the photographer and a lone heron fishing at the island’s edge were present to enjoy the moment."

#4 "Tree Frog And Flower" By Liang Wu

3rd place winner of 2019

"An interesting picture-portrait of a pygmy frog (Oophaga Pumilio), native to the rainforests of Costa Rica."

#5 "Best Friends" By Andi Abdul Halil

2nd place winner of 2019

"A lizard and a snail photographed in a special moment when they seem to be kissing with affection."

#6 "El Calbuco" By Francisco Negroni

1st place winner of 2018

"This photograph was taken during a violent night eruption of the Calbuco volcano in the Lagos region, Chile. An incredible dirt storm wraps the fumarole of the erupting volcano."

#7 "Migration" By Khalid Alsabt

2nd place winner of 2018

"In the desert of Dahana, in the center of Saudi Arabia, Bedouins migrate with camels from place to place, searching for food and water. I took this picture while a group of nomads was passing us with their camels, creating beautiful shadows in a peaceful atmosphere."

#8 "Way To Hell" By Nadine Galandi

1st place winner of 2022

"A line of small erupting craters in the West of the Land of Ice and Fire. A river of lava guides the viewer’s eye, while thick smoke rises high into the sky. Seeing a volcanic eruption, hearing and smelling it, and feeling the unbelievable heat on your skin is a unique experience."

#9 "El Cordón Caulle II" By Francisco Negroni

2nd place winner of 2020

"In 2011 I witnessed an incredible dirty storm that occurred during the furious eruption of the Cordon Caulle, located in the region of the Rivers. The storm scared thousands of people who lived in the areas nearby the volcano. Hundreds of people were evacuated and the enormous amount of erupted ash buried many kilometers of forests and fields."

#10 "Travelers" By Mariusz Potocki

3rd place winner of 2018

"A group of Chinstrap Penguins (Pygoscelis Antarctica) is resting on an iceberg. When sailing Antarctic waters you will often see different types of icebergs. Some of these floating islands are great resting places for hunting penguins who can travel many kilometers, before jumping back into the icy water."

#11 "Beast" By James Smart

1st place winner of 2017

"Chasing this storm in Black Hawk was amazing. After waiting hours for something to develop, the storm began to turn into a supercell. This absolutely stunning ship-like structure invaded and took over the Black Hawk area."

#12 "New Generation" By Fabio Savini

1st place winner of 2023

"Female Northern spectacled salamanders, also known as Savi’s salamanders, lay their eggs on submerged branches in cold waters of an Apennine stream in Italy’s Foreste Casentinesi National Park.