World Press Photo of the Year
Samuel Aranda

2012 Photo contest

View the entire collection of winning images from the 55th World Press Photo Contest. The winners were selected from over 100,000 images submitted to the contest.

5,247 photographers

124 nationalities

101,254 pictures

Winners

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Cliff-Climbing Polar Bear Attempting to Eat Seabird Eggs

Jenny E. Ross

Nature

1st prize singles

Cliff-Climbing Polar Bear Attempting to Eat Seabird Eggs

Jenny E. Ross

Nature

1st prize singles

2012

A young male polar bear climbs on a cliff face above the ocean, attempting unsuccessfully to feed on eggs from the nests of Brünnich’s guillemots, in late July.

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Heteropoda

Joan Costa

Nature

2nd prize singles

Heteropoda

Joan Costa

Nature

2nd prize singles

2012

A female of the Pterosoma planum species.

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Tuna fish in the Tonnara

Francesco Zizola

Nature

3rd prize singles

Tuna fish in the Tonnara

Francesco Zizola

Nature

3rd prize singles

2012

A scuba diver photographs tuna as they swim into a tonnara—a maze of fixed nets—off Carliforte Island, Sardinia, Italy.

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Rhino Wars

Brent Stirton

Nature

1st prize stories

Rhino Wars

Brent Stirton

Nature

1st prize stories

2012

With rhinoceros horn worth more than gold, the animals are the target of poachers. South Africa alone lost over 400 rhinos to illegal poaching in 2011. It is estimated there are only 16,000 rhinos left in the world, and the animal faces extinction.

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Infinite Cave

Carsten Peter

Nature

2nd prize stories

Infinite Cave

Carsten Peter

Nature

2nd prize stories

2012

Hang Son Doong, in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam, is believed by many to be the largest cave on earth.

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Shark Fin

Paul Hilton

Nature

3rd prize stories

Shark Fin

Paul Hilton

Nature

3rd prize stories

2012

Hunting sharks for their fins has become big business across the globe, as shark-fin soup soars in popularity among China’s growing, newly affluent middle class. Up to 73 million sharks are killed annually.

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The Jump
Henrik Brunnsgård

Infinite Cave
Carsten Peter

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The 2013 Photo Contest

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World Press Photo of the Year

2012 Photo contest

Editor's pick

Winners

Cliff-Climbing Polar Bear Attempting to Eat Seabird Eggs

Cliff-Climbing Polar Bear Attempting to Eat Seabird Eggs

Heteropoda

Heteropoda

Tuna fish in the Tonnara

Tuna fish in the Tonnara

Rhino Wars

Rhino Wars

Infinite Cave

Infinite Cave

Shark Fin

Shark Fin

About the foundation

Featured

The 2013 Photo Contest

Featured

Featured

Next#02

Featured

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World Press Photo of the Year

2012 Photo contest

Editor's pick

Winners

Select which category you would like to view:

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Cliff-Climbing Polar Bear Attempting to Eat Seabird Eggs

Cliff-Climbing Polar Bear Attempting to Eat Seabird Eggs

Heteropoda

Heteropoda

Tuna fish in the Tonnara

Tuna fish in the Tonnara

Rhino Wars

Rhino Wars

Infinite Cave

Infinite Cave

Shark Fin

Shark Fin

About the foundation

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