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Here are the stunning winning photos of the Environmental Photographer of the year 2022. Now in its 15th year, the Environmental Photographer Of The Year competition showcases some of the world’s most inspirational environmental photography. The annual competition provides an international platform to raise awareness for the issues that put our planet at risk.

Photographer Mehdi Mohebi Pour, has won the highly coveted prize of Environmental Photographer of the Year for “The Bitter Death of Birds”. The competition also celebrates photographers of the future, with 16-year-old Fayz Khan winning the Young Environmental Photographer of the Year award, presented by Nikon, for “Beautiful But Hostile Colours on Earth”.

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#1 Winner: Vision of the Future | Vertical Farming by Arie Basuki

Officers maintain vegetable crops in a warehouse at Sentra farm in West Java, Indonesia. Vegetables such as curly lettuce, romaine, oclave green, siiomak, kailan are cultured in a room where the light and temperature remain stable. The advantage of vertical farming, which was developed in the past year, is that it is free of pesticides with a harvest period of only 30 days with an average yield of 20-30kg a day. Photograph: Arie Basuki/Environmental photographer of the year

#2 Winner: Adapting for Tomorrow | New Ways To The Future (III) by Simone Tramonte

A view of Middelgrunden offshore windfarm from Amager Strand, a popular beach in Copenhagen, Denmark, on July 2021. The windfarm integrates perfectly with this popular beach where local people sunbathe or play water sports. The windfarm was developed with a strong involvement of the local community. Just over 14% of Danish electricity consumption is provided by wind. More than 150,000 families are members of wind turbine cooperatives such as this one. Photograph: Simone Tramonte/Environmental photographer of the year

#3 Winner: Recovering Nature | Naturalia: Chronicle of Contemporary Ruins by Jonk Jimenez

Pisa, Italy, in July 2021. The photographer asks a fundamental question: what is the place of humankind on Earth and what is our relationship with nature? Far from being pessimistic, and at a time when humanity’s domination over nature has never been so extreme, this photo aims to wake our consciousness. Photograph: Jonk Jimenez/Environmental photographer of the year

#4 Winner: Keeping 1.5 Alive | Chemical Explosion by Subrata Dey

Sitakunda, Bangladesh, June 2022. At a chemical explosion and fire at the BM container depot in Sitakunda Upazila, Chittagong, 49 people were killed, and the mixing of chemicals in the air and water had a devastating effect on the environment. The explosion spilled plastic containers into the nearby river, where the chemical-laced water entered the aquifer and destroyed the fresh water supply. Photograph: Subrata Dey/Environmental photographer of the year

#5 Young Environmental photographer of the year: Beautiful But Hostile Colours On Earth by Fayz Khan

Lesser flamingoes over Lake Magadi and Lake Natron, Southern Rift Valley, Kenya, July 2022. Once a single freshwater lake, the two lakes are now highly concentrated salt pans, severely alkaline and toxic to most forms of animal and plant life. The flamingoes are an exception: because of their biological makeup they love to feed on the algae that thrive on the surface. As beautiful as the colours may be, the hues relate to the algae changing colour as they react to the alkaline levels of the lakes. Photograph: Fayz Khan/Environmental photographer of the year

#6 Keeping 1.5 Alive | The Environmental Cost Of Fast Fashion by Muntaka Chasant

Thousands of discarded fast fashion waste washed up on the coast of Jamestown in Accra, Ghana, July 2022. Discarded unwanted fast fashion clothes (imported as secondhand garments mainly from industrialised countries) regularly wash up to choke fish landing beaches in the Ghanaian capital. The vast bulk of the cheap trend-driven mass-produced clothes arrive in the country as waste and are therefore unsellable. Landfilled, they decompose and emit methane gas, worsening the climate crisis. Photograph: Muntaka Chasant/Environmental photographer of the year

#7 Adapting for Tomorrow | Mutual Assistance Between Man And Nature by Alex Cao

Binh Thuan, Viet Nam, October 2021. Bau Ca Cai is an old white-flowered mangrove, planted in the natural breakwater to improve the ecological environment under climate change and sea-level rise. This project is sponsored by the Green Climate Fund and the UN Development Programme, and helps to strengthen resilience to the impacts of climate change for vulnerable communities. The project supports ecotourism and contributes to income improvement and sustainable poverty reduction. Photograph: Alex Cao/Environmental photographer of the year

#8 Adapting for Tomorrow | Solar Is The Key by Gaeus Lazar Tumlos Osilao

San Jose Del Monte Bulacan, The Philippines, April 2022. My neighbour Joe Ward started using a solar panel to decrease energy costs after the Covid-19 pandemic. Photograph: Gaeus Lazar Osilao/Environmental photographer of the year

#9 Keeping 1.5 Alive | Floating Timber Market by Pinu Rahman

Barisal, Bangladesh, August 2021. The biggest floating timber market in the country supports the livelihoods of many. Dozens of boats crowd the river, with much of the trade occurring without a foot being set on the land. But lack of sustainable planning and conservation pose a serious threat to the environment. This is particularly devastating for the coastal areas, where trees can mitigate the impact of natural disasters like floods and cyclones. Photograph: Pinu Rahman/Environmental photographer of the year

#10 Recovering Nature | I’m Watching You Everywhere by Maciej Krzanowski

A small lake hidden within the woods, Suwałki, Poland, January 2021. The lake and its surroundings forms a shape of an eye symbolising that nature is watching us. Photograph: Maciej Krzanowski/Environmental photographer of the year

#11 Keeping 1.5 Alive | Aceredo by Brais Lorenzo Couto

The old village of Aceredo, in Lobios, Galicia, Spain, April 2022, which was buried in the 1990s by the waters of the Lindoso reservoir and which has been visible due to the historic drought affecting Europe. In especially dry years, parts would appear of the old village of Aceredo but never before has the skeleton of the village emerged in its entirety in the middle of rainy months. This year has been of great concern due to droughts and heatwaves. Photograph: Lorenzo Couto/Environmental photographer of the year

#12 Vision of the Future | Always A Little Further… by Nigel Wallace-Iles

Everest Base Camp Trek, Mount Everest, Nepal, March 2021. We stopped for a moment to allow the Sherpas to pass with their convoy of yaks, taking the supplies of LPG to the main base camp. The image, for me, captured the juxtaposition of what we as humans are capable of achieving with determination, and the damage we do in pursuit of those achievements, and also highlighted the intricate interconnected nature of development, poverty within the Sherpa communities, equality, security and climate action. Photograph: Nigel Wallace-Iles/Environmental photographer of the year

#13 Adapting for Tomorrow | Bio Mining With Trommel Machine by Sujan Sarkar

Cooch Behar, India, August 2022. The decomposition of waste in city landfills causes air pollution and creates a high risk of producing methane under high temperature, which can lead to fire. To avoid these unwanted environmental hazards, the Municipal Corporation of Cooch Behar installed Trommel machines to bio mine the solid waste. The machine removes plastics, sand and metals from the garbage, which is then recycled and used for tarring, construction, and other waste is converted into organic manure. Photograph: Sujan Sarkar/Environmental photographer of the year

#14 Recovering Nature | Papa Potwe, 1 by Danielle Stanley

Mafia Island, Tanzania, November 2021. Ali has been working at Kitu Kiblu for more than eight years and has learned to respect these gentle giants. This photograph was taken after many attempts to remove a hook and fishing line from the mouth of a Whale shark. Although a small fishing line doesn’t encompass the greater issues of unsustainable fishing industries, it represents the power of conservation to bring about positive change through nature-based solutions, specific to conservation. Photograph: Danielle Stanley/Environmental photographer of the year

#15 Keeping 1.5 Alive | One With Nature by Bernard Kalu

Glasgow, Scotland, November 2021. People join in the protest to inspire action to mitigate the looming climate crises. I am Nigerian and was one of the designated observers representing my country in Cop26. There were myriad photographers and videographers there as people marched in protest. Photograph: Bernard Kalu/Environmental photographer of the year

#16 Vision of the Future | People At Work by Jignesh Chavda

Ahmedabad, India, May 2021. Electricians repair a power line in the late evening, after a cyclone hit the city. Photograph: Jignesh Chavda/Environmental photographer of the year

#17 Adapting for Tomorrow | Hope by Niamul Rifat

Barishal Division, Bangladesh, July 2022. Hundreds of geotextile bags remain at the bank of the Kironkhola River to protect the erosion-prone waterway. According to locals, about 120 families have been displaced during the past couple of years. According to a report by the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services, from 1973 to 2017 Bangladesh lost more than 162,000 hectares of land to three of its largest rivers. Photograph: Niamul Rifat/Environmental photographer of the year

#18 Recovering Nature | An Army Of Flamingos by Mehdi Mohebi Pour

Miankaleh, Iran, March 2022. In 2019-20 and 2020-21, thousands of birds died in the lagoon, and in the next year, 2021-22, fortunately, we saw the return of birds. They are in the wetland from the beginning of October to the end of March and after that they migrate. The birds were our guests at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, and this story is repeated every year. In 2020-21, tens of thousands of migratory birds died in this wetland, and in the following year the flock returned. Photograph: Mehdi Mohebi Pour/Environmental photographer of the year

#19 Grand title winner: Environmental photographer of the year | The Bitter Death Of Birds by Mehdi Mohebi

This photo shows the efforts of the environmental forces to collect the bodies and prevent the spread of this disease. The Miankaleh wetland is being destroyed by changes in the climate and it is my duty as a photographer to highlight these problems and create a record for history. I want to prevent the complete destruction of the wetland and the potential environmental disaster by showing the issues and threats to these beautiful natural places. Photograph: Mehdi Mohebi Pour/Environmental photographer of the year

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The acclaimed Afro-Latino photographer talks about the power of his Dominican roots, family upbringing, and creating his own “Tercera Cultura” in the Metaverse.

Celebrity photographer Juan Veloz has a portfolio overflowing with Hollywood legends and rising stars. From Babyface to Chlöe Bailey, Michael B. Jordan to Raven-Symoné, Veloz brings out both an elegance and raw beauty in his subjects that have made him the go-to photographer to capture talent in their elements.  His work has been featured on billboards in LA, and he even shot official portraits for the Met Gala. For a kid from Bushwick, Brooklyn whose family migrated from the Dominican Republic, Veloz is on a professional journey rooted in his ancestors’ wildest dreams.

“My grandmother would always tell me as a kid growing up, ‘Juan, I never had photos growing up in the Dominican Republic.’ And that sparked something in me to preserve my culture [and] capture all the candid moments within my family,” he recalls.

A self-taught photographer, Veloz began taking model and documentary photos as a teen before he ever shot celebrity pictures.

“It was trial and error, and it was scary,” he says.  “It was like, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I graduated from the University of YouTube.  Art is something that cannot be taught…Your journey is your journey.”

Now, Veloz is the star in front of the camera, featured in a new campaign called the Metaverse Culture Series: Tercera Cultura (or “Third Culture”).  The Tercera Cultura series includes a short film featuring Veloz and other Latino voices talking about what it’s like creating a “third culture” from their native countries, family upbringings, and their own dreams. The series also includes a mixed-reality art installation called “Nuevo Norte” (“New North”), which can only be experienced in VR with a Meta headset. Think of it like a virtual art exhibit you can explore and immerse yourself in.

In an interview with theGrio conducted within the Metaverse courtesy of Tercera Cultura, Veloz emphasized the importance of Black people getting equitable access to new technologies like the Metaverse early and using them to express their creativity.

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“This world, there’s, like, endless amounts of opportunities. Your mind can go anywhere,” Veloz said of VR and immersive experiences.  “This is a version of reality that we’re just having fun with and just creating whatever we want to create.”

While Veloz’s creativity and determination have made him stand out, his representation as an Afro-Latino artist has made his career ascent even more inspiring to those looking for a role model. Currently, there are at least 6 million people in the United States who identify as Afro-Latino, encompassing numerous countries, including the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama, and more.  Veloz says growing up, even in Bushwick, there were kids around him who didn’t know what to make of his intersectional identity, which impacted him.

“It was kind of like an identity crisis situation,” Veloz tells theGrio.  “My Black friends were like, ‘Your name is Juan. You’re Latino.’ Then my Latino friends would be like, ‘Well, you’re not white, so what is it?’ So it’s kind of like a struggle. I didn’t know who I was for a bit.”

A lack of Afro-Latino representation in television, film, and media only added to a sense of erasure.

“Growing up, my only representation was my family,” Veloz tells theGrio. “I wish I had somebody I could be like, ‘Oh my God, I want to do this, I see another Black Latino on a show or on, on an interview.’”

Nevertheless, Veloz leaned on his family for support and clarity.

“My family was always big on letting me know I’m a Black man,” says Veloz.

Wisdom also comes from the clients he shoots.  Veloz says one of his favorite celebs to photograph was the “Mother of Black Hollywood” herself, Ms. Jenifer Lewis, who most recently starred in “Black-ish.”

“She invited me to her home, and just the words she poured onto me… She said, ‘Juan, if you’re going to do something, never half-a** it. Always just go full-on with it.’ And that’s something that’s stuck with me forever.”

Veloz recently relocated to Los Angeles, where he’s continuing to book more work and even bigger clients. As he continues to build his brand, Veloz draws motivation from other Black creatives he admires, such as photographer Andre Wagner, Afro-Latina and fellow Dominican photographer Renell Medrano, and director Cameron J. Ross.

“I always give my flowers,” Veloz tells theGrio. “Those three definitely have been an impact and inspiration beyond my work and beyond what I do. Just as people. As good people.”

The emphasis on character is big for Juan Veloz.  Working hard, living authentically, and respecting the stories he tells from behind his lens all reflect how this acclaimed photographer wants to tell his own story in the world.

“I’m a part of something bigger. And it’s beyond me. My goal is for someone to take something from what I’m doing and be inspired.  Create from a place of love and honesty — I hope someone can take from that.”

Catch the full interview with Juan Veloz in the Metaverse above or on theGrio’s mobile app!

Natasha S. Alford is VP of Digital Content and a Senior Correspondent at theGrio. An award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and TV personality, Alford is writing her forthcoming book “American Negra.” Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @natashasalford.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. TheGrio’s Black Podcast Network is free too. Download theGrio mobile apps today! Listen to ‘Writing Black’ with Maiysha Kai.

The post How Juan Veloz became one of Hollywood’s brightest photography stars appeared first on TheGrio.

With more than three decades in the food industry, and twenty years as a head chef at some of Europe’s top five-star restaurants, John Philippe Baudey (also called JP) has a love for food that few can match. 

Twelve years ago he suffered a heart attack, after which he retired from cheffing. He jokingly says that it’s the best thing that could have happened, because it was then that he chose to turn his passion for fine dining into a new vocation as a food photographer. We sat down with JP to find out how he got into photography and the essential camera kit that he can’t live without.