The North American Nature Photography Association has announced the winners of its prestigious 2026 Showcase, featuring an extraordinary collection of nature photography that spans breathtaking landscapes, dynamic wildlife action shots, captivating macro images, and compelling conservation photography. This year's competition has drawn some of the world's most talented nature photographers, showcasing the incredible diversity and beauty of our natural world.
Canadian photographer and Nikon Ambassador Michelle Valberg claimed the top honor, winning Best in Show for her remarkable black-and-white long-exposure photograph titled "Wind & Stone." The stunning image, captured in the iconic Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile, also earned first place in the competition's Scapes (landscapes) category. Valberg, who was previously interviewed by PetaPixel in 2023, expressed her deep appreciation for the recognition.
"I am honored to receive the NANPA Showcase 2026 Best in Category and Show award," Valberg told PetaPixel. "It means more than recognition for a single photograph. It reflects the values that guide my work in the field. NANPA promotes nature photography as a way to communicate, to deepen appreciation for the natural world, and to encourage environmental protection. That mission echoes everything I strive for when I step into wild places with a camera."
The award-winning photograph was captured after Valberg completed a week-long workshop in Patagonia that she co-led with National Geographic photographer and Canon Explorer of Light, Keith Ladzinski. "Every day we watched the Torres del Paine breathe and shift," Valberg recalls. "Every second reshaped this incredible scene. The wind carved its own rhythm across the sky and the clouds raced with a kind of wild grace. I was enamored by that constant change."
Interestingly, the photograph that would become her career-defining image came about through an unexpected turn of events. When Ladzinski departed after the workshop, he lent Valberg his NiSi filter kit, saying, "Use the filters, you won't regret it." Despite admitting she had never been much of a filter person and initially hesitating to accept them, Valberg eventually decided to experiment with the equipment.
"While creating a time lapse, I saw how quickly the clouds were moving so I grabbed the kit and used a polarizer and a 10-stop ND and gradient filter," Valberg explains. "The mountain stood firm while the sky streamed above it, around it – I wanted to reveal that feeling." The final Best in Show photograph was captured as a 30-second exposure shot at ISO 40 and f/22 using her Nikon Z8 camera with a Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens.
Valberg knew from the moment she captured the image that it would be converted to black and white. "This scene belonged in black and white," she explains. "The language of tone and texture spoke more clearly [in black and white] than color." The experience also transformed her approach to photography equipment. "When the image appeared on the back of my camera, I felt a shift in my own approach. It reminded me that stepping outside my comfort zone can open new creative paths. Wind & Stone became the photograph that really changed my mind about filters. I am now even a NiSi Ambassador!"
Patagonia has clearly captured Valberg's heart and imagination. "Patagonia is a magical place. It holds a gravity that pulls you in and stays with you long after you leave," she says. The photographer plans to return with her family in December for the holidays and will co-lead another winter puma workshop next July, followed by another workshop in February 2027. "It keeps calling," she notes. "At first, I was consumed with the idea of seeing pumas. It was my dream. Within the first seconds of being in Patagonia, I felt something larger rise around me."
The NANPA Showcase 2026 features winners across eight distinct categories, with 28 winning photographs and two videos selected by the judges. In the Birds category, Kelley Luikey's "Spartina Baby" from Beaufort, South Carolina, took first place, while Lee Greengrass earned runner-up with "Symmetry in Motion" captured in Mountain View, California. The judges also selected three additional images for special recognition, including Kevin Lohman's "Brandt's Cormorant Diving" from Monterey, California, Yoshiki Nakamura's "Echoes in Flight" from Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan, and Amy Marques' "Owlet in Paradise" from Central Florida.
The Mammals category showcased equally impressive work, with Marcia Walters' "Fox Kit With Helper" from San Juan Island National Historic Park claiming first place. Hira Punjabi's "Bat Bath" from India secured the runner-up position, while judges' choice awards went to Kevin Lohman's "African Elephant in Red Dust" from Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, and Karthik Subramaniam's "A Coyote in San Francisco."
In the Macro/Micro/All Other category, Bruce Taubert's "Calleta Silkmoth" from Arizona earned top honors, followed by Karen Campbell's "Communal Feeding" from a woodland in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The Conservation category, which highlights environmental issues through photography, was won by Ryan Wager's powerful image "A Fistful of Frogs" from Lassen, California, with Ryan Wagner's "To Save a Salamander" from Vancouver, Washington, taking runner-up.
The Altered Reality category celebrated creative interpretations of nature, with Bruce Leventhal's "Kaleidoscope of Monarchs" from Natural Bridges State Park, California, claiming first place. The Comedy/Humor category brought lighter moments to the showcase, with Deena Sveinsson's "The Wildlife Photographer" from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, winning first place, perfectly capturing the sometimes amusing relationship between photographers and their subjects.
Video submissions were also recognized, with David and Shiela Glatz winning first place for "Bighorn Lambs, Badlands Nursery" filmed in Badlands National Park, South Dakota. The same photography duo also earned the runner-up position with "The Lakeside Puma Nursery" captured in Lago Sarmiento, Patagonia, Chile.
For Valberg, competitions like the NANPA Showcase serve a greater purpose beyond recognition. "Photographs can educate, inspire and open doors into places many will never see in person. Contests like NANPA help make that possible. They shine a light on the beauty and fragility of our natural world and invite people to step into these stories with understanding and curiosity," she explains. "As nature photographers, we all want our images to help people feel more connected to the wild world that shapes us. I am always searching for the pulse that binds us to these places."
The showcase demonstrates the power of photography to create emotional connections with nature and inspire conservation efforts. "If a photograph can stir wonder or spark a desire to protect the places we hold dear, it carries the purpose I care about most," Valberg concludes. "Everyone who is part of NANPA holds that same belief and that shared commitment strengthens the work we all do." For photographers interested in learning from Valberg directly, she offers both in-person wildlife photography tours and workshops, as well as an online wildlife photography course developed in collaboration with filmmaker Joel Haslam.
