Landscape nominee

I photographed this scene in Alaska on the Chilkat River one early morning. It was right before dawn and the eagles where starting to awake. It was very quiet and still. Because of the heavy fog, I could hardly see the eagles on the other side of the river. Chunks of ice were flowing downstream and the salmon were spawning along the shallow banks of the river.

Mark Rivera is a young, passionate nature and wildlife photographer specializing in vast scenic landscapes. He is a frequent participant in national and international photography contests, and, despite his young age, his work has already been recognized by several prestigious organizations, including the Audubon Society, Nature’s Best Photography, and USA Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards where he recently won the 2016 USA Landscape Photographer of the Year (Youth Category, Classic View). Another important element found throughout Mark’s work is his evident passion for conservation, inspired by the Japanese ancient tradition that all life is sacred and must be protected. His work, therefore, is prescient in a world where nature is vanishing at an alarming rate and species are racing extinction. By bringing attention to Mother Nature with his inspiring, artistic photography, Mark is on a mission to showcase the beauty of this planet so that people not only see but feel their interconnectedness to nature.