Wildlife/Animals nominee

I photographed this trumpeter swan in Alaska this winter. It was a very cold, overcast, and foggy day. Through the fog, I could hear, but not see, the trumpeting sound of the swan. Suddenly, out of the fog appeared the large Trumpeter Swan flying gracefully through the mist over the Chilkat River, allowing me only a brief moment to make the image.

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.