Wildlife / Animals nominee

An elk and her yearlings ford a rocky mountain river as the morning fog burns off. The morning was to still, the air so calm, and the current was so placid, it neither impeded their crossing nor concealed the sloshing of their steady march to the far bank.

Michael Paul is an internationally awarded art photographer, author, and speaker whose romantic documentary style images have become known for celebrating the timeless grandeur of the American West. Michael's photography has been featured in the documentaries of Ken Burns and publications like Arizona Highways magazine. His work garnered more than two dozen international awards in 2024 including ExposureOne Landscape Photographer of the Year. In addition to public exhibitions in 2024 that ranged from California to Scotland, his artwork has found its way into private collections across the United States where they are celebrated for capturing the fleeting, dramatic, and inspiring moments that otherwise go unseen and a calm spiritual connection with his subjects in the process of capturing them.