First place, The Beauty of Plants. “There are many stages of lotus growth on display at the Aquatic Gardens, but to come across twotwisted dancing stems of nelumbo nucifera was unexpected and quite magical”. (Photo by Kathleen Furey/The Guardian)
Aerial view of tourists cooling off at a water park in summer on June 27, 2023 in Zhengzhou, Henan Province of China. Zhengzhou Meteorological Observatory on June 27 issued an orange alert for high temperatures. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Spectators using virtual reality glasses at the “Los Ultimos Dias De Pompeia” Exhibition at Matadero on September 06, 2023 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images)
A model takes a selfie during rehearsal for the Moe Ho collection by designer Mengmeng He, during China Fashion Week in Beijing, March 29, 202. (Photo by Ng Han Guan/AP Photo)
A 16-foot- ( almost 5 meters ) tall hand sculpture named Quasi stands perched on its fingertips atop the roof of an art gallery in Wellington, New Zealand, Wednesday, October 30, 2024. (Photo by Charlotte Graham-McLay/AP Photo)
A Pure Green Sweat Bee (Augochlora pura) covers itself in pollen while pollinating the flower of a squash plant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on August 23, 2024. (Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd/NurPhoto/Rex Features/Shutterstock)
A group of Chinese hostesses walk during the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Tiananmen square in Beijing on March 5, 2025. (Photo by WANG Zhao/AFP Photo)