Grand prize winner: environmental photographer of the year 2023; also 1st place in the humanity v nature category; and winner of the 2023 public award. Lopé national park, Gabon, 2021. An angry elephant tries to defend itself after it was hit by a train that crosses paths the animals use within Lopé national park. Park officials decided the elephant was too severely injured to be saved. After it was killed, the park director distributed the meat to local people. As the forest loses its carrying capacity to sustain its megafauna, this kind of human-wildlife conflict is increasing. (Photo by Jasper Doest/Environmental Photography Award)

Thoughts. They fly through the broad expenses of our mind, floating gracefully in midair, going into the clouds, and then reemerging once again. Some are quick and furtive, others are grand and majestic. We reflect upon them as they enter our minds, and once they leave, they are usually gone for good. However, some thoughts are different. These thoughts resemble a flock of angry birds or a swarm of hungry moths that invade your mind, slowly eating away at your sanity, strength, and desire to live. Such thoughts often plague that minds of people with Obsessive Compulsive disorder. They completely occupy their time; constantly there; ever-present. With his book sculpture, Thomas Wightman was able to accurately convey the way these thoughts consume the mind, slowly building a nest within it, resisting all attempts to drive them away.

Afghan artists perform a re-enactment of the lynching of Farkhunda, a 27-year old woman, to protest against her killing in Kabul, April 27, 2015. Farkhunda, who was killed by an angry mob in front of police in the Afghan capital in March for allegedly burning a copy of Islam's holy book was wrongly accused, Afghanistan's top criminal investigator said on March 22. The killing has fuelled anger about the weak rule of law and corruption that is crippling the country's instutitions. (Photo by Omar Sobhani/Reuters)

Full-length portrait of happy girls wears high heel shoes dancing at party under confetti. Indoor photo of funny ladies chilling at home during christmas celebration and drinking champagne. (Photo by Look Studio/Shutterstock)

Dressed for the traditional New Year's festival known as “La Diablada”, in Pillaro, Ecuador, Friday, January 5, 2018. Thousands of singing and dancing devils take over the mountain town for six days of revelry in the streets. Local legend holds that anyone who adopts a costume for the celebration and wears it at the event six years in a row will have good luck. (Photo by Dolores Ochoa/AP Photo)

Pakistani Hindu girls with their brother celebrate the Hindu festival 'Raksha Bandhan' at a temple in Karachi on August 30, 2023. (Photo by Rizwan Tabassum/AFP Photo)

Woman on phone in hotel room. (Photo by DreamPictures/Getty Images)