Every year, the Society of Biology holds two competitions for amateur photographers, one for those over the age of 18 and one for those under. Each year, the impressive photographs and photographers are awarded prizes, including around $1,200 for over-18 and around $600 for those shooters under 18.
For this year's competition, the judges decided on the theme of "Home, Habitat, and Shelter," and all the photos play on that concept of where nature seeks haven.
After receiving over 800 submissions, the judges have whittled them down to a short list of 12 photographs, which we share with you here.
One of the judges, Tim Harris of the Nature Picture Library, said, "It was refreshing to see some unusual and imaginative interpretations of this year’s theme, and especially some which related the theme to man as well as animals."
Winners will be announced Oct. 14, as part of Biology Week. For more information, check out the Society of Biology's website.
This photo, taken by Lukas Gawenda, shows two Bison near the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National park. Grand Prismatic is the largest colorful hot spring in the United States.
This spider, photographed by Krasimir Matarov in Bulgaria, builds his own home.
The first concept of shelter, the womb, is depicted here by Robert Cabagnot in this photo of a chick embryo inside a hardened eggshell.
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