Compound Eye Readers' Best Science and Nature Photographs of 2012

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


I asked for your best Science/Nature images of the year, and wow. Just, wow. The talent that came in exceeded my expectations. You guys are tremendous!

Below, in no particular order, are links to all participants' selections. If you've got a "Best of 2012" gallery you'd like to include, drop a link in the comments and I'll add you.

Adrian Thysse


On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.


Rick Lieder

Crystal Ernst

Daniel Stoupin

Africa Gómez

Best of Vildaphotos (via Jeroen Mentens, who maintains his own list)

Paul Sparks

Michael Marlow

Maxim Piessen

Oscar Blanco

Clay Bolt

Jessica Rosenkrantz

Shahbaz Nihal

Neil Losin & Day's Edge Productions

Todd Pierson

Ted MacRae

Theresa Svoboda

Lea Shell

Andrés Sánchez

John Platt

Josh Kouri

Team Hartmann

Dave Stone

Morgan Jackson

Bob Skinner

Matt Cole

Lee Jaszlics

Harlan Ratcliff

Steve Snyder

Stephane De Greef

John Beetham

James Waters

Meredith Mahoney

Alex Surcica <--- epic field guide!

Guillaume Dauphin

Todd Dreyer

Paul Krusche

Chris Wirth

Brian Cutting

Bill Tyler

The Bug Chicks

Bernardo Cesare

Hannele Luhtasela

Al Denelsbeck

Matt Bertone

Nicky Bay

Mike Lewinski (time-lapse video)

Chris Goforth

UK Wildlife

Andreas Kay

Barbara Vance

Alan Hill

Tom Houslay

Steven Schwartzman

 

Alex Wild is Curator of Entomology at the University of Texas at Austin, where he studies the evolutionary history of ants. In 2003 he founded a photography business as an aesthetic complement to his scientific work, and his natural history photographs appear in numerous museums, books and media outlets.

More by Alex Wild

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe