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Now in its eighth year, the 2024 National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest received 10,205 entries, with the quality of submissions surpassing that of previous years. In the second row, starting from the fourth person on the left, Wistron Chairman Simon Lin, renowned international photographer Tim Laman, National Geographic Taiwan Editor-in-Chief Yungshih Lee, and the award winners are featured.
The awards ceremony for the 2024 National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest was held on August 24 at the GIS NTU Convention Center. This year’s contest attracted 10,205 outstanding submissions from 3,566 professional photographers and enthusiasts. The newly introduced Astrophotography Category surpassed expectations in both quality and quantity, showcasing Taiwan's potential in the field of astronomical photography. The event also included a keynote speech by internationally renowned ecological photographer Tim Laman.
| The submissions for the 2024 National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest were exceptional. Starting from the second person on the left are Wistron Chairman Simon Lin, internationally renowned ecological photographer Tim Laman, Editor-in-Chief Yungshih Lee, and the panel of judges. | This year's contest featured six categories: People, Places, Nature, Astrophotography, Ecological Environment, and Youth. Pictured are the champions of each category alongside their award-winning works. |
Capturing breathtaking moments that awaken the beauty of Taiwan's land, sea, and sky
Organized by National Geographic Magazine and Boulder Media, the National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest has entered its eighth year. The competition not only showcases Taiwan's rich diversity of natural and cultural landscapes but also highlights the exceptional skills and creativity of its photographers. This year, the contest introduced the Astrophotography Category, which is divided into three subcategories: Nightscapes, Deep Space, and the Solar System. A total of 741 entries were submitted to this new category, delivering impressive results. Overall, the 2024 contest received 10,205 entries, nearly doubling the submissions from 2023 and setting new records in both participation and the quality of works.
This year’s contest featured six categories: People, Places, Nature, Astrophotography, Ecological Environment, and Youth. The judging panel included renowned National Geographic naturalist photographer Tim Laman, environmental documentary director Ke Chin-Yuan, National Geographic contributing photographer Yuwen Chen, and Yungshih Lee, Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese edition of National Geographic. The Astrophotography Category was judged by internationally acclaimed astrophotographer Babak Tafreshi, renowned Hong Kong astrophotographer Vincent Cheng (also known as Fudo Myo-o), and Dr. Wei-Hao Wang from the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Academia Sinica.
Yungshih Lee, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic Chinese Edition, stated: “We are deeply grateful to the Wistron Foundation for their tremendous support in making this year’s National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest a resounding success. We are thrilled to see the number of entries steadily increasing and the overall quality of submissions continually improving.”
Wistron, recently named one of TIME magazine’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024, along with the Wistron Foundation, has been the exclusive sponsor of the contest for three consecutive years. During his speech, Wistron Chairman Simon Lin remarked: “Every photograph tells a story. I deeply admire the dedication of every photographer who endures harsh conditions—from scorching heat to freezing snow and dense rainforests—to capture such powerful and thought-provoking works. Through this influential event by National Geographic and the opportunity to engage with world-class photographers, we come to better appreciate the remarkable efforts and achievements of photographers. We hope this inspires more people to respect all living things and strive for harmony with the natural environment.”
The Ecological Environment category, introduced in 2022, aims to raise public awareness of conservation. In addition to cash prizes and awards, the category's champion is offered one-on-one mentorship with environmental documentary director Ke Chin-Yuan. Through this guidance, the winner gains valuable insights into photography techniques and storytelling skills, culminating in the completion of an environmental reporting assignment.
The top three winners of the Ecological Environment category are Champion Anny Chou, Runner-up Su-Chen Tsai, and Third Place Wan-Kuen Wang. Chairman Simon Lin personally attended the ceremony to present the awards. Featured on the right is the winning entry: a stunning photograph of the Blue-tailed Bee-eater in Kinmen.
The newly introduced Astrophotography category highlights the beauty of Taiwan’s night sky
The newly introduced Astrophotography category in this year’s National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest showcases the grandeur and mystery of the night sky through diverse perspectives, offering viewers a chance to experience the infinite beauty of the universe. The category attracted numerous exceptional entries, with the judges in the Nightscape subcategory favoring images that captured natural, documentary-style moments. International astrophotography master Babak Tafreshi remarked, “This year’s winning photograph is a single-exposure shot that captures a bright comet and a lightning strike—a truly unique moment. While the image has some technical flaws, such as overexposed clouds, in documentary photography, capturing such a moment outweighs the need for technical perfection.”
Yungshih Lee, Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic, stated that Taiwan boasts an excellent environment for astronomical photography, with internationally certified dark sky parks, but has long lacked a major astrophotography competition. He hopes that the newly introduced Astrophotography category will provide a platform for astronomy enthusiasts to showcase their work and raise public awareness of the beauty of the night sky and the importance of preventing light pollution. After more than two years of planning, the inaugural event received widespread support, and the quality of the entries has been recognized, giving organizers confidence in continuing the competition in the future.
The contest has resumed accepting bird photo submissions, reaffirming the importance of photographic ethics
Last year, a media report revealed the issue of the "bird photography industry," which led to the suspension of bird photo submissions for the contest. This year, the contest has resumed accepting bird photography submissions and emphasized the importance of photographic ethics. Participants are required to sign the "Top Ten Guidelines for Ethical Bird Photography," which include not sharing the locations of rare birds, refraining from capturing or restraining birds, avoiding disturbances, not feeding birds or playing bird sounds, maintaining a safe distance, not using drones or direct flash, respecting bird habitats, and not moving or removing anything around nesting sites.
Editor-in-Chief Yungshih Lee emphasized that after participants signed the ethical statement, no entries were found to violate the guidelines. In fact, the quality of bird photography has significantly improved, indicating that the concept of nature conservation has been successfully conveyed. Yuwen Chen, one of the judges of this year’s contest, also stated, "I hope that all future participants will prioritize respect for the subjects they photograph, adhering to the principles of no staging and no disturbance. They should strive for excellence in image expression while incorporating their unique personal style."
Internationally renowned bird photography expert Tim Laman was invited to deliver a keynote speech titled "Bird Planet: A Photographic Journey."
Tim Laman's Special Session: "Bird Planet: A Photographic Journey”
On August 24, the day of the awards ceremony, international bird photography expert Tim Laman was invited to deliver a keynote speech titled "Bird Planet: A Photographic Journey." Tim Laman is a renowned wildlife photographer, filmmaker, and field biologist. He has received numerous honors, including the 2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the World Press Photo award, and the highest honor from the North American Nature Photography Association. He is also a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP).
His renowned projects include documenting the birds of paradise in Papua New Guinea, a groundbreaking effort that led to significant discoveries in species research. Additionally, he has served as a cinematographer for several natural history documentaries for BBC and Netflix, including Our Planet – Jungles, which earned a nomination for Outstanding Cinematography at the 2019 Emmy Awards.
Founded in 1888, National Geographic has a 136-year history of documenting human and ecological stories through imagery. The 2024 National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest not only offers significant cash prizes but also enjoys enthusiastic support from major Taiwanese optical companies, including M&T Optics, Sun Optical, Nick Enterprise, Guan Sheng Optical, William Optics, and Galuxe Optics, which provided telescopes and other prize items. Partners have also contributed valuable rewards, including Vivo X100 and X100 Pro series smartphones, EVA Airways round-trip tickets to any Asian destination, Lake Shore Hotel vouchers, Arc'teryx product vouchers, and Deya functional bags to encourage participation. More importantly, the National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest provides a platform for photography enthusiasts in Taiwan to showcase their talents, telling stories about the importance of ecological and environmental conservation through images. This contest allows the public to view Taiwan's stunning landscapes—land, sea, and sky—through various perspectives, while also embracing the sustainable values conveyed behind each photograph. (This article is a press release from National Geographic.)