This astonishing photograph, which is commended in the Nature category, shows Mexico’s Popocatepetl volcano, the second tallest volcano in the country at 5,393m (17,694ft) above sea level. It’s been active since 1991 

The stunning Hengifoss waterfall in eastern Iceland is the subject of this vibrant photograph, captured by Ammar Alsayed Ahmed. He notes that the waterfall, which is the third highest in Iceland at 128m (420ft), is ‘mainly eye-catching’ due to the patterns on the cliffs by the water – striking strips of red clay between layers of lava rock. The image is highly commended in the Nature category 

A runner-up in the wildlife category, this poignant picture shows wild elephants in the eastern province of Sri Lanka that have ‘developed a peculiar, distressing, and dangerous [habit] of searching for food in a designated garbage dump’. Photographer Lalith Ekanayake notes: ‘It is disheartening to witness these majestic creatures resorting to such destructive and unhealthy habits’ 

LEFT: Commended in the Sport category, this high-octane shot shows a surfer brave ‘harsh afternoon summer storms in pursuit of the perfect wave’ off the coast of Racecourse Beach in New South Wales, Australia. Photographer Tim Burgess recalls that as the storm cell ‘formed in the distance, the most unique formation of textures embraced [these] skies’. RIGHT: Titled ‘Suburban Dystopia’, this eerie photograph shows ‘a purpose-built villa community on the outskirts of Dubai’ that ‘features houses with identical designs’. Photographer Florian Kriechbaumer says: ‘The houses are characterized by a two-colour pattern and are arranged along a rectangular access street system.’ The shot is highly commended in the Urban category

This astonishing photograph of the Austfonna ice cap in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago takes the gold medal in the Nature category.  It was captured by Thomas Vijayan, who reflects: ‘I have visited this place several times before, but last year it was disheartening to witness the sea ice melting as early as June… even the ice cap had begun melting earlier than usual last year, which was a concerning observation’ 

Highly commended in the Wildlife category, this mesmerising photograph shows an aerial view of a shark ‘gracefully’ gliding through a dense school of menhaden fish (a type of herring) off the coast of the town of Southampton in New York State. Photographer Joanna Steidle says: ‘It was a remarkable privilege to witness this captivating interaction between these two species’ 

Mammatus clouds, a rare cloud formation, can be seen over Toowoon Bay and Blue Bay in New South Wales, Australia, in this powerful shot, which is commended in the Urban category. Jim Picot notes that ‘they are associated with storm activity, and can form very quickly and also dissipate quickly as well’

Taking the top prize in the Sport category, this photograph shows the renowned tightrope walker Nathan Paulin successfully crossing a 200m (656ft) long and 2.5cm (one-inch) wide ‘high-line’ in France’s Aravis Range mountains. Positioned at an altitude of 2,460m (8,070ft), he completed the feat ‘amidst intense cold’. Photographer David Machet notes: ‘This incredible achievement required the dedicated efforts of a team of six individuals over the course of three days’ 

This eye-opening photograph shows a densely populated area of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The photographer notes that in the city, ‘the detrimental consequences of urbanization are evident’, adding: ‘One of the most significant impacts is the gradual disappearance of green spaces. Over the past few years, various parts of the city have witnessed the vanishing of green areas, a side effect of unplanned urbanization.’ The picture is highly commended in the Urban category 

A runner-up in the Nature category, this remarkable drone shot shows the Maelifell volcano in southern Iceland. Photographer Daniel Vine Garcia reveals: ‘I attempted to capture the isolated beauty of the volcano, while also highlighting the rivers that lead towards it’ 

This magnificent aerial shot, commended in the Wildlife category, shows a polar bear in its natural habitat in Norway. Photographer Javier Lafuente notes that ‘the bear shows signs of previous hard fights’. He adds: ‘I used a drone with low noise propellers but I never approached very close to the bear, so it ignored me while I was framing the shot’ 

Commended in the Wildlife category, this jarring photograph shows the remains of a buffalo being eaten by a hyena and vultures in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park

This epic photograph by Oren Alon – commended in the Sport category – shows a group of runners beginning the Dead Sea Marathon in Israel. Alon says the athletes appear to be crossing the sea ‘in a manner reminiscent of’ the biblical story of the parting of the Red Sea

Commended in the Wildlife category, this brilliant drone shot shows gray whales interacting with people on board a boat in Baja California Sur, Mexico, ‘as if they were friends’ 

This enchanting picture of India’s Taj Mahal is commended in the Urban category. Photographer Michele Falzone notes that the ‘layer of clouds and mist’ in the frame gives ‘a floating… surreal look to the timeless mausoleum’

Behold, the picture that takes the top spot overall, captured by Or Adar. It shows huge billboards stretched above protesters in Tel Aviv, Israel

Daydream Island (immediately above) is one of 74 islands that make up the Whitsundays, which are scattered across the Great Barrier Reef

Lord Howe Island serves up a slice of castaway nirvana, with a marine park that’s home to 450 species of fish and pristine beaches. Above is the infinity pool at Capella Lodge, which offers the best views of the island

Raymond Island is billed as a ‘forest-clad paradise’ that’s home to a huge population of koalas

Gabo Island is ‘one of the most unique and spectacular islands to visit in Australia’, according to one Tripadvisor user

Troubridge Island is described by the Troubridge Island Escape website as a place ‘where time stands still’. Picture courtesy of Creative Commons 

Pictured above is the stunning Cape Wickham golf course on King Island, which is billed as ‘another world’ 

Maria Island is a wildlife-rich utopia that’s home to Tasmanian devils and kangaroos. Plus, there are gorgeous beaches and amazing patterned cliffs

Most of the residents on the Tiwi Islands are of Aboriginal descent and you’ll meet some of them on cultural and wildlife tours

KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA, USA: ‘The Kenai Peninsula juts 240km (150 miles) into the Gulf of Alaska,’ Martin explains. ‘While the peaks of the rugged, mountainous peninsula are heavily glaciated, its lower slopes are cloaked by coniferous forest of white spruce and paper birch’

NAMIB DESERT, NAMIB- NAUKLUFT PARK, NAMIBIA: ‘In the southern, coastal portion of the Namib is a sand sea where the highest dunes reach 300m (980ft) high and are up to 32km (20 miles) long,’ Martin notes in her book. ‘The source of much of this sand is wind-displaced sediment from the Orange River, which meets the Atlantic to the south’

WANDERING ALBATROSSES, SOUTH GEORGIA: The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird and reaches up to 3.5m (11.5ft), the author explains, adding: ‘It soars over the southern oceans for distances of as much as 120,000km (75,000 miles) per year. Around 1,500 pairs nest on the South Georgia Islands, which have no permanent human population’

CORDILLERA HUAYHUASH, PERU: The picture above shows part of the Cordillera Huayhuash mountain range in the Central Andes of Peru, as Martin explains. It has seven peaks standing taller than 6,000m (19,685ft) including the country’s ‘second highest peak, Yerupaja, which is 6,635m (21,768ft) tall’, the author says, adding: ‘The challenging and little-travelled Huayhuash Circuit is a two-week trek that encircles the peaks above the treeline, visiting dizzying passes and aquamarine lakes along the way’

NORTHERN LIGHTS, LOFOTEN ISLANDS, NORWAY: ‘On cloudless winter nights, the Lofoten Islands’ north-facing beaches offer fine views of the northern lights,’ Martin writes. ‘The phenomenon is caused by high-energy particles from the Sun. These are attracted towards Earth’s poles, where they excite atmospheric gases’

MOUNT WAIALEALE, KUAU’I, HAWAII: This picture shows Mount Waialeale, known to be one of the wettest spots on Earth. ‘Its name meaning “overflowing water” in Hawaiian, this dormant shield volcano receives up to 1,730cm (683in) of rain per year,’ Martin says. ‘The volcano’s high rainfall is due to its exposure to frontal systems and its steep cliffs, which generate orthographic lift, causing the moisture-laden air to rise rapidly’

DEADVLEI, NAMIB- NAUKLUFT PARK, NAMIBIA (LEFT): ‘This clay pan in the Namib Desert formed when the ephemeral Tsauchab River flooded, creating pools where camel thorn trees grew,’ Martin explains. ‘When drought hit and the river changed its course through the dunes, the water evaporated and the trees died. For at least 900 years, the very dry climate has prevented the tree trunks from rotting.’ PULAU MAWAR, JOHOR, MALAYSIA (RIGHT): ‘The tiny tidal island of Pulau Mawar can be reached at low tide by walking across a sandbank from the beach of Pantai Mawar, which is 30 minutes by car from the port of Mersing,’ the book explains. ‘Pulau Mawar’s shores are lined by mangrove trees, one of which (above) appears entirely isolated at high tide’

SIMIEN MOUNTAINS, AMHARA, ETHIOPIA: ‘Lying in the Ethiopian Highlands, the Simien Mountains regularly receive snow on their highest peak, Ras Dashen, which at 4,550m (14,930ft) is the tallest mountain in Ethiopia,’ Martin explains. ‘The mountains are home to predators such as the caracal and Africa’s rarest canid, the endangered Ethiopian wolf’

SHARK BAY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Martin explains that the sandbanks and islands of Shark Bay (above) shelter seagrass beds, where the world’s largest population of dugongs lives. The bay ‘also nurtures stromatolites, microbial colonies that make dome-shaped deposits’, she says, adding: ‘Although stromatolites are rare today, they were probably very common in the past, with the earliest fossilised examples being 3.5billion years old’

OULANKA NATIONAL PARK, NORTHERN OSTROBOTHNIA – LAPLAND, FINLAND: This area is home to the Finnish forest reindeer, which ‘live in dense coniferous forest’. Martin adds: ‘The narrower V-shaped antlers of this subspecies facilitate movement among the trees’

DARVAZA GAS CRATER, AHAL, TURKMENISTAN: Also known as the ‘Door to Hell’, Martin’s book depicts this 69m (226ft)-wide crater that ‘has been burning since 1971’. ‘Locals believe it was set alight by Soviet geologists as they explored this natural gas field,’ it adds. ‘When the ground collapsed beneath their rig, they started the fire to stop the spread of methane’

DRAKOLIMNI OF TYMFI, VIKOS-AOOS NATIONAL PARK, GREECE: ‘This drakolimni (“dragon lake”) lies at a height of 2,050m (6,726ft) around five hours’ walk from the village of Papingo,’ Martin remarks. ‘Legend tells us the lake was once inhabited by dragons who created this strange landscape by hurling rocks at each other. In fact, the lake is home to Alpine newts, up to 12cm (4.7in) long’

EUROPEAN BISON, BIESZCZADY NATIONAL PARK, POLAND: Measuring up to 3.3m (10.8ft) long, the European bison ‘was hunted to extinction in the wild by the early 20th century’, Martin says, adding that the animal was ‘kept alive in captivity and has now been returned to the wild’. More than 600 roam the beech forest of Bieszczady National Park, the author adds

NAMIB DESERT, NAMIB-NAUKLUFT PARK, NAMIBIA: ‘The Namib Desert stretches for 2,000km (1,200 miles) along the coasts of South Africa, Namibia and Angola,’ the book notes. ‘The desert’s aridity is due to cooling of the descending dry air of the Hadley Cell by the cold Benguela ocean current. The Hadley Cell is the cycle of hot, wet air rising near the equator, dropping its moisture as rain, then flowing poleward and descending in the subtropics’

CHAPADA DIAMANTINA NATIONAL PARK, BAHIA, BRAZIL: Martin describes how ‘countless waterfalls cascade through the sandstone, siltstone and argillite cliffs and canyons of Chapada Diamantina’. Mosquito Falls, pictured above, is ‘an hour’s trek from the nearest road’ which was ‘named not after the insect but in honour of the many tiny diamonds found in nearby rocks’, the author explains

CHAPADA DIAMANTINA NATIONAL PARK, BAHIA, BRAZIL: ‘The escarpments of Chapada Diamantina soar above the xeric shrubland of the Caatinga (“white forest”), an exclusively Brazilian biome where succulents and stonecrops dominate,’ Martin says. ‘Endemic species of this ecosystem include the delicate pink Adamantinia orchid and the striking-looking hooded visorbearer hummingbird’

CROWNED LEMUR, MONTAGNE D’AMBRE NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR: ‘Eight species of lemur are found in this national park of northern Madagascar,’ Martin reveals. The crowned lemur, pictured here, lives ‘in a female-led group of up to 15’, she says, adding: ‘During the day, it jumps from branch to branch, using its nonprehensile tail for balance, as it searches for flowers, fruit and leaves’

UPPER SHAVLINSKY LAKE, CHUYA BELKI, ALTAI, RUSSIA: This picture shows Russia’s Upper Shavlinky Lake, which is reached ‘by a two-to-three-day trek across difficult terrain from the village of Chibit, which lies 100km (62 miles) from the Mongolian border’, Martin explains. The lake reflects the glacier-capped mountains of Chuya Ridge which ‘reaches a height of 4,177m (13,704ft) at Maasheybash peak’, she adds

HYPERSALINE POND, AHMED’ELA VILLAGE, DANAKIL DEPRESSION, ETHIOPIA: ‘A cluster of hypersaline ponds lies near the village of Ahmed’ela,’ Martin writes. ‘Formed by hot springs, the ponds have a salinity of around 40 per cent, largely due to high levels of calcium chloride and magnesium chloride’

All images taken from the book The Wild by Claudia Martin (ISBN 978-1-83886-254-1) published by Amber Books Ltd (www.amberbooks.co.uk) and available from bookshops and online booksellers (RRP £19.99/$29.99/CAN$38.99)