Polar Bear on Ice Patrol
Florian Ledoux’s “Above the Polar Bear” didn’t just win hearts—it scooped the top prize at the 2018 Siena International Photography Awards, taking home both Photo of the Year and Drone Photographer of the Year. And it’s easy to see why.
This shot gives us a bird’s-eye view of a polar bear casually surveying its icy kingdom, probably wondering if it’s time for a swim or just another lap around the floe. But beyond its beauty, the image highlights a chilling reality: global warming is shrinking these icy habitats. Polar bears are built for this life, but even they can’t ignore their shrinking real estate.