The winners of this year’s photography competition have been announced.

Selected from over 1,000 entries, nine were shortlisted in total with two amateur photographers chosen as winners; one for the RSB Photographer of the Year, and one for the RSB Young Photographer of the Year. The winner of the former receives £1,000 prize money, with the latter receiving £500. A recipient for the Highly Commended Photographer of the Year was also selected, receiving a £300 prize.

The theme of this year’s competition was Transforming Life.

The winner of the Photographer of the Year is Polwatta Siriyalage Chamara Sulakkhana with an image of a dragonfly emerging from its exoskeleton.

Dragonflies (Odonata sp.) undergo incomplete metamorphosis; unlike other winged insects, such as butterflies, dragonflies do not have a pupal stage and transition straight from a larva to an adult. After finding a secure support, the final-stage larvae redistribute their body fluids, pushing the thorax, head, legs and wings out of the larval skin. There is then a pause of approximately 30 minutes to allow their legs to harden enough for the next stage, when the abdomen is withdrawn. The wings, followed by the abdomen, are expanded and start to harden. This process leaves behind a cast skin, called an exuvia, and lasts for three hours.

This image shows transforming a life into completely different animal which lives in a completely different environment.

Location: Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka

On being awarded RSB Photographer of the Year, Polwatta said: "I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Royal Society of Biology for the incredible honour of being awarded in this photography competition. I am delighted that the picture I took, which shows the life cycle stage change of a dragonfly from nymph stage to adult, that I could share this unusual scenario with a broader audience."

The Highly Commended winner is Taisir Almasoodi with an image of a Portuguese plane spraying water on a forest fire.

In recent times, the fire-fighting aircraft has become one of the important essentials in extinguishing fires. The major events that have occurred in Portugal recently are the result of climate change and rising temperatures.

Location: Portugal

Winner of the Highly Commended prize, Taisir, said: “[Receiving this] Award at the RSB Photography Competition in London means a lot to me and is a special feeling because it is my first award in London.

The goal of taking this photo was to convey the real image of the climate changes that our planet is going through, which threatens the existence of dangers on our earth. We, as photographers, must convey this image in order to save our planet.”

The winning entry for the Young Photographer of the Year was captured by Jessica Finnie depicting an Antarctic seal population reclaiming a South Georgia beach amid the ruins of an old whaling station.

The photograph ‘Perseverance’ captures nature’s reclamation of an island overcoming mankind’s brutality against an ecosystem: an Antarctic fur seal population decorating South Georgia’s beach amid the ruins of the whaling stations that are being eroded by the natural elements.

Antarctic fur seals were driven to the point of extinction in the 1800s by hunters, before their attention was drawn by the whaling trade. As a result, the whale population rapidly declined, and so the whaling stations were abandoned and left to decay. With a lack of human predators, the fur seal population quietly climbed and helped restore balance to South Georgia’s fragile ecosystem. Fur seals eventually made a return to their natural habitat and reclaimed their territory.

Location taken: Stromness, South Georgia

Commenting on winning the RSB Young Photographer of the Year Award, Jessica said: “I am extremely honoured to receive this prestigious award from the Royal Society of Biology.

When I was staring at the wreckage of old whaling stations in South Georgia, I was captivated by the vibrancy of the life surrounding it. I wanted to capture this juxtaposition between the crumbling whaling stations and nature’s reclamation of this beautiful island, now a sanctuary for nature.

I’m delighted that my photograph resonated with the Society in the same way it did for me. I hope this image inspires others and evokes admiration for nature’s perseverance.”

The winners will receive their awards as part of RSB’s annual Awards Ceremony during Biology Week on Tuesday 8 October at The Royal Geographical Society, London.

The judging panel was comprised of Alice Campain from CABI, Claude Barbé-Brown from Wiley, and Amy Bandaranayake from Field Studies Council (at the time of judging).

Shortlisted – Photographer of the Year

Photographer: Chang Guo

Title: An Ever-Changing Iceberg

Location: Antarctica

Shortlisted – Photographer of the Year

Photographer: Dr Jubina Balan Venghateri

Title: Sol: The Sun (human melanoma cancer cells)

Location: Department of Immunology & Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

Shortlisted – Photographer of the Year

Photographer: Muhammad Syarif. S

Title: Cirata Floating Solar Power Plant

Location: Cirata reservoir, Purwakarta, West Java Indonesia

Shortlisted – Young Photographer of the Year

Photographer: Araan Saigal

Title: Tigress on the hunt

Location: Jim Corbett National Park, India

Shortlisted – Young Photographer of the Year

Photographer: Orla Roundell

Title: Busy Bee transforming the landscape (A western honey bee on Cow parsley)

Location: Croome National Trust, Worcester, UK

Shortlisted – Young Photographer of the Year

Photographer: Melody Li

Title: Light Rails Weaving Through Chongqing's Emerald Heart

Location: Chongqing, China