NEW SERIES: What the judges really think of your photos | August

Once a month our expert panel gathers around the top 10 shots to decide who should win our Endangered Africa and Wildlife Behaviour categories. Now, for the first time ever, we reveal the full order of August’s top shots and what the judges had to say.

Images are scored on technical proficiency, artistic value, power of the message, ethical value and overall impact.

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AUGUST WINNER: A sub-Antarctic fur seal (pictured above) looks out over the sea at Marion Island, Southern Ocean. The seals have rebounded fantastically after being hunted for their pelts and blubber.

THE JUDGES SAID: Simple. Striking. The black background incorporating the seal's eye, plus the partial appearance of the subject’s face in the light, create a unique image. A powerful composition, with what could be a tear from the seal’s eye.

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SECOND SPOT: Mount Mulanje, Malawi, hosts many endemic animals and plants, including the Mulanje cedar, which is one of the world’s most endangered plants and Malawi’s national tree.

THE JUDGES SAID: Perfectly captures Mount Mulanje’s essence. The balance between the foreground, background, subject matter and colour creates a pleasing image. A critical haven of biodiversity in a sea of humanity that deserves far more exposure.

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THIRD SPOT: One of South Africa’s rarest animals, the pangolin, forages after sunset, Timbavati Private Game Reserve, Kruger National Park.

THE JUDGES SAID: Rare sight. Night photography with artificial light is one of the most difficult kinds of photography to get right. Here it is done correctly. The light comes from an angle that gives more depth and brings out the textures. The black background makes the subject stand out even more.

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FOURTH SPOT: The secretive African black oystercatcher. With their Western Cape numbers increasing, the species is now regarded as ‘near threatened’ – testimony to many efforts to save it.

THE JUDGES SAID: The placement of the beak’s tip in the centre of the sun makes this image. Moody, colourful and striking. It also illustrates a different perspective on the bill of this specialised feeder, revealing much about its specialisation on certain mollusc species.

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FIFTH SPOT: A flock of sheep and threatened blue cranes, SA’s national bird, share their food on a farm in the Overberg, Western Cape.

THE JUDGES SAID: Unusual perspective on our national bird, illustrating the basis of its threatened status – agricultural transformation of its habitat – but offering a glimmer of hope for its continued existence thanks to crane-friendly farmers.

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AUGUST WINNER: Battling tawny eagles, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

THE JUDGES SAID: Beautifully framed, and the intensity of the interaction is enhanced by catching the light in the eyes of both birds. It is always a challenge to get balanced action images. This image has it all, and the interaction is dramatic.

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SECOND SPOT: An African goshawk with an unlikely and unlucky prey item – a black crake, Sabi Sands Game Reserve, greater Kruger National Park.

THE JUDGES SAID: Beautifully shot. The crake’s red feet, which become the focus of the image, make this photo. The two birds as the subject create a striking contrast against the soft background, while the insight into the unusual prey item is very interesting.

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THIRD SPOT: Black-backed jackal with hare kill, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

THE JUDGES SAID: The low angle creates a beautiful, out-of-focus background which helps the subject pop out. This photo is interesting because it helps shed light on the black-backed jackal as a hunter of smaller prey, rather than a mere scavenger of carrion.

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FOURTH SPOT: A male lion asserts his dominance at the scene of a recent kill, Sabi Sands Game Reserve, greater Kruger National Park.

THE JUDGES SAID: To see lions interact like this is unique. To capture it is a real achievement. Fantastic light on the male lion’s face, which burnishes his mane and adds early-morning drama to the scene … yet we also really wanted to see the face of the individual with whom the male is interacting.

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FIFTH SPOT: An elephant seal cow on Marion Island, Southern Ocean, displays protective behaviour. “The females – such as the subject – are quite defensive during breeding season,” says the photographer, a field research assistant.

“I was quite a few meters away when the cow decided to let me know I was getting a bit close and charged. I quickly backed away, taking photos as I moved. She turned around after the charge and returned to the harem.”

THE JUDGES SAID: There is a great connection between the photographer and subject, as well as symmetry. A fresh, unsettling picture of a seal. The perspective and emotion are certainly different.

To view August’s top 10 shots in the Sunday Times Wilderness Photograph of the Year competition, click here.