One of the finalists vying for the Community Choice Award, Tobias Baumgaertner of Tobias Visuals, told Bored Panda more about the photo he took of the two widowed penguins gazing upon Melbourne's lights.

"The photo I took was one of those photos that you couldn't have planned if you tried. I went there to take images of the penguin colony and intended to capture a photograph which shows the pressures that human settlement/infrastructure can have on wild animal populations," he said.

"I spent 3 full nights with this particular penguin colony and was lucky enough to witness and capture this moment of love instead. With this moment unfolding in front of my eyes, I received more information about them from a Volunteer which I then disclosed in my first three Instagram posts about these two. It was a story of love and compassion and I am very happy that it has reached so many hearts around the world."

Tobias said that the biggest challenges he faced were the lighting conditions. "Strictly no lights are allowed in close proximity to this penguin colony. So all the light I had available to take this Image was residual light from the nearby city and harbor. Considering that these little Penguins move quite a lot did not make it easy to capture a sharp Image that gave this moment justice."

He continued: "Also, penguins are wildlife and they do not care about a photographer's wishes to position themselves in a particular way. Not only am I very much pro in situ photography and would never relocate my wildlife subjects to create an image, it is also strictly forbidden to touch or interfere with them and, therefore, I ask everyone who is going to visit them to show the utmost respect and keep their distance. Thus I waited for 3 full nights to capture the perfect moment between these two lovebirds."

Tobias said that he's very happy that his photo has touched so many hearts from all over the world. "This image has already reached millions of people with many different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, communicating a message in a language that everyone understands. Love and compassion for one another. What more could I really want?"