{"id":458271,"date":"2026-05-20T11:27:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T11:27:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/458271\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T11:27:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T11:27:21","slug":"here-are-the-winners-of-gdt-nature-photographer-of-the-year-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/458271\/","title":{"rendered":"Here are the Winners of GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cWhite on White,\u201d by Luca Lorenz. Overall Winner.
\u201cHigh above the tree line in the Alps, a mountain hare sat still for hours at the entrance to a small cave, only partially sheltered from the icy winds.\u201d<\/p>\n

A ghostlike scene has won photographer Luca Lorenz the title of GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026<\/a>. Captured by the 20-year-old wildlife photographer from Berlin, the lauded image depicts a rugged slope in the Swiss Alps, high above the tree line. The photo has a blink-and-you\u2019ll-miss-it quality, in which a white mountain hare is perched at the entrance of a small cave. It blends in so well with its surroundings that it\u2019s hard to spot at first glance.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a long time, I observed the hare as it sat practically motionless, perfectly camouflaged with its white winter coat, gazing out across the distant Alpine peaks,\u201d explains Lorenz. He used a long exposure and limited his camera movements to avoid disturbing the creature.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s nearly impossible to separate nature photography from the greater messaging inherent in each image\u2014that we must do what we can to protect this world so that photographers can continue to capture Earth\u2019s beauty. The underlying message of Lorenz\u2019s image does just that. The Alpine mountain hare is threatened by climate change. Every year, its coat changes from brown to white, becoming the perfect camouflage for either season. But increasingly, the hare will have a white coat while the ground is still brown, making it easier to spot by predators and decreasing its population.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a great deal to me that an image of such an unassuming species can draw so much attention,\u201d Lorenz continues. \u201cAlpine hares are deeply important to me and, in light of the significant challenges facing the species, raising awareness and supporting research into these extraordinary animals is more important than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lorenz\u2019s photo was selected from nearly 9,000 entries to the competition. He won out among 546 members of the German Society for Nature Photographers (GDT). A jury first made a primary selection from the thousands of images, and then GDT members were invited to vote on 10 images in each of the seven categories: Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Plants and Fungi, Landscapes, Nature\u2019s Studio, and, introduced as a special category for 2026, Biodiversity: The Beauty and Significance of Natural Diversity.<\/p>\n

Scroll down to see some of our favorite winners and finalists from the 2026 contest.\n<\/p>\n

Check out the winners of the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year contest 2026.
\n\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cPractice makes perfect,\u201d by Jens Cullmann. Category Winner, Other Animals.
\u201cA young African bullfrog fails to catch its prey.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cThe grand return\u201d by Lars von Ritter Zahony. 2nd Place, Birds.
\u201cEach evening, large groups of gentoo penguins return from their foraging areas at sea to their colonies on land. With remarkable speed and elegance, they dance through the icy waters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cRice fields in Madagascar,\u201d by Uwe Hasubek. 3rd Place, Landscapes.
\u201cThe day’s first rays of sun bathe the rice fields of Madagascar in an extraordinary display of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cSmall world,\u201d by Anja Mickel. 2nd Place, Plants and Fungi.
\u201cThe snake\u2019s head fritillary never makes it easy for me, but this time I succeeded! Photography has taught me to look ever more closely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cEurasian curlew in front of the lights of JadeWeserPort,\u201d by Christian Kosanetzky. 2nd Place, Birds.
\u201cA Eurasian curlew in Jade Bight as the tide rises. The lights of the container cranes at JadeWeserPort glow in the background.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cFragments of light,\u201d by Beate Oswald. Category winner, Nature\u2019s Studio.
\u201cReeds and dancing sun glitter reflect in the cool, blue waters of Lake Starnberg.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cBlack-headed gull\u201d by Radomir Jakubowski. Category Winner, Birds.
\u201cA black-headed gull in backlight during its landing approach in the Camargue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cFrozen forest,\u201d by Eike Christian Wolff. Category Winner, Landscapes.
\u201cThis natural spectacle formed after a river flooded the forest, the water surface froze, the water underneath retreated, and the ice then broke up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cGreen lines,\u201d by Tobias Richter. Category Winner, Plants and Fungi
\u201cSpring fever in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains when mosses, ferns, and wood sorrel bring the rock ledges of cool, dark gorges to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cMosquitoes on fire,\u201d by Noah Marcheel. 2nd Place, Other Animals.
\u201cI found these mosquitoes standing on a stone along a stream. The reflected sunlight in the background resembles a blazing fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cLava dragon,\u201d by Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove. 2nd Place, Nature\u2019s Studio.
\u201cAerial view of an eruption on an active lava field, reminiscent of a dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cShelter,\u201d by Preeti John. 2nd Place, Mammals.
\u201cAn elephant calf seeks shelter from the blazing sun in the only available shade\u2014the body of its mother. Photographed in Amboseli National Park, Kenya.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cRich in structure,\u201d by Dieter Damschen. Category Winner, Special Category.
\u201cCranes departing from their roosting site in Lower Oder Valley National Park.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GDT<\/p>\n

\u201cAncient Rivals,\u201d by Amit Eshel. 2nd Place, Special Category.
\u201cAn Arctic wolf bearing traces of a recent hunt. A nearby herd of musk oxen stands alert in its iconic defensive formation.\u201d<\/p>\n

German Society for Nature Photographers (GDT):\u00a0Website<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>
\nMy Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by GDT.
\nRelated Articles:
\nWinners of the Scottish Nature Photography Awards 2025 Celebrate Scotland\u2019s Wild Beauty<\/a>
\nWinners of the Nature Photography Contest 2025 Capture Beauty With an Urgency To Act<\/a>
\nPhoto of a Rare White Humpback Whale and Mother Wins World Nature Photography Awards<\/a>
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