“White on White,” by Luca Lorenz. Overall Winner.
“High 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.”
A ghostlike scene has won photographer Luca Lorenz the title of GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026. 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’ll-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’s hard to spot at first glance.
“For 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,” explains Lorenz. He used a long exposure and limited his camera movements to avoid disturbing the creature.
It’s nearly impossible to separate nature photography from the greater messaging inherent in each image—that we must do what we can to protect this world so that photographers can continue to capture Earth’s beauty. The underlying message of Lorenz’s 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.
“It means a great deal to me that an image of such an unassuming species can draw so much attention,” Lorenz continues. “Alpine 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.”
Lorenz’s 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’s Studio, and, introduced as a special category for 2026, Biodiversity: The Beauty and Significance of Natural Diversity.
Scroll down to see some of our favorite winners and finalists from the 2026 contest.
Check out the winners of the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year contest 2026.
“Practice makes perfect,” by Jens Cullmann. Category Winner, Other Animals.
“A young African bullfrog fails to catch its prey.”
“The grand return” by Lars von Ritter Zahony. 2nd Place, Birds.
“Each 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.”
“Rice fields in Madagascar,” by Uwe Hasubek. 3rd Place, Landscapes.
“The day's first rays of sun bathe the rice fields of Madagascar in an extraordinary display of color.”
“Small world,” by Anja Mickel. 2nd Place, Plants and Fungi.
“The snake’s head fritillary never makes it easy for me, but this time I succeeded! Photography has taught me to look ever more closely.”
“Eurasian curlew in front of the lights of JadeWeserPort,” by Christian Kosanetzky. 2nd Place, Birds.
“A Eurasian curlew in Jade Bight as the tide rises. The lights of the container cranes at JadeWeserPort glow in the background.”
“Fragments of light,” by Beate Oswald. Category winner, Nature’s Studio.
“Reeds and dancing sun glitter reflect in the cool, blue waters of Lake Starnberg.”
“Black-headed gull” by Radomir Jakubowski. Category Winner, Birds.
“A black-headed gull in backlight during its landing approach in the Camargue.”
“Frozen forest,” by Eike Christian Wolff. Category Winner, Landscapes.
“This natural spectacle formed after a river flooded the forest, the water surface froze, the water underneath retreated, and the ice then broke up.”
“Green lines,” by Tobias Richter. Category Winner, Plants and Fungi
“Spring fever in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains when mosses, ferns, and wood sorrel bring the rock ledges of cool, dark gorges to life.”
“Mosquitoes on fire,” by Noah Marcheel. 2nd Place, Other Animals.
“I found these mosquitoes standing on a stone along a stream. The reflected sunlight in the background resembles a blazing fire.”
“Lava dragon,” by Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove. 2nd Place, Nature’s Studio.
“Aerial view of an eruption on an active lava field, reminiscent of a dragon.”
“Shelter,” by Preeti John. 2nd Place, Mammals.
“An elephant calf seeks shelter from the blazing sun in the only available shade—the body of its mother. Photographed in Amboseli National Park, Kenya.”
“Rich in structure,” by Dieter Damschen. Category Winner, Special Category.
“Cranes departing from their roosting site in Lower Oder Valley National Park.”
“Ancient Rivals,” by Amit Eshel. 2nd Place, Special Category.
“An Arctic wolf bearing traces of a recent hunt. A nearby herd of musk oxen stands alert in its iconic defensive formation.”
