GDT Nature Photographer of the Year winners show the nature in all its glorious beauty

The German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) has just announced winners of its annual Nature Photographer of the Year contest. I miss the outdoors badly, and I must tell you – I absolutely enjoyed these beautiful images. For a brief moment, they brought the beauty of nature to my home, showing it in all its glorious beauty.

Overall winner of the 2020 competition is Peter Lindel from Dortmund, Germany. His photo of a European hare earned him the overall first place, but also the first place in the Mammals category.

Lindel is a photographer by passion, emphasizing on African, but also local fauna. In the statement, Lindel explained just how much time and effort it took to take the winning image:

“This photo A hare’s dream was taken in July of 2019 when months of searching a suitable location led me to a dirt road, which offered the most beautiful morning light, lovely vegetation and … three hares. Dreamy, curious, careful, anxious. These are the adjectives that I find describe the expression of ‘my hare’ best.”

Lindel explained that the European hare was once a common inhabitant of open country all over Germany, but now has become a rare sight:

“While the large number of hares that I used to spot every morning on my way to work in the fields and meadows north of Dortmund, prompted me twelve years ago to explore this area with my camera, it has now become increasingly time-consuming to find hares and present them in an appealing photograph.”

For this year’s competition, 307 GDT members from 11 countries submitted a total of 5046 images to seven categories:

1. Birds
2. Mammals
3. Other Animals
4. Plants & Fungi
5. Landscapes
6. Nature’s Studio
7. Water (this year’s special category)

For the first time ever, the jury didn’t vote during the annual general meeting. Instead, the voting was done online, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The jury selected the best of the best, and you can enjoy the selection of images below. Make sure to visit GDT’s website for more information and more beautiful images.

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