White Hare in the Alps Wins GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026. Can You Spot It?

The GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026 winners are out, and the top honor has been awarded to Luca Lorenz. The 20-year-old wildlife photographer from Berlin took first place for White on White, a photo that confused me at first. In this cyanotype-like photo, spotting the subject is part of the experience, but also a part of the message.

Captured high above the tree line in the Swiss Alps, the photo shows a mountain hare so perfectly camouflaged that it took me four attempts to spot it.

“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,” Luca says. He used long exposure and intentional camera movement to emphasize how the hare blends into its surroundings. The result is quite a visual puzzle, but Luca also wanted to send a deeper environmental message with it.

The Alpine mountain hare is increasingly threatened by climate change. As snow arrives later or not at all, hares already wearing their white winter coats stand out against the brown ground. This makes them easy targets for predators like golden eagles and foxes, a phenomenon scientists call “color mismatch.”

“It means great deal to me that an image of such an unassuming species can draw so much attention”, says Luca. “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.”

Inside The 2026 GDT Nature Photographer Of The Year

The GDT Nature Photographer of the Year competition is an annual event open exclusively to members of the German Society for Nature Photography. In 2026, the competition saw participation from 546 photographers across 15 countries, with nearly 9,000 images submitted.

After an initial jury selection, members voted on shortlisted and winning images across seven categories:

• Birds
• Mammals
• Other Animals
• Plants and Fungi
• Landscapes
• Nature’s Studio
• Biodiversity

The Biodiversity category was introduced as a special addition for 2026 in cooperation with the Heinz Sielmann Foundation.

Other than the overall winner, Luca’s image also won in the Mammals category.

Photography as a Tool for Conservation

A recurring theme across the competition is the role of photography in raising awareness about environmental issues.

The Heinz Sielmann Foundation, patron of the 2026 Biodiversity category, emphasized this connection. Thomas Bischoff of the foundation said:

“Our aim is to safeguard biodiversity while making it tangible and accessible for present and future generations. The photographs presented here play an important role in bringing this mission to a wider audience and in raising awareness of the beauty and significance of the natural world.

We extend our sincere thanks to all participants for their dedication and their outstanding contributions. May these images sharpen our perception and strengthen our collective commitment to the preservation of biodiversity.”

Can You Spot the Hare?

Back to the question from the title: can you spot the hare? It took me four attempts, even after Alex told me where it was. Even though I can’t say I understood the photo at first, I think I get it now that I found its main subject.

This photo asks you to pause, look closer, and really engage with the scene. It’s a great grounding exercise, if nothing else. But once you see the hare, you can’t unsee it. And you start to understand the message this image carries.

But, as always, there are also category winners and runners-ups that are absolutely worth your attention. I’ll share them below, and you make sure to visit GDT’s website for more details about the winner and the contest itself.

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