Entries to the annual members-only competition were divided into seven categories: birds, mammals, other animals, plants and fungi, landscapes, nature’s studio, and a special category titled ‘All things flow – Germany’s river landscapes.’ Judged by a jury of nature photographers, Dieter Damschen’s “Winter in the floodplain forest” took first place overall and in the special category.
Damschen, from Germany, snapped the bewitching photo of snow-dusted trees as a winter flood swept through Germany’s Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve.
“After several years with extremely low water levels, a long-awaited winter flood inundated the old oak trees in January 2024,” Damschen explained. “On this particular morning, the trunks and branches of the trees were plastered with snow on one side, thanks to snowfall in combination with strong winds during the previous night. The resulting contrasting lines emphasize the time-worn structures of the mighty trees, creating the special graphic effect of this fleeting moment.”
There was no shortage of talent on display in other categories. Like the image above, of a delicate pasqueflower standing defiant against the morning frost. Taken by German photographer Sigi Zang, it was awarded second place in the plants and fungi category. Or Australian Scott Portelli's snap, which captured humpback whales in the Antarctic employing a technique called 'bubble-netting' to trap and eat a swarm of krill.
Other memorable images include a wave-surfing gentoo penguin, a rainbow over Lapporten, a U-shaped valley in Lapland, and a close-up of a hairy spider carrying its young. You can view some of our favorite photographs in our gallery.
Winning photos will form part of an exhibition before all images are published in the GDT Forum Naturfotografie magazine and on the GDT website.
Source: GDT