The answer is an alpine hare.
I’ll admit, it took me an embarrassingly long time to spot the hare—perhaps a testament to how perfectly alpine hares have adapted to hide from mountainous predators. In capturing this remarkable feat of camouflage, German photographer Luca Lorenz was selected as 2026’s Nature Photographer of the Year by the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT).
“It means a great deal to me that an image of such an unassuming species can draw so much attention,” Lorenz said in his winning statement. “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.”
Each year, GDT hosts this international photography competition to honor the diversity of nature across seven categories. This year, nearly 9,000 entries from 15 countries submitted their photographs. Entries from finalists are presented in person at the society’s annual Nature Photography Festival, which will be held this year in Lünen, Germany, in October. The competition aims to direct attention to the “finely balanced interaction of habitats, plants, animals, and microorganisms that sustains the vitality and resilience of our planet.”
We’ve selected some of our favorites from the gallery of finalists, but you can see the entire selection here.
Eurasian curlew in front of JadeWaserPort
GDT says this competition is about representing balance in nature—including the balance between wildlife and human constructs. This photo, taken by German photographer Christian Kosanetzky, tied for second place in the “Birds” category. A Eurasian curlew can be seen wobbling across the frame as the tide rises at JadeWeserPort, Germany’s largest harbor project.
Practice makes perfect
In this photo by German photographer Jens Cullmann, a young African bullfrog leaps forward, tongue stretched, to reach a buggy treat—but fails. This rather endearing snapshot won first place in the competition’s “Other Animals” category. Hopefully, as the title suggests, with enough practice, the young bullfrog will be able to feed itself soon.
Lava dragon
This stunning aerial view of an active lava field looks straight out of a sci-fi film. Jeroen Van Nieuwenhove of Iceland won second place in “Nature’s Studio” for this photograph, which truly shows how natural phenomena can take some amazing shapes—no Photoshop required. The image was captured during the 2023 eruption of the Litli-Hrúter volcano in Iceland, according to Van Nieuwenhove.
Shelter
This photograph by Preeti John of the United Arab Emirates looks like it was sketched out by hand with charcoal. But this isn’t a drawing—it’s a real photograph of an elephant calf seeking shelter from the blazing Sun in Amboseli National Park, Kenya.
Dominance
In this photograph, a finalist in the “Mammals” category, two male alpine ibexes lock horns in a fight to settle who is the strongest of them all. According to German photographer Tobias Büttel, ibexes typically establish this in summer to conserve energy in December, but these two decided to go for it in late November. They eventually stopped fighting and lumbered up the mountainside together, he said.
Subterranean artwork
You may find something similar to this photograph in an art museum somewhere, but this isn’t a painting—it’s a strangely rhythmical arrangement of bats striding across a textured surface. For this piece, German photographer Linus Reimschüssel was awarded a finalist spot in the “Mammals” category.
Staredown
In this photo, two flies face off atop a stinky fungus known as “devil’s fingers,” according to German photographer Julius Stratmann. The image was a finalist in the special category for biodiversity. The odd fungus releases pungent smells to attract insects—not for prey, but so that they can help the fungus reproduce.
Feeling small
Last but not least, German photographer Anja Diel captured an eerie yet beautiful shot of a beech tree stretching out to the sky against a backdrop of thick fog. The image won second place in the “Landscapes” category. Diel said in an Instagram post that she took the photo at the beech forest next to her house. The sheer size of these trees reminds us of the large, encompassing presence of nature.
“Standing beneath the canopy of those towering beeches, I always feel tiny,” she said.
