“Winter in the floodplain forest” by Dieter Damschen. Overall Winner and Second place, Special Category: Everything in flux – Germany’s River landscapes.
“The inundated trees in the floodplain hardwood forest of the Mittel Elbe during a winter flood.”
A dreamy winter scene has earned Dieter Damschen the title of GDT Nature Photographer of the Year. The competition is run by the Germany Society for Nature Photographers to highlight the talent of its members. This year, 481 members from 13 countries entered just under 8,000 images.
Damschen rose to the top with his photo of trees dusted with snow as a winter flood swept through Germany’s Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve.
“I often visit this hardwood riparian forest in the foreland of the dyke to take photographs at fixed points with lines of sight that reveal carefully selected compositions,” Damschen shares. “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.”
Other standout images include Kai Kolodziej‘s portrait of a diamondback rattlesnake flicking its tongue and Scott Portelli’s aerial view of humpback whales during bubble-net feeding.
Scroll down to see some of our favorite winners and finalists from the 2024 contest. They just might inspire you to get out and spend more time in nature.
Here are the winners of the 2024 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year contest.
“Bubble netting” by Scott Portelli. First place, Mammals.
” Humpback whales spend the summer months in their Antarctic feeding grounds hunting energy-rich krill to build up sufficient blubber reserves for the long migration to their winter breeding grounds in the tropics. Using a technique known as bubble netting, several whales encircle a swarm of krill, crowd the swarm further by releasing a curtain of air bubbles, and then lurch in to feed effortlessly.”
“Tasting the air” by Kai Kolodziej. Second place, Other Animals.
” The diamondback rattlesnake uses its tongue to detect odors. My goal was to make this behavior visible.”
“Thread-winged” by Dr. Gerald Haas. First place, Other Animals.
“Thread-winged antlion in camp at night, Namibia.”
“Isar floodplain in morning fog” by Andreas Volz. Second place, Special Category: Everything in flux – Germany’s River landscapes.
“The floodplain of Pupplinger Au is an invaluable and species-rich nature reserve. In this region, the streambed of the Isar is largely unregulated.”
“Scenes from a marriage” by Silke Hüttche. Special category winner.
“Eyes shut and waiting for spring” by Flurin Leugger. Second place, Mammals.
“Alpine ibex are perfectly adapted to the inhospitable conditions at high elevations and can even survive severe winter storms.”
The contest is open to members of the German Society for Nature Photographers.
“Arrowhead” by Heike Odermatt. First place, Plants and Mushrooms.
“The small river Groote Aa flows past the outskirts of my village. In the summer, this is the perfect habitat for arrowhead.”
“Flag tree” by Marte Engelbrecht. First place, Atelier Nature.
“A tree shaped by the wind in the grey dunes of the German barrier island Baltrum. Exposure with intentional camera movement (ICM).”
“Predator and prey” by Jan Sohler. Jury Prize.
“An eider drake tries in vain to snatch a mussel in Kieler Förde.”
“Surfing the wave” by Levi Fitze. First place, Birds.
“Gentoo penguin, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands. Gentoos are the fastest swimmers among penguins and agile enough to surf breaking waves.”
“Birches in autumn” by Felix Wesch. First place, Landscapes.
“A section of one of my favorite woods in Wahner Heath on a rare mornings in autumn with both fog and sunshine.”
“Morning roll call” by Jens Kählert. Third place, Birds.
“Black skimmers (Rynchops niger) on the east coast of Florida.”
481 members from 13 countries entered just under 8,000 images into this year’s competition.
“Frosty morning at Istein Cataracts on the Rhine” by Karl Heinz Scheidtmann. Third place, Special Category: Everything in flux – Germany’s River landscapes.
” The Rhine flows over a limestone formation at Istein Cataracts. Severe frost and soft morning light create a mystical scene.”
“Godafoss” by Britta Strack. Fifth place, Landscapes.
“Godafoss is a waterfall in northern Iceland. According to legend, it is known as the ‘waterfall of the gods’.”
“Frosty bell(e)” by Sigi Zang. Second place, Plants and Mushrooms.
“Pasque flower on a frosty morning.”
“In the eye of the cheetah” by Monika Morlak. Eighth place, Mammals.
“‘But cheetahs don’t kill zebras!’ proclaimed our astounded guide in Madikwe, South Africa. But this cheetah with three adolescents in tow managed to do just that.”
“Yellow sac spider” by Christian Jakimowitsch. Ninth place, Other Animals.
“A male yellow sac spider in its web.”
“Marble” by Florian Smit. Second place, Landscapes.
“This photograph was taken in Marble Castle, Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park, Norway. The scene was illuminated with flashes from several perspectives.”
“Aerobatics in morning light” by Christian Brinkmann. Second place, Atelier Nature.
“In the warm glow of the morning sun in the Wadden Sea, a group of wagtails chases through the air; I captured two at just the right angle—a goosebump moment!”