15 Mesmerizing Winners From the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2026

Luca Lorenz has won the GDT (German Society for Nature Photography) Nature Photographer of the Year 2026 in its annual members’ competition for his painterly photo of a mountain hare.

While trudging through the snow with two friends, he spotted the hare about 30 meters (100 feet) below him, standing at the entrance to a small rock cave — almost motionless, barely visible in its white winter coat, and gazing into the distance.

“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,” says Lorenz.

Using a long exposure and intentional camera movements, he tried to capture how the animal blended into its surroundings—and to preserve its nearly invisible presence despite being so close.

But the image also carries a serious message: the Alpine mountain hare is threatened by climate change. Its fur changes seasonally from brown to white — perfect camouflage. Yet increasingly, the snow fails to arrive while the animals are already wearing their white winter coats. As bright patches against the brown ground, they become easy prey for golden eagles and foxes — a phenomenon experts refer to as “color mismatch.”

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

Lorenz beat out competition from 546 GDT members from 15 different countries. In total, nearly 9,000 images were submitted.