Nature Photography with the highest honour for the year 2025
2025 GDT Nature Photography of the Year
Dipper flying through waterfall. Konrad Wothe, White-throated dipper flying through waterfall. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
German Society for Nature Photography
The German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) announced the 2025 winners of its annual members’ competition.
Open to GDT members from Germany and abroad, the competition offers an opportunity to present the best and most diverse nature photography in seven categories: Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Plants and Fungi, Landscapes, Nature Studio, and a Special Category: Germany‘s Peatlands and Bogs.
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Since 1971, the non-profit GDT has supported nature photography and conservation by organising and hosting large international festivals, exhibitions, discussions, seminars and workshops on current issues of nature photography.
Along with the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year, which is open only to members, they also host the European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, open to all professional and non-professional photographers residing in Europe.
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The organisers received over 8,000 images from 507 GDT members for this year’s competition.
After a three-person jury reviewed all submissions, a shortlist of images was made available to GDT members for final selection. Each member was allowed to vote for ten images in each of the seven categories.
Konrad Wothe from Germany was named the overall winner with Dipper flying through waterfall, which was submitted in the Birds category.
For over 40 years, Wothe has worked as a freelance nature photographer and wildlife filmmaker, receiving numerous awards.
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He has sought to heighten awareness and promote people’s collective responsibility toward the environment. Over the past twenty years, Wothe has focused his attention on the world’s rainforests, undertaking expeditions throughout the world.
Konrad Wothe overall winner
Wothe described the immense challenge of taking the winning image.
“It’s been over two decades since I first witnessed a dipper darting through a waterfall. The small passerine bird was flying back and forth to a nest tucked away safely behind a dense curtain of water.
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Of course, I attempted to capture the dipper on film, but my analogue camera gear did not allow me to freeze this split-second moment in sharp focus.
Then two years ago, I had the good fortune to encounter another dipper nesting behind a waterfall – this one also regularly shot through the curtain of water, even though it had the option of flying to its nest from around the side.
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Armed with cutting-edge digital gear and ultra-fast cameras, I felt I had a realistic chance of capturing this extraordinary behaviour.
Even so, the challenge remained immense: there was no predicting exactly when the dipper would leave its nest and dive through the waterfall, nor could I pinpoint the exact spot where it would emerge.
Dipper flying through waterfall
Thanks to the new pre-burst mode on my camera, capturing the bird in frame wasn’t difficult. Still, getting the focus just right with the perfect composition took thousands of exposures.
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I have lost count of the number of trips I took to the dipper’s nesting site before I was reasonably satisfied with the result.”
Winners were also named for each of the competition categories.
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The photo of a Chamois photographed through blades of dew-covered grass in the Vosges brought Radomir Jakubowski first prize in the Mammals category.
Chamois, Radomir Jakubowski, Chamois photographed through blades of dew-covered grass in the Vosges. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Dr Gerald Haas from Germany claimed the top spot in the Other Animals category with his eye-catching shot, West coast dragon, taken on Fuerteventura’s rugged coast with the wind and waves creating striking patterns in the sand.
West coast dragon, Dr. Gerald Haas, Wind and waves create striking patterns in the sand along the west coast of Fuerteventura. This dragonfly was a perfect eye-catcher. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
First place in the Plants and Fungi category went to Paul Kornacker with his image Stars above, of Quiver trees, native to southern Africa, taken in Namibia near Keetmanshoop.
Stars above, Paul Kornacker, Quiver trees (Aloe dichotoma) are native to southern Africa. This photo was taken in Namibia near Keetmanshoop. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Hanneke Van Kamp from Belgium won in the Landscapes category by exploring the fate of Sweden’s old-growth forests, regularly cut down and replaced with commercial plantations, in Deforestation.
Deforestation, Hanneke Van Camp, Even today, old-growth forests in Sweden are regularly cut down and replaced with commercial plantations. Undisturbed forests can harbour over 2000 species (many of which are endangered) and must be preserved at all costs. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Katja Manski was crowned award winner in the Nature’s Studio category with Abstraction, her long-exposure image of waves and reeds taken on the island of Bornholm.
Abstraction, Katja Manskiwas,Long-exposure photography unifies the movements of the waves, reeds and camera into an abstract image (Bornholm). GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
The top prize in the Special Category: Germany’s Peatlands and Bogs, went to Andreas Volz’s Misty Morning, showcasing dewdrop-covered spider webs in Kochelmoos.
Misty Morning, Andreas Volz, Spider webs in Kochelmoos. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Levi Fitze was awarded the jury prize for his photograph Patterns in the snow. The image shows a perfectly camouflaged rock ptarmigan in the snow-covered Swiss Alps.
Patterns in the snow, Levi Fitz, A perfectly camouflaged rock ptarmigan in the snow-covered Swiss Alps. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Other fantastic nature photography images were shortlisted in the competition.
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In the Birds category: Christian Höfs’ Common redstarts in meadow orchard. Territorial fight between two male redstarts in the orchard in front of my house.
Common redstarts in meadow orchard, Christian Höfs, Territorial fight between two male redstarts in the orchard in front of my house. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
In the Mammals category: Karsten Mosebach’s King of the Alps. An ibex silhouetted against a lake and the blue evening sky in the Alps.
King of the Alps, Karsten Mosebach, An ibex silhouetted against a lake and the blue evening sky in the Alps. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Other Animals category: Torsten Christ’s Weevil. Unidentified weevil (Curculionidae) on the stem of a mushroom.
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Weevil, Torsten Christ, Unidentified weevil (Curculionidae) on the stem of a mushroom. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Plants and Fungi category: Klaus Tamm’s Carnivore. “I discovered this spoonleaf sundew in a bog in North Rhine-Westphalia.”
Carnivore, Klaus Tamm, I discovered this spoonleaf sundew in a bog in North Rhine-Westphalia.” GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Landscapes category: Thomas Froesch’s Radiance. “For just a brief moment, the sun broke through the dark clouds and illuminated a waterfall on the Faroe Islands.”
Radiance, Thomas Froesch, “For just a brief moment, the sun broke through the dark clouds and illuminated a waterfall on the Faroe Islands.” GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Nature’s Studio category: Dirk Godlinski ‘s Iceworms at sunrise. Unusual worm-like structures on the ice surface after a frosty night in January.
Iceworms at sunrise, Dirk Godlinsk, Unusual worm-like structures on the ice surface after a frosty night in January. GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Special category: Both eerie and beautiful – Germany’s Peatlands and Bogs: Katja Manski’s Fairyland Cotton grass glowing at dusk among bog birches in Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve. “The scene reminds me of Tolkien.”
Fairyland Cottongrass glowing at dusk among bog birches in Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve, Katja Manski’, “The scene reminds me of Tolkien.” GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
Photos from the competition are published in an extensive photo series in the GDT Forum Naturfotografie magazine and on their website.
Text German Society for Nature Photography & Cammy Yiu / Photos as credited
