The German Society of Nature Photographers (GDT) has unveiled the winning photos from its annual Nature Photographer of the Year competition.
Like in prior years, this particular competition is exclusively open to GDT members. However, this does little to stifle the competition, as the award-winning images are incredible. Over 500 photographers from 11 countries entered more than 8,000 photos for consideration.
The talented GDT-member photographers battled it out across seven categories, including this year’s special, “Both eerie and beautiful — Germany’s Peatlands and Bogs.” The other six standard categories are similar to years past, including Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Plants and Fungi, Landscapes, and Nature’s Studio, which is for more abstract nature images.
Judges selected finalists for consideration, and after voting, top 10 photos were awarded for each category. However, the jury also selected an overall winner, photographer Konrad Wothe. Named “GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025,” Wothe’s stunning winning shot, Dipper flying through waterfall, shows a dipper bursting through flowing water. The shot expertly combines action, striking composition, and abstract textures.
“It’s been over 20 years 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,” Wothe explains. “Of course, back then I was desperate to capture the moment on film, but with the analogue gear of the time, there was simply no way to freeze this spectacular split-second moment in sharp focus.”
The photographer continues, explaining that he had another fortune encounter with another nesting dipper a couple of years ago. This time, he was ready, thanks to modern digital camera equipment.
“Armed with cutting-edge digital gear and ultra-fast cameras, I felt I might have a chance of capturing this curious behavior,” Wothe says.
However, even with the right tools for the job, it was extremely challenging. Wild animals are hard to predict, and dippers are no exception.
“Thanks to the new pre-burst mode on my camera, capturing the bird in frame wasn’t difficult. Still, getting the correct focus and perfect composition took thousands of exposures,” Wothe explains.
Even though it took many attempts to get the award-winning photo, he is excited to keep trying.
“I keep going back — and always will — because the dipper is one of my absolute favorite birds,” Wothe concludes.
As expected, Wothe’s dazzling dipper photo took top honors in the Birds category. The rest of the category winners and runners-up are featured below. PetaPixel also selected some of its other favorite winners to feature below.
Birds
Mammals
Other Animals
Plants and Fungi
Landscapes
Nature’s Studio
Special Category: Both Eerie and Beautiful — Germany‘s Peatlands and Bogs
Five More Award-Winning Photos
The complete gallery of all 70 winning images is available on the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025 website.
Image credits: Photos provided by GDT Nature Photographer of the Year. Individual photographers are credited in the image captions.
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