The best works from the competition "European Nature Photographer of 2018"

The Society of German Wildlife Photographers summed up the results of the 18th GDT Europäischer Naturfotograf des Jahres competition. In the pictures of the winners, a hunting wolverine, mating toads and an alien species of squid.

Source: GDT Foto

The Society of German Naturalist Photographers (Gesellschaft Deutscher Tierfotografen - GDT) has been in existence since 1971. In 2001, it organized for the first time the competition "European Nature Photographer of the Year". The aim of the contest is to show the high quality and specific style of European wildlife photography with the help of excellent images from Europe and around the world. The event is also aimed at raising awareness of the need to preserve nature. The number of competitors is constantly growing, this year more than 18,000 entries were submitted for consideration by the jury.

Both beginners and professional photographers take pictures to participate. The works of the contestants are considered in the categories: "Birds", "Mammals", "Other animals", "Plants and fungi", "Landscapes", "Underwater", "Man and nature", "Nature Workshop", "Youth under 14 years", "Youth 15-17 years".

Monetary and material awards together made up a prize fund of 25,000 euros. The main winner got 3000. The winners in the categories – 800 euros, and the runners–up - 500 euros. The prizes of the winners in the category "Young photographers" amounted to 200 euros each. All the winners of the competition received an invitation to the award ceremony (with reimbursement of transportation costs, buffet and accommodation costs), free tickets to the GDT International Festival of Nature Photography in Lunen, as well as an exhibition catalog.

The main winner is "Rainbow City". The author of the photo: Cristobal Serrano.

The photo was taken from a drone high above huge flocks of small flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) on the muddy shores of alkaline-salty Lake Bogoria, Kenya, where the birds find their favorite food – cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae.

1st place in the category "Birds" – "To be a mother". The author of the photo: Jaime Culebras.

After observing this female nightjar (Caprimulgus anthonyi) for several days, I discovered her favorite resting places. The picture shows the bird in its future breeding place. She has not laid eggs yet, but will soon contribute to the conservation of the species in the Choco rainforest, Ecuador.

2nd place in the category "Birds" – "In a blizzard". The author of the photo: Andres Miguel Dominguez.

A pair of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in a snowstorm in the Finnish taiga.

1st place in the category "Mammals" – "Lone hunter". Photo author: Jan van der Grief.

In the snowy Finnish forest, the cries of ravens announced that something was going to happen. Suddenly, a wolverine (Gulo gulo) appeared, hurriedly cutting through the edge of the forest.

2nd place in the category "Mammals" – "The world of polar bears". The author of the photo: Ole Jorgen Lidden.

Photo of a polar bear that has just eaten a captured seal on a drifting ice floe.

1st place in the category "Other animals" – "Pioneer". The author of the photo: Christian Wapple.

It was well after midnight in the Trang Botanical Garden, Thailand, when I noticed a light moving slowly but steadily in the dark. This was the glow organ of a large firefly larva (Lamprigera).

2nd place in the category "Other animals" – "Mating toads". The author of the photo: Georg Kantioler.

Having discovered a pond with a large number of toads (Bufo bufo), I spent days photographing these animals. Only very few individuals had a reddish color. They stood out especially well against the background of the rich green color of aquatic plants.

1st place in the category "Plants and mushrooms" – "Lily and the first ice". Photo author: Hannu Ahonen.

I was fascinated by this theme: lilies and the first ice. Every autumn I look forward to when the lakes freeze. The picture shows a floating leaf of a small water lily (Nymphaea tetragona).

2nd place in the category "Plants and mushrooms" – "Compositions of nature". The author of the photo: Samuel Pradetto Signotto.

Kupena whorl (Polygonatum verticillatum) is a truly artistic and elegant plant. Young shoots are an ideal subject for shooting. They come out of the ground like little umbrellas.

1st place in the category "Landscapes" – "Sand figures". The author of the photo: David Frutos Egea.

In the foreground in this photo is a very specific sand formation formed by waves. This is the result of heavy rain that hit this region of Spain a few days earlier, carrying away a large amount of sand from the beaches to the Mar Menor lagoon in the province of Murcia.

2nd place in the category "Landscapes" – "Ice trees". The author of the photo: Eberhard Emke.

After many frosty nights, a thick layer of ice formed on the lake. Then the weather changed, it became warmer and cracks in the shape of trees formed on the ice.

1st place in the category "Underwater world" – "Alien Spaceship". The author of the photo: Claudio Keresi.

During a night dive at the reef in Manado, Sulawesi, I came across this reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana). He had been stalking me for quite some time, and I was tempted to assume that he liked me. Actually, he used the light of my diving flashlight for hunting. In this picture, he eats a small fish.

2nd place in the category "Underwater world" – "Holes in the water". The author of the photo: Jacob Dege.

Pictured is a feeding whale shark (Rhincodon typus) near Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Hundreds of sharks were attracted by a huge number of spawning fish. The wide–open mouth of this individual is reflected on the surface of the water, which creates the effect of black holes - a pleasant decorative effect.

1st place in the category "Man and nature" – "Acting under pressure". The author of the photo: Joan de la Malla.

"Topeng Monyet" is the name given to the forced performance of macaques at street events in Indonesia. For some people, this is a way to earn some money. Monkeys usually live in the most disgusting conditions.

The kingfisher sits at the sewage outlet from the municipal treatment plant near Lund, forming an unexpected contrast with the urban surroundings. Here the purified water from the plant is discharged into the river. Since measures to improve water quality have been put in place, even the urban environment in Sweden has once again begun to attract organisms that need clean water to thrive.

The amazing secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a fairly common sight in the Kgalagadi Cross-Border Park (South Africa and Botswana). Using long excerpts, I tried to emphasize the extraordinary appearance of this bird. Noticing a light-colored stone behind it, I wanted it to look like a bird had just laid an egg in the savannah.

A grey heron lurking in the harbor of Greifswald, Germany, in the incessant pouring rain.

Sitting in a shelter near Kayaani (Kayaani), Finland, I waited all day in vain for wolves or wolverines. At least some action took place among the magpies, and I liked photographing them in the snow.

Not far from my parents' house there is a river, near which there are dippers (Cinclus cinclus). When I found their nesting place, I watched the birds for several days to find out what places and routes they prefer. This bird returns to the nest to feed its chicks.