GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025 has announced the winners of its annual photo contest. This year, the flattering title goes to Konrad Wothe for his extraordinary image Dipper Flying Through Waterfall. Captured with incredible patience and technical precision, the photo shows a dipper in mid-flight as it shoots through a curtain of water. Other than being just marvelous to look at, this photo shows a moment more than 20 years in the making for Wothe.
Konrad Wothe: GDT Nature Photographer of the Year 2025
“It’s been over two decades since I first witnessed a dipper darting through a waterfall,” Wothe explains. He gives a bit of a backstory about capturing his contest-winning image.
“The small passerine bird was flying back and forth to a nest tucked away safely behind a dense curtain of water. 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. 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. 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. 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.”
Wothe is a seasoned nature photographer and wildlife filmmaker. He is known for his deep connection to nature and visual storytelling spanning continents and ecosystems. His image also topped the Birds category, standing out among over 8,000 submissions from 507 GDT members across 11 countries.
Runner-Up and Jury Prize
The jury prize went to Levi Fitze for Patterns in the Snow, an expertly camouflaged rock ptarmigan blending into the snowy Swiss Alps. This subtle, graphic composition stood out for its minimalism and quiet storytelling.
Category Winners
This year’s competition featured six main categories:
- Birds
- Mammals
- Other Animals
- Plants and Fungi
- Landscapes
- Nature’s Studio
There’s also a Special Category titled Eerily Beautiful – Germany’s Peatlands. Each category highlights a different facet of nature photography, from wildlife behavior to abstract and environmental themes.
A Contest Rooted in Community and Conservation
The contest is open exclusively to German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) members. It offers a distinct platform for photographers passionate about capturing the natural world. Winners receive generous prizes from AC-Foto, GDT’s long-time sponsor. And if you’re located in Europe, you’ll be able to see their images in the society’s exhibitions and publications.
We bring you the category winners below. Be sure to visit GDT’s website to view the full gallery of winners and runner-ups.
