20-year-old photographer wins European Nature Photographer of the Year, becoming the youngest overall winner in the competition's history

A black-and-white image shows an owl perched on a branch with a small rodent. The scene is shadowy and atmospheric, evoking a calm, mysterious mood.

The extraordinary and heart-wrenching image titled Silent despair has earned photographer Luca Lorenz the coveted title GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025, selected by the German Society for Nature Photography. 

Luca is a self-taught wildlife photographer from the Berlin area and the youngest overall winner in the history of the competition. His work was chosen from a record 24,500 entries submitted by professionals and amateurs from 48 countries. Out of all the submissions, 107 winning images in nine categories and two special categories were selected