Some photographers chase the famous viewpoint. Lukas Furlan spent the last few years doing the opposite, and it just made him Photographer of the Year at the 2026 Natural Landscape Photography Awards. His winning portfolio came from his first solo trip to Spain, plus the countryside around his home in Vienna and, of course, the Dolomites. He says he tried to make his work more personal, steering away from the main viewpoints and looking for smaller details. It’s also a bit of a comeback story, since he finished as runner-up last year and called the win a déjà vu.
Behind Furlan, Dorin Bofan took second place, followed by Koki Dote in third, Ross Davidson in fourth, Martin Rak in fifth, and Iain Macleod in sixth. Each submitted a full portfolio, so the title rewards a photographer who can stay strong across a body of work, not just land one lucky frame. The single-image prize went elsewhere, with Abraham Saikley named Photograph of the Year for a striking shot of a jagged mountain range.
Scroll through all six Photographer of the Year portfolios from the Natural Landscape Photography Awards 2026 below and see what happens when photographers skip the shortcuts and let the landscape do the talking.
