We love a good photography competition at Digital Camera World, and the chance to bring some of the most new stunning images to you.
The German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) recently revealed the winners of their annual members-only photo competition.
The prestigious competition received over 8,000 entries across seven categories: Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Plants and Fungi, Landscapes, Nature's Studio, and the special category – All Things Flow.
Feeding Humpback whales, Namibian antlions, and ethereal woodlands were among the winners.
Overall winner
The eerie and beautiful trees in the hardwood riparian forest of the Mittel Elbe Biosphere Reserve in Germany.
Photographer Dieter Damschen who captured the image said:
“Winter is my favorite time of year, and one of my favored motifs is the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Elbe River Landscape. I often visit this hardwood riparian forest in the foreland of the dyke to take photographs at fixed points with lines of sight that reveal carefully selected compositions.
“Although I claim to know this location very well and sometimes get the feeling that I have seen and photographed everything here many times, I am regularly surprised by how different a supposedly familiar place can appear.”
After several years of extremely low water levels, a highly anticipated winter flood came to the forest. The water combined with the snowfall resulted in contrasting lines, creating a graphic yet fleeting effect.
Damschen used Fujifilm GFX100S, and GF100-200mm f/5.6 @150 mm, with an exposure of ISO 100, f/16, 6.5 sec.
Nature's Studio winner
Shaped twice by nature, these windswept trees live in the stark dunes of the German barrier island Baltrum.
Landscapes winner
Birches in autumn was taken by Felix Wesch in his favorite woodland.
Plants and Fungi winner
Arrowhead plants thrive in small river Groote Aa, which flows past the outskirts of the photographers village in the Netherlands.
Other Animals winner
These delicate insects look incredibly fairy-like, and are tricky to find in the wild.
Mammals winner
Ugandan Humpback whales spend the summer months in the Atlantic feeding grounds, hunting krill to build up their fat reserves for the winter months. These whales can be seen using a technique known as bubble netting, whereby the whales surround the krill, and push them further together by releasing huge bubbles of air.
Birds winner
A Gentoo penguin surfing effortlessly through the waves on Sea Lion Island, in the Falklands Island. Gentoos are the fastest swimmers among penguins.
The best of the runner ups:
Morlak's guide in Madikwe, South Afriday reportedly said, "But cheetahs don't kill zebras," upon seeing this extraordinary sight. But needs must when you have three hungry mouths to feed.
Snakes use their tongues to detect smells. Photographer Kai Kolodziej managed to capture this incredible behaviour in this stunning image.
The Eurasian beaver was once widespread throughout the continent, but was hunted to near extinction at the turn of the 20th century for its fur and castoreum, a substance used in perfume and some food stuffs.
Check out the best wide-angle lenses for shooting nature and wildlife. We've also put together our list of the best cameras for wildlife photography.
Why not take a look at our guide to the best trail cameras while you're at it?
