By Jessica Stewart on May 6, 2020

“A hare’s dream” GNPY 2020, Peter Lindel, GDT. Overall Winner. European hare in the north of Dortmund.

“Dreamy, curious, careful, anxious. These are the adjectives that I find to describe the expression of ‘my hare’ best.”

A photograph of a hare bathed in glowing warm light won the GDT Nature Photographer of the Year contest for German photographer Peter Lindel. The competition, which is open to members of the Society for Nature Photography, was forced to hold their voting online this year due to the coronavirus; but, nevertheless, members turned out en masse to vote for the winners.

“Curious glances” GNPY 2020, Jan Piecha, GDT. 4th Place, Mammals. Raccoons, North Hesse.

Over 5,000 images were submitted to the contest, which were then narrowed down to the top ten photographs across seven categories during a pre-jury selection process. After that, the 307 members of the society, who are spread across 11 countries, voted for their top images in the categories of Birds, Mammals, Other Animals, Plants & Fungi, Landscapes, Nature’s Studio, and this year’s special category—Water.

Lindel’s victory is a testament to his perseverance. The Dortmund native took the photo in his hometown, which isn’t particularly known for its abundance of wildlife. “The European hare, once a common inhabitant of open countryside all over Germany, has become a rare sight,” Lindel shares. “While the large number of hares that I used to spot every morning on my way to work in the fields and meadows north of Dortmund, prompted me twelve years ago to explore this area with my camera, it has now become increasingly time-consuming to find hares and present them in an appealing photograph.

“This photo, A hare’s dream, was taken in July of 2019 when months of searching a suitable location led me to a dirt road, which offered the most beautiful morning light, lovely vegetation, and three hares. Dreamy, curious, careful, anxious. These are the adjectives that I find to describe the expression of ‘my hare’ best.”[…]

“The White Coastline” GNPY 2020, Stephan Fürnrohr, GDT. 2nd Place, Nature’s Studio. Meltwater lake, Greenland.

More: Beautiful Photo of Adorable Hare in a Field Wins Nature Photo Contest