European Wildlife Photographer of the Year Reveals Its Stunning Winners

Nov 03, 2024

Matt Growcoot

Photo credit: Jamie Rojo, left, Felix Heintzenberg, right.

Jamie Rojo has been crowned European Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his image, In the Forest of the Monarchs, showing millions of monarch butterflies weighing down fir trees.

The competition is organized by the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) which received over 18,000 photographers across 38 countries.

The international judging panel picked Rojo’s image for its beautiful illustration of monarch butterflies captured in Mexico’s El Rosario butterfly sanctuary which they travel thousands of miles from North America to overwinter there.

One juror notes that Rojo’s picture offers “a slow awakening to its majesty … a testament to the power of photography.” Rojo’s exact same photo, which he took while on assignment for National Geographic Magazine, also won the California Academy of Sciences BigPicture Photography Competition.

Sunlight filters through a dense forest, illuminating tall trees and casting soft rays through the branches. The trees are covered in thick, dark green foliage, creating a serene and natural atmosphere. — Overall winner of European Wildlife Photographer of the Year ‘Forest of the Monarchs’. | Jamie Rojo

A black-and-white image of a bird in mid-flight with wings spread wide. The bird is approaching a tree trunk on the right. Leaves frame the top, and the background is a blurred abstract pattern. — Winner in the Birds category. A black woodpecker approaches with food for hungry offspring. | Luca Melcarne

A wet, yellow and black bird with a white face perches on a wet, car side mirror against a blurry urban background, including a building and a road. Raindrops can be seen on the mirror, indicating rainy weather. — Runner up in the Birds category. A great tit lands on a car at a ferry terminal in Norway. | Kjell Vikestad

A vast flock of birds soars over a foggy seascape. The sky is filled with their silhouettes, creating a dynamic pattern. Below, cliffs dusted with snow frame a dark, wintry ocean. — Highly commended in the Birds category. | Robert Haasmann

A black and white image depicting a bird in the foreground, standing on the ground. In the blurred background, three deer are visible amidst a misty forest setting. The overall atmosphere is serene and mysterious. — Highly commended in the Birds category. | Luca Lorenz

A dark forest scene with tall trees silhouetted against a deep blue night sky. The ground is dimly lit, casting subtle shadows. Sparse foliage and a serene atmosphere contribute to the mysterious mood. — Winner in the Mammals category. A young red fox explores the surroundings of its den in Kent, England. | Robert Canis

A polar bear stands on a snowy rocky terrain, surrounded by a swirling snowstorm. The wind blows snow around its fur, creating an ethereal, wintry scene. The bear appears calm amidst the harsh elements. — Runner up in the Mammals category. A polar bear shakes off snowpowder in Hudson Bay, Canada. | Daniel Valverde Fernandez

A silhouette of a lynx stretching in the rain against a dark night background. The outlines of the lynx are highlighted by backlighting, with raindrops visible around it. — Highly commended in the Mammals category. | Felix Heintzenberg

A lakeside scene with trees covered in white webs, resembling silk. The ground is blanketed in web-like structures over lush green grass, creating a surreal and eerie atmosphere. The calm lake and bright sky are visible in the background. — Winner in the Other Animals category. A proliferation of willow ermine moth caterpillars in the Netherlands. | Theo Bosboom

A group of red ants is clustered on a branch, captured in sharp detail. Water droplets are visible, falling and splashing around the ants against a dark background, creating a dynamic and lively scene. — Runner up in the Other Animals category. Wood ants spray formic acid in Germany. | Ingo Arndt

Close-up of a mushroom's gills, illuminated with warm orange and yellow light. The lines and curves create an abstract pattern, resembling flowing fabric. The lighting highlights the texture and depth of the gills. — Winner in the Plants and Fungi category. A parasol mushroom in Lossiny Ostrov National Park, Russia. | Svetlana Ivanenko

Sparse bushes with red berries and dried yellow grass are illuminated by sunlight against a shadowy background, creating a striking contrast between light and dark. — Runner up in the Plants and Fungi category. A group of rowan trees high up in the Bieszczady Mountains. | Katarzyna Gubrynowicz

A desert landscape with rippled sand dunes under a purple and pink sky. The smooth curves and gentle shadows create a serene and tranquil atmosphere. — Winner in the Landscapes category. The famous sugar dunes on the coast of the Arabian Sea. | Farbenpracht

Wind-blown sand creates a soft, golden wave pattern over a dune. The light and shadow highlight the gentle curves and texture, evoking a serene and ethereal desert landscape. — Runner up in the Landscapes category. Sand in the Sahara, something you will find plenty of there. | Ugo Mellone

A dimly lit image of an octopus with dark, textured skin featuring orange spots, against a black background. Its arms spread out widely, creating a striking contrast with the dark surroundings. — Winner in the Underwater World category. A common octopus crawls the seabed. | Angel Fitor

Two frogs are clasped together underwater surrounded by clusters of frog eggs. The scene includes submerged branches and leaves, creating a natural aquatic environment. — Winner in the Underwater World category. Frogs reproduce in an Italian pond. | Francesco Visintin

A person wearing gloves uses a tool to interact with planarians in a glass tank filled with water. The background is dark, highlighting the focus on the tank and the person's careful observation. — Winner in the Men and Nature category. A sanctuary for the Montseny brook newt. | Jaime Culebras

A duck leads ducklings across a road as a traffic officer in a yellow vest stops cars. A cameraman films the scene. A row of vehicles, including a bus and a car, is halted behind them. — Runner up in the Men and Nature category. Ducklings are ushered across the road in Warsaw, Poland. | Grzegorz Dlugosz

Aerial view of a sandy beach with abstract shapes and patterns. Various small puddles create organic, colorful forms resembling paint splatters. Wavy lines at the bottom suggest tidal influences. Subtle footprints can be seen across the sand. — Winner in the Nature’s Studio category. A mosaic of puddles on a drained lakebed. | Adam Fath

A blurred image of a flamingo with a focus on a spider web in the foreground, dotted with dew drops, against a white background. The flamingo's pink and gray colors are visible behind the web. — Runner up in the Nature’s Studio category. A great flamingo seen through a spider’s web. | Jan Lessman

The winners were announced on October 25. An exhibition showing all the winning images will tour through Germany and several other European countries. Head to the GDT website to see all the runners and riders.