The image above is giving me flashbacks to the childhood trauma of Watership Down.

It’s also the winning photograph in The German Society for Nature Photography (GDT) Photographer of The Year 2020 competition.

Snapped by Peter Lindel, the photo is part of a series captured in Dortmund’s north in Germany.

Shall we avoid talk of the coronavirus and alert levels and what can and can’t be sold for a second? Yes, let’s do that.

According to The Guardian, Lindel beat out some stiff competition by keeping his shots close to home.

Compared with many international nature photography hot spots, this region has little to offer. Lindel spent a lot of time and blood, sweat and tears working on this project on his doorstep. It is a beautiful statement about the long-term exploration of a single species and region.

Let’s see what he was up against:

Photograph: Flurin Leugger/2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Photograph: 2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Photograph: Jens Cullmann/2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Photograph: Henry Jager/2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Photograph: Mohammad Murad/2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Photograph: Jan Piecha/2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Photograph: Axel Gomeringer/2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Photograph: Jan Piecha/2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Photograph: Britta Strack/2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Photograph: Sandra Bartocha/2020 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

You can check out more winners, here.

If that wasn’t enough of a fix for you, head here, here and here for more stunning nature photography.

The long weekend is drawing ever nearer. Hang in there.

[source:guardian]