41 Stunning Landscapes From The Natural Landscape Photography Awards 2026

0Some 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.

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Small white flowers bloomed beneath moss-covered trees in a misty forest. Everything was still, as though time had stopped. Taken in Shizuoka, Japan. Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place

The sixth edition of the awards received 11,929 photographs from 1,086 photographers in 52 countries, and every finalist’s RAW file was checked to make sure the scene was real. The awards were founded in 2021 as a response to heavy editing and AI in nature photography, and their golden rule is that the integrity of the subject must be maintained. Only 170 photographs made it to the live finals, which lasted five hours over Zoom.

The spires of the Chaltén Massif projected onto the Patagonian grasslands. Shot from the rarely seen west side of Fitz Roy in early winter. Award: Grand Landscape, Photograph of the Year, Winner

Another colorful, richly textured mud pattern on a riverside in Spain. Award: Photographer of the Year, Winner

Iridescent ice on the surface of a frozen lake held bubbles of all sizes like tiny keepsakes. Taken in Nagano, Japan. Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place

As the tide receded, a single twig was left behind on the beach. Amid the contours of the sand, it resembled a lone tree on a hill. Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place

Branching channels on a tidal flat seemed drawn toward the golden light, like roots searching for nourishment. Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place

Torridon, Scotland Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place

November sunset in the Central Bohemian Uplands, Czech Republic. Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place

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Low clouds building up around the jagged peaks of Cadini do Misurina shortly after sunset. Dolomites, Italy. Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place

Granite rock formations on the northern slopes of the Jizera Mountains, Czech Republic covered with first snow. Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place

A small stone covered in dried river sediment. Its shape reminded me of an egg, which made me stop and take a closer look. Award: Photographer of the Year, Winner

A colorful, richly textured mud pattern on a riverside in Spain. I liked the ambiguity of it: is it a miniature landscape, a close-up of an animal, or a satellite image? Award: Photographer of the Year, Winner

Probably one of the craziest trees I’ve ever stumbled upon. The smell was something else, too. Holding my breath definitely helped. I found it on a beach, and only when I looked closer did it reveal a completely new world. Award: Photographer of the Year, Winner

First light hits a spruce tree on the subalpine plateau during winter. Ceahlau Mountains, Romania. Award: Photographer of the Year, Runner-Up

Open water patches caused by the thermal inertia of dead spruce trunks. Cuejdel Lake, Romania. Award: Photographer of the Year, Runner-Up

Award: Photographer of the Year, Runner-Up

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Autumn foliage of lenga trees during a snowstorm. Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. Award: Photographer of the Year, Runner-Up

Over many years, water has carved branching channels into the ground, creating a tree-like pattern. Taken in Nagano, Japan. Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place

Layers of ice on the surface of a rime-covered tree spread out like overlapping feathers. Taken on Mt. Zao, Japan. Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place

On a mist-covered snowfield, a large rime-covered tree in the foreground seems to watch quietly over the others in the distance. Taken on Mt. Zao, Japan. Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place

A small section of collapsed sand on a beach forms a steep edge that resembles a towering cliff. Taken in Chiba, Japan. Award: Photographer of the Year, Third Place

Assynt, Scotland Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place

Torridon, Scotland Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place

Lochaber, Scotland Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place

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Lochaber, Scotland Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place

Lochaber, Scotland Award: Photographer of the Year, Fourth Place

Radiation fog above the forests on a cold summer morning. Jizera Mountains, Czech Republic. Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place

Foggy forest covered in thick hoarfrost in the Central Bohemian Uplands, Czech Republic. Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place

Frost covered trees nicely contrasting with the autumn foliage on the ground. Central Bohemian Uplands, Czech Republic. Award: Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place

A dramatic winter morning on one of Scotland's most impressive mountains. Award: Photographer of the Year, Sixth Place

A view towards the Red Cuillin, Isle of Skye. Award: Photographer of the Year, Sixth Place

After a stormy night in my tent, I woke to fresh snow and beautiful winter light. Award: Photographer of the Year, Sixth Place

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The dramatic rock formations of Castell y Gwynt frame Yr Wyddfa as it emerges from the clouds. Award: Photographer of the Year, Sixth Place

Yr Wyddfa, covered in early winter snow. Award: Photographer of the Year, Sixth Place

Blà Bheinn, Garbh-bheinn and Belig from Marsco, Isle of Skye. Award: Photographer of the Year, Sixth Place

I took this image near my hometown in South Tyrol and was fascinated by the late-evening light, especially considering that the area lies in a valley surrounded by large hills and mountains. This is what I like most about photography: heading out without a specific plan or preconceived idea, and being open to all the small wonders nature has to offer. Award: Photographer of the Year, Winner

Late-autumn weather in the Dolomites is probably one of the most interesting conditions a photographer could wish for. Midday shots like this would never be quite the same without the atmosphere and colors that this time of year brings. Award: Photographer of the Year, Winner

Cooling lava seen through hail. Fagradalsfjall eruption, Iceland. Award: Photographer of the Year, Runner-Up

Spruce trees on the subalpine plateau at sunset. Ceahlau, Romania. Award: Photographer of the Year, Runner-Up

Autumn foliage of lenga trees during a snowstorm. Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. Award: Photographer of the Year, Runner-Up

Foggy day in the beech forest near my home. Brasov, Romania. Award: Photographer of the Year, Runner-Up

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